10 Things Customers Would Tell You If You Asked
June 26, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Great talk by Eric Reiss. Someone should get him to Ireland to talk on customer service. Passionate, engaging and very very entertaining.
- Don’t tell me how great, be great
- Go the extra mile
- Don’t get in my way when I’m trying to shop
- If I know what I’m looking for help me find it
- If I have questions, I want answers, not sales talk
- Tell me you’re looking for my size, don’t just turn and leave
- If you expect me to buy something tell me what it costs
- Are your own affairs so important that you feel justified in ignoring me?
- Don’t make me feel stupid
- If you make a mistake admit it
He goes through wine.com as a case study of the above being done badly. I’m thinking - he’d have a field day going through the Golden Spiders nominees!
If we do not demand good service we are never going to receive it.
People of Ireland are you listening?
Addendum in September
In the last three days, I’ve been helpful to 3 different people and in every case I did not receive a thank you for my help. The first was in the supermarket when an Eastern European couple dropped €200 in cash on the floor. I picked it up, ran after them and gave it to them. They didn’t say thank you, their faces remained impassive. I stood there waiting for some sort of interaction and they thought I wanted money!! They tried to pawn me off with €10. How insulting. Not having command of the language is no excuse. I can say thank you in 8 languages, I’m sure they can say it in 1.
Today I noticed a prominent website that had a prominent typo on the home page. I was on to their Head Office about something anyway, I told the receptionist about it, and she was quite rude about it. I know it’s not her job to look after the website, but it is her job to be the voice of that organisation and at the very least placate an old spelling nazi like myself. For God’s sake is she thick - if you’re just about to put someone through to the MD, surely you’d have the cop on to be polite to them?
Lastly, I’ve just bent over backwards for a client. Delivered more than was required and way more than is being paid for. This client hasn’t said thanks to me once. They simply take and don’t give the slightest thanks back.
I’m feeling a bit disillusioned. Representing Brightspark I try so hard to do points 1 & 2 above. Yet people’s rudeness throws it back in my face and makes me question why I bother trying at all. As a customer I consistently do not experience point 10 and that really irritates.
Ireland - you’ve lost your manners. Dunno how or where, but they’re gone.
Comments (2 responses)
Those of us who remember customer service as it used to be,will appreciate what Eric Reiss is saying. However, he’s wasting his time. The large stores can’t get staff who even understand English and they don’t want to be there at all only they need the money.
Many of the websites are put up by semi-literates who have articles ghost written or taken from other sites. Some internet marketers tell them to do this if they can’t write their own or they’re in a hurry to get their share of the mythical millions. They have no time for awkward customers who don’t press the buy now button at once.
Keep it up Maryrose, I love your very informative newsletter! Some people are rude alright, but maybe you could focus on how you can attract people into your life that will always appreciate your work?
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