Is Making The Customer Happy Always The Best Customer Service?

Posted on June 13, 2007
Filed Under Brand Integrity, Brand Promises, Branding, External Branding, Internal Branding, Jim Howard |

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Whenever I ask someone what they consider to be great customer service, I usually hear similar responses. Most will respond with either doing whatever is necessary to make the experience better for the customer or doing whatever it takes to make the customer happy.

Thanks to all of the posters we have hanging on the walls and the lessons that we have been taught about customer service, most people have been trained to believe the standard clichés like “the customer is always right,” “the customer is the boss” or “a happy customer means a healthy business.”

Are there times where concerns for the customer’s happiness could be detrimental to the success of your business?

Let me tell you what happened to me this week, and then you can decide. I was out this weekend looking for a new car. My son is graduating this year so what a perfect time to give him my 2001 Nissan Altima so that I can get a car that better fits my needs, like the brand new 2007 Saturn Sky. Yeah, I know that my needs may look like my wants, but right now, I need my wants.

Anyway, while at the local Saturn dealer, I noticed that they only had one Sky on the lot. The salesman came out to greet me and then proceeded to tell me about the car. When I asked could if I could test drive the Sky, I was sadly informed that this one had already been sold and the dealership could not allow me to drive one that didn’t actually belong to them. I understood. He said he would get the keys so that I could at least look inside.

When he returned I noticed that he didn’t have the keys in his hands. He informed me that the manager wasn’t even comfortable letting me open the doors to see the inside of the car since it was sold.

I asked the salesman if they would have any more of these arriving soon and even told him that I am working on a short time frame and was a very motivated buyer. His reply was no help as he told me that they had no plans of receiving any for the dealership to show, and that the dealership had decided to only order them on a custom-order basis. He then told me that if I wanted to, I could place an order and that it would arrive in about 4 to 6 months.

Now, I don’t know about you, but before I spend close to $30,000 on a vehicle, I at least want to sit in it. I asked the salesman how management expected him to be able to sell a product that he couldn’t show, demonstrate or anything. He gave me his answer, and it was shocking.

He suggested that I go to the local Pontiac dealer and test-drive the Pontiac Solstice. He stated that the two cars were identical in everything except the body styles. The motor, power train, interior, wheelbase and even price were pretty much the same.

Now, from the customer’s point of view, that was great customer service. He actually went as far as sending me to his competition to keep me happy. But, was it the best action for the dealership? Probably not.

It may not have worked to their favor. In fact, after seeing the Solstice, I was actually undecided about which one I wanted to buy more. Now, I have to honest here. I will more than likely end up purchasing the Saturn Sky (A.) because it is a little sportier looking and (B.) because it is the one that my wife wants. To me being able to enjoy my early mid-life crisis with a happy wife is more important than just being able to satisfy my selfish needs.

Anyway, who is to blame for the breakdown that could potentially cost them at least one $30,000 sale? Is it the salesman’s fault for sending a motivated buyer to the company’s biggest competitor? Do we blame the dealership’s management for not supplying their sales staff with the proper tools in order to do their job effectively? Or, is it the manufacturer’s fault for not properly communicating to the dealership the importance of maintaining the brand’s integrity?

I have not done enough research to know where the breakdown occurred in this particular situation, but there is still one very important lesson that can be learned from this story – when it comes to securing the future of your brand, it is imperative that every measure be taken to be sure that everyone involved understands the importance of your brand’s integrity.

Therefore, every person who may come in contact with your market should be able to deliver on your company’s brand promises. This means that from marketing to sales to delivery, everyone needs to be equipped, not just with the tools that they need, but also with the knowledge on how to use those tools most effectively to obtain the goals set by the brand.

Brand integrity goes beyond just marketing and sales. It’s true that successful marketing and sales will create money for any company, but being able to fulfill the customer’s expectations based on the brand’s promises will generate the kind of wealth in a company that most owners only dream about.

Make sure that you investigate your company’s brand promises. See if there are areas that may need improvement to guarantee the security of your brand’s integrity, and start creating the kind of wealth that your company can only achieve by being Branded For Success.

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