Chapter 6 Timm

Understanding ourselves before we can understand customer turnoffs

Everyone has pet peeves about the way they are served, or not served.

Often these little annoyances have a cumulative effect, making a dissatisfied customer or, minimally, an indifferent one.

Pet Peeves turn into Customer Turnoffs

Typical pet peeves (customer turnoffs) include:

Being ignored Waiting

Poor quality work Dirty restaurants

High-pressure sales

Unknoweldgeable employees

Condescending employees

Out-of-stock sale items

Unmarked merchandise

Deep telephone menus

Reducing turnoffs can be the best form of advertisement.

Customers whose problems are addressed by a company are actually more likely to do repeat business than customers who have never had a problem.

Why Should We Reduce Customer Turnoffs?

Value problems

System problems

People problems

Customer turnoffs fit into three areas:

Value is the apparent quality of a product or service relative to its cost.

Company leaders are the only ones with the power and authority to make changes to the value of a product or service.

Value

“Systems” refers to anything involved with getting the product or service to the customer. (processes)

Company managers are best suited to solve problems with systems and processes within a company.

Systems

Typical systems turnoffs include:

Procedures Policies

Technology Training

Staffing Locations

Facilities Systematic actions

People problems are communication problems. Employees communicate poorly by their words or nonverbal actions.

Everyone can help eliminate people problems through improving interpersonal skills.

People

Service recovery • Service recovery means finding ways to win

back customers who have had a bad experience

• These attempts may build stronger customer loyalty

Regularly identifying and working to reduce possible customer turnoffs can provide a basis for building customer loyalty.

Customer Turnoffs Summary

Chapter 6: Part 2

Establishing your mission, vision statement, and customer service philosophy

WE have to know first!• Before we can address what turns the customers

off…we have to ensure WE know what it is we are hoping to provide!

• We have to establish what we are all about – and determine our vision for our business

• Our mission and our vision will dictate what we value…– After we have our mission and our vision, we can

develop strategies to accomplish them through effective “values,” “systems,” and “people.”

Stages of Strategic Planning

Adapted from: Shinkle, G., Gooding, R., & Smith, M. (2004). Transforming Strategy Into Success: How to implement a lean management system. New York: Productivity Press.

Vision Statement

Stems from the corporate mission The vision statement is “what we strive to be” It is a set of general objectives for the future

Concrete, specific and measurable goals/metrics are not in a vision statement

The vision statement is used by the business as the starting point to– frame specific metrics/objectives for each goal– formulate strategies and tactics

Your Customer Service Philosophy Statement• Is a written statement of what the company

expects of itself and commits itself to in terms of customer service.– Reinforces expectations to internal customers

(employees, managers, owners)– Demonstrates commitment to customer when posted

where external and internal customers can see• Key to accountability

– Fosters excellent relations with customers by setting forth expectations

Source: Goetsch,2004,