Moment of Truth - Aug 09
What customers like about you
David Freemantle’s book ‘What customers like about you’ suggests that customer care is not about process, it is about emotional intelligence. It is being aware of your own behaviour and the impact this has on our customers. It is about delighting the customer by adding emotional value.
This was very apparent on a recent shopping trip with the family. We popped into BHS for refreshments. Whilst there we decided to eat. Ordering two main meals and child’s lunch box plus drinks. Staff were very friendly, a positive moment of truth. The child’s lunch box had a ham sandwich within this. As we started eating, my son mentioned that the sandwich did not taste right and looking at it, it did not look at its freshest. I took the sandwich back to the check-out. The cashier was very sympathetic and immediately said she would get someone over. As she said this a second lady came over and asked what was wrong after informing her of my complaint, she immediately instructed the cashier to have the sandwiches removed from the display. At this point a third lady got involved as she had overhead the conversation. She asked to see my receipt; having given her this, she immediately refunded the whole amount and not just the lunch box. This was all carried out in a very professional manner with the human touch. All three ladies appeared to be very aware of my needs as an unhappy customer.
This scenario may have played out two ways, the first: The supplier may have decided to treat this as a non-issue for them or me and play down my complaint and do the minimum to appease me. The second: The supplier could listen and carry out a series of positive actions to please the customer. I am pleased to report that BHS chose the latter.
Why is it that BHS got it so right and that I would without doubt shop and eat there again?
Quick response<b/> There was an immediate positive response. When your customer complains act immediately. Not with an auto-response email or a telephone script, with a real emotional and personal response and one that shows you care. This should ideally be face to face or at the least by phone. Using email when you have a phone or face opportunity screams that you don’t care or that you have so many complaints you can’t handle the volume. If you do receive so many complaints that you are unable to provide a personal service… you may need to ask yourself some probing questions.
Listening They listened without interrupting. When you receive a complaint face to face, you must allow the customer to say their piece and then look to address the problem. When listening ensure that your body language is also open to listening… strange thing to write, yes. However even if you are not interrupting it does not mean that you are listening. Ensure that you are open to listening with your body language as well: Don’t look bored, couldn’t care less or ready to pounce with objections and defence statements.
Taken seriously BHS immediately without hesitation jumped into action, removing all the childrens sandwiches from the unit. Irrelevant to what you think of the complaint, if the customer is complaining then it is a complaint! If you believe the client to be over-reacting to the complaint, stop! Walk in their shoes on how they may have got to be in this position to complain. Do not dismiss a customer as a moaner; listen and act.
Take action and keep informed After being fully reimbursed and had sat down to finish of the rest of the lunch the cashier came over to ask how we were? She apologised again and updated us on what they did following our complaint.
When a customer complaints they want something to happen. Possibly sympathy, reimbursement, acknowledgment, a positive response. If someone has paid for the service or product then reimburse them in full or part. However always let a customer know what is happening!
It is said that is takes 10 positives actions to forgive (not forget) a negative action. For me BHS response was exactly what was required to cancel out the negative moment of truth. In fact, I would say that they delighted me with their response.
Obtain from yourself all that makes complaining useless. No longer implore from others what you yourself can obtain.
Andre Gide (1869 - 1951)
