Member Article

Why consistent customer service is paramount for survival.

As entrepreneurs we must lead our teams and organisations to consistently deliver. It is incredibly important for businesses to get this right, especially in this economic climate. However you may be surpirsed how many people don’t get this right. Entrepreneurs either set the bar so high that they can’t consistently achieve, or they’re inconsistent with their delivery. I would like to share some tips with you on how to ensure consistent delivery.

First of all focusing on customer experience is paramount. If you are offering a service then it must be the very best you can offer on a consistent basis. Do not be that restaurant that gives people the best time in terms of food quality, service and experience once but fails to recreate it when they return. Letting customers down with inconsistent behaviour is insidious and possibly the most damaging behaviour a business can exhibit. If their expectations are dashed they will go elsewhere. If you allow seeds of doubt to grow in a customer’s mind then you have already started to use them and it is very difficult to get them back. They are confused and disappointed.

As businesses we need returning customers. Those returning customers expect to have the same experience that they did last time. If the customers were happy with their purchase and felt that they received good service and the goods were of good quality, they will expect that same experience again. It is important that you realise that retruning customers expectations may be higher than first time customers so never become complacent. Treat those returning customers consistently. They may bring other customers to your door and those people will also expect the same level of service and quality. Returning customers who are not met with consistency will be disappointed and unlikely to recommend you. Remember humans tend to focus on the negatives than the positives.

When customers and clients face inconsistency, it can breed a sense of confusion and fear. Humans are primarily geared to avoid problems to keep safe. We ask ourselves can we trust this product or place. Inconsistent service can scare people off. Look at what your typical sales cycle is and how often people generally buy from you. Do customer research on your own database. Do you have anyone that stopped, and can you tie that back to any kind of inconsistency in the service? Customers that complain are the best because they actually care enough to tell you something is inconsistent.

Although times are tough out there and the cost of living crisis roars on, people rarely do not buy something they want because it is high priced. If that product is a fantastic product which consistently delivers they will return or recommend. People stop buying or using a service because of confusion and perceived indifference. If a service provider or customer service advisor treats you with a kind of indifference, you do not feel important and you are less likely to part with your money. If you return to a place where you had a fantastic experience and it is the same - their reputation as a consistent provider is cemented. Make sure your team is well rehearsed on what you offer and consistently offers that service. Strive for a great customer experience which you can easily recreate.

As a business it is important to determine your inconsistencies to stay ahead of the game and be able to make the changes needed to survive. Ask yourself have you set the bar too high? Consider that if you get busier can you still deliver that same great experience? You can be consistently great or consistently mediocre but decide which one. Pick your level. Ensure the delivery of your product or service and the communication is exactly the same every single time. A company that is consistent and always has been is McDonald’s. They were clear with what they were offering from the start - it is not Michelin starred food and never will be. However, when you go to McDonald’s, wherever you go in the world, you know what you’re going to get, you know the experience you are going to have is consistent. McDonald’s has built its business on a series of checklists. I highly recommend checklists.

This article is written by Peter Boolkah, an award winning business coach with over 20 years experience helping businesses and entrepreneurs to grow their organisations.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucy Hood .