A Bad Customer Experience

QUESTION ONE

A bad customer experience

After several years of using public transport to work, I finally decided to buy a motor bike in the hope of finally finding a cheaper option. I walked in a show room where they had several models lined up for sale. Each had a price tag and so there was no need to ask for the prices. I went straight to the sales desk and told them that I wanted a motor bike.

“Which model do you need?” the sales representative interrupted. “I thought you would recommend an ideal model that suits my task,” I responded. “I am sorry. We don’t do that here. Most of the customers who come here already know what model they want. In fact you are the first person who has come with such an inquiry.” She replied.

I was rather embarrassed but I did not give up. So I asked why there was a difference in prices and I was told that it depends on the engine size. Then I found out that some had smaller engines but were more expensive than others which had larger engines. Dissatisfied I asked to see the supervisor whom I thought would guide me into selecting the best model. The sales representatives looked at me quizzically and started leaving one by one to the back room until I was left alone with the cashier behind the bars.

I finally settled on the model I wanted after consulting my friends who had made a similar choice as mine. So I finally went to the cashier to pay up. He informed me there were two modes of payment: cash and Hire Purchase. He suggested to me that I should get the hire purchase mode because it would ease the burden of parting with a large amount of money at once. He however did not want me to know that there was a discount when one paid in cash.

The price was too high and in consultation with my friends they took me to another store where I purchased the motorbike at lower price.

QUESTION TWO

Things Customers Want

Bring New Perspectives and Ideas

If customers could diagnose their own problems and come up with workable solutions on their own, they would do so. The reason that they are turning to you and your firm is that they are stuck and need your help. Therefore, you must be able to bring something new to the table.

In the above experience, a sales representative working for a motorcycle business should have adequate knowledge on how different models of motorcycles are suited for various tasks. For instance  urban transport; ‘boda boda’ operations; ferrying goods; rural transport and so on.

The customer above really required this information and probably a potential customer was lost due to lack of trained staff. It is good for the business to train sales representatives to give this information first hand for customer satisfaction.

 Listen to the Customer

When they're describing themselves and their needs, customers sense immediately when somebody is just waiting for a break in the conversation in order to launch into a sales pitch. In order to really listen, a sales agent must suppress their own inner-voice and forget their goals. It is about the customer, not about you.

In the above experience, the sales agent interrupted the customer and went on to ask questions which obviously the customer did not know. She should have listened to the customer to describe why he needed the motorbike instead of jumping int prompting what model he wanted.

Listening to the customer should be prioritized in order to give the customer the product which really suits him.

5. Understand All the Customer's Needs

Failure to understand the customer’s needs is one of the challenges facing businesses today.

It's not enough to "connect the dots" between customer needs and the company's offering. You must also connect with the individuals who will be affected by your offering, and understand how buying from you will satisfy their personal needs.

For instance, in the above experience, the sales representatives could have offered various suggestions such using the motorbike for earning some extra income during free hours or annual leaves thorough taxi services. With this information, the customer can even be more encouraged to buy it since has other benefits apart from just commuting to work

Communicate the Purchasing Process

Customers hate it when sellers dance around issues like price, discounts, availability, total cost, add-on options, and so forth. They want you to be able to tell them, in plain and simple language, what's involved in a purchase and how that purchase will take place.

In the above experience, the cashier was suggesting to the customer what to do instead of giving the facts about of both terms of purchase and let the customer make a decision. This could be because of his own interests in that mode of purchase. This could higher commission among others.

The business loses customers due to such pitfalls in the selling process and handling of customers.

Provide Value That's Superior to Other Options

Finally, comes the price and how that price compares to similar offerings. Unless you can prove that buying from you is the right business decision for the customer, the customer can and should buy elsewhere.

The customer purchased elsewhere since there was no information on why their prices were higher than the rest. This can easily be done. It could be because of the after sales services that the business offers, such as warranty, transport, insurance cover  and so on. These could make a customer buy even when the price is higher.

QUESTION THREE

Important questions that would have been asked to avoid the bad experience

When was the last time my team had training?

When you get your team together, it not only refreshes them on customer service fundamentals, but also provides them the opportunity to share ideas on overcoming difficult situations or scoring points with their customers. This could have avoided the bad feeling that eventually made the customer to leave.

Do we have a set of standards or values to abide by when managing customer relations?

We’ve all heard the phrase “The Customer is Always Right.” Client-facing employees need these types of guidelines to fall back on when they are dealing with difficult situations. When a business has standards and values related to customer service, it helps front-line employees understand what actions to take if a customer requires more information than they are used to.

 Do my team members understand the short and long-term impact their actions have on the business?