If we are staying intouch, if we are aware of what their needs are, and if we are meeting those needs we can't go wrong... We also have to be availible to them when they are in need of a lil more instruction and if we are unalbe we should be able to point them in the right directtion. That is the way to have their trust.
Hi Kisha, thanks so much for bringing up "trust." It's the cornerstone of customer-first service and is crucial to providing the needed level of instruction and support to our students.
Jay Hollowell
"Attention means Retention". Listen to your customers needs, wants, and concerns. This will retain the customers and the current customers are more likely to refer the company to their friends, family, co-workers, etc.
When the customer is really the focus their needs are met without hesitation. The company can make a profit. Sometimes companies don't think they can make a profit this way or the company is not willing to go through the process of being customer focus because of the delay in seeing the profit. It does take longer to see the gain but it pays off in the end.
In my field keeping the customer happy is great but understanding what the customer is needing or wanting is the focus. We need to be able to interpret what the customer is asking for to what we can truly do for them. Some customers want to have a certain service done that just isn't possible. Being honest and working with the customer to give them the best service for them is our real customer focus.
The bottom line principle of a real customer focus is to produce the right customer. With the right customer, your buisness will thrive. Once the right customer is satisfied with the overall service/product, the customer will most likely be retained for a long period of time.
The bottom line principle of a real customer focus is to produce the right customer. With the right customer, your buisness will thrive. Once the right customer is satisfied with the overall service/product, the customer will most likely be retained for a long period of time.
The real bottom line focus is to provide goods and/or services with the customer's best interests in mind. Especially in a educational institution, both for-profit and non-profit schools need to realize that the student is the customer and they have choices. They can choose to attend your school or another school, but the difference can be the student-focused, caring attitude they see/feel when they contact your school. Schools would be in a lot less trouble and have to deal with a lot less regulation if they would just to what's right for the student. It's a student-focused approach which makes schools successful. Do the right thing all the time.
A "real" customer focus is putting your money where your mouth is! It does no one any good to "say" that we have a real customer focus when obvious customer dissatisfiers exist that are easily corrected, yet the responsible ignores the problem. As an example, if a student has a log-in issue that should be solved immediately takes the responsible IT staff two weeks to resolve the problem, we can "say" all day, even post signs, that our students are number one - in this case, it's meaningless. Several similar issues like this created by a micromanaging headquarters will eventually convince the students that they are only sources of revenue rather than the number one customers they ought to be. Not good!!
James,
Good points. I might even further contend that if we eliminate the "dissatisfiers," we're then at point zero, or neutral. It's when we do a little extra - when a customer service action is unexpected, timely and on-target - do we accomplish customer-first service. You're right, things that can be easily fixed but left unresolved - shame on us! Resolution of such a "dissatisfier" should be the minimum expectation.
Jay Hollowell
I think it's more that we do the right thing to have referrals that are most important to grow our business.
The customer is always first. Keeping them happy and satisfied.
First, making sure that the customer is satisfied.
Second, the product is got to evolve over time to keep the customer.
I stride for meeting and exceeding the customers expectations. In a questionnaire we ask what quality is. 2 question is what they expect from us. When they want to know why we ask. IT is to exceed your expectations. And that can only happen when we know where/what that is for them. It is a measure of good customer service.
I would appreciate another point of view!
Hi Jo-Anna,
I might add that, as you noted, we can go beyond a customer's expectations only if we know what the expectations are in the first place. It is easy to stop at the minimum. In that sense, every organization provides some level of customer service, though in some cases - poor. It's when we go a little beyond - a customized little enhancement that fits the customer and is not expected. It makes the whole customer service process more personal and enjoyable!
Jay Hollowell
The bottom line of customer focus is building trust and having the right attitude. Students, clients and customers will return even if the service wasn't at its best if they trust the staff. Also, staff who have bad attitudes will create distrust and steer students, clients and customers away.
Julie,
Thanks for your comments. I agree that trust is at the core of customer-first service. And as you note, even though you may not be able to honor a customer's request, if the customer knows you mean well and care about the service relationship, trust remains in place.
Jay Hollowell
Listen to the customer and really make changes where they are needed. Don't just listen and make no effort to fix a problem.
With everything being considered I feel that the bottom line principle of real customer focus is never stop improving. I feel the research illustrates that if your organization is always striving to accomplish better products and services to your client and trying to improve their experience that they will be retained at higher rate and lead to profitability within your organization.
Identify the customers, wants, needs, and expectations, understand the wants, needs and expectations and act on them. Happy customers leads to a profitable school!
