How Much Service is Too Much Service?
We all want to give our customers great service, but so we know how great it should be?
People often ask, ‘What level of service should we
strive to provide? Should
we give “Unbelievable!” service if our customers are not willing to pay for
it?’
My answer is definitely no!
Don’t go to the moon on service if your business model on the moon doesn’t
work. No sense ‘serving yourself to death’, bending over backwards but going
broke in the process.
You need to determine what level of service your business can provide,
and
match that with what your customers are willing to pay.
Take note: customers rarely put voluntary limits on their service
expectations. That’s why making clear service agreements is so important to
you…and your customers.
You must communicate clearly what you promise to provide, and what you
are not promising, too!
The manager of a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) approached me with
this relevant complaint:
His staff go into customers’ homes and offices to install modems and
communications software. They train their customers to access new e-mail
accounts and surf the World Wide Web.
Before his staff can leave, however, office-based customers start asking
about unrelated hardware compatibility, new software upgrades and
suggestions on how to fix non-working printers!
Eager home-based customers insist on help installing new games and
joysticks, debugging new versions of Windows, even assistance repairing
their children’s Nintendo!
His staff’s explanation that, ‘We are just an Internet Service Provider, not
a
computer repair service’, seem to fall upon deaf ears. As far as his
customers
are concerned, ‘You are the computer people, and we have a computer
problem. Now that you are in our home or office…fix it!’
One look at his brochure reveals the source of the problem. It reads: ‘Enter
the digital age! Modernize your life! Capture the computer advantage!’
Plenty of glittering encouragements to buy, but no clear and detailed
listing
of the actual service promise.
To eliminate the problem, this company must clarify and specify what
services they do provide - and what services they do not.
For example:
We provide A, B and C.
We do not provide X, Y or Z in the normal service package.
We can arrange X, Y and Z for you at an additional charge, or
We have associates who can do X, Y and Z. Reliable referrals are provided on
request.
Key Learning Point
Be sure the service agreements you make with your customers and internal
partners are complete and clear. Misunderstanding can lead to
disappointment once delivery of your service is underway.
Action Steps
Check with your customers and staff. Find out where misunderstanding and
disagreements arise. Then look closely at your proposals, contracts and
service level agreements. Wherever uncertainty is found, replace it with
accuracy, clarity and understanding.
Note: Don't use this principle to avoid regularly upgrading your service
agreements. With technology you may improve the quality of your service
without increasing your costs. (Your competitors are working on it now.)
About the Author
