courtesy

Nobody wants to feel taken for granted, especially when they’re spending money with your company. But how quickly some people forget that everybody has choices, and customer’s deserve respect.
Earlier this week, I watched a cashier stop ringing up a customer’s multiple items, in order to ring up her co-worker’s two items. The co-worker, who was on a 15-minute break, was in line behind the customer.
The customer was livid, and promptly told the young lady about her rude ways. Now everybody is tense. She went on to say that she wouldn’t have minded, if she had only asked.
Again and again, I’m reminded how much courtesy counts. Jut three words (Do you mind?) could have changed that entire tense situation.
A week ago, a friend of mine told me she switched insurance agents after 15 years, because she didn’t feel valued. That blew me away. She didn’t say she left because she found a better price. She wasn’t looking for a new company. She left because she received a form letter that made her feel like a number, instead of a 15-year valued customer. The letter basically told her that she was transferred to a new agent.
What a difference a paragraph would have made. Let’s just say her long-time agent was not able to send a (thank-you for the business, but I’m moving on) letter to clients. The new agent should have sent a short courteous note with two points: alerting clients of the change and inviting long-time clients to come in to review their coverage. Adding a small temporary discount would have been a nice incentive. But to assume that everyone would stay with the company is insane.
With all of the competition in a tight economy, it’s amazing how lax company representatives can be. How hard is it to remind employees to treat people the way they would want to be treated.
People don’t always spend money with companies that offer the lowest price. Some folks are thrilled to spend more to get quality products. But whether a customer shops for convenience, price, quality or need, they remember how they’re made to feel. When service is really good or really bad -you can count on customers spreading the word.
It’s funny though, one quick call, and my friend got a better insurance rate – all because of an annoying form letter.