What Customers Want

What customers want are things that customers typically desire but do not necessarily need.
o It is value for their money and/or effective, efficient service.
· Following are seven common things that customers want and expect if they are to keep doing business with you and your organization:
o Personal recognition
§ This can be demonstrated in a number of ways, such as sending thank-you or birthday cards, returning calls in a timely fashion, etc.
o Courtesy
§ Basic courtesy involves pleasantries such as “please” and “thank you,” as there is no place or excuse for rude behavior in a customer service environment.
o Timely service
§ A customer service professional should provide prompt yet effective service.
§ They should work diligently to stay on schedule and at least explain when delays do occur, so the customer understands the reason for the wait.
o Professionalism
§ Customer service personnel should take pride in their work and exemplify ethics.
o Enthusiastic service
§ Deliver service with a smile, offer additional services and information, and take the time to give extra effort.
o Empathy
§ As a service provider, one should make every effort to be understanding, and to provide appropriate service.
§ A common strategy for showing empathy is the feel, felt, found technique—a process for expressing empathy and concern for someone and for helping that person understand that you can relate to the situation.
o Patience
§ As a service provider, by suppressing the desire to speak out or react emotionally, you serve the customer professionally, and end the contact sooner.
Question:
1. A customer comes into the store to return headphones they bought a few days ago. One of the earbuds is not working and continually powers on and off. They spoke to someone on the phone who said they did not know how to fix the problem and to come in and speak to a sales representative. The customer is quite upset, and now impatient, because they didn’t get the answers while at home when they first called. They are thinking of just returning the headphones, getting a refund and leaving. How do you help the customer?
2. A customer is seeking help finding a product, they are not sure of the name, they saw a commercial on YouTube about it. They explain what the product is and what it does but are not sure where to find it in the store. They are not even sure you have the product they want but, since you are a big store, they think you should. The issue is, you are busy in your area, with one person on the phone on hold and another person standing waiting for help as well. What steps do you take to solve this customer’s problem?