[Reposted due to database problem]
I'm sure we've all been in situations where a vendor of some sort has
let us down because of their customer service.
Avenue East is in the midst of one such situation at the moment. A
vendor we rely on seemed to be a great choice prior to purchase --
committed to customer service, recommended by many top businesses in our
field and used widely in our industry. Their product appeared highly
functional and trustworthy and yet since starting a (thankfully)
short-term contract with this vendor, nothing has gone right.
In hopes of not incriminating a firm that may get it right most of the
time, I will not name the company outright. But let's just say that in
less than two weeks' time, we have faced 7 pretty intense problems that
all required the attention of the company's support staff. In each case,
we submitted our support issue and got a response fairly soon
thereafter. In most cases, we received prompt, pleasant responses. So
far so good.
But the nature of those responses was not so good. In more than one
case, we were informed that the firm was having technical problems that,
quite frankly, have hurt our business and caused us to throw a part of
our marketing budget out the window. It was implied that the problem
would be solved by the end of the day. The apology we received the first
time seemed genuine and even elicited a phone call.
Two days later, however, the problem was still not solved. When I
followed up, however, the new support team member assigned to our case
made mention of the problem again, in essence telling me that they had
worked out the kink in the system, but not giving me any more info than
I had when I started. I furthermore deduced from this conversation and a
handful of additional back-and-forths with the support team that the
firm has no accountability built into their service.
In other words, if something goes wrong, they have no way of knowing
whom it affected. So I couldn't even fix problems for my clients unless
they contacted Avenue East directly -- a customer service nightmare, to
say the least.
Even worse, the vendor was unable to solve the problem without it
affecting a large group of clients at a time. Adding insult to injury, a
strange glitch meant that something happened that shouldn't have.
Imagine that I clicked on red, and everything but red is what popped up.
Worse, the change was permanent, and the support team informed me that I
must have done something wrong.
Human error is a given in any and all situations, but honestly, I just
don't think so this time. I personally double-checked everything prior
to confirming my choice, and what happened just didn't make sense based
on my selections. The end result was very random and my selection had
been systematic. Very disconcerting, to say the least.
When I mentioned, finally, in writing, that these problems were giving
me serious doubts about using the vendor, I got a polite, but unhelpful
answer from the support person who also happened to be the one who said
that I was in the wrong. Again I was told that the problem was now
solved, but my concern with their service as a whole was not addressed.
Sadly, there's even more to tell, but I think that I have shared enough
business "don'ts" for the day. So I'll get on to the constructive part
of this mini-rant ...
Lessons to glean from this customer service experience
1. Prompt, please customer service responses are fine, but make sure
that your answers (or those of your support staff) actually show a
glimmer of understanding for your clients' needs. I cannot imagine why
anyone would use this firm for any reason other than the one that I do,
so the problems that were caused last week should have been anticipated
and acknowledged by the support staff. When your clients have problems,
they need to feel like you understand them and are making every effort
to correct them.
2. Admit you're in the wrong when you are in fact to blame. It's the
only right thing to do.
3. Avoid causing problems to begin with. Whatever you offer -- whether
it's coaching sessions, software development or real estate -- it helps
to make a list of the potential problems that might arise after purchase
and know how to prevent them in the first place.
4. Solve your clients' problems quickly. Accidents do happen, and no
system is perfect 100% of the time, but having some method of solving
problems quickly will keep your clients in your good graces much more
easily.
5. Always respond to your clients' customer service concerns by
addressing them outright. If clients go to the trouble of letting you
know that they are considering going elsewhere for your business, it
means that they are willing to give you a chance to make it up to them.
Most unhappy clients will take their money and run, so responsive ones
-- even clients who aren't telling you what you want to hear --
generally can teach you something.
Less than 10% of unsatisfied clients will tell you what they do or do
not like about what you offer; that small handful of clients who
actively correspond with you are worth keeping happy.
6. If you have caused your client major stress, do something to show
that you appreciate their hanging in there. It doesn't have to be a
refund or gift, but find some way of showing your concern for your
clients' well-being. People like to feel like they are dealing with
human beings with hearts. Prove to them that they are and that you are
worth the short-term hassle.
7. Make sure that you live up to your brand promise. If your company
stands for top-of-the-line service, you need to ensure that that's what
your clients actually get. We have been paying a premium because we
thought that we would get our money's worth with this company, and sadly
that extra cash hasn't bought us the good customer service we thought we
would be getting, based on their marketing and their reputation in the
industry.
It's actually pretty easy to keep most clients happy -- just make good
on your promises and let your clients know that you care. That's the
kind of customer service that will keep people coming back to you again
and again.
