Customers in Limbo

Have you ever been a customer with a problem on your hands? You need the problem handled so you call the company and leave a detailed message. You can hardly wait to hear back from customer service. An hour goes by, then two. The next thing you know the day is over and you haven’t heard back. Then two days go by and you’re angry.  Frustrating, right? 

Maybe you called for a price quote and no one returned your call. Maybe you’re supposed to get medical test results on Tuesday morning and by Tuesday afternoon you still haven’t received a call. Maybe your car replacement part is on backorder and a month goes by without an update.  How do you feel about a company that leaves you hanging? 

I was recently working on a project, when  I needed information from the person in charge.  I sent an email and two days went by with no reply.  I thought perhaps it didn’t go through, so I left a phone message. Another day went by and still no response. Several days later, I called and had a candid conversation to find out why.  She said, “I don’t have an answer for you yet. I need more time to think. I often find that if I don’t respond right away the problem goes away.”  She might be right but I wonder how many customers go away right along with those problems.  

Today I interviewed a customer service superstar, Chris Ulrich from ISCO Industries, who will be featured in our upcoming book.  He shared many helpful stories about the specifics that set his company’s service apart. One element that Chris believes is critical to excellent customer service is responsiveness.  He feels that customer loyalty comes not only from the big things but also from the small, seemingly inconsequential details. If Chris gets a request by phone or email, and he has an answer, he responds. If he doesn’t have an answer, he still responds, just to confirm that he got the message and is working on the solution.  

He knows that when you leave a customer hanging, they don’t know why you’re not responding. They don’t know that you’re waiting for a price or working on the problem unless you tell them.  With every minute they wait, they are losing trust in your company.  Maybe you would rather wait to have a solid answer before calling back, but what would your customer prefer? It may put a strain on the relationship to leave them wondering why it’s taking so long.  A simple response to let them know you received their message will help to establish trust.

Reflection:  What is one thing you can do to improve your customer responsiveness?  

written by Marilyn Suttle on www.lovethemup.com