(Or how you earn customer loyalty from us)
To all our suppliers:
You are proactive in dealing with us. You keep in touch with us anyway you like, but we need to hear from you regularly.
We don't need to tell you how regularly. You should already know.
When we place an order with you we expect you to deliver. It doesn't matter whether it is an advertisement with a deadline, a product that you have released or a service. We expect you to do what you say you will do. More would be outstanding. Less is not acceptable.
In the same way, stop making excuses.
Don't surprise us. Tell us what you can provide us with whether a service or a product before we find it from someone else.
Hopefully, someone-a sales representative, account manager or even you are overseeing our territory. We would expect to hear from them. If we say that we have never seen or heard from our "rep" more than once then that should raise warning bells.
Keep an eye on our purchases. If we are purchasing less or more then again, we would expect to hear from you. It's not rocket science.
Connect us with others. We believe it's time to move business from purely one of transactions to one built on relationships, and if that includes thinking of us when talking to others then please do so.
Be honest. If you have stuffed up somewhere tell us. It happens. Things sometimes don't go according to plan but it won't be a deal breaker unless it starts becoming a noticeable habit.
Following these "customer service 101" guidelines will ensure we grow our business together, the right way.
I am a co-owner of a cleaning business in Melbourne. As an individual I am focussed on the positive impact businesses can have on lives and engage, encourage and support other like-minded individuals to develop their inner entrepreneur and realise their value.s Your business is how you express yourself in the world. You had better do it ethically and responsibly, and with a social conscience. My goal is to show small business owners globally how to turbocharge their business by doing just that.
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Brian Mallyon, Owner at Luckypole Limited
Hi Tim, Good article and very relevant. I think there are two things that stand out in my mind:- 1. I would think that nearly every business is a buyer and a seller. Buying a product or service and selling a product or service. I would be interested to know how many companies that complain about poor supplier performance can claim the high ground when they are on the supplier side of the equation. 2. I also think that a relationship is a two way street. Quite rightly you say a supplier should be proactive in contacting a client and discussing their needs etc. but quite often, identifying those needs is based on feedback from that client. Two way communication. To me, someone that just expects information is a customer, someone that works with me to find the best solution is in a relationship. A case in point. About two years ago, we did a lot of work for a prospective customer in the development of a new product. Over months we refined all the processes and details, going backwards and forwards, each time as a result of the customer moving the goal posts. (His was an idea, our work was actually planning and implementation of a design) Finally, despite numerous attempts to contact, we heard basically nothing more for around a year. Suddenly, out of the blue, recently we received contact with them saying they proceeded with someone else for a different product. But of course they were now wanting to utilize our service for a whole new lot of work which "could possibly be of interest" (their words) The issue for me is not so much that we didn't do the initial business, but that this guy had so little regard for all the work that we did that they couldn't be bothered to even tell us what was happening. So I think when we talk about business relationships we need to look at it from the perspective of who plays what role in the process. There is a level of respect required from both sides for it to be a relationship, otherwise its just a transaction.
John Belchamber, Owner & Senior Consultant at Invoke Results
Customer service....this is an Australian website isn't it? I only ask because it's refreshing to hear the topic being discussed. I've lived here since 1997 and am as much of a card carrying Wallabies loving Aussie as the next person, but the service in this country has always been appalling - I must assume because we seem to like it that way...or why else would we keep buying from Australian companies? The 'she'll be right' school of customer service is sadly still the predominant one, closely followed by "send them blanket emails three times a week and they'll think we care". I have a theory that the only reason the sydney Olympics was the 'best ever' was because thousands of Aussies volunteered. Let's face it, when we're not at work and having fun we're amongst the friendliest, most helpful and genuine people in the world. The problem starts when we're being paid, then we seem to do all we can to be the opposite. Now of course there are exceptions to every rule, but then they're just that - exceptions not the rule.