“I’m frustrated,” my customer stated emphatically, leaned forward in her chair, and looked at me intently.
“I have a customer with a problem,“ she continued, “and I contacted my vendor to take care of it. I have gone through seven different individuals at the vendor, and no one wants to solve the problem.”
“Did you get it resolved?” I wondered.
“Maybe,” she replied. “I finally called the sales rep, and I think we have come to an agreement. Either way, I will take care of my customer.”
Sadly, her experience with the vendor is all too typical of many customers’ experiences. They attempt to get someone to solve their problem, but no one wants to take responsibility, and possibly a loss, to solve it. Instead, the retailer says “contact the manufacturer.” The manufacturer says “contact the retailer.” The customer bounces back and forth between the two with increasing frustration.
What customers want is their problems solved. They want products or services that solve their problems. If a problem occurs with the products or services, customers want that problem solved, too. They want all this done with clear communication and truthfulness from the businesses with whom they are dealing.
That seems simple, doesn’t it?
Evidently not. To customers, businesses seem all too eager to take the customers’ money with the promise of solutions to their problems. If the problem is not solved, however, the same businesses often do not follow through. They leave the customers’ original problem unresolved and possibly add another one on top. Instead of getting a problem solved, the customer now must give more time and attention to two problems.
Some businesspeople forget that the purpose of business is to solve a problem for customers. That is why the business exists. That is why customers come to the business. If customers did not have a problem for that business to solve, the business would not have a reason to be open. To serve your customer, you must solve the customer’s problem, whatever that takes.
My customer operates that way. She and her staff always follow through and solve the customer’s problem They give customers peace of mind. That is the key to her business’s success. She knows what customers want and makes certain they receive it. Her focus sets her business apart and differentiates it from the competition.
How well is your business solving your customers’ problems?
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What positive experience have you had in solving a customer’s problem? E-mail me your answer.
“I have a customer with a problem,“ she continued, “and I contacted my vendor to take care of it. I have gone through seven different individuals at the vendor, and no one wants to solve the problem.”
“Did you get it resolved?” I wondered.
“Maybe,” she replied. “I finally called the sales rep, and I think we have come to an agreement. Either way, I will take care of my customer.”
Sadly, her experience with the vendor is all too typical of many customers’ experiences. They attempt to get someone to solve their problem, but no one wants to take responsibility, and possibly a loss, to solve it. Instead, the retailer says “contact the manufacturer.” The manufacturer says “contact the retailer.” The customer bounces back and forth between the two with increasing frustration.
What customers want is their problems solved. They want products or services that solve their problems. If a problem occurs with the products or services, customers want that problem solved, too. They want all this done with clear communication and truthfulness from the businesses with whom they are dealing.
That seems simple, doesn’t it?
Evidently not. To customers, businesses seem all too eager to take the customers’ money with the promise of solutions to their problems. If the problem is not solved, however, the same businesses often do not follow through. They leave the customers’ original problem unresolved and possibly add another one on top. Instead of getting a problem solved, the customer now must give more time and attention to two problems.
Some businesspeople forget that the purpose of business is to solve a problem for customers. That is why the business exists. That is why customers come to the business. If customers did not have a problem for that business to solve, the business would not have a reason to be open. To serve your customer, you must solve the customer’s problem, whatever that takes.
My customer operates that way. She and her staff always follow through and solve the customer’s problem They give customers peace of mind. That is the key to her business’s success. She knows what customers want and makes certain they receive it. Her focus sets her business apart and differentiates it from the competition.
How well is your business solving your customers’ problems?
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What positive experience have you had in solving a customer’s problem? E-mail me your answer.
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