How much should you tell your customers?
What image do you portray when you talk to your customers? Then again, what image do you want to portray? Are the two the same?
I recently had an experience while placing a large order with a company that made me think about how I talk to our clients. You know the process when trying to get the information you need to make a decision. Find the right company for the service or product, call and make contact, get a quote, get a sample of their product and so on… Each time I talked to my contact in this particular company, it took longer than I really wanted to spend and I heard more than I was interested in hearing.
So what took longer that it should have and why did it loose my interest?
Comments like:
- “Oh, we’ve been so busy. I’ll have to dig that out of the pile on my desk.”
- “I know I have it some where around here. You know how it is, they always pile so much on there’s no way to keep up. They (meaning the company) expect…”
- “I saw your email but I just didn’t have time to respond. I have… they went on the make comments about another customer’s request and issues.”
- “Well, I don’t know if we want to do that.”
- “Oh, are you still there!!”
- “I think he is here today. I don’t know, but…”
What is wrong with this? What do these comments communicate?
- Lack of organization
- Unable to track the project
- Information that should not be externalized
- It tells me I’m not important.
- That my business is not important.
- It wastes my time and theirs.
Everyone can relate to wasted time. Put yourself in the place of your customer. An old saying is to KISS it…Keep It Simple & Sweet. And, always say “please” and “thank you.”
- “Yes, we do have your order and are in the process of getting a quote back to you. You may expect it by… I want to thank you for your business.”
- Email: Just send a simple reply that you have received the email and will respond by…
- By all means, never discuss another customer’s business. Need I say more!
- “Yes, Janie is in, however she is in a conference with a client. May I schedule a time for her to return your call?”
The way you talk with your clients can speak volumes about you and your company.