Apr 15 2008

You lost me at hello!

Published by Ken Stewart at 11:49 pm under Business, Change, Culture

Finding the missing puzzle piece to buidling a relationship to your customerLet’s say you got into work. It’s a normal day. You have a few things on your plate today, and have some time slotted off to handle a few fires that you know will pop-up. You’ve made your rounds to say high to a few people, and have your coffee cup in hand. You ease into your desk and begin ticking through the list of things you need to tackle first. You are slipping into your daily groove!

Then, without warning, Judith walks into your office and lays into you about the fact that she has to get some bills paid today and the STUPID computer is acting up again. She goes on to comment on how this problem just keeps getting worse and worse and wished that someone cared about what she had to do around this place!

How are you feeling at this point?

What just happened is happening all across the corporate world - on phone conversations and in e-mails -a glaring lack of approach.  Judith demonstrated a complete disregard for your space, your workload, and how you were feeling. In other words, she doesn’t care about you or your issues; she is not part of your team because she is not interested in whether you succeed or not.

In my article, “Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?” we looked at why stereotypes developed for “the computer guy”. When you hear problem after problem, wouldn’t you tend to begin discounting the customer as well?

You might. However, the key to building bridges to your customers is simply building relationships with them. So here are few keys to building rapport with your end-users.

  1. Before you begin every conversation, say “hello”, “hi”, or even “howdy”
  2. Spend at least 3-5 minutes “catching-up”
  3. Offer empathy; do not be condescending
  4. Clarify and repeat your understanding of the issue
  5. Communicate expectations
  6. Offer solutions, not excuses or blame
  7. Follow-up next time you see them

This list is not exhaustive, but if followed, will greatly aid you in gaining brownie points with your end-users.

So this still doesn’t help you with Judith, does it? She was the one that came barging in…  What’s interesting in this case is you can still be the hero. Apply these steps, maybe with a little more insistency, and you may be greeted at first with a sheepish grin of embarrassment, but eventually you will see that warm smile come back out.

As the saying goes, “fix the customer, not the problem”. In focusing on how Judith is doing as a person, you may be surprised to find you are aligning to the needs of any business’s first priority - customer satisfaction. True customer satisfaction can only come when you understand the motivations and needs of your customer.

  • What’s your excuse?
  • Is IT a gatekeeper or a bridge?
  • The Bubble (by Justin Foster)

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    Viewing 2 Comments

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      One of the advantages of working from a home office for me is that I don't have to take the 3-5 minutes catching up. When I am up against a deadline, any distraction, no matter how well intentioned, causes stress.

      The problem with the example you illustrate from Judith is that people don't understand what stresses other people have to go through. For example, when I was working for corporate America, I didn't tend to work any less than I do now, but, most people didn't see how much I worked. I would spend 35 hours in the office and 35 hours out of the office. The reason for the 35 hours out of the office was to make up for the inefficiencies of being in the office.

      Now, when someone wants to talk with me, they can email or call. If I am too busy, I don't have to politely say, "I am sorry, but I am too busy for you right now." Instead, I just respond when I have the time.
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      You bring some interesting points. I would not argue, working in an office can cause some definite inefficiencies for the motivated individual.

      However, to work in an industry of customer service, we must serve our customers - on their time tables often times and not ours.

      One of the risks I would caution you on in your logic is "responding when you have time" can often be perceived as being non-communicative and apathetic for your customer's needs.

      As I always say, life takes balance. In communicating expectations clearly and timely with your customers you afford them the opportunity to plan their schedules accordingly as a professional courtesy. Sure it may take you 3 weeks or 2 months to do something, but I, for one, would much rather hear the brutal truth than a sugar coated falsehood or just silence.

      Just my 2 cents (if it's even worth much).
     

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