Do you really know what your customers want?
Customer service is not just about addressing and greeting your customer but engaging and understanding them. Often when one has a deep knowledge of their given industry they assume that they are the best person to determine what their customers want and need. They believe they know the customer better than the customer knows themselves. Certainly many of us can think of times when we’ve been on the receiving end of this “knowledge” – the appliance or computer salesperson who steers us towards a totally inappropriate product because they seem to know exactly what we need. We think to ourselves, “Are you kidding me?” None of us would want our own customers thinking about us in the same manner, so just how does one go about connecting with their client base in order to create a productive and lasting relationship?
All you need to do is to draw on your own experiences as a customer like when you visit the grocery or drugstore and are being rung through the cash. The cashier handles all of the items that are soon to be yours. They touch these items, but more than just this physical touch there’s also the face-to-face interaction with you, the customer. Though it’s a brief transaction, you can usually tell if someone is just going through the motions or genuinely making an effort to connect with you.
Great Customer Service = responsiveness + empathy
A client services example can be a visit to a medical testing facility. Generally having blood drawn or some other invasive procedure conducted is not something that tops a person’s list of things they want to do and is stressful for many people. To alleviate this, medical centres strive to create a calm and soothing environment. Many have started to provide educational health infomercial screens and calming music.
That morning cup of coffee or tea provides another example of customer service. In this instance I think specifically of Tim Horton’s introduction of the Remembrance Day quarter in 2004. It seems odd that a food restaurant would partner with the Royal Canadian Mint to distribute a coin but Tim Horton’s demonstrated an astute understanding of their clientele. The average Timmies customer has an emotional connection with those that serve; whether directly or indirectly, there’s a connection and the coin resonated with them.
Tim Horton’s know their customer base – do you? One way to tap into and gain this knowledge is through a ServQual analysis. ServQual was originally developed in the 1980’s and its main purpose is to reduce the gap between actual and perceived service quality based on 5 aspects: reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness. ServQual is not just a “feel good” exercise businesses can undertake; it is a quantitative and empirically proven model to explain, evaluate, and improve Service Quality in major organizations. Amongst other things it’s aimed at balancing customer perceptions and expectations. It’s a tool that enables you to tap into your clients’ perceptions and expectations rather than your own assumptions about what these are. It enables you to see through the eyes of your customers without your own lenses distorting the view. The information gathered from a ServQual analysis can provide the framework to inform your customer service strategy and action plan.
RSVP for Change: Instead of thinking and assuming you know your customers, get into your customers’ heads and hearts before they even need your goods or services. Make their experience with your business meaningful and they will return because they know you understand their needs.
Management Insight: Start to become attuned to the following ServQual components: reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding the customer and other tangibles. Figure out what the most significant drivers are for your customers and reach your organization’s customer service goals and start to think about strategies to improve them.
Linda Craig (@LindaCraigRSVP)
More Supply Chain insights at www.Retention.ca
