Last week I embarked on a journey discussing what makes a good customer.
I narrated a story I had read online about a customer experience at a restaurant (sorry I cannot give you the link to the site, it was a while ago and I did not bookmark it). It was the proverbial ‘customer from hell’ scenario.
Have you had a similar bad experience with a customer that seemed to be no fault of yours and more a problem coming from the customers’ attitude?
Have you ever been verbally abused by a customer you were serving? Even when you felt you were doing your best to make them happy? I know I have!
Here are some more ‘customer from hell’ stories online.
A client called asking me to remove the “PROOF” watermark from my proof so she could print it. After I spent 10 minutes explaining to please not print a low-res, unfinished, watermarked draft, but instead to use the clearly labelled hi-res final version which reflected several rounds of edits, she finally seemed to get it.
This is the text I received at 11:52 PM that night:
Client: Bad news, those letters didn’t come off when I printed it. Don’t bother fixing it now as that was my whole printing budget… not happy…
And another…
I was retained to design a logo for an engineering firm. I gave them three options that truly reflected their brand and culture.
Client: Thanks for getting us these designs. But we were hoping for something a little crazier. Really outside the box. You know what? Get drunk and then design us something. I’m serious, you can expense the booze. We are literally paying you to give us something you designed when you were drunk.
Well OK, I thought, I can do that. I sent drunky new logos.
Client: What is this? We were hoping for something more streamlined and professional.
So you see, these challenging customers are everywhere.
How should customers behave? Is there a guide, a code of conduct? I believe there is, but unfortunately it isn’t written down anywhere.
So, I’ve taken it upon myself to share what I believe makes a customer ‘good’ and a pleasure to serve or work with– again, in my opinion.
Related Reading: Is Every Customer A Good Customer
The responsibility for an excellent service outcome also rests partly on the customer. How you engage with the service provider will sometimes determine how s/he responds to you. Will the person become afraid of you? Treat you with apathy or disdain?
Remember that the people serving you are humans deserving of courtesy and respect. Everyone wants to be appreciated. So, no name calling, heckling or anything of the sort.
Good customers not only respect the individual, they also respect the individuals time. Just because a service provider is working for you does not mean you can call the person multiple times at all hours of the day.
I remember a few years ago when I still worked in a bank as a Relationship Manager. I had a customer who would call each night – mostly past 9pm to make enquiries about his banking transactions. He would want to know his balance, he would want to check rates, and he would want to know our service turnaround times. All things that could wait till the next day to confirm. After enduring this for months, asking him not to call me at off hours (to no avail) I decided to stop picking his calls past working hours. Yes, he made a formal complaint to my boss about this, but thankfully I had a boss who understood the issues and explained that his after-hours calls should be exceptions rather than the norm.
People who have worked with me know I always say ‘when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me’. To get the best of the employee you are working with it’s essential that you (customer) be crystal clear about what you want. Don’t assume the person understands you, especially if you request is outside the norm of the persons experience. Customers who share their expectations openly and early are much happier with their project outcomes.
Provide clear direction and give regular feedback (even as the project or task is ongoing). This way, the chances of you getting exactly what you want is yards higher. In essence, a good customer is a good communicator.
To be able to give regular feedback, you have to become actively engaged in the process all along the way (and gets key people involved and with some ownership). This means that we limit the chances of crossed wires and off target outcomes.
Good customers know that they really should not overreact in response to minor and repairable. So you wanted a cup of coffee with no sugar, and the waiter brought you a cup with tons of sugar. Don’t lose your temper. The solution is a hot kettle away. So your graphic designer used the wrong shade of pink on a draft design. You don’t lose your cool…
I have a shop I go to frequently to buy cards and knic knacks. When I was registered for their loyalty scheme, the person who registered me spelt my surname as ‘Taulor’. I’ve gone in a few times and asked them to correct the mistake to no avail. In January, I mentioned the correction again, and the nice lady at the counter said she would correct the spelling at once. Last week I went back to discover that the new spelling is ‘Tailor’. Phew! Right? But you know what? It’s not the end of the world. I am still me. I am not a tailor but Taylor, but how does that affect the rotation of the earth around the sun? We just need to major on the majors and minor on the minors.
Good customers also have learned to express their displeasure without getting petty, personal or insulting. It’s funny that we expect the people serving us to keep it all together at all times but we do not hold ourselves to the same standards.
In dealing with customers, service providers will tell you about the unrealistic expectations placed on them. A friend of mine who is a Chef told me that a customer once ordered chicken curry without the curry. How does one make a meal without the primary ingredient from which the dish derives its name? As much as we want to promote innovation and creativity or even healthy living or personal preferences; good customers keep it real as well.
Related Reading: Six Things That Make A Great Customer
When you have a dentist’s appointment, do you bother to brush your teeth just before your appointment? I do! I don’t understand patients who don’t. I think I am making life easier for the dentist. Just like I have a shower before going in for a massage. I make sure my feet are dry and fresh before going for a pedicure. My quirks, I know; but I would want people to have a care before coming to me for service if I were the service provider. Good customers are considerate of the delicate sensibilities of their service providers.
Finally, good customers are appreciative of the service they receive. Never take good service for granted. Tell the person serving what a good job they have done, if it’s appropriate in the context give them a tip or a bonus. Good customers show appreciation.
So what makes a good customer? It all boils down to basic respect, communication and a positive attitude.
I believe that as much as we demand excellent service from service providers, we also must be excellent customers. Don’t you think?
I’d love to hear your opinion. Please drop a comment.
