Make it Easy For Customers to Complain!

One of the components of a good Customer Focus Strategy is to make it easy for customers to complain.

"What?" I can hear many of you saying. "Make it easier for customers to complain, so that we are actually likely and happy to get more complaints?"

YES!

That's exactly what your mindset should be --- not just to get more complaints, but to be very open, customer complaints are great opportunities to learn, and opportunities for your entire organisation to improve.

After all, if you don't hear about the problems your customers are having with your products, services, or staff, then how would you know to improve them?

Inspire your staff

How often do you review and inspire the people in your business? There are studies out showing the more time you spend in a focused review the more performance is likely to improve.

So do you take 15, 30 or perhaps 60 minutes once a year?

A recent study of someone who leads her team very successfully uncovered some interesting facts. She has 25 people reporting to her…yet finds 100 full days a year, yes, that is four full days per person per year…to review and guide them.

After all, what is more important than developing the people and culture in your business?

You can’t manage people!

The problem is that many Managers seem to think their role is to closely monitor or “manage” performance… however you can’t manage people! You can manage processes, a fleet of cars however you need to lead people, not manage them. How sad and ineffective it is that many Managers think that their role is to be the police officer. I suggest you look for people doing things right…. and then congratulate them!

Why not set a goal to look for the good in people and to congratulate a specific number of people every day?

People! Always an interesting topic, for me anyway!

The conversation at a business breakfast took many different turns before eventually leading to how this person finds people interactions difficult and dealing with staff and customers even harder.

At his invitation I went to visit his office a few days later and, like many of us, I watched the behaviour and interactions between he and his staff. Interestingly as he commented on the performance problems of each of his staff it became obvious that he was the one causing all the drama in his own office.

Are you really aware of how you affect your Staff and Customers?