9.2.2010

Stop Whining! Your Service Sucks!

Let’s be very clear about something.

Horrible customer service is the fastest way to drive your dreams into bankruptcy.

No amount of whining, whimpering, and halfhearted excuse-making can remedy selfish behavior.

Sure — the late 1990′s brought us the age of “more selling, less service”. And that certainly sounds logical, right?

After all we are emerging from the worst buying environment in more than eight decades. It would seem that you need to “get out there” more than ever.

It’s that “Stop being an order taker and start being a whale hunter…”type of sales preaching.

Admit it. You’ve had a sales manager get “up in your business” telling you that you need more cold calls and more ways to “fill the funnel”. Right?

And… your manager if probably right.

Being proactive has never been more in style.

But chasing new customers is the slowest way to grow your business.

It takes massive amounts of time and more times than not doesn’t even work. You chase. They stay out of reach.

Somehow the easiest revenue strategy — investing in the relationships you already have — seems to be the solution that we avoid at all costs.

Think about the last time that you actually reached out to an old customer. You needed something right — more money, a referral, your invoice paid a little faster?

Anything else is just flat out annoying. It’s a waste of your time. After all you’ve closed the deal already. You’re not a babysitter, cheerleader, or someone who let’s people take advantage of them. Right?

Well guess what? That plan stinks.

You need to stop whining about not winning and start serving.

When was the last time that you provided an outrageous customer experience?

Not answered a question or returned a phone call within 24 hours. That’s all considered the bare minimum.

When did you make your customer feel so special and cared for that they became ravenous fans?

Instead we tell ourselves that chasing the next big deal is the right direction.

Maybe it’s because we’re too embarrassed to admit that we just don’t care enough to be the high performer that we pretend to be.

Maybe fixing our service was the answer all along.

Anonymous

So Dan, how do you really feel about this…

Sometimes, we learn by observing the correct behavior, or by somehow inherently knowing it. In this case, you slap us in the face with it. ;>)

Excellent post, and thanks for reinforcing such a basic business truism.
Anonymous

So Dan, how do you really feel about this…

Sometimes, we learn by observing the correct behavior, or by somehow inherently knowing it. In this case, you slap us in the face with it. ;>)

Excellent post, and thanks for reinforcing such a basic business truism.

http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Bob,

LOL. Well, I wasn’t trying to be brutal about it. :-) Sometimes you need to get serious about your own destiny. I get worn out with all the trite and cliche sales strategies that are thrown at us.

Are people really doing some of these things?

Dan

Anonymous

I wouldn’t say brutal Dan, let’s go with blunt. ;>)

You know, it’s a tough economy, and there is tremendous pressure on everyone, especially sales staffs. The whole social marketing craze today is built around the concept of developing relationships with prospects so that they turn into customers, but much less focus is on exisitng customers. There have been many studies over many years that supported what you call out here, but clearly the pressure to hunt overwhelms farming when you are starving.. Hopefully the economy can stabilize soon, but that will also require jittery investors to pull the thumbscrews off current management at big companies, and give up short term profits for long term stability (not normal corporate process imho).

http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Bob,

You make a great point about the tangible pressures that encourage these poor selling behaviors. The fact remains that IF you provide an outrageous experience — the kind where your customers are calling their friends to brag on you — you never really need to do much prospecting any way.

It’s transformation over transaction.

Dan

Dan

Mandersen

I have found this especially true for business to business operations (not that it isn’t extremely important elsewhere) where relationships span further than just 2 people. When an entire group of people sees your entire company doing their best it makes huge difference and also makes more people talk about you!

Great post!
Mandersen

I have found this especially true for business to business operations (not that it isn’t extremely important elsewhere) where relationships span further than just 2 people. When an entire group of people sees your entire company doing their best it makes huge difference and also makes more people talk about you!

Great post!

http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Manderson,

You are right. It’s crazy how you can screw up royally and still get the break because of PASSIONATE customer service. People care when YOU care.

Thanks for stopping by.

Dan

http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Manderson,

You are right. It’s crazy how you can screw up royally and still get the break because of PASSIONATE customer service. People care when YOU care.

Thanks for stopping by.

Dan
http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Bob,

LOL. Well, I wasn’t trying to be brutal about it. :-) Sometimes you need to get serious about your own destiny. I get worn out with all the trite and cliche sales strategies that are thrown at us.

Are people really doing some of these things?

Dan
Anonymous

I wouldn’t say brutal Dan, let’s go with blunt. ;>)

You know, it’s a tough economy, and there is tremendous pressure on everyone, especially sales staffs. The whole social marketing craze today is built around the concept of developing relationships with prospects so that they turn into customers, but much less focus is on exisitng customers. There have been many studies over many years that supported what you call out here, but clearly the pressure to hunt overwhelms farming when you are starving.. Hopefully the economy can stabilize soon, but that will also require jittery investors to pull the thumbscrews off current management at big companies, and give up short term profits for long term stability (not normal corporate process imho).
http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Bob,

You make a great point about the tangible pressures that encourage these poor selling behaviors. The fact remains that IF you provide an outrageous experience — the kind where your customers are calling their friends to brag on you — you never really need to do much prospecting any way.

It’s transformation over transaction.

Dan

Dan
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Anonymous

Dan, great post, as usual!
As I am heavily involved in people development work with a focus on customer service as a key differentiator. You point out some relevant factors in a direct way which I certainly support. Only when we put ourselves into the shoes of the consumer/receiver and look critically at the services we provide can we truly recognize how it is perceived – and perception is everything.
I like to use the concept of customer loyalty as a strategic differentiator. It is plain and simple, but also “brutal”. The measurement is yes or no – they come back for more or they don’t. Customer satisfaction measurements are far more open for interpretation to what one would like to see.
An interesting matter, indeed!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Manfred
http://www.qli-international.com
Anonymous

Dan, great post, as usual!
As I am heavily involved in people development work with a focus on customer service as a key differentiator. You point out some relevant factors in a direct way which I certainly support. Only when we put ourselves into the shoes of the consumer/receiver and look critically at the services we provide can we truly recognize how it is perceived – and perception is everything.
I like to use the concept of customer loyalty as a strategic differentiator. It is plain and simple, but also “brutal”. The measurement is yes or no – they come back for more or they don’t. Customer satisfaction measurements are far more open for interpretation to what one would like to see.
An interesting matter, indeed!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Manfred
http://www.qli-international.com

http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Manfred,

Great insights! YES. At the end of the day it is really black-and-white — DID THE CLIENT FEEL TAKEN CARE OF? If not you failed. That simple. :-)

Dan

http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Manfred,

Great insights! YES. At the end of the day it is really black-and-white — DID THE CLIENT FEEL TAKEN CARE OF? If not you failed. That simple. :-)

Dan
http://www.ecsellinstitute.com Kristi

So true. Good post. Part of getting great service from your team is to incent them correctly. I heard about a webinar that digs into “how to build an effective comp plan for each type of sales role” Check it out if you need help in this area.
http://www.ecsellinstitute.com/summits/sales-management-summits-webinars/september-2010-sales-management-webinar/
http://www.ecsellinstitute.com Kristi

So true. Good post. Part of getting great service from your team is to incent them correctly. I heard about a webinar that digs into “how to build an effective comp plan for each type of sales role” Check it out if you need help in this area.
http://www.ecsellinstitute.com/summits/sales-management-summits-webinars/september-2010-sales-management-webinar/

http://www.DanWaldschmidt.com/ Dan Waldschmidt

Thanks, Kristi. I will check it out…

Dan

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Stop Whining! Your Service Sucks!

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