Sometimes, companies set up so complex processes for executing basic business operations, that the customers find it very difficult and annoying dealing with the business. This causes avoidable stress and harassment to the customer. To identify all such customer-unfriendly practices going on in our company, we must periodically interact with our own company from outside, posing as a dummy, mystery customer. This will give us the first hand insight into the customer’s perspective of our business processes.
• Our customer facing processes must be smooth and easily accessible. We must examine each of our processes carefully in which customers interact with our company and correct it to make it a pleasant experience for them. E.g. some service companies (like banks, telecom companies etc.) put computerized interactive voice response systems for customer support. Sometimes, it takes long time to find the right option. Other times, the volume, pace of speaking, the script or the language are not understandable by the customers. Some of these automated systems make it impossible to reach a human being to interact with the customers. These systems are not equipped to handle emergency support requirements of the customers. For solving their basic concerns, the customers have to spend a lot of time and money going through unnecessarily long phone calls. Such insensitive customer support initiatives are not really supportive and they are more frustrating.
• At some showrooms when a customer pays cash, she is given the balance change in the worst possible soiled currency notes. The cash counter persons use such transactions as an opportunity to get rid of the soiled notes. This spoils customer experience.
• Some companies’ sales processes are not properly fine-tuned. They have a central call center which cold calls the prospective customers, invites them for demonstrations and fixes appointments for such demonstrations at various company locations. They confirm with the customers and do a lot of follow-up with them to ensure attendance. This raises the expectations of the customer about the company’s service levels. But when finally the customer reaches the company location for demonstration, the people there are either not equipped or are not as concerned or enthusiastic as the person who invited the customer appeared to be. We should very carefully design and execute such sales processes, by coordinating all departments well. We should not raise the expectations too high if we are not prepared to fulfill them.
• Some showrooms have rules for not allowing any kind of bags inside. It is perfectly alright to have the rule, but make sure how the customer is told about this and how her belongings are received, kept and returned in a secured manner.
• Many service professionals like doctors, advocates, beauty parlors, restaurants have waiting areas for next customers, but there is no method to ensure proper sequencing of the customers as per their arrival. The attending employees are sometimes rude, indifferent or untrained to handle this. There must be a transparent process to maintain a list of waiting patrons and as soon as a new one enters, her name must be asked and added to that list at the end. Patrons must be attended as per this list only and no out-of-turn access must be allowed. If there is some special case where somebody is allowed in urgently, the reason for the same must be explained to those who are waiting for their turn next.
• Billing errors shakes the customers’ trust in us. Bills must be checked properly and must be easily readable and understandable. They must be free of all types of errors.
• Not keeping our word, particularly with respect to time, is another experience spoiler. Companies must ensure that the product or service they promise to the customers must reach them at the promised time. They must not be delayed. If there is an unavoidable delay because of some valid reason, the same must be properly communicated to the customer well in advance.
• Showing one quality to the customer and delivering another one destroys customer’s belief in us. Some companies have sample pieces to show to the customers. The order is taken based on this sample article. But, when the final product is delivered to the customer, it is not exactly similar to the sample shown. It has some variations in size, color, texture or some other feature. If our manufacturing process can’t assure 100% consistency in all aspects, the same must be communicated to the customer beforehand.
Our processes should be designed in such a manner that they save customers’ time, effort and money ensuring the right quality and peace of mind.
(Expert advice to GROW your business wherever you are, whenever you want.
SMEBusinessGuide.com… https://goo.gl/E3pfoQ)
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