I keep hearing of customer relationships with businesses that have been going along fairly well for some time, characterized by reasonably high levels of customer satisfaction, if not outright loyalty. Then, suddenly, something happens that is so disruptive and horrific that it causes the customer to not only stop doing business with the company and to vow not to go back, but also to begin spreading vitriolic word of mouth that is intended to ensure that friends and acquaintances know just how badly he or she has been treated.
What causes firms to trip up so badly, what is the TRIPPING point that puts the customer over the edge? What causes companies that presumably have been behaving rather well to start behaving badly? There comes a point where customers just won’t take it any longer; it’s the proverbial straw that fractured the dromedary’s spine.
In my experience, customers make decisions never to darken the door again because of something often related either to ill-considered comments from employees or to a failure on the part of the firm to realize the significance of the situation. Let’s examine the employee gaffe first.
The customer is looking for a dress for a special occasion; a family wedding, maybe. She opts for a high-end fashion retailer where she has shopped many times before and after 30 or more minutes of looking through the racks, selects an elegant black number. She brings it to the clerk at the front of the store and asks to try it on in a size 10. The clerk responds in a patronizing tone, “Oh no, my dear, you will need at least a 12.” Guess where she doesn’t buy the dress.
A similar response is elicited when a company simply lets a customer down, despite having been informed of the importance of delivering what was promised when it was needed. The customer is leaving on Tuesday for a two-week vacation and finds that the lock on the back door is not working properly. He calls the locksmith/security company that installed the locks in the house, explains the situation and is delighted when they are able to book a service call for Monday afternoon. He comes home from work to meet the service guy at 3:30 as agreed, but the technician doesn’t show. At 4:00 he calls the security firm and is told “we’re not going to be able to get to you today.” But, I told you I am leaving early tomorrow morning and will be away for two weeks. I really need that lock fixed.
These are two service scenarios that actually happened and that happen the world over every day, and that may well lead to the customers in each case never dealing with that company again. The first results from classic insensitivity on the part of the employee. Why would she say that? What’s to be gained? How has she made the customer feel? Where’s HR with some sensitivity training when we need them?
The second scenario results from a company not fully appreciating the customer context. They were told that the service would have to be delivered on Monday, yet chose not to show up (and hadn’t bothered to call), thereby leaving the customer with no choice but to leave his home with its insecure lock and worry for a full two weeks.
What should have happened in each case if these firms were truly customer-centered?