Customer care can make or break your company. A few years back, I was working with an OEM company that had a reputation for being difficult. They did produce high-end, phenomenal work, but the sales team didn’t follow up with people; there was a bit of an attitude when they did, and it lost them quite a bit of ground in the industry. And it took several years to overcome that perception after the issues were corrected.
A few weeks ago, I had set up an appointment with a group to take some friends to play. The place called an hour before and said they were swamped with walk-ins and that they weren’t sure we could do our thing. Since when do walk-ins bump appointments?
Customers that have been burned often stay away. You don’t get a second chance to repair the damage. Make sure the details have are double-checked on someone’s order; your staff is properly trained to handle things that come up.
Today I went to a local tack shop to get measured for new half chaps. They helped me sort out my hard-to-fit size, and gave me advice on where to find what I was looking for since they didn’t have what I was after in stock. I left happy and even bought a couple of other things while I was there.
Make sure your return process is hassle-free, and your phone tree doesn’t loop people around for five minutes. Dealing with your business should be a joy at all times, whether it’s a problem-solving call or a regular sale.
