Two rules to disappointment your customer

It’s not easy to get good customer service. Goodness knows, most of us would be shocked to find it.

I am fully expecting to queue for ages at the bank, I am fully expecting to have my phone query re-routed 5 times, I don’t flinch when shop assistants look down on me.

Our expectations as customers are really quite low so this actually leaves bags of opportunity for a brand to do better than average and really shine. On the flip side I have one rule for you to be sure to follow if you are really looking to disappoint your customer.

Rule One: “Over promise”.

I recently sent my iphone for repair. The screen was smashed, I didn’t even drop it but all iphone owners will know how sensitive the little blighters are. Not having taken out apple’s extortionate insurance, I decided to send it to i-phone-repairs.co.uk They looked quite reputable, had done a really good job on their web site. Lots of reassurance I was in the right place.

More importantly they offer a 24 hour repair process. Pretty important when your phone is integral to your business. It’s the main part of their proposition.

So of course you can guess that it is still there 7 days later.

They have quite a good email alert process that lets you know the different stages that the phone is going through. So I had the alert that they had received the order and then another for reception of the parcel but nothing since.

So to be really sure to disappoint your customer further and potentially they make sure they tell everyone about it is to then follow the second rule to ensure extreme disappoint which is

Rule Two: “under communicate”.

In other words, don’t bother telling your customer what is going on. Don’t explain under any circumstances what’s gone wrong in the process, just hunker down and hope it will all go away.

Another good example of this rule in practice is demonstrated by most airlines. They pride themselves on never letting their customers know that the flight will be late and by how long.

So you see how it works?

1) Over promise
2) Under communicate

If on the other hand you want to make your business shine and stand out from the crowd, gaining valuable referrals & recommendations, creating a new customer base and saving you marketing money:

1) Underpromise and excel by doing better
Such as how vistaprint tell you it will take 21 days to send you their business cards but they always seem to arrive in less than 10 days

2) Communicate regularly

If by any chance there is a problem with an order or you’re late replying to a client, let them know. Send a little note and you will be surprised how much people appreciate it.

Marks &Spencer back on top

You have to admire Marks and Spencers, how many other brands can last over 100 years? We have seen the demise of some other very well-known and established brands such as MFI and Woolworths, but M&S are still on form.

Yes they had a few shaky years not that long ago, but they have made significant changes and a back to good times.

I love M&S because you know where you are with them. The experience you get is the one you expected. Those food ads were so inspired but they also work because when you buy it, the food really is good! Statement of the obvious but think about MacDonalds - who are they trying to kid with their Big Mac looking all round and perky on their ad, instead of flat and shoved into a Perspex box in reality?

M&S staff actually appear to like their customers because well….the staff are the customers. The 40 something woman behind the till can identify with the customers shopping for clothes. And yet other brands will continue to try and sell to 30 something housewives using spotty youths (see my Argos post).

M&S are the kings of the customer. They give a proper welcome to customers because the staff are well mannered and helpful. They refund, no quibbles. They are not the cheapest but they have really grasped the good value message with their “Dine in for £10” campaign.

At the recent M&S investor day, Ian Dyson,Finance Director outlined his "2020" programme to create long term sustainable growth. £1bn capital expenditure on IT and the supply chain. Aims to be customer focused, multichannel and international.

For once I actually believe a statement from a corporate person that talks about being customer focused. I think he means it.

M&S are also making changes to improve their online experience so that it is closer to the offline (store) experience. This is very sensible since customers are likely to do both and will purchase more if they are reassured with a similar experience. Also sensible since growth is expected to come from direct sales. M&S reports to have 32 million customers but only 2.5 million shop online. The potential is a further 8 million who shop online but elsewhere.

Finally, they don’t rest on their laurels, at the same investor day John Dixon announced that “customer service needs to be improved” –good stuff, can always be better.

Please your customers, increase your sales, please your investors. Simples.