What is buyer service? Really, what is buyer service? Because I am getting to think some clubs do not understand the opinion and can't deliver it. An easy definition of buyer assistance is treating your buyer well. Ahhh, yes we can agree with that but just treating your customers well is not good enough. We need clubs to go beyond treating their customers well.
Customer assistance in 2010 is a function of how well an society is able to constantly and consistently exceed the needs of the customer. If a firm today is not able to compete on buyer assistance delivery then it makes no sense entering the firm world. The firm would have missed the point and focus of what clubs should deliver to their customers. Firms today display on huge scrolls their mission statements and vision statements in their establishments. They express how fabulous the buyer is but somehow their delivery does not match up with the words.
Kingston
On Wednesday March 3, 2010, my friend purchased two slices of cakes from Pastry Passions. They have outlets in Manor Park and Liguanea, all settled in Kingston, Jamaica. Later on, I opened the package, everything looks presentable, glanced a bit; it looked good so I began to partake. After eating two pieces I noticed that there was plastic below the icing. I opinion to myself "this isn't right?" I have never purchased a cake and seen plastic below the icing. After some investigations, I learnt that they use the plastic to keep the moisture. It is used for cakes like black forests - the one we bought. Clearly the personel who applied the icing forgot to take off the plastic.
I recognized then that this must have been a genuine mistake. I can't fathom a pastry outlet of the repute like Pastry Passions manufacture this mistake.
In a situation like this you either accept the mistake and the disservice as normal or you record the situation. It is sad that I was willing to condone and accept this mediocre assistance delivery from a firm when you have paid a nice chunk for a slice of cake. Many customers share this profile though. When something in the assistance delivery goes wrong they accept the wrong actions by the firm as normal when it is not. We need to reach a level where actions like these don't go unreported. We were so lackadaisical about it that I was able to convince my friend to eat the cake.
However, he decided to call Pastry Passions to record the case so that they were aware of the matter and that no one would be harmed. It would be sad and a bad tale to have a child swallow a piece of that plastic on the cake.
During the conversation, the representative from the firm becomes irate. Not over the fact that this incident could have happened at Pastry Passions but was angry that the someone reporting the matter had an attitude. This is a blatant violation and a condition risk that could bring the store ended and you are giving the buyer an attitude. I was upset because I startling great from Pastry Passions. They are all over the Jamaican media telling how good their cakes are blah blah blah. Truth be told, they aren't that good. Even their presentation sucks because the cakes on display are messed up, the icing does not hold up. So when habitancy can see flaws in your goods and still have the guts to cope it and buy your goods, giving an attitude should be the last thing on your mind. To bring everything home, honey, this was not a normal entry level worker dishing the attitude and insolent behaviour this is from one of the managers.
And that is the saddest part of the story. That a manager, who we will assume should know better, could have done this.
The night got great though. The cakes were returned. While in the Manor Park outlet of Pastry Passions the other manager stormed in, was angry that this situation all had happened. She apologized and it was accepted.
Customer assistance in Jamaica is at its lowest point. I think we have low regards for customers because as a habitancy we have no respect for people. There are a few good habitancy left. I wrote a blog post months ago that spoke about this topic. In it I shared great experiences I had, so I know great buyer assistance delivery can be reached. It is not hard, it is not a stretch out of our imagination. We don't have to wait until we reach on an airplane to enjoy it. buyer assistance should be like breathing, it's that easy.
When I left school I was employed with the marketing firm and straight through someone else secret sector firm was gift free buyer assistance training. You need to read that again, free buyer assistance training for their staff. All I had to do was to call up the clubs and share the good news of free buyer assistance with them and ask if they were interested. Would you believe that some clubs turned the offer down? This training was not mediocre buyer assistance training. They were getting training materials that they could keep all for free. I had managers on the telephone attempting to convince me that their staff does not need buyer assistance training. I also want to share that the training sessions I did clubs were surprised of the quality, the technique I used and some expressed I should continue. I am passionate about buyer service. Three clubs can be selling the same thing but what makes you stand out is how you treat your customers when they walk straight through your doors.
Do you say "May I help you?" in a dry tone, or
You walk over with a smile and say "Good morning, how are you?" (Wait for a response)
"I see you're finding at jeans pants, what size are you finding for?"
I should not be shopping and screaming on top of my lungs "Help".
Customer assistance is something you either have it or you don't. If you don't have it, pray that you'll get it. Because we are at a stage where if you ignore it, someone else firm might steal your idea and do a great job at it. Do you have it?
Tips on providing great buyer service
1. Do not take comment personally.
2. Listen to the customer.
3. Acknowledge that your firm did something wrong
4. If it is the company's fault fix it.
5. Do everything with a calm voice, mixed with a smile. It will go a far way.
6. Never forget to make it up to the customer. Give free products, because you want to keep this person.
No comments:
Post a Comment