Here is one thing I believe in: customer service is not one way street.
Customers, as well as businesses they deal with, have an obligation to better customer service. Customer service cannot go from bad to good if the company doesn�t know that they are providing bad customer service. On the same hand, customer service cannot continue to be good or great if the company doesn�t know that they are already providing that level of service. It is important for the customer to communicate with whoever they are able to in order to help build good customer service relationships.
I�d like to share with you five ways that you, as a customer, can improve customer service in the places that you shop. Although the scope of this post is geared towards retail, restaurants, and industries where customer interaction is one-on-one, the basic tenets that I will describe can be applied to almost all of our business relationships.
Most of these ways should seem simplistic and obvious, but that’s the point. Talking to friends and family, it doesn’t seem that a lot of people are doing these incredibly simple and easy things that they can be doing to help businesses improve customer service.
For a little back story as to why I wrote this, check out my other post: On poor customer service and me being a poor customer.
The ways:
1) Customer satisfaction surveys printed on receipts: This is the first and foremost way for you to provide feedback to the stores you shop and the places you dine at. These days, almost every place I go into provides me with a way to give them feedback via a website or an 800-number. Retail companies are increasingly turning to these numbers to get almost-real time measurements of how they are performing. Within the industry, these numbers are scrutinized on a daily basis to look for trends in all levels of business – from the store level to the national level. Although companies react to these numbers in different ways, it is important for the customer to continually fill these surveys out to provide on-going feedback of the store on every visit.
One company that is increasingly using the customer survey to help turnaround their sagging business is Old Navy. They�ve used feedback from their survey to reinvest in key areas of the store experience: fitting rooms, recovery and time for checkout. They also solicit feedback on the product offerings in the store, asking you to rate the styles they have and the fit of the clothing. Gathering and reacting to feedback like this is going to be key in the Old Navy turnaround strategy and already they report that their customer service rating is now at the highest it has been in 12 months. Good job, Old Navy.
Although these surveys should be filled out by benevolent consumers, desiring to offer their positive and negative feedback in a hopeful effort to raise customer service in the places they shop, more and more places are offering some sort of financial incentive to fill them out. Establishments like Best Buy and Panera Bread put all responses into a lottery where you have a chance to win prizes ranging from a gift card to $20,000 in cash. The aforementioned Old Navy will give you a promotional code to save 10% off your next visit to the store. Even Burger King will give you a promotional code for a free Whopper when you call their 800 number.
I always attempt to fill these out as much as possible, although sometimes I do miss them. Since this information is very time sensitive, most surveys will give you a 48 hour window to provide feedback. Sometimes I am not able to do this in the time provided, but I always try to.
2) Write the store: This is the classic method of providing customer service feedback. Maybe the place you shopped doesn�t offer a customer survey or maybe your experience goes beyond what can be covered in the survey. Most large retail & restaurant chains will offer a feedback form directly on their website where you can leave feedback about a specific store. Beyond that, look for e-mail addresses or even a mailing address that you can send a letter to. This is the personal, most direct way you can contact a business and let them know your thoughts on their establishment.
I am a coffee fiend and a loyal Dunkin Donuts customer. I go to the same store almost every night and I always get great service from the regular people who work the evenings there. Beyond that, I always see them provide the same great service to everyone who walks in those doors. I recently used the feedback form at the Dunkin Donuts website to let the company know how good this location is. With all of the options of coffee shops, both Dunkin Donuts & competitors, in my area, I choose to go to the same one every day because they are doing something very well. I felt the company should know this and now they do.
3) Tell your friends and family: Don�t just tell them about the bad things that happen to you at a store or restaurant. Make sure you�re telling them of the good experiences you have, the good deals you�ve found and the good meals you�ve eaten. Word of mouth can make or break a company and it is important to make sure we�re all doing our part. I trust my family and friends more than anyone else, so if they tell me that they had a good or bad experience somewhere, I will listen to them and judge that place accordingly.
4) Blog; or get active online: This is a continuation of the word of mouth piece from #3. I�m not necessarily saying that you need to start a blog about a store you love (or hate), but if you already run a blog, then don�t be afraid to mention your good and bad customer service experiences and reviews. If you don�t run a blog, then take a look at store-specific blogs like Target Culture, Wake Up Wal-Mart, Dunkin Donuts Talk and Starbucks Gossip. While some sites are decidedly pro-company and some are anti-company, they do provide customers with information and a place to talk about their experiences through comments. Also, take a look at message boards and forums in your area. The NJ.com forums have county-specific areas where people routinely seek information about specific establishments – from the largest chains to the smallest mom & pop shops. This is a great way to share your experiences with others.
5) Shop where you get the best service, or don�t complain: The last bit of advice I offer may seem simple, but it isn�t often followed. If a store treats you badly, and you don�t like it, why would you continue to shop there? Oh – they�ve got low prices? I don�t believe this is a fair tradeoff for a negative shopping experience and, while I have the luxury to choose where I shop based on that, I choose not to shop at the places that I don�t enjoy shopping in – no matter what they�ve got there. Conversely, if a place continues to provide me with good customer service & a positive customer experience, I will continue to shop there even if they may not be the lowest cost around. Higher prices don�t necessarily mean better service, but all things come with a cost. Again, as long as I have the ability to choose, my wallet is going to the places that treat me the best and provide me with the best experience.
If you do decide to continue going to a place that continually provides sub-par customer service without improvement, then realize that you have made taken a side in the cost v. service debate. Some businesses have decided that customer service can go by the wayside if it means that they are able to provide the lowest costs possible. As long as you keep shopping there, you’re showing them that you don’t care about the service, either.
Now, the things I�ve described in these last three ways all revolve around communication with other shoppers and not directly with the company. However, when all of these ways are used together – providing feedback to the businesses, informing others, and following that up with increased or decreased patronage – you can know that you�ve done your part, as a customer, to better customer service. It is up to the company to decide whether or not they are going to react to this. When trends develop over the course of a business – be it national, regional, or even at one location – something has to get done and the company will look to customer service as one of the first areas of turnaround.
Through all of this, I hope I�ve shown that your feedback on customer service, and experience as a customer, should not be limited to your bad experiences. In our society, the negative people are usually the ones that are most vocal about their experiences. When you have a good experience, thank the person(s) and let the company know what wonderful people they have working for them. Remember, customer service cannot improve unless people know what they are doing wrong and good customer service cannot exist if people don�t realize how good they really are.
Original post:Five ways you, as a customer, can improve customer service by at Google Blog Search: business customer service
[...] The reason I share this story now, long after the fact, is because I believe it illustrates some of the points that I touch on in my next post: Five ways you, as a customer, can improve customer service. [...]