You are out there every day doing what you do best. You're developing relationships, working with clients, creating joint ventures and partnering with other business owners.
You're creating products and services that have been carefully crafted in response to the needs of your target market.
Sounds good so far, right?
But how much time and effort have you put into the back end of your business?
Do you have any idea how one conversation or email or support ticket with one client that is mishandled can not only cost you a client who has been one of your top purchases for years, but also everyone they know who has, or is thinking about, doing business with you.
I've written about the perils of bad customer service before. But it keeps showing up on almost a daily basis.
Whether I'm hearing it from my hair stylist in a casual conversation that leads to her and several of her friends and clients changing banks; or a yoga studio that never answers the phone, always letting it go to voice mail and thus losing many potential clients; or an online marketer with no communication but a support ticket system that has a bad rep handling the tickets.
It doesn't matter the situation, it all leads to anywhere from small to massive amounts of money being lifted from your pocket.
Did you ever wonder what dollar amount of the cancellations or charge backs you take for granted as simply being the statistical breakage of being in business, are really situations that are easily fixed if you only knew what was causing it?
I can't tell you the number of times I hear someone say they sent something back before the guarantee was over because they were leery of the business owner because of a mishandled interaction with customer service.
And many times it's a simple question they need answered having nothing to do with canceling. But it's handled so badly that it scares them into canceling just to be safe.
Last week I personally had a situation with a purchase that came with a free period to sample a continuity program after the initial program ended. When I saw my card had been charged before that time, I put in a support ticket.
I explained that it was charged early and asked that it be reversed. I asked where I could access the continuity program because I hadn't been sent anything on it except I saw that it was a bonus on the sales page.
What I got back was a message that they would give me a free month for the mistake.
The support ticket person didn't read what I wrote or chose to ignore my question of, "where is the information I'm being charged for?"
So I asked again and said I needed to know where to access the program.
I got back a response with a link to cancel.
Do you think the Internet Marketer has any idea how many times something like this happens? I bet he would respond that he's certain that doesn't happen with his people. But how do you know for sure this wasn't you?
I emailed again and said that I would like to see the program before I decide if I want to cancel, where is it?
This time I was told there would be an email coming out this week about it.
It's been a week, no email. In frustration I restated my original questions and now I get no response at all because every ticket goes back to the same rep.
This is not some new kid on the block. It's isn't a one person business experiencing growing pains. This is someone who was already a guru when I got into this business.
I'll bet you anything they have no idea the damage the bad support person is doing to their business. I know how this works and I'm completely frustrated.
Imagine how your average customer feels?
Do you have the same person responding to every email? If so, your customers are stuck. I have no way of contacting anyone else, so I have no choice but to cancel a program I may have otherwise stayed in. But I'm not going to pay for a program I can't get access to.
This has nothing to do with the volume of business you do. I could show you examples of huge multi-million dollar companies and online businesses that handle this with grace and ease. There is no excuse for bad service and there is no excuse for the huge losses it's creating in your business.
I hear stories like these all the time. It's not an isolated incident by any means. And it's happening in companies with lots of team; teams that apparently have systems in place. And yet this is running rampant through businesses online and off. And it's could be costing you millions, if not this year, certainly over the years.
You have no idea how much money is being swept off the table and out of your bank account by sloppy customer service systems in your business.
Even if you're making so much money that you don't care about the spillage, it's costing your reputation and that's something that's more important than the money you're losing.
Want to see what it's costing you in your business?
Let's talk and I'll show you how easily you can find out, because your customers will never tell you. Even when they see you in person, they will be cordial, not wanting to cause a problem. But they will never do business with you again and they will tell everyone they know their story.
For more than 25 years I've taught people from all walks of life the sales and communication skills they need to be successful in business and in life. If you'd like to investigate this in your business or have your support people receive some real training in sales and communication, contact me. You'll find an easy to use contact form and my direct phone number on my website.
About the Author:
Lynn Pierce, the Success Architect, has taught people how to combine business and personal development to reach the pinnacle of success and live the life of their dreams for almost 30 years. In addition, she is also the founder of one of the most exciting annual events for women entrepreneurs, "Empowered Women's Business Summit". You can get her special report, "What Do You Stand For? A No B.S. Guide to Creating Your Own Personal Manifesto" at
http://LynnPierce.com
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