By Eric Woodruff, CPA
Manager, Audit & Assurance Services
In today’s fast-moving world of instant and universal communications, the old standards for customer service no longer apply. It used to be if you delivered a great product or service on time and at a good price, the client would be happy and pass that information on to others.
Now, with online reviews, social media and the like, people will find something to complain about if the customer experience isn’t positive from top to bottom. And the “long tail” of digital communications means that negative feedback can follow your company around for years.
Take the example of going to a restaurant. They may serve the best food in town. But if they lose your reservation, or make you wait for a long time to get a table or take your order, or the waiter fails to top off your drink, you will probably come out with a negative impression of your visit.
The chef may think she’s doing an outstanding job, because the meals make it to the table with perfection – ignoring the other aspects that make up the totality of the experience. People may have come for the food, but they didn’t just come to eat! The “complete experience” is what matters and will be measured in the consumer assessment.
This applies to every other kind of business, too. We should look at all the different aspects of customer service upon a continuum. Just because you’re exceling at the primary mission doesn’t mean the “little stuff” can be let slide. Businesses need to make sure they are focusing on delivering a superior overall experience, from the first point of meeting to the wrap-up.
For instance, as a CPA firm we may do terrific work on a tax return, saving the client thousands of dollars. But if the return is delivered late, or our staff isn’t responsive to questions (via email or phone) and concerns or the attitude expressed by staff is less than enthusiastic and helpful, the good part of the engagement will be diluted by the negative.
A business owner or manager keeps a big picture on customer service to make sure their team is always striving for total satisfaction. Some even hire “secret shoppers” to perform a transaction with their company and then report back in detail.
This mindset should filter down to every level of your operation, from how a receptionist answers the phone to how attentive employees are to the client’s needs and desires. Is your team consistently hitting deadlines? Do they deliver exactly what was promised – or more? Is the quality of every single deliverable or meeting exceeding expectations? Does your team return phone calls or emails in a timely manner? Is your staff positive and enthusiastic when interacting with your customers? Is your staff helpful?
You may think you’re already delivering great customer service, but the truth is there might be pieces missing to the puzzle that keep you from reaching full satisfaction for your clients.
Do you encourage your customers to give you the owner/manager “honest” feedback – good or bad?
Do you give your customer a demonstrative “freebie” if you deliver less than a desirable experience? Let your customer know you care. Do you thank them for their feedback? A quick email or phone call can be significant!
Everything you need can be summed up with this question: Do you make it easy for your customers to do business with you?
Ask them this question yourself, and you may be surprised to find that there are ways to improve their total customer experience that you didn’t even know were lacking.
If you need on advice on how to deliver next-level satisfaction to your customers, please call Eric Woodruff at (317) 613-7850 or email [email protected].