Why Can't They Just Do It Right?
Cutting costs shouldn't mean cutting customer service

There are rules and there are rules. Most salespeople don’t follow them. Most service people don’t follow them.

Oh, they follow their POLICY. Policy rules are made by the company for the protection of themselves. I’m talking about the rules that will attract a customer, create a purchase, keep them loyal, generate profit, and generate referrals. The REAL rules.

Policy doesn’t attract customers – it usually (ok, always) repels them.

My last two flights on US Airways have been less than stellar. Unfriendly, unprepared people “doing the best they can” or “just doing their job.” In retrospect it’s laughable, but in the heat of the moment, it’s maddening.

You’d think that a company like US Airways, on the ropes, in the depths of financial disaster, fighting for survival, would pull out all the stops to serve their customers better in order to sell more tickets. Not even close.

Lousy food. No high-speed computer access in their clubs (some airlines finally have it in their clubs, but US Airways is still “investigating it”). Poor service. Unfriendly people. Fewer pillows and blankets on overnite flights. They call it “cost cutting.” It’s actually “costing” them millions in lost revenues and loyal customers.

Businesses don’t recover from financial ruin by cutting costs. They do it by building sales. What good is cost cutting without a revenue base? I think that’s Economics 101.

Here are the lessons.

• It’s always about the service. Attracting customers is hard. Keeping them is much harder. Creating positive word of mouth is hardest.
• Don’t milk, cut, or save just because profits wane. Attract harder. Serve better. WOW wherever possible.
• Treat customers GREAT. Treat employees better than customers. The employees are the ones to carry the message to the front lines of customer communications.
• Make your policies have answers and solutions that address a positive outcome in every customer interaction.

Why am I on this rant? Why am I the last angry consumer? It’s customer service week. Do you hear any CEO on Lou Dobbs saying we’re going to serve better?

Go shopping or call any retail business. See if you notice any difference. I don’t. And I wish I did.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com.

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