Staff Training: Customers Are Always Right (Action Wednesday/People)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing.  Today is Action Wednesday and we’re going to discuss in-house staff training in the area of customer relations.

It’s important to remember that every interaction a customer has with your company is an opportunity to create a favorable or unfavorable impression about your brand.  It is critical to consistently provide a good customer experience.  The question is then, why do we keep forgetting the basic rule that the customer is always right?

You’ve been out in the market place and seen confrontations between a business and a customer.  By allowing a confrontation to take place, the company’s brand is diminished in the mind of that customer.  There is no situation where the customer isn’t right.  What we are going to talk about now is ensuring that everyone within your organization always services customers in a straightforward, positive manner.

Here are five points to keep in mind for yourself or to share with your employees when interacting with an unhappy customer.

One - The customer is always right.  That is your mantra.

Two - Listen without judgment.

Three - Ask the customer what they want.  They’ll probably tell you.

Four - Provide a remedy in a timely fashion.

Five - Really enhance the brand by following up with an unexpected reward.

Example of an unexpected reward; in the scenario where a customer is dissatisfied with the quality of their hotel room, the front desk may be empowered to tell the customer the room is on the house, or provide a complimentary dinner.  Anything you are able to do that the customer doesn’t expect will make them feel more positive about your brand.

Your action item for today is simple.  Begin implementing the customer is always right strategy asap.  Do it yourself and share it with your staff.  You will find that practice makes perfect and over time it will become part of your culture.  Your customers will feel great about it.  And of course all of this will favorably impact the brand and your business.

Thank you joining us for Action Wednesday.  Be sure to tune in tomorrow for Recon Thursday.  To discuss an online or face-to-face service engagement and enhance the marketing and branding for your organization, contact James Glover: (505) 501-1330 or onceadaymarketing@gmail.com.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing and we’ll see you next time.