subject: There's That Customer Service Thing Again! [print this page] There's That Customer Service Thing Again!
I do talk a lot about customer service. Why? Because that is quite literally what will keep people coming back to yourplace of business, be it brick and mortar, or online.
If, as a consumer you consistently receive poor service there is just no reason at all not to find abusiness that will treat you better. There is no dearth of other stores, restaurants, (insert name here) who will be delighted to do business with you. And this goes for online retailers as well.
As a very busy small business owner, I almost never shop unless it is online. In fact, I bought my last two vehicles online and my motto for many years has been, "If UPS can't bring it to my door in a box, then I don't need it." Works for me. Beyond that, I actually do hate to shop.This is unnatural according to my female friends but there it is. I would rather be hit by a beer truck and smashed flatthen step foot into a mall.
Why am I telling you all this?
Because while consumersatisfaction with your product is of course very important, it is actually the treatment that they receive at your hands that will determine whether or not they return and just as importantly, whetheror not they are willing to refer your business to other people. I think some online retail stores haven't quite grasped this concept.
I recently ordered three summer dresses online from a store that I had not previously done business with. They are a nationally recognized brand and things should have gone well. They didn't. What arrived in the nice tidy box on my doorstep bore little resemblance to my order. So.... and this is where it got fairly irritating.
When I explained to the "Customer Service" person that the order had only one item correct and that I needed to return the incorrect items for exchangebut didn't feel that I should pay for the privilege, there ensued what can only be termed as a mini tussle. This girl was not about to allow that to happen no matter what my email order confirmation said. I had to speak with her supervisor to get the issue resolved to my satisfaction. And that is the key word. Satisfaction. What I was requesting was in no way unreasonable. I just wanted the products that I had ordered without having to pay additional shipping for a mistake that was not mine.
The shame is that I had to spend much more time on the phone than this warranted and get a supervisor to handle it. Will I do business with them again? Highly unlikely. There are just too many other choices available.
What is the lesson?
If your competitors are taking quality care of their customers/consumers/clients and you are not, you will lose every time. It may be a slow steady leak of customers, but eventually you do have to look up and wonder what in the heck happened to your customers.
