It would be easy to assume that when a customer contacts your refund and return shipping hotline, she has a need to return something and get her money back. That is not exactly true. You can actually meet that need and still lose her as a repeat customer if you don't meet four other needs she has that are even more important than the one she called about. These needs are simple and easy for you to understand. They are: - The need to feel understood. - The need to feel welcome - The need to fell important - The need for comfort Don't forget that anytime you interact with a customer, they have five needs, not just one. Meet all five, and you have made a friend for life.
By James A. Baker · Founder, Baker Communications
For instance, a retired woman, single and living alone, goes to an appliance store to replace her 30 year-old washing machine that has finally worn out. She quickly discovers that the world of washing machines has expanded quite a bit since she purchased her previous machine. Feeling unsure of the best choice, she decides to purchase one of the large and more expensive models, assuming that it will have all of the best features and do the best job. Fortunately for her, a sales representative finds her about that time and begins to ask her some helpful questions. How many people in your household? What is a typical-sized load of laundry for you? What kind of fabrics are most of your clothes made of, and how soiled do they get (ground in dirt and grass stains from gardening, for instance)? The sales representative quickly concluded that this lady would be much better served with a smaller, simpler model. His advice saved her over $250! He could have simply taken her money and sold her whatever she asked for, but he asked himself, “How would I want my Nana to be treated if she were shopping for a washer?” He gave her the same care that anyone’s grandmother is entitled to; he treated her with “human sense.” He lost the chance to make the company an extra $250, but he made a friend for the company, and where do you suppose she will go when she has to replace her refrigerator next year?
Also, don’t be afraid to offer what are sometimes referred to as “customer-led services.” All this means is don’t be afraid to bend the rules a little to give the customer what he needs. What do you do when a small-business customer really only needs a half-pallet of shipping material? The company policy is to not split pallets, in which case you could very likely lose this sale and this customer. Better to take the risk of finding someone else down the line who could use an extra half-pallet than to risk losing this sale today. If necessary, it is acceptable to mark up the price slightly to the customer for the first half-pallet; just explain that it is to compensate for the fact that the company doesn’t usually allow you to do this at all, and the customer will understand. He is just glad he was able to purchase what he really needed. Later, you can throw in the extra-half pallet at a discount to someone who came in looking for a deal on an oversized order. At the end, you break even on the pallet and gain two new repeat customers, because you let the customers take the lead in purchasing what they needed instead of what your policy said you could sell them.
