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The 4 Things Your Customers Really Want
| Guest post by: Tom Borg |
Article Overview: There was a study conducted by Delta Airlines a few years back and the results were so startling that it became quickly obvious that these results could apply to all types and sizes of businesses and organizations. The study centered on what their customers really wanted from Delta Airlines.
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Free Download - Be Nice to Your Customers By Tom Borg |
The 4 Things Your Customers Really Want
By Tom
Borg ©2010
There
was a study conducted by Delta Airlines a few years back and the results were
so startling that it became quickly obvious that these results could apply to
all types and sizes of businesses and organizations. The study centered on what
their customers really wanted from Delta Airlines.
Here
is what they found. Their customers wanted to know the answers to four
questions. They were:
1. Do you like me?
2. Do you care about me?
3. Can I trust you?
4. Do you know what you are talking
about?
The
first thing they wanted to know was if they were sincerely liked by their Delta
representative that they encountered. The customer knew this from how the representative
interacted with them. Did they use their name, did they really listen, did they
have sincere empathy in their voice?
The
second thing they wanted to know was did the rep care about them. The customer
knew this from questions they asked, again, the tone of voice, the little
things they said or did that indicated they indeed cared, and how helpful they
tried to be.
The third question they wanted answered was, could they trust the Delta representative. Indications of trust could be seen in how confident the rep was and did they follow through as promised. One example of how trust can be lost by an airline rep happened to me. A few weeks ago, I was trying to book a last minute flight to make it to a program I had been scheduled to do in Oakland, CA. The US Air rep promised me that if I had to make any changes within the next 24 hours, I could do so for no charge or penalty. Sure enough, I called back three hours later to cancel one segment of the flight and was told by a different rep that I would be charged an additional $150 to make that change. I explained to him that the first US Air rep I spoke to promised me no charges. He checked with his supervisor and after a few minutes of waiting on hold, he came back and told me they could waive the charge, but I would have to take a different flight two hours later. This would mean I wouldn’t arrive until late that night. I sullenly told him I would stick with my original travel plans. US Air violated my trust; as a result, I made a decision that when it was possible, I would avoid flying with them in the future. My point is, deliver on what you promise – no matter what, or risk losing that customer.
Finally the fourth thing Delta’s customers wanted to know, was the rep knowledgeable and competent. Indications of these qualities were demonstrated if the rep was familiar with the particular situation the customer was experiencing and had they solved similar types of problems before.
In summary, to build lifetime customer/client relationships, make sure your company or organization is able to answer those four questions on a consistent basis with all of the customers and clients it serves.
Related ArticlesThe third question they wanted answered was, could they trust the Delta representative. Indications of trust could be seen in how confident the rep was and did they follow through as promised. One example of how trust can be lost by an airline rep happened to me. A few weeks ago, I was trying to book a last minute flight to make it to a program I had been scheduled to do in Oakland, CA. The US Air rep promised me that if I had to make any changes within the next 24 hours, I could do so for no charge or penalty. Sure enough, I called back three hours later to cancel one segment of the flight and was told by a different rep that I would be charged an additional $150 to make that change. I explained to him that the first US Air rep I spoke to promised me no charges. He checked with his supervisor and after a few minutes of waiting on hold, he came back and told me they could waive the charge, but I would have to take a different flight two hours later. This would mean I wouldn’t arrive until late that night. I sullenly told him I would stick with my original travel plans. US Air violated my trust; as a result, I made a decision that when it was possible, I would avoid flying with them in the future. My point is, deliver on what you promise – no matter what, or risk losing that customer.
Finally the fourth thing Delta’s customers wanted to know, was the rep knowledgeable and competent. Indications of these qualities were demonstrated if the rep was familiar with the particular situation the customer was experiencing and had they solved similar types of problems before.
In summary, to build lifetime customer/client relationships, make sure your company or organization is able to answer those four questions on a consistent basis with all of the customers and clients it serves.
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Article Tags: complaint, customers, happy, increase, profit, resolve, success, want
Referred by: http://www.salestrailblazer.com
|
About the Author: Tom Borg RSS for Tom's articles - Visit Tom's website Tom Borg is a consultant, trainer and coach. He is president of Tom Borg Consulting LLC. He works with the managers and employees of businesses and non-profits in the area of professional development and customer service training. He is the author of the book/cd "Making Service Count". He earned his bachelors degree in administration and his masters degree in Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. You can contact him at: 734-812-0526, or visit his website at www.tomborgconsulting.com Click here to visit Tom's website   How to Motivate Your Staff and Employees to Do Their Best Setting the Pace for Delivering Outstanding Service How to Profitably Thrive on Change in the 21st Century Watch Out for People Who Belong to the Make it Fun for Your Customers to Do Business with You |
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