10 Things Your Customers Won’t Tell You (But We Will!)

By Nancy Friedman

Most business owners know that customers will take their business elsewhere if they’re not treated as they’d like to be. But how does a business owner find out what the customer really likes or dislikes?

Your customers have told us what they are unlikely to tell you directly. Here are TEN things only a friend will tell you. (By the way, that would be us!)

Dear Telephone Doctor:

I’m not a person to be confrontational and cause a scene. However, there are several things that bother me when I call or walk into an establishment. If you pass this on to management, it couldn’t hurt and probably would help. Thank you.

Dear Owner/Manager:

• Nobody greeted me when I walked into your store. No one said, "Hello," no one asked if they could help me, and no one said goodbye when I walked out. Well, at least I wasn’t any trouble.
  
  
• Your sales staff looked tired. Yeah, they did. Otherwise why wouldn’t they greet me with a big smile and some enthusiasm? It didn’t look like they even wanted me in the place.
  
  
• I bought a lot. I couldn’t believe no one said, "Thank you." No one told me to enjoy my purchase. I did get a luke warm "Have a nice day." But it was said so perfunctorily, it didn’t mean anything to me.
  
  
• When I phoned for some information, my call was treated as an annoyance. I sensed very little desire to be of any real help. Know what I did then? I called a few more places until I found one who sounded as though they wanted me to come visit them right now.
  
  
• Whoever answered your phone never identified themselves. I happen to like to know who I’m talking with and when I don’t, it hurts any trust I might give your company.
  
  
• During the phone call, your staff’s voice sounded aggressive and challenging. I didn’t feel very welcomed.
  
  
• By the way, all your employees were talking and laughing amongst themselves and ignored me until I was ready to pay for my merchandise.
  
  
• There was no management around. Remember the old saying "when the boss is away, the mice will play." Guess what? They do!
  
  
• When I told your staff about my problem, which was important to me, no one sympathized with me. It was “business as usual” for them.
  
  
• Everyone looked angry. No one was smiling. Remember, sometimes it’s the things you “don’t do” that make me want to go elsewhere. Thanks for listening.
  

Signed, Your customer

We all know these are basic common sense topics, but we also know that basic common sense isn't too common.

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.


Published in Networking Today, August 2005.