"Fight or flight" is well known as a description given by psychologists as the two primary choices people have when in the midst of a conflict. They either fight their way to resolution or flee the scene of the battle.
In the customer service industry (yes, running a tennis shop or club is absolutely in the customer service industry), our customers also make "fight or flight" decisions. The only difference in our industry is that something as small as a lack of customer service can create the conflict. Nothing overt such as telling a customer that their serve makes them look like a flamingo, or that when they grunt on their groundstrokes they sound like a wild animal. No. We create "flight or flight" situations in subtle and not-so-subtle ways almost every day.
If you think that last statement is an over-dramatization and doesn't apply to you, read on. Chances are it does.
What exactly does this "fight or flight" mechanism mean in terms of customer service? It's fairly simple. Put a customer in a situation that makes them feel uncomfortable or falls seriously short of their expectations, and they will usually respond in one of two ways. They will complain and voice their objection - the "fight" option. Or, they will be quiet and just never return - the "flight" option. Our job is to create an environment where customers and clients don't have either reaction. This article will point out some ideas on how to avoid those problems in the first place and, equally important, how to recognize those responses in the early phases of development and what to do about it.
The only facility or retail store that can claim no "fight or flight" casualties are where there is 100% retention of members and customers. In other words, that every single member, player, and customer is loyal for life. They never buy anything or play anywhere else. And, they have never have an experience that makes them so uncomfortable that they feel they have to make another facility or another retail outlet their primary place to patronize.
Can any of our readers claim that kind of unflinching loyalty from 100% of their patrons? I doubt it.
So, what causes the attrition of a solid number of your clients and customers? Some will stop playing tennis due to injuries. Some will move out of your area. Some will lose interest and stop playing altogether. Some will get a new job or start traveling and consequently have no time to play. Some, unfortunately, will also decide that their experience at your facility or store is not what they are looking for and will look somewhere else to be satisfied as a customer. It is that group that this article is addressing. Of course, we can quote the old adage "You can please some of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time." However true this may be, we will all agree that we want to cut down our rate of attrition. For all you logic-driven left brainers, let's make the process of cutting down customer attrition a simple three-step process.
The first step is to recognize what level of service your customers expect. The second step is to identify the potential situations and circumstances that can contribute to this attrition. And the third step is to train your staff to avoid those potentially sensitive situations.
The First Step - Identify what your customers expect and hopefully surpass it. You may be able to identify these expectations on your own, but surveying your customers and clients to ask them to prioritize what they are looking for can be a terrific tool to evaluate their needs and set your own priorities.
The Second Step - Use the list created in the first step to create a corresponding list of situations and circumstances. Think this one over carefully as this list will form the basis of your "standards of service," and help you in improving the service provided by existing staff and in training new staff members as well.
The Third Step - Train your staff. We know we should have staff meetings, and we also know that the best companies invest time and resources to train their staff well in the first place. But, unfortunately, most of us think we are too busy to invest time in staff training. It sounds illogical because it is. But many of us fall into the rut of putting out fires after they ignite, rather than anticipating what situations can become flammable in the first place and learning how to avoid them. That choice is ours.
Our customers have a choice as well. They will either remain loyal to our facilities and retail outlets or, in the face of conflict or dissatisfaction, will choose between "fight or flight." This is one situation where an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure.