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All I Ask...
| Guest post by: Rebel Brown |
Article Overview: 7 things to remember about how to treat a customer.
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Free Download - Are you Stuck in Failure? By Rebel Brown |
All I Ask...
Yesterday I wrote a post about my dilemma with a few vendors of late - wondering if I was expecting too much from my vendors as their customer.
Your responses told me resoundingly that I was not expecting too much - that we all have some basic expectations when it comes to customer service. Many of the folks who responded were even more outraged than I expected by the treatment I'd endured at the hands of these vendors. Wow - I guess I'm not expecting too much after all. That's so nice to know!
Your responses got me thinking about the basic things I want from a vendor with regard to how they treat me as a customer. So today, I thought I'd list the things I ask of a vendor. So, here we go.
All I Ask of You Mr. or Ms. Vendor:
* When I send a request, an email, leave a message for you - please respond. Don't ignore me and later tell me you have too much on your plate to pay attention to me. I paid you my money, so at least acknowledge my communication, even if it's to say you'll get back to me later. When you have the fifth email request from me and you still haven't responded - you might ask yourself "Is this how I'd want to be treated as a customer?" I bet the answer is No!
* Treat me as if I matter to you - even if I really don't (which is yet another discussion). Telling me how important you are, that the money I paid you is paltry compared to your other customers, is certainly not the way to make me feel special. It surely doesn't compel me to want to do more business with you. Keep doing that and I'll spread the word to everyone I know about how poorly you treat your customers. Is that what you want?
* Treat me with respect. Maybe that's covered in my first two requests, but there's more. Don't talk down to me from your pedestal. Just because you think you're important, smart, rich and I'm not doesn't give you the right to be condescending to me. Be respectful.
* Be honest. If you're too busy to respond to me, at least tell me that truth. Don't act like I'm inferior because you don't have your act together to respond to your customers. That's passing the buck - and I already paid you those bucks.
* Be consistent and keep your commitments. If I signed up for a monthly session with you and you aren't communicating about it - don't jump down my throat and get nasty because I question what's happening. I paid for those sessions and if you can't deliver them - you're the one not meeting your commitments. I'm not the bad person for asking.
* Treat me the way you'd want to be treated. Yep, that's great advice for us all. Ask yourself, how would I feel if someone took my money and then ignored me, told me I wasn't valuable and treated me like dirt. Treat customers the way you'd treat your mother or sister or best friend. Not the way you'd treat your enemy. And frankly, I wouldn't even treat my enemy that way, so shame on you.
* Please remember - without me and other customers like me - you wouldn't be here. Even if you think I'm small potatoes, you still need me and others like me. I may not spend as much money as those big important clients - but there are lots of folks like me out here. If you keep behaving the way you are right now - I won't be around much longer, and neither will you.
So that's my list - what did I miss? Please - let me know what you'd add to this list of simple requests from a customer to a vendor.
Article Tags: business strategy, customer response, customer service, defy gravity, growth, marketing, reinvention, strategy, transformation
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About the Author: Rebel Brown RSS for Rebel's articles - Visit Rebel's website My best selling market strategy book - Defy Gravity - shares the lessons I've learned in my client engagements. I'm thrilled to be able to share these experiences with business leaders in a variety of markets. We all have Gravity - myself included! When we shift from gravity thinking - high velocity growth is ours for the taking! I'm honored to have been featured in media including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, Business Insider, Startup Nation, First Business TV, ChangeThis.com, 800CEORead, Exceptional People and more. I'm a frequent radio show guest - sharing tips 'n tricks to help all business leaders excel. I'm also an executive speaker for companies, associations, events and audiences who are ready to Shift - from Gravity to High Velocity Growth. Visit www.RebelBrown.com for Rebel's thought-provoking and informative videos and articles. Click here to visit Rebel's website   Zero Gravity Business Principle 5 Responsibility Great Leaders Among Us A Shiny Needle in the B2B Marketing Haystack Zero Gravity Business Expedia in Flight When the Experts are just Plain Wrong |
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