October 31, 2012
Have you ever had a terrible customer service experience at a a place of business? When you were leaving, did the employee or manager smile and ask, “How was everything?”Instead of offering your real opinion, did you simply answer, “Fine?” Most of us leave it at “fine” for a number of reasons. We don’t want to waste our time trying to fix their business; we don’t believe anyone will listen to our concerns; and even if they do listen, we don’t believe anything will change. So we say “fine” and walk out the door vowing never to return. Then, on Monday morning, we go to work and tell everyone how awful our experience was at that business.“FINE” is the most dangerous word in the consumer language. It’s a code word that means, “I’m neutral and as soon as I find something better, I’m out of here!”Are your customers telling you that everything is fine, implying they are satisfied? If so, you may have a problem, because 65 to 85 percent of customers who say they are satisfied actually switch to the competition. Customers will not continue to do business with you for long if you simply meet their expectations. In order to build loyalty, you must exceed expectations by looking for ways to surprise and delight your customers.Don’t settle for your customers checking the “satisfied” box on your satisfaction surveys. Build loyalty by providing exceptional service. Then, your loyal customers will be writing on your survey comment lines:
Satisfied customers are neutral and may be keeping one eye open for better options with your competitors. Strive for turning your satisfied customers into loyal customers.