By ALLWELL NWANKWO

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

Arguing with the customer

Who likes to lose an argument? Not the customer. I suggest you work hard to avoid an argument with your customers. Even when you know they are wrong, it will be unwise to bluntly tell them so.

Telling them they are wrong may be perceived as an act of humiliation. It is better to explain your position tactfully, without sounding judgmental. Your logic may not always make sense to your customers.

Of course, you may educate them without making them lose face. It’s all in the approach.

Interrupting the customer (Cutting the story short!)

Allow the customer to express her feelings of anger or frustration. If you cut her short you may lose some vital information that might help you resolve her problems. Being allowed to express herself also gives the customer some satisfaction and a sense of relief. You don’t want your customers to bottle up their anger.

Being defensive about customer complaints (“Yes, but….”)

Acknowledge a complaint whole-heartedly. Apologise and resolve the complaint. Being defensive won’t take you anywhere. After all, your few customers who complain are giving you a second chance. Most dissatisfied customers simply walk away. Someone said that complaints are like a gift. Please accept them.

“Look, even our big customers don’t trouble us like this.”

This is as good as telling the customer to take his business elsewhere. It also denigrates the customer, making him appear unimportant. He won’t come back, unless your company is a monopoly.

Being given a take-it-or-leave-it option.

Believe me, customers always have a choice. Don’t treat them as if they had none. Only monopolies adopt this arrogant posture. But even monopolies don’t last for ever!

Forgetting a customer’s name.

If you’re in business, you’d better have a damned good memory. You must remember names and faces – especially the very regular ones. People generally feel hurt when you forget their names. I think people love to hear their names. That’s just the way they are wired. You can use it to your advantage.

Wrongly spelling a customer’s name.

If you’re in doubt, always ask for the correct spelling. My name is Allwell. I am not amused when some people carelessly write: Howell, Alwell or even Owell! Again, some people believe I must be “Allwell-Brown.” Anyway, I always tell them I’m not.

Wrongly pronouncing the customer’s name

Some of us make fun of our mistake after pronouncing a name wrongly. It is bad enough not to know the right pronunciation; making fun of your mistake is almost unforgivable.

Attending to customers out of turn

It is not fair to attend to a customer before his turn just because he is your relation, friend or benefactor. Doing so will alienate those who came before him. It also smacks of corruption. You may want to have a separate service area for high-value customers who require special treatment.

Fixing your eyes on the computer (or whatever else) while the customer is talking.

How would you take that if you were a customer? Whenever I am confronted with the computer-age nuisance, my stock response is to keep quiet until I get full attention. You need to maintain eye contact with your customers.

What are those things you don’t like as a customer?

To share them on this page, send an email to:

[email protected].

TO BE CONTINUED.