Are You a Good Customer?

Much has been written about delivering great customer service, which companies deliver the best, and how customer service can differentiate a company in the market place from its competitor.

Earning a profit is the purpose of every business, and providing a service is the purpose for every nonprofit or not for profit enterprise. Customers are the reason they exist. But some businesses and enterprises place a premium on their customer service, and put their money where their mouth is and empowering those who deliver the customer service. You know who they are – Apple computer stores, CVS Pharmacy,  Zappos.com, Amazon.com, L.L. Bean, and the Salvation Army to name a few.

Some companies, such as the Ritz-Carlton, define what world-class customer service looks like by how they treat their guests. Other companies like Zappos.com and Nordstrom’s demonstrate that sometimes they might even need to break their own rules to deliver high-end customer satisfaction.

But what about you?  Are you doing your part in the customer service experience? Did you even know you have a part to play? People tend to forget that it takes both the service provider and the customer to make a great experience. Great customer service begins with you, the customer. It starts with your attitude, your communication, your approach, and your desire for a great experience.

To receive excellent customer service, be willing to be a great customer, one worthy of receiving such service. Here are 5 ways to ensure great customer service from every engagement you have as a customer:

1. Be intentional about being a great customer. It’s not complicated, but it is easy to forget when we are flustered, in a hurry, or preoccupied with something else.
   
2. Take care of those who are taking care of you. In particular, the ‘unseen” persons who contribute to your overall care and experience. These are the folks who clean your hotel room, bus your table, carry your luggage, or clean the restrooms at Walmart.  Acknowledge these people and show appreciation for what they do. Don't treat them as unseen. Tip if appropriate. Show the person respect and place a value on what they do, and they will serve you all day if needed.
   
3. If you are going to be the first to complain, then be the first to praise. Make the effort to engage the duty manager and explain how pleased you were with the overall service. Name those who helped you and be specific about what they did that pleased you so much. Make the effort to go on-line and fill out the customer survey from your receipt – even if you don’t win the $5,000.00 shopping spree.
   
4. Act like you have all the time in the world, even when you don’t. Give the customer service representative, cashier, waiter, or whomever is serving your needs time to catch their breath and devote all of their attention to you. You’re not a number, so don’t act like one. (This works great at the US Post Office!)
   
5. It starts with your attitude. Set the bar high for being the best customer that agent will have all day. Then let them know that’s your intention. Demonstrate understanding and care that their job of serving you is not easy. Perhaps even complement them on their customer service skills (unless it is totally unwarranted). Treat them as if they were your customer instead of you being theirs!

The practice is simple: To get world-class customer service from Taco Bell during the lunch rush, be prepared to be a world-class customer. It all starts with you, the customer.

Question: How do you get total satisfaction from every customer experience?