Blog: Sophie Klossner, HDI Membership & Local Chapter Director
Installment #2 — SINK OR SWIM:
In the book “Real World Customer Service..What to Really Say When the Customer Complains” by Bernice B. Johnston she relates SINK or SWIM customer service examples. Bernice gives great suggestions and ideas on how to handle customer complaints and turn them into opportunities to create lasting customers, friends, and co-workers. Thanks Bernice for sharing them with me and I am going to share some with you…these will be in weekly installments! I am sure you are waiting with baited breath…but friends, just enjoy!
SWIM: Subsequent events may invalidate information you give your customer. If you can take the initiative to relay the new information, though it’s not necessarily your responsibility, you will endear yourself to your boss and to your customer.
Imagine how I felt, as a customer, when the clerk phone me with an update. “When you called here earlier this morning,” she said, “I told you the Chief Engineer would be back before lunch and could call you then. I understand he’s been delayed. I know you’re real busy and I didn’t want you to put off doing something if you were waiting for him to call you back.”
I made sure not only her boss, but also the CEO heard about her thoughtfulness. It’s not just seeing the world through the eyes of your customer, it’s acting on that observation.
SINK: Before customers can do business with many companies, they are required to give many details about themselves and fill out forms before they will be accepted as customers. Do you ever wonder what they do with all that information they gather, beside sell it to someone else?
When I made the special trip across town to pick up my order at the time it was promised, the printer’s assistant said it would not be ready until the following day. “Why didn’t you call me?” I asked. “We didn’t have your number,” he replied. “What’s that?” I asked, pointing out my phone number where he had written it on his order form.
Do you think he was embarrassed?
