I was shocked. We purchased some large warehouse trailers about ten years ago and are now moving offices and selling them back to the same company we purchased them from (for only pennies on the dollar, of course). Once I accepted the lower buy-back price, we still had to arrange pick up and delivery to our new location. We were haggling for a few minutes over what would be a convenient time for the company to send a driver to schedule the pick-up. Schedules were tight and there was tension in the air. Then, all of a sudden, the buyer paused and said to me, “Hold on a minute, you’re the customer. Let’s work this out.”
Immediately I was totally pacified and the other person got it pretty much the way they wanted anyway. Yes, being reminded that I was the customer was music to my ears.
Since the business world is becoming more and more automated and less personal, and that real old-fashioned customer service is becoming more and more rare, it becomes easier than ever to excel. In order for your customers to actually feel like customers, rule #1 is that they have to have contact with a real live person. However, when you call most businesses these days, it’s surprising when you don’t find yourself talking to a machine. If you’re like me, it’s so infrequent to reach a live human being that when you do, you might even forget the reason you called in the first place! The point of this article is simple. People are people. And, people want to be treated like individuals. Here are some fundamentals of customer service to help ensure your success, no matter in what niche in the tennis industry your business is situated.
1. Answer the phone – it may sound fundamental, but easily reaching people on the phone these days can be a huge selling point for your program. Voicemail is fine, but if you can avoid a computer response as the first impression a customer receives, you’ll be one more step ahead of your competition.
2. Yes, what’s the question? – Be a problem-solver. A “can-do” attitude goes a long way toward providing what people will perceive as high-quality customer service. In other words, when confronted with a problem, be sure your staff members are solution-oriented first. We all know the negative effect of a dissatisfied customer who tells others. It becomes a pervasive negative gossip chain that goes on and on for a long time. If someone has a problem, empower your staff to be able to solve it quickly and painlessly. I remember the tip by nationally recognized teaching pro and manager, Fernando Velasco. He would walk around the courts during busy times with a new can of balls. If someone had a problem with anything, from the cup dispenser being empty to discarded towels lying on the court, he would compensate the club member by giving them a free can of balls. It didn’t cost him nearly as much as he gained in goodwill and future business.
3. Make friends with your customers – Ultimately, people are looking for friends. Get to know them. Know the names of their children. Learn the name of their dog. Care about them and they will naturally become loyal customers and care about you and your business.
The bottom line is to remember how good it feels when you are treated like an important customer. It may be a rare occurrence to be treated like that these days, but it does still happen from time to time. It’s just like the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Treat customers like you would like to be treated and everyone comes out a winner.