April 2014
www.dakotasupplygroup.com
SPOTLIGHT Tom's
Current
Trust No One Everybody who works in sales has heard that just 4 percent of unhappy customers bother to complain (thanks to researcher John A. Goodman). This statistic is motivational in many ways. For example, it means that we all need to focus on exceptional customer service. In addition, it tells us that everything we do is important: every conversation, every interaction, every touchpoint. It also means that we can’t trust anybody. Hold on, now – before you accuse me of being paranoid, or worse yet, email me about your own conspiracy theories – let me explain. If you’re like us here at DSG, you tend to work with good, friendly people who reflect many of your own values. These nice folks work hard and try to do the right thing on a daily basis. But they’re often busy, so they tend to appreciate the simplicity of parts, tools, vehicles – and relationships – that don’t complicate their jobs any further. Conflict is complicated. Hence, most of these goodnatured customers of yours would rather just avoid it altogether. In other words, if your company disappoints them, they may very well decide that it’s easier to simply call your competition than to complain. “It’s not worth the headache,” they tell themselves (we’ve all done it).
Meanwhile, you’ve lost a customer (or at least started to lose a customer), and you don’t even know about it! What can we do to avoid situations like this? Don’t take your customers for granted. Even though it’s hard, ask them what you can do to improve. Use a survey. Implement follow-up calls. Then do something with that information. Make changes and get better. And treat every customer like they are on the edge – even the happy ones! Your customers are likely too nice to be trusted to tell you when there is a problem. Instead, work to proactively strengthen your partnerships, and you’re more likely to hear about issues before they become problems. That’s the key to successful customer service, no matter what business you are in.