Yesterday, out of desperation, I walked back into a Radio Shack for the first time in years. Radio Shack was not my first choice for electronic supplies when I walked through the doors – but it was when I walked out the doors.
Several things made all the difference of the world. I was greeted, “Hi, I can help you. What brings you in today?”. Simple, right? The salesman patiently explained the options that I had. Several other customers came in and he cordially greeted each of them without abandoning me. Almost instantly two other employees emerged from the back and adeptly began servicing customers in the same manner. One customer was obviously a techie and geeked out about a new product (which I probably won’t know I need for another 3 years) and the salesman was ready to speak his language.
I shared with my salesman that I was really happy with the service and I wouldn’t wait years before coming back at me. He sighed and said, “There are several of us who have gone through some dark days”. I looked at him, “Samsung? Sony?” He agreed and proceeded to say,”They have learned and are offering some terrific products with terrific service”.
Morale of the story, it is never too late for your organization to right a wrong, fix a process, improve a product. It may take a while to earn your way back with customers (hopefully not years) but many will be willing to give a company a second chance.
For this too work – it is imperative that an organization is eager for feedback – especially less than perfect feedback. Comments from customers should be tracked and trended to understand WHERE to focus efforts for improvement. With a little effort and a willingness to change, you can enjoy better, stronger relationships with your customers.
Oh and just to share why this matters: I purchased 5 items while I was in the store instead of the single one I needed nearly doubling the revenue of the single item I needed!