First, please understand this is not a rant. Not that I don’t like to read a rant every so often. My friends, Rebel Brown and Randy Gage occasionally write rants and I always learn something from them. But, that’s not what this is.
This is simply one of those things that – while it happened with a major company — contains a basic lesson that medium and small-sized businesses alike are also wise to heed.
Learning that the daughter of a family friend is graduating high school I asked my Mom (hi Mommy!) to suggest a place that a young woman would probably like to receive a gift certificate to. Being the quasi lazy soul I am, I figured a $100 gift certificate would make up for the total lack of imagination I have in this regard, not to mention the astounding lack of interest I have in personally shopping for a gift. Mom suggested a nationally-known, major store; one that would probably be easy for me to locate.
I searched the Internet and found one near her. Then, the call was placed. It would be quick and — even better — done…not!
Yes, the auto-whateverit’scalled; that thing that provides you with a bunch of departments from which to choose; none of them being the “human department” with real, live person, was activated. After three tries, I finally pushed “0” (duh!) but, instead of being delivered into the safe and caring hands of the operator who would then send me to the order department…I was informed that — apparently for the privilege of speaking with a real person — I must first enter my customer number.
Huh? Bud (Bud being the, err, autowhatever), I shop…hmm, when was the last time?…Oh, that’s right, NEVER! Okay, actually, occasionally I do have to buy a new suit or something that necessitates me stepping into a store. But I don’t do it often. And I definitely don’t have a customer number to any retail establishment! So, having no way to get to a live person, I hung up.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not mad. I’m not even frustrated. I’m more bewildered than anything else. I’m confused that, in an economy where people (including heads of major companies) are complaining about a lack of business, nobody wanted to take my order. Sure, it’s just $100 but I can’t imagine I’m the only one who has had this type of experience.
Make it easy for your customer to buy. Is it really that hard?
Now, I might receive some suggestions from people telling me I could have ordered via the store’s Internet system, or had I punched this number it would have taken me here or I punched a wrong digit somewhere (this last one entirely possible, by the way) or the next time just to…whatever. And, while I appreciate the thought, I would need to respectfully suggest that isn’t the point.
The point is that they had an easy $100 sale from someone who wanted to buy and had his credit card out and waiting (this is called a “lay-down”), 🙂 but who found the process more difficult and time-consuming than he was willing to put up with. Thus he got “back up.” So, while that store lost an easy sale, our young graduate will receive a check directly from “Uncle Bob” instead.
Make it easy for your customer to buy. Sometimes it really is that simple.
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I love this story! I am currently having a HUGE customer service issue with a HUGE int’l retailer. I think the lesson is to buy & support locally owned, small business – they usually have much more vested interest in creating positive experiences. ~~ Thank you for sharing this; fabulously written.
Interesting, Marita, that some huge retailers actually provide wonderful service and some locally owned ones do not (though, I agree, the chances are much better that the locally owned ones will). What I think this does say is that the ones who do provide the exceptional service are the ones who will receive our buying dollars. Another point is that, though we think of this as a customer service issue, in my case, it didn’t even get that far. I wasn’t a disgruntled customer; I was the “customer who never was.” 🙂 Thank you again for sharing, and I hope your situation gets straightened out to your satisfaction.
Marita, one more point. So often, small, locally-owned retailers complain about how they cannot compete with the pricing of the national retailers. As my great friend, Sean Woodruff points out, they should use their smaller size as a great positioning advantage; that because they are locally-owned and smaller, they provide more personal service and an overall happier customer experience. They can take that supposed weakness and turn it into a strength.
“Sure, it’s just $100 but I can’t imagine I’m the only one who has had this type of experience.”
But what if it had been easy and dare we say pleasurable? What would have happened next time you needed a gift, you would have remembered the experience and picked up the phone to buy from them again.
Not only that, you have probably relayed this experience to your mom, who I am willing to guess shops more often than you, and she is now none to happy about them not treating you right. Hence, she may not be as apt to buy from them.
So while they may have only lost a $100 sale yesterday, they could have gained so much more by creating an opportunity for you to “know, like and trust” them. And of course, multiply that by the many others that have had this same type of experience and you have now significantly impacted sales.
It is so often, the little things that make the BIG difference.
Bob,
What’s that saying about how people will remember how you made them feel? Businesses of all types and sizes need to remember that. You weren’t looking for a customized service or special assistance – you just wanted to handle a simple transaction.
Your title says it all – it should always be easy for people to buy!
Great reminder.
Great point Bob! Thank you for sharing your experience. Businesses, big and small, need to step outside their business and truly see how their customers experience their business. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations, but what really sets a business apart is the remarkable experience they create for their customers.
Social Media is a great tool for businesses to learn what their customers think. You did not mention the name of the store and I understand that you do not want this to be a rant. But it could be helpful for that store if you did.
Ah, customer service, my favorite topic! I’m laughing while reading this because earlier I was reading the May issue of Dan Kennedy’s newsletter. He rants in his opening column about being “surrounded by idiots,” and that his mission is to discourage acceptance of other people’s (or business’) incompetence or disrespect.
I’m amazed by how making it easy for people to work with you is now a differentiating factor for businesses. Good news for those of us who already do that.
And for those who are inclined to blame the economy for their business woes, they might want to take stock of factors like this, that are easily fixable if they take responsibility, first.
Nice post Bob, great reminder to all of us in business to look at things from the customer perspective also. As you mentioned, it was not a customer service issue so much as making it easy to become a customer to begin with!
I love your response, Kathy! Years ago when I started my first company (Consumer Perceptions~Seeing Your Company Through Your Customer’s Eyes) that was the focus that I helped businesses gain. So many times a decision is made somewhere along the line & someone forgets to take the new procedure through a “trial run” to make sure it actually serves both the customer and the company.
I’m off to check my messages and links, among other things, to ensure they are effective… 🙂
Edie, I agree completely. And your last sentence says it all!
Phyllis…you sold me. 🙂 Absolutely!
Kathy, I agree with you. They do need to see their store from the eyes of the customer. That would seem to be self-evident. Apparently, it isn’t. As a side note, yesterday I did tweet the name of the store, knowing that many companies (including the huge ones) actually have someone monitoring tweets for that very thing. I never heard back so, either they don’t have someone doing this and so no one from the company saw the tweet (not a good thing) or, they did see it and didn’t care. 🙂 (I suspect it’s the first one.)
Lori, right on, my friend. In fact, “write” on, and do a post about this yourself. I know firsthand that not only do you have a great product but your company provides excellent customer service AND it’s easy to do business with you.
Teresa, thank you for your comments. And I’m sure you’re on top of all those things you mentioned in your last sentence. 🙂
The oblivious are always so unaware.
Bob, I love how you are able to present information in a ‘it is what it is’ way without attaching sticky emotional residue to it. It really opens the door for individual interpretation and invites meaningful discussion.
$100 is a very generous Graduation Gift ~ may the recipient forever follow the whispers of her heart.
Blessings …