Your office manager sent a handwritten thank you note to a regular grease trap customer, following a standard operating procedure. However, when the note came in the mail, the customer was furious and tore it up into little pieces.
How could something as well-intentioned as a thank you note create such a negative reaction? As it turns out, this customer was still in the process of getting a serious issue resolved over the service you were providing. The thank you note arrived before this issue was dealt with, the service issue was never mentioned and your manager never apologized for the problem. Even though the thank you note was handwritten, it was as impersonal as a mass produced letter that starts with “Dear Customer.’’
If you only train employees to routinely do things without understanding the subtleties and context of their actions, you run the risk that they’ll do the right things, but in the wrong way. Here are some of the most common customer service rules, when to break them and alternative best practices to apply instead:
Use the customer’s name
According to success guru Dale Carnegie, “The sweetest sound in any language is the sound of one’s own name.” Though it may be true that using a customer’s name can create a sense of intimacy, it can also have the opposite effect. Watch out for the following mistakes:
• Using the customer’s name too often. “Well, Bob, you can see that this is the perfect solution for your business. Don’t you agree, Bob? After all, Bob, studies have shown this to be true. And Bob …” Overusing your customer’s name may make them uncomfortable, seeming like an insincere gimmick rather than an effort to make a true connection.
• Mispronouncing your customer’s name. Some people’s names are hard to pronounce or have an unusual pronunciation. In either case, it’s always good to ask the proper way to pronounce their name. Customers may forgive you for not saying it right, but it will still grate on your customer’s nerves to hear his or her name said wrong repeatedly.
• Being too formal or too informal when using your customer’s name. Some people prefer to use their first name; some prefer an honorific, such as Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs., Ma’am, Sir, etc. It is far more respectful to start off by being formal and letting customers tell you their preference.
• Best practice: Use your customer’s name in a way that shows respect and begins building rapport.
Shake your customer’s hand
For decades, salespeople have been taught to shake hands to connect and build rapport with their customers. However, there are a number of situations where offering a handshake can create more tension than trust:
• Cultural issues. In many cultures and religions, handshaking is forbidden or considered rude. If you are dealing with a multicultural customer base, learn all you can about the appropriate ways to greet and welcome them.
• Social anxiety. For some people, the mere thought of having to shake hands creates a level of tension that can ruin the entire interaction.
• People with compromised immune systems. Many people have been told by doctors they should not shake hands in order to protect fragile immune systems. Some perfectly healthy people are afraid of the germs that can be transmitted by a handshake. Right or wrong, these fears are intensified if you work as a pumping service technician.
• Best practice: Instead of initiating the handshake, it’s better to wait for the customer to make the first move. Keep your arms relaxed but ready to respond. If they start to shake your hand, you can easily reach out and grasp their hand in return.
Always send a handwritten thank you note
In this impersonal business world, a handwritten note will help you stand out and make a great impression, but sometimes a note can have the opposite effect.
• Sending a thank you note before a problem is successfully resolved. Don’t send a thank you if your customer has an unresolved issue. If you send a note in that case, it better be to apologize for the problem.
• Impersonal note. A perfunctory “thank you for doing business with us” note can fall flat like a form letter, ruining whatever connection you may have with your customer.
• Best practice: Although a handwritten note is still somewhat personal, you need to take it a step further by writing something unique that relates to each customer. Your note should include references to what you’ve spoken about with the customer.
Follow the Golden Rule
From childhood, we’ve been taught to follow the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Following this rule can create a number of problems:
• Treating your customer in a way that makes them uncomfortable. It is somewhat egocentric to assume that your customer always has the same wants and desires you do. For example, if you are a gregarious person who likes lots of conversation and connection, you risk pushing your customer away if that kind of treatment makes them uneasy.
• Missing an opportunity to surprise and delight. When you only use yourself as a reference for what would impress a customer, you lose the ability to be creative. When you listen carefully to a customer, he or she will give you clues about what you can do to go the extra mile.
• Best practice: Use the Platinum Rule: “Treat others the way they want to be treated.” This ensures that your customer will be treated in a way that best meets his or her needs.
KEEP IT PERSONAL
The bottom line to all these rule-breakers and best practices is to keep your customer service personal. Don’t just follow the rules, choose the best way to apply them to meet and exceed every customer’s needs.
