I had mentioned in the ealier post that dissatisfied customers can change your name or give your name a new meaning. FORD became “Fixed Or Repaired Daily” and I had modified it to “Fooled Or Repaired Daily.” Air Deccan Airline became “Air Dhakhan” Airline. The word “Dhakhan” is slang for something derogatory in India. Now I was reading brand failures by Matt Haig in which he mentions that the name of Ford’s car “Edsel” was changed to “Every Day Something Else Leaks.”
So, beware that your brand name could also be changed drastically if you dissatisfy customers.
Avinash Narula
]]>I am back on this topic, that is, customer can change your name, your positioning and even your tag line. Jigar, a highly dissatisfied Vodafone customer, wrote to me that Vodafone’s tag line “Happy to help” should actually be “Happy to harass.”
So watchout what dissatisfied customers can do to your brand name, tag line and positioning. If you have also been harassed by Vodafone, you are welcome to write to us or log in your complanit at complaints.customermath.com.
Avinash Narula
]]>I agree with this article and as our company stresses that maintaining a relationship with your customers is just as important as the products and services you offer. Businesses should be aware that while services are based on competence and talent from a customers perspective they are really about relationships, feelings and talent. This is really what our business is focused on. We focus on allowing businesses to enhance their relationships with their customers through interaction and a mutual exchange of information so that they can be proactive about addressing their needs.
- Joe
]]>My experience suggests that you are right partially. What you have said cannot be said of all customers. I think that there are more customers “who have been through hell” because of poor service than those (the kind that you are referring to in your email) “who are from hell.” I have had experience with such customers also and I have given examples of such customers in my books.
However, I would like to point out the following:
1. If you take on a customer then treat him well. If you do not want to deal with him, politely avoid doing business from him but do not give poor service. Always maintain your standard of service because after experiencing other vendors he may come back to you sobered uop.
2. What choice do we have? We cannot survive without customers. Just like we keep believing in God inspite of the fact that we go through a lot of pain and suffering in our lives, similarly we have to keep believing in the concept “Customer is King” even though we come across a few from hell.
I am currently writing a book on CRM in which I am pointing out that relationships are a two-way street. Both sides have to do their part if a relationship has to survive. We as suppliers have to provide “value for money” to the customer and the customer has to be reasonable in his demands.
Lastly, stick to providing the best service you can. Keep the customer’s interest in mind while serving him. You will find that even those who go away will come back later as I have experienced.
As I have said in my first book, achieving higher levels of customer satisfaction is not for the faint-hearted.
Hope the above helps.
]]>They do not want to be held accountable for anything. If the consumer makes an error, the seller should have to take the hit. If the seller makes an error, then the consumer wants to sue.
Profit is a dirty word. Used to be, a seller and consumer would work out a mutually beneficial arrangement for an item or service. Now, the seller is expected to LOSE money for the PRIVILEGE of selling an item or service to this consumer!!!
So that’s the evolution: Consumers used to be fair and act honorably. Now they *****, whine and moan over every little thing, and expect that they should be thanked for it!!!
]]>First I would like to apologise for not responding to you. Now I am back. I hope I will hear from you again.
avinash
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