Tips When Not To Listen To Customers
Sunday, October 10, 2010, 6:23 AM | Leave Comment
I am a strong believer in the old adage that the customer is always right. You always tend to listen to the customer. Not only to the customer but to your colleagues and consultants.
That’s the very basic to succeed in your business. Good communication is based on that premise.
However, a time comes while conducting your business that you’d rather not listen to the customer. You would be less likely to actually listen, when you don’t like what you are hearing.
You work so hard in your business. Once in a while, chances are that, despite doing your best wholeheartedly, some customers become angry for no apparent reason because you did not do still more.
In his book just Listen, Mark Goulston says in situation like this, you do not have to follow your emotions. You need to avoid the temptation to become defensive.
The small business owner need to educate and inform the customer calmly and clearly in simple words about the product and service.
Whatever the situation, may it be on the phone, face-to-face or online (email and social networking), you don’t always like what you are hearing. You can explain the situation to the customer as best as you can, be helpful and be careful not to create confrontation with the customer.
It may be a systemic problem. Other customers may have the same grievances. In that case, you can go back to how you have trained your personnel and how you had originally implemented customer service and make changes in your approach of how best to handle the customer. Why not turn that grievance into an opportunity for the future you will not want to miss.
In a Nutshell
Granted we all have to follow the old adage of customer is always right. But at times, we must inform and educate the customer to rectify the customer annoying and angry behavior. That could be the door to a new and fantastic opportunity that you will not miss.
