Recently, I had two very different experiences with customer service that proved to be a master class in how to deal with customers. Both situations concerned lost packages, and I spoke with the shipper rather than the company selling the product. The difference was stark and provides insights on how a company views customer service.
Company A is a large well-known online store that uses its own delivery personnel as well as other carriers. Company B is a quasi-governmental entity that delivers to every address the U.S.
Interacting with the companies
With Company A, I was able to chat, submit an inquiry online, or ask for a callback. The response was prompt. After explaining the situation (lost package), the company immediately sent me a replacement and extended my membership with them by two months for free for the inconvenience. They took responsibility for contacting the seller and handling any transactions between them.
Company B only gave me the option of filling out an online inquiry and asked for information that I, as the recipient, did not have. I received a call the next day and was told nothing could be done until the shipment had been delayed for 30 days. The person I spoke with said she could help me if the package was lost in the city she was in but since it hadn’t been received from their initial shipping facility, she couldn’t help me. She suggested that I should just have the originating company send me a replacement.
The results
The first company was quick to address the problem and make it easy on me, the customer. The second suggested that someone else pay for their mistake by replacing the product, had rules that prevented them from helping me, and ultimately yielded the same result as if I never contacted them. They checked the box and closed the issue without accomplishing anything.
Which company do you think improved my opinion of them and which one didn’t? Easy call. I will go out of my way not to use Company B.
What does this mean for you?
As you think about your business and its interactions with clients, ask yourself these questions:
- Do our processes and policies improve or damage our reputation?
- Do we make it easy for customer to work with us?
- Is our goal to check the box or resolve the problem for our customer?
- Is a customer problem an annoyance or an opportunity to build a relationship?
- If you were a customer of your own company, would your view of your customer service change?
You can improve or damage your reputation with every interaction with your existing customers. Which are you doing? Let OPG help you make improvements. Connect with us at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmatt/ or click here to CONTACT US.
https://opalpg.com/2021/03/15/customer-service-master-class/
