Boardrooms and conference rooms across the globe have pretty much frozen up in the wake of economic uncertainty and what feels like the “new world” or decreased consumer spending, low interest rates, and growing unemployment rates.
Individuals and companies alike are playing by rules they haven’t seen in years. The “new” economy of the late 1990’s wasn’t so new after all. And the “old” business maxims have not withered and died. Companies must stop the hemorrhaging, sure, but those who will find a way to thrive despite the economy will be those that make prudent investments now. Invest in the business by developing and expanding markets. Increase your marketing. As competitors trim budgets, advertising dollars go that much further and fill an even larger void.
Invest in your customers for a variety of reasons:
It is easier (i.e. cheaper) to sell to your existing customers than acquire new ones.
Your customers are already invested in your success.
Your products should be providing value to your customers. Are they? If the products don’t provide value, what can you do to make that change?
Valued customers tell prospects of your greatness and thus remain one of your most trusted marketing/reference assets.
We had a saying in the Navy that seems particularly appropriate now. “Sins of omission are greater than sins of commission.” Or to quote Alfred Lord Tennyson, “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Same ideas really. Take risks, make decisions. David Silverman echoes these thoughts in a recent post on moving through fear. You can remain frozen by inaction, or you can seize the day.
The pivot point is that these are Darwinian times when the best and boldest survive and the outdated become extinct. After all, you shouldn’t count on global warming keep your company from freezing in place… look what it did to the dinosaurs!
If your company is like most you have problems with customer service. Those problems may emanate from poor products, over-sold capabilities or legitimately bad service itself. Despite our efforts to get service right we all inevitably have problems. It makes sense to plan what to do when things look darkest.
Apologize – Start with thank you. It changes the tone of the conversation. Be brief and to the point. You’ve already messed up… and the customer knows it. Nonetheless, and honest thank you followed by an honest apology is the beginning. A Complaint is a Gift is a good book to help change your point of view.
Use Empathy, Not Sympathy – I see this mistake a lot. People have been trained to be sympathetic when a customer complains to understand their pain. (And it sure beats the alternative of being uncaring!) People servicing customers view the issue as “the other guy’s” problem. A more appropriate reaction would be empathy because, in fact, you own it too. The difference is in sympathy you take the point of view that “I feel bad for you” whereas in empathy the point of view is “I feel bad with you.” Conveying this sense that you share their pain makes you collaborators in the solution and this translates to better support. Tony Tjan mentions empathy as an advantage for small companies, but there is no reason a large company can’t deliver the goods too.
Communicate – If the problem will take some time to resolve, gather the necessary information, let the customer go – then get busy. It’s important to over-communicate time lines and actions. At my company we have a mantra we live by – under promise and over deliver. Be better than your commitment! This is a good time to ask your customer which way to rectify a problem – that is, of several options, does one work better for them?
Follow-Up – Eventually, they will want to know what you’re going to do about it. Depending on the severity of the problem/complaint, the customer may have several stages of emotion to pass through. Even if your customer called to vent, they still expect you to do something. And in the previous step you said what you would do and when. Make it happen.
Surprise Your Customer – Disney presents the model for recovery. Kids invariably get separated from their parents at Disney resorts. These events make a BIG impression on parents and children alike. When parent and child are reunited, the child is invited to lead the parade down Main Street. Disney turns getting lost, which is traumatic, into a memorable event.
Think about it, if your company makes a mistake and you can recover so well that the customer speaks only about what you did to make things more than right, you’ll have a customer for life – and an advocate who will sing your praises.
The pivot point is that customers are willing to accept honest mistakes provided you take a common sense approach to resolving their issue. But let’s face it, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat you have to actively transform common sense into common practice.
Customer satisfaction is impacted by so many elements that it can be difficult to decide what to work on first. A recent BusinessWeek article suggested that the fastest way to increased productivity and profitability was to improve employee engagement. While true, employee engagement is about much more than squeezing every last drop of productivity from your people and is more than a management fad. Employee engagement is a shared responsibility between employee and employer. Both must work together to find the right position for the skills (and passion) the employee brings. Failing to find that right position weighs heavily on an individual’s morale and takes a toll on company profitability like an unseen cancer.
Identify Passion – It begins with employees. Know thyself. Sadly many people don’t know what they like to do. With their constant barrage of “Top 10 Professions” and “Fastest Growing Jobs” lists, the media don’t help matters. Parents, mentors, advisors steer people towards money rather than towards a passion. I have a friend who became an architect because he liked to draw. Success in that profession meant that he quickly moved into project management which he disliked more and more each year. Years later he began drafting again – and loved it! Had he identified his passion as drawing (rather than architecture) sooner, his engagement level would have been higher and his sense of self-fulfillment would have been richer.
Be a Matchmaker – Employees learn only so much about a company in the interview process. Later the real learning begins. As your experience increases you may recognize unaddressed problems or spot untapped opportunities. When this happens be bold about finding ways to match your passion with the company’s need(s). If you’ve chosen the right company (i.e. a company that believes and operates as if your success contributes to their success) your decision to change will be supported. A word of warning to the novice: be aware that because the company hired you to fulfill a need they may not support frequent employee-shuffles.
Make Courageous Decisions – As you continue to contribute to your company you may find that your passion evolves. Or you may find that the position fails to inspire your passion. Either way, as your job passion wanes, you owe it to yourself to make a move. One sure sign that courage is required is to examine your experience of time. The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” is a good guide to judge whether or not you are working at your passion. If time drags, and you’re having no fun… you get the idea.
Recognize that the very need for courage presupposes the existence of fear. In my work, I see two primary obstacles employees fear. First, after employees develop personal relationships with people in the company their loyalty to themselves may dip as they rationalize how much people depend on them. Second, personal financial concerns may cause people to delay finding their passion.
The pivot point of being an engaged employee is to find ways to make your passion your work. If you can’t do that, then be prepared to leave, be prepared for time to fly, and be prepared to succeed.
