IT IS NOT THE RECESSION
Monday, November 19, 2012 @ 9:37 AM
Complacency and indifference towards customers does more harm to business than does the recession. There are too many business amateurs on the Costas. The CEO of an American automotive conglomerate couldn’t figure out his company’s poor sales against those of the Japanese competition. The U.S. made cars were as good value as were the Japanese cars. What was going wrong?
Enlisting a few staff he instructed half to visit the company’s main dealerships as undercover customers. The others were delegated to visit competitors’ showrooms. Their feedback forms asked simple questions. Their purpose was to test dealership sales staff competence and attitudes towards potential buyers. The CEO’s worst fears were realized when he looked at the results. Complacency ruled: his company’s so called salesmen couldn’t sell sweets to a starving child. The Japanese sales staff was 100% professional.
Most clients, you included, pass rival businesses to reach one where customer service is more than a cliché. The staff are courteous, knowledgeable, pleasant; they listen and gave you what you want, not what they want to sell you.Stop and think how many businesses you no longer visit, not because the price or product is poor but because you were victim of poor attitudes. I can think of several. One is a shop that sells and repairs computers; their products are similar to those of rivals. The difference is attitude; they sure have attitude.
The computer to me is what the car is to a cab driver; it is my living. Deprived of it I am unemployed and my customers inconvenienced. Needing my laptop serviced I asked if it could be dealt with that day. Although a regular customer I wasn’t asking for priority or favoritism. The response: “We’re like a petrol station; customers join the queue; you’re in it.”
I took my laptop to a rival and spent €150 on a re-install, printer and accessories. I later spent nearly €500 with a more customer savvy rival, who I now recommend. The sad truth is that when some businesses go bust it is self-inflicted. They have some product knowledge but zilch customer empathy. They would benefit from a short course in customer relations and salesmanship.
I was in sales and sales management training for over thirty-five years; I was good. No, I won’t be providing courses: you see those who need them think they don’t. When they go bust they will of course blame the recession.