Do the companies you deal with deserve your business?

Do the companies you deal with deserve your business? A recent study by Strativity showed that of all the corporate executives interviewed, only half thought their company deserved customers’ business. By their own admission, companies have no idea why they would deserve your business.

So what is customer service? Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. Consumers equate customer service with the ability to constantly and consistently, delight him/her and exceed their needs but in today's capitalistic society it is rare. It seems that the bigger companies get the less customer service they offer.

Customers are fed up with companies who treat them badly and it's driving people to become ex-customers. With so many new businesses opening up you would think that this shouldn't be a problem but it is - even among competitors offering lower prices. Regardless of selection, price and quality consumers still want and are entitled to legendary customer service. Companies are neglecting this part of the business equation on a daily basis because it takes less effort to gain new clients than it does to train employees, surrender to the customer and improve themselves. In the eyes of corporations, it is easier to draw in new clients through expensive advertising and it is this this short-term thinking that has caused commerce to be in the sad state that it is today.

So why are companies spending a fortune to capture new clients instead of trying to keep existing clients? Well Reichheld's detractor theory says that "companies are hooked on bad profits. Whenever a customer feels misled, mistreated, ignored, or coerced, then profits from that customer are bad." He also states that "profiting in this fashion is disastrous, because bad profits choke off a company's best opportunities for true growth, the kind of growth that is both profitable and sustainable. The pursuit of bad profits alienates customers, demoralizes employees and it blackens the reputation. With this in mind it would make sense why so many businesses today are changing hands, merging and closing their doors.

As a small business owner I understand the importance of providing legendary customer service - it not only adds value to your business it also aids in converting ordinary customers into lifetime customers. I have learned that it is cheaper to keep a client than to replace one. So as a consumer I realize the only defense I have and the only way I can help bring about change is to avoid buying from companies who do not provide me with the same caliber of service that I offer to my clients.

In fact, last week I had a fellow email me his email said " Hi i represent a manufacturer of car care products out of Toronto, and i would like to introduce our product line to you." I emailed him back to say " Thank-you for taking the time to contact me. Diamond Detailing caters to a lot of high end luxury and exotic sports cars so the majority of the chemicals I use are professional grade, superior quality & come at a premium price from Italy, England, Germany and Australia so chances are that unless you have a product of high caliber I probably would not be interested but feel free to send some info about your products by mail or email to my shop and if I am interested in any I will let you know. I appreciate the contact and I will add you to my contact list should I require anything new in the future. "

Today I received his reply which stated "Hi do you think italy,england,germany,etc produces professional grade products not CANADA, I GUESS THEN YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT QUALITY. AS A BUSINESS PERSON YOU SHOULD BE MORE OPEN MINDED AND SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMY BEFORE SUPPORTING OTHERS."

Wow, how about that for customer care! His response absolutely blew my mind. The lack of knowledge about the industry struck me first. If you have something or know of something that equally compares to the products I currently use why wouldn't he have provided info about them and provided some details as to why they are better or equivalent. Secondly, if he thought he had a Canadian product of equal caliber to the ones I use why didn't he just present them to me? Anyhow, I emailed him back with this statement "What company is it that you work for Sir? Your tone is not appreciated or called for. I was pleasant in my response to your email and I did give you the opportunity to send me some info about what it is that you sell. Where I buy my products is my business! If Canada produced a product equal in quality I would be using it - fact is, to date they don't. Please refrain from expressing your economic & political beliefs and learn to have a bit of finesse. You had an opportunity to sell me on your product - but with the attitude you just displayed you can forget about it. This was the most unpleasant and unprofessional experience I think I have encountered. Good luck with your endeavor, I think you will need it if this is how you treat potential clients."

Unprofessional and rude behavior shouldn't be the norm nor should it be accepted or tolerated by clients. Corporations and small businesses alike need to take a step back to a time where they acknowledged that it is the customers who ultimately pay the bills and pay the salaries. Without customers, there is no business.