Customer Support: The Engine That Makes The Company Go

August 13th, 2009

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What’s the engine that makes the company go? Is it the initial investors and their capital? Is it the engineers who design the product? Is it the team that promotes the product here and wide? The iPod is a magnificent bit of synergy, on these fronts: the money was invested by Apple, the people who designed it came up with a novel- yet intuitive- interface, and the marketing team came up with a brilliantly a-la-Thunderball promotional environment. But think a bit- have you ever seen a product with all of these factors in play that went nowhere? Sure you have. Why, then?

Unsurprisingly, I’d say that the most important part of any company’s livelihood, beyond the start-up phase, are its customers. They’re the ones who use the product; they’re the ones who find new ways to utilize it that the design team never considered; they’re the ones who tell their friends about the product.

Are they happy? Are they using your products? Do they feel like you listen when they speak? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark, as Hamlet put it. And not just because medieval Denmark didn’t have refrigerators.

So, how do you engage a customer’s enthusiasm about your products? What does one need to do to produce satisfaction on the part of those who are, at core, footing the bill for your company’s existence?

There are a few simple steps, conveniently enough.

1: Transparency

Letting the customers see what goes on within the company as deeply as you can helps them to feel they have a connection with the individuals that the company employs. While there are reasonable limits to this- they obviously don’t want a webcam in the restroom- giving a human face to the corporation creates a degree of empathy. Make your corporate decisions for clearly visible reasons, and don’t be afraid to discuss them publically.

2: Attention

If you’re listening to your customer’s concerns, then you can’t be taken by surprise when those concerns shift. Amazon is a terrific example on this front: say what you may about your experiences returning a broken dish from their housewares site, but can you actually say that you’ve ever felt ignored by them? Attentiveness, rapidity of response, and making it clear you do understand what the customer’s requiring of you goes a long way in assuring him that you care.

3: Empathy

Last, and certainly not least, you have to make your customer’s concerns your own. This is a simple fact that so many businesses forget, surprisingly. I’ve watched companies run down a blind alley of certainty that they knew what the customer needed better than the customer knew it- I suspect we all have seen this (I’m looking at you, Segway). These blind alleys are infuriating- both to the employee who can hear what the customer’s asking for, and to the customer who’s asking. And heck, you may actually know better than the customer- but does anyone like being told someone knows better than them? If you’re so certain as to the needs of the customer, you should persuade him of your viewpoint, rather than asserting your viewpoint’s correctness and brooking no discussion.

A fine example of what not to do follows:
On Friday, my bank noticed ‘suspicious activity’ & blocked my ATM card. Now, I can understand that: they’re concerned someone’s stealing from me. However, they had nothing in place in their support program to let me know about it. This is a failure of Transparency: I should’ve been informed of why the card was blocked, in some manner.

I couldn’t withdraw, but could deposit a check. Puzzled, I contacted them via IM on Saturday & learned that my card was blocked. In the process of talking with me about the suspicious activity, they mentioned a transaction as suspect. However, that transaction couldn’t have been related, as it happened after noticing the card couldn’t get $ from the ATM. That’s a failure at Attention: if the representative had read the history, he wouldn’t have even mentioned this transaction: it happened after the supposed lockdown started. The rep unblocked my card, and told me it would be Monday by 5PM before the check would get deposited in my account.

Monday, I found that the check had a hold on it through Wednesday. Here’s another failure of Attention: the agent’s word should have held truth. I contacted the bank again, but the rep I asked why only told me that there was a hold on the check. Yes, I already knew that. I typed ‘OK, thank you’ as I looked for a phone number, and received this response:

Support Representative: We know you have many choices for your banking needs and Thank you for choosing [bank name redacted].

Turner: I have to admit I am seriously reconsidering that choice, at present.

Support Representative: Have a wonderful day and do take care of yourself, Turner!

In that simple exchange there were two failures. No Attention was paid to what I had typed, and there was no Empathy with my frustration. Adding insult to injury, the phone number just provided a voicemail tree.

Anybody out there know a good bank? I’m in the market for one. ;)

There’re plenty of reasons that it’s called Customer Support, rather than Customer Let-Down. While the customer may actually not be right, you’d like to be treated as if you’re not wrong. You want to know someone’s reading what you’ve written, and giving thoughtful responses. We’re aware of what customers don’t want to experience, and are tooling up to give you what you need. After all: you’re the engine that makes the company go!

Tagged with: customer service

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