So, last spring some good friends were thinking about the possibility of remodeling their home’s master bath. They called three bath remodelers to make appointments to get estimates. One called back the very same day and an appointment was set. Number two waited until the next day to return the call. Even that was okay. But number three didn’t call our friends back until this past week. Our friends had totally forgotten about them, and one would think just about anyone would have.
So what took this company so long? The answer given was, “We’ve been very busy.” Oh my goodness! Let’s see, over six months without checking your prospect list?
It’s interesting to note that some companies brag about their excellent customer service but don’t respond quickly to customer inquiries. All businesses in any industry should have a sense of urgency in responding to clients — including prospective clients.
The old “I’ll get back to you soon” doesn’t cut it anymore. When customers contact a business they expect a high standard of service, which means responding within a reasonable period of time. While there’s no standard rule to define reasonable, a quick response can differentiate a business from a competitors. The standards a company has for responding to customers and prospects will determine the level of difference.
Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that has to be done; however, leaving a prospect or a customer hanging just won’t cut it. Nowadays it’s just too easy to quickly look up the next place of business that will probably be ready and willing to take the call and get the job done.
Customers buy from companies they like and trust — companies they can create a relationship with and that respond to every question and concern in a quick and caring manner. It’s no longer enough to just provide customer satisfaction. Now a business has to create customer loyalty, too, and that begins with the first hello.
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In today’s “I want it now” world, we’ve come to expect good customer service and when we don’t get it we can jump online to find a company that not only wants the business but is willing to go the extra mile to earn it.
Our friends now have an elegant spa-like master bath. Because they know and respect the rule that an unhappy customer will tell many others, they did not share the name of the company that lost the job due to poor response time with me. But anyone can see how happy they are with the remodel team that quickly and efficiently took care of them.
Putting off a return call to a customer inquiry, no matter how busy you are, is not a minor thing. It can create the sale or no sale, relationship or no relationship, that tells the tale for your company’s future.
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