Have You Hugged a Customer Today?
by Kathy Gulrich
Published on this site: August 16th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
It all started a couple of weeks ago when a friend asked me
if I could scan and print some of her slides. No problem,
I said.
Boy, was I mistaken
As it turns out, I seldom use my scanner for slides. And no
matter how many different 'Kathy' techniques I tried to get
it to work, nothing. I even resorted to reading the online
manual (what was I thinking?). Still didn't work.
After several (okay, many!) bull-headed attempts to figure
it out myself, I called the Epson tech help line.
The good news, they actually answered the phone near midnight.
The bad news? My scanner was out of warranty, so I'd have
to pay $9.95 for their tech service.
I was pretty desperate, so $9.95 seemed a bargain. And indeed,
I got the help I needed. I was, once again, a happy pup.
Didn't think about it again until the telemarketer called
today.
- Good for me
Before the call, I had virtually no attention on Epson,
my scanner, or the slides that are now beautifully printed.
And I must say, when I answered the phone and heard, "Is
this Kathleen?" (my first clue that it's not a friend
calling!), I was a little annoyed.
For whatever reason, I didn't hang up. And I answered all
the rep's questions about my experience with the Epson tech
guys.
I was reminded that I didn't call just once, but twice -
when I had some follow-up questions a few days later.
The call reminded me how great it was to be able to access
their tech support 24 hours a day. (Is it just me, or do
you, too, find that everything breaks down in the middle
of the night?)
And the quick survey made me think back to the beautifully
printed artwork that I scanned from my friend's slides.
Gotta say, I felt really good when I hung up the phone!
- Goof for them
What's in it for Epson?
Well, if even half of their calls today end in another smiling
customer like me, they're doing great!
They're also getting valuable feedback that can help them
improve their tech support, and their products.
Who knows if the two tech guys I spoke with last week were
one "5" on the survey away from getting fired,
or getting a promotion? I'd like to think that my positive
feedback helped them personally, in some small way.
It's a win-win situation. And I like that.
- Make a Habit of Hugging Your Customers
Yes, I could have emailed Epson and told them how helpful
their tech guys were. But I didn't.
Which got me thinking
How often do we actually take the time to "hug"
our customers and supporters?
We might:
- call someone who's just bought one of our products,
and thank them for their purchase
- call a participant the week after our teleclass to
see if
they have any questions
- write a quick thank-you note to someone who's been
supporting us
- thank someone, in writing, for their help with a
project
- write to thank someone for coming to live workshop
- surprise an especially good customer with a small
gift (free RealAudio download of a teleclass, for example)
- ask our best customers for feedback about our product,
or our service
- take the time to be grateful, and find ways to let
people know about it!
Thanking our customers isn't just good for the soul. It's
good business.
I'll be hugging lots more often - and more deliberately -
in the future. I hope you'll join me.
Kathy Gulrich helps clients get from idea, to action,
to results - more quickly, and more easily - whether they're
looking to write a book, develop a new product, or market
their product or business. Clients love her direct, no-nonsense
approach - and her gentle insistence on great results. Find
out for yourself: Check out one of Kathy's teleclasses, or
pick up a free worksheet, at http://www.smARTbusinessCoaching.com
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