Customers Who Say All Is “Fine” May Be Waving A Red Flag
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tom Ellis
January 10, 2005 Ellis Communications, Inc.
Phone: (417) 881-5635
Email: tom@elliscomm.com
PHOENIX, Ariz. – When a customer tells a telecom their service is
“fine,” it should be a red flag.
“Many people have a terrible customer-service experience at a
restaurant and, as they leave, tell the host or hostess everything was
fine,” says David Saxby, president of Phoenix-based Measure-X, a
company that specializes in helping telephone companies improve their
customer service and sales. “Then they go to work the next day and
tell whoever will listen about their awful restaurant experience.
Fine isn’t good enough in the business world today and telecoms need
to understand that.”
Saxby offers the following five tips on why it’s
important to understand the meaning of “fine.”
Tip. No. 1. Don’t assume that customers
are implying they are satisfied when they say everything is fine.
“Sixty-five to 85 percent of customers who say they are satisfied
with service actually switch to the competition,” Saxby says
Tip No. 2. When people give “fine” as
their response, they’re sometimes avoiding the truth. “What they
often mean is things were not well or unsatisfactory,” Saxby notes.
Tip No. 3. Don’t settle for your
customers checking the “satisfied” box on your satisfaction surveys.
You could have a real problem and not even know it.
Tip No. 4. Customers’ expectation levels
are changing. “Meeting their needs is simply not enough in today’s
business environment,” Saxby notes. “Your service needs to exceed
their expectations. You must continually look for ways to surprise
and delight them if you want to stay even with or beat the
competition.”
Tip No. 5.
The next time a customer tells you that their experience with your
telecom was “fine,” send him or her a meaningful message and ask what
could have been done differently for them to have responded with
“great.” “This kind of feedback will help you identify opportunities
for improvement, which can only help strengthen your relationship with
them,” Saxby says
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Measure-X is a measurement, training and recognition company that specializes
in customer service and sales skills. For more information on Measure-X,
call 888-644-5499 or visit its Web site at www.measure-x.com.
