 |
 |
|
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] less of the whims of management, the fickleness of customers, or the dynamics of the marketplace. What prevents an organization from building this consciousness into the fabric of its management team and employees? 232 91 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make 91 Template3 7/26/06 4:35 PM Page 233 1. If the corporate culture has been traditionally profit- or earnings-driven, then it will be difficult to shift gears to a customer-driven philosophy. 2. If communication is heavily weighted in a top- down direction, you can bet that it will take lots of time and follow-through to refocus to a bottom- up style. 3. If the management style is closed, authoritative, or hierarchical, upper management will unless totally and completely committed to changing the attitudes of the organization as a whole generally abandon this new and challenging change in philosophy sooner or later. 4. If employees have too much on their plate, because your business style is to run lean and mean, it will be difficult to consistently enforce the policies and procedures necessary to maintain the integrity of actions consistent with your stat- ed objective of satisfied customers. An effective after-sales service philosophy requires constant vigilance and dedication to see it through, regardless of how difficult it may be to maintain the After-Sales Service Mistakes 233 91 Template3 7/26/06 4:35 PM Page 234 integrity of those policies and procedures that directly or indirectly impact your customers and their expecta- tions of your product or service and organization per- formance. One way to determine the effectiveness of your after-sales service philosophy is to regularly solic- it customer feedback in a variety of ways. Now for the key to effective after-sales service: The Twelve Laws of Effective After-Sales Service Law #1: The customer is not always right. However, the goal is not to discredit, embarrass, belit- tle, or challenge them in a destructive way. What we need to do is discover the source or cause of their incor- rect perceptions, beliefs, or attitudes. The next step is to determine if the organization has contributed signifi- cantly to these incorrect feelings or if their source is the competition, the marketplace, or their Uncle Harry. Law #2: The customer is never completely wrong. There is always some element of their perception 234 91 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make 91 Template3 7/26/06 4:35 PM Page 235 that is a true reflection of reality as they see it. The customer can be a teacher for us if we will keep an open mind and receptive, neutral demeanor. They can mirror back to us where our advertising, distri- bution methods, pricing strategies, administrative policies, or marketing or sales methods need improvement, refinement, or a major overhaul. Law #3: The customer deserves your best, regard- less of the time of day, day of the week, or month of the year. The fact that you worked late last night because it was your monthly inventory or your annual sales blowout should not become the customer s problem. The fact that you just returned from a week on the road work- ing trade shows is not the customer s concern. Law #4: The customer deserves your best regard- less of your training, length of service, or any other prevailing corporate attitude. So you are sixty days away from retirement and just filling time, waiting to get behind the wheel of your RV. Or you are a brand new sales rep whining that After-Sales Service Mistakes 235 91 Template3 7/26/06 4:35 PM Page 236 manufacturing just doesn t understand. Or you are on the first week of the job and still can t master this new piece of equipment. Or you are overstocked on a par- ticular item, so you cut back on stocking the items that your customer uses regularly and ask if he will accept a substitute. These circumstances and thousands of others like them, if they become the customer s prob- lem, will cause him to seek out your competitor. Law #5: Don t pass the buck. Whoever hears about a problem owns the problem. How often have you been transferred several times before you finally got to the right person? Have you ever heard, It s not my job, problem, or function ? Don t get defensive or upset when a customer brings you a concern or complaint. Accept the fact that the problem exists and help get it solved. Law #6: Don t be too busy for your customers and don t make it difficult for them to do business with you. How many times have you as a customer gotten the feeling that you are an interruption in an employee s 236 91 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make 91 Template3 7/26/06 4:35 PM Page 237 day or workload? Have you as a customer ever been made to feel like you shouldn t be having a problem with a product or service, that it is your fault that the item broke? Don t treat your customers this way. Law #7: Employees are customers too. Every employee that ever does anything within an organization is ultimately doing it indirectly for the customer. That makes every employee an ambassador, spokesperson, or representative of the customer. When an employee fails to serve another employee in an effective or timely manner, sooner or later the cus- tomer will feel the repercussions. Law #8: If you must use technology, make it user- friendly. Within the past week, I have had five voice mail sys- tems hang up on me. When I called back to get a per- son, I had to spend several minutes of my valuable time wading through endless recorded dribble. I finally called another supplier. After-Sales Service Mistakes 237 91 Template3 7/26/06 4:35 PM Page 238 Law #9: Say what you will do and do what you say you will. Follow through, keep your promises, honor your com- mitments, and keep your customer informed of your progress. Customers will tend to be more understand- ing, patient, and tolerant if you communicate with them with integrity and in a timely manner. Law #10: Be interested, care, and act like you are glad the customer is doing business with you. People like doing business with people who appreciate [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |