Expectations

First, I should give a little background about myself. I'm not some kind of customer service expert who claims to know everything there is to know about customer service. I'm simply a customer who is tired of seeing customer service take a back seat to the bottom line. Today I earn my living by writing software, but my first job was as a customer service clerk in a grocery store. Of course, back then we were called "baggers" and we didn't ask if you wanted "paper or plastic" because there were no plastic bags (at least not when I started).

I can still remember the sign that was posted in the breakroom. It showed the rules of customer service:
Rule #1: The customer is always right.
Rule #2: If the customer is wrong, see Rule #1.
Obviously, that doesn't mean that just because the customer thinks you should stock something it must be in stock and available for the customer to purchase right now. However, if there is a question about how to proceed, remember the rules of customer service.

I have read somewhere (I don't remember where) that it is more expensive to gain a new customer than it is to keep a current customer and it is more expensive to get a customer back after a bad experience than to gain a new customer. I'm not looking to walk into a store, make completely unreasonable demands and expect my every wish to be fulfilled. However, there are some things I do expect:

1. I expect truth in advertising.

I want the products a company offers to be clearly labeled, and I want to know the price before I get the final bill. I don't like surprises. If I get the final bill and find out, "Surprise! The final bill is more than you expected", I may walk out without purchasing anything. On the other hand if I find out, "Surprise! The final bill is less than you expected", I'm tempted to say, "Congratulations, you just lost out on increased sales because I was ready to spend more than this."

2. I expect the staff to know what's going on.

I should not need to be an expert on every company's products, sales, services, and policies. That is why a company has employees. When I ask if a company can meet my needs I want to end up with a "yes" or "no" answer. I'm not looking for "maybe". I'm not looking for "I think so". I'm willing to spend time with a person discussing options in order to arrive at a yes or no answer, but eventually I want that answer. If the answer ends up being "yes", then I expect the company's staff to make good on that promise. This relates back to #1, Truth in Advertising.

3. I expect people to do their best.

I realize that we are all human, and we all make mistakes. I'm not going to stop doing business with a company just because a mistake was made. However, I'm likely to stop doing business with a company if they refuse to correct the mistake at their cost (unless the mistake was mine, in which case I've just increased my education).

4. Remember the Golden Rule.

Do you like it when people are rude to you? Then don't be rude to me. "Please", and "Thank you", go a long way towards avoiding rudeness. Yours is not the only company I could choose to patronize. Even if you follow everything I've said up to now, if you treat me rudely or if you have the attitude that I'm an idiot, or worse, if you call me a liar (it's happened) I will find your competitors and patronize them.

So, that's my list. What do you think? Have I covered all the bases? Have I left something out? Let me know if you have other expectations. By the way, going above and beyond is a great way to keep me as a customer, but I don't expect it (especially not all the time). If I'm in a bind and need (or want) special treatment, I'll ask if it can be done. Please don't say "yes" if the answer is really "no" or "I'm not allowed to make that decision". Find the person who can make that decision so I can get an honest answer.

Hello and Welcome

Hello, and welcome.  I don't know about you, but I've noticed a decline in customer service over the years.  Not everywhere, of course, but in many places.  It almost seems like a person has to go to an expensive store or restaurant to get good customer service.   I hope you use this blog to discuss customer service as it was taught to me many years ago and highlight places that get it right.  We can certainly discuss places with room for improvement, but I would like to keep them anonymous as much as possible.  I don't want to get into playing the blame game with businesses that aren't able to defend themselves online.