Sales Man Up
Marketing Without Good Service is Useless
Business is all about the customer: what the customer wants and what they get. Generally, every customer wants a product or service that solves their problem, worth their money, and is delivered with amazing customer service.
Fabrizio Moreira
A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all. - Michael LeBoeuf
The other day, my wife checked the mail, and found a hand written thank you card addressed to her. What should’ve been an otherwise touching moment, culminated in disbelief as she realized that the card was from her auto mechanic shop. It was a kind and thoughtful gesture, indeed; but unfortunately, the last several trips to this shop had resulted in overcharging, indifference , and a general lack of service. After reading the note, my wife exclaimed, “ this would be a great blog idea. “ She was right.
We can have the sharpest, most effective state -of -the -art marketing in place, and even send out heartfelt thank you notes; but if we do not follow up, follow through, and provide clients with good customer service, then our efforts are in vain ! No amount of notes, emails, or chocolate chip cookies is going to wash the unpleasant taste of poor service from their mouth.
What makes a waiter or waitress better than average ? I would qualify this question by stating that whether the restaurant is a five star destination or a dew drop inn in a one stoplight town, the characteristics that keep people coming back are the same.
A good waiter or waitress makes eye contact and acknowledges you as a person. They are relaxed yet possess a sense of urgency when it comes to delivering your meal. They have a likeable personality, and above all, their interaction with you is peppered with humor. They seem to intuitively know what you need before you even
ask, but they also know how to respect your space and not smother you.
The exceptional waiter or waitress asks, “ Do you have everything that you need ? “ and, “ How does everything taste .” New drinks are poured without asking. They deposit the bill before the meal is over. Have you ever been in a hurry to get to another meeting, and your waitress has seemingly dropped off the face of the earth, and you cannot get your bill ? Ugh ! The stellar service people intuitively perceive just the right moment to airdrop that ticket to a comfy landing right when you are mid-bite, saying with a smile, “ No hurry, just wanted you to have this when you are ready.” Do you plan on revisiting these types of restaurants, when you have been made to feel special, and appreciated ? You bet.
We also distinguish our products and/or services by the experience that we offer to our clients. Are we like those exceptional waiters or waitresses that make us feel special ? Do we make it easy for our clients to do business with our company ? As a salesperson, have we managed expectations by explaining the process to our customers so that they know and understand the chronology, and what to expect next ? Like some waiters, do we merely drop the meal onto the table and run on to the next conquest ? Or… do we show up and ask if the customer is happy with their purchase? Do we keep their glasses full ? A good customer experience becomes a GREAT one when we EXCEED expectations . Under promise and over deliver.
I believe this starts with the people out front … the salespeople ! The customer experience needs to continue with inside sales, customer support, manufacturing, warehouse, delivery - we all have a part in making that buying experience a positive one . What happens when the steak is burned or the kitchen runs out of baked potatoes ? We make it right. As exceptional account managers, we are proactive in finding answers, solving problems, and coming up with alternative solutions for our clients. We are as tenacious as a pit bull with a chew toy, until we get answers for our customers. We don't blame the kitchen staff or throw them under the bus, because we remember that we are a Team. It is also wise to remember that the Kitchen staff is not standing in front of the of customer- we are ! We set the pace for a memorable client experience, and hopefully, they will return to do business with us again because our marketing AND our service have spoken the SAME message. Bon Appetit’ !
Customer service is just a day-in, day-out, ongoing, never-ending, unremitting, persevering, compassionate type of activity. - Leon Gorman
Photo courtesy of Pixabay - Waldorf Astoria NY
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