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Avoid Customer Conflict

By: Rod Alan Richardson

Whether or not customers are satisfied is something that can be controlled. Unhappiness is commonly the outcome of a breakdown in your company's system, or there is an inconsistency in the way you deliver your merchandise or service. Here are five principles that will help you generate happy customers.

1. Pre-Established Expectations - Picture having a customer answer four simple questions for you before completing the transaction. Ask the following 4 questions:

- Why are you buying from our company?

- What do you hope to experience by purchasing from our company?

- What would have to occur for you to conclude you had a high quality experience purchasing from us?

- What actions might we do that would keep you from being dissatisfied with your purchase from our company?

2. The Power of Expertise � What are you doing to be the absolute best at within your line of work? Consumers desire the best product, because they crave an excellent result.

Still, even more than an outstanding result, your customers are after a predictable result. Why is it that McDonalds sells more hamburgers than any other restaurant? When I go into a strange town, I find that I am most inclined to go to McDonalds, not because I particularly like it, but because I know what to expect. People don't want to spend time anticipating what kind of hamburger they will receive.

3. Customers are only aware of what you tell them � We must keep an open line of communication with our customers. If a difficulty appears, take care of it immediately and don't choose the Ostrich Management (Bury your head in the dirt and hope they go away). Give your customers direct and immediate attention. Are your phone lines always open? Do you have enough people to reply to email queries? Do you keep your word by doing what you said you would when you said you would do it? A positive response to these questions will encourage customer confidence; a negative response to these questions will kill confidence in your company.

4. Create winning performance patterns � what habits, or procedures, or actions do you have that are distracting your customers from feeling satisfied on a regular basis? Are you always late, or don't bother showing up to meetings? Do your phones have annoying call hold music? Are your employees helpful and pleasant, or impatient and impersonal? Are you careless and unorganized? These distractions may keep your customers from recognizing the real value you provide. Ask a variety of customers how they feel about doing business with you. You may get some real positive reinforcement, or get some valuable insight on how to improve.

5. People respond to directness and clarity � Your customers are busy. Assuming, being indirect, and miscommunicating wastes time. Focus on creating more clarity in your communication. Ask direct questions. Do not leave understanding to the customer's imagination.

Nobody needs enemies�especially enemies that were a part of your paying customer base. Keep your customers satisfied through using these principles we've previously stated and develop consistency in your organization to achieve a predictable outcome each time. You and your customers will be much happier!

NOTE: Use of this article requires links to be intact.

[Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com]

Customers keep you in business. It's important to keep them satisfied.

Rod Alan Richardson has dedicated his life to teaching people to succeed in free enterprise through Business Training. He also offers a free Business Training Newsletter.

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