I think I’m verging on being a nervous and/or difficult customer for the next few months. And I don’t think I’m alone, let me explain why.
I have been doing some work with a business, which are going out and hiring outbound calling staff for the next few months. The sole purpose is to: proactively build and/or maintain the customer relationship. In these perceived hard times, this company is saying: our customers are still very important and therefore we need to ensure they ‘feel loved’. And that the customer knows we appreciate their business and we will support them through the hard times and get the best deals for them in this economic climate.
This company knows what’s important and my hat goes off to them and all the other businesses doing this. When times are tough, we find that the first cost cutting exercise is to reduce headcount, which in turns reduces the ability to provide great customer service.
As a customer, I want to feel secure, that the businesses I use, care about me and my needs. If I don’t feel it, I will go elsewhere. I have to ‘feel loved’ and I want to be contacted to see how I am, I want solutions for me, without the pressure of them calling me as they ‘need’ sales. The fact is I’m going to be tighter with my money so the businesses that offer great service will get my precious money. If I get treated poorly in the coming months in this environment, you have lost me as a customer.
Now is not the time to neglect the customer and their needs, now is the time to go even further than that ‘extra mile’. If we neglect customers now, they will remember, and when they have a need to buy a service or product, the business that gave them attention will get the customer.
My final thought… and one of the reasons why I love the contact centre profession. Contact centres lead the way in giving great customer service every time! They can add extra customer service ‘delight’ on every call, and the customers will always remember. Let’s remind our Senior Leadership Teams of how important the contact centre is to the business, they are worth their weight in Gold in the coming months!