Special personalities…Returns, refunds and Happy Customers
Special personalities…A necessary skill
In our world we meet all the personality types, from friendly, appreciative folks to those hard cases who won’t give us an inch. And in our daily grind of service and deliveries we can pretty much take all of them in stride and do our thing without thinking much about what category they fall into.
But when it comes to making that initial sale, consciously considering those unusual personality types can pay off handsomely … while not doing so generally doesn’t end so well.
Aside from the 75% or so of folks who’re in the category that needs little special consideration is that 25% – with whom if we don’t accommodate and alter our approach, we risk falling flat on our faces.
These difficult personalities come in a variety of flavors … from the “smart” guy who believes he knows more about nearly everything than you, to the “hard case” who delights in his gruffness, to the timid fella who’s apparently incapable of making any decision, to the uber-careful lady who needs to understand every aspect of any decision before she can make up her mind.
If we identify these challenging personality types early in the sales process, we can do a lot to successfully cross the finish line. If we ignore these quirks we do so at our peril and probably suffer a lot of needless personal frustration.
Next up: Dealing with Gruff Gus and Smart Sam.
Returns, refunds and…Happy customers
Flexibility seems to be the “new” customer service. Amazon will let you return your purchase with practically no questions asked. After Christmas most department stores will take back something they may not even have sold! Largely the on-line world has come to realize what brick and mortar businesses have long understood: The customer may not always be right, but he is always the customer!
That brings us to us. What’s our policy on keeping the customer happy when he’s not?
Do we do whatever’s necessary to make them smile – no matter the financial, physical or emotional cost to us? Alternatively, do we let a good customer walk away feeling badly at the expense of a few dollars? Do we really know when enough is enough? Truth is we probably don’t know precisely where that line is, or when we need to say yes, or no.
Dollars and cents aside, there is also our “brand” and its value. And that imponderable is really the crux of the question. Our credibility and reputation are pretty much everything when it comes to our long-term success. With it, we have a leg up on others who’re held in less esteem. And that extra bit of flexible customer service we’re considering might just be that difference.
Next up: Make them (and you) feel good.