What makes us feel like we got great customer service?
I have been writing posts lately about my experiences with replacing my business vehicle. During this process, I have become aware of both good and poor customer service and attentiveness. This has caused me to ponder about what might be perceived as good customer care and poor customer care and how those perceptions might actually be different for everyone.
When my husband and I headed out to pick up the new vehicle, it took some serious juggling on both our parts. My husband had to take the afternoon off work as we would require two drivers to get the vehicle home. I had to clear my own calendar to ensure that the afternoon and evening were clear and open so that we would not feel pressured or in a hurry. In a busy household, this is often no easy feat.
When we arrived for the appointment at the specified time, our salesman was tied up with another customer delivery and the finance department was also engaged in a conversation with another customer. We settled into some comfy chairs out front to wait our turn. Thankfully, we were both in a relaxed mood and were prepared for this due to our previous encounters with this dealership. We have come to the realization that for them, appointments are really more of a guide rather than a rule. On this day, we waited close to an hour.
Perhaps, the only people who would be annoyed by this lack of attention to time are the customers who (like me) are more formal with their time. In other words, they avoid ever being late for a meeting (often turning up 15 minutes ahead of schedule). Those customers who are more casual with their time likely do not even notice the delays and spend time drinking coffee in the lounge and catching up on emails or socializing. I suppose this begs the question – does the service or product provider actually recognize those who are formal and those who are more casual with their time. And if they were able to source that out, would it (or should it) change how they address time accordingly?
Then there is the interesting conversation tactics of the Salesman. I was fascinated (not irritated) by the way he directed most of his attention towards my husband when he spoke about warranties and service commitments. I found that rather interesting since I would be the primary driver (which he was well aware of) and also the individual who would need to be aware of the restrictions and the telephone support lines. After all, I travel out of town and should a problem occur, it is doubtful that my husband will be riding shotgun to help me out with seeking roadside assistance. Besides, I doubt that I require my husband to solve all my challenges with a new vehicle. So how did the Salesman get this so decidedly wrong? Does he find me difficult to deal with or is his experience that most women simply don’t care about maintenance or cars?
Welcome to a world where customer service is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition. Customers are diverse and have many different needs. As service providers, are we attentive enough with each customer to know what will make the difference for them? Do we spend time observing their unique behaviour patterns so we can address their unique needs and requests appropriately?
Perhaps achieving superior customer service means not just taking the appropriate steps to solve problems, but going the extra mile to see if perceived problems can be prevented in advance. Perhaps superior customer service is not an individual effort but a team effort, with everybody working toward the same goal. Kudos to the salesman who met us when we arrived and promised to locate our salesman and alert the finance department to our presence. Even if he had little success in prompting them to take action.
Sure would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on what makes you feel you received incredible customer service. In the meantime, I am enjoying driving my new vehicle and maybe that is all that matters!
