Note from Rich: Today’s guest post is an
excerpt from the #1 customer service bestseller by my good friends and colleagues Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest, “Who’s
Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest
Fan” To celebrate the release of the paperback version, the authors are giving
away free gifts with purchase here: www.whosyourgladys.com/paperbacklaunch
This excerpt from chapter 1 is
based on interviews with Professional Movers, a world-class moving company
located in Walled Lake, Michigan.
Eighty-seven-year-old
Gladys has a reputation among her fellow retirement community members. She’s
known as a cranky complainer who is impossible to please. But to her surprise,
when she called Andrew Androff’s company, Professional Movers, to move her into
her new apartment, she was treated with warmth and respect. When her sales rep,
Chris, visited her home to quote the job, he noticed her prickly personality
and made a conscious decision to focus on her spunk and tenacity. By the end of
his visit, Gladys had bonded with Chris and booked the move.
On
moving day, there was a mishap. One of the movers accidentally cracked Gladys’s
marble tabletop. Andrew knew that she would be furious. Determined to set
things right, he prepared himself to let her vent before she could even think
about possible solutions. As predicted, Gladys had steam shooting out her ears.
Andrew
felt compassion for her while she vented and assured her that his company would
have the table repaired, and that if she wasn’t satisfied with the results, he
would replace it. Although he continued to reassure her that things would be
set right, she was still spitting mad. Gladys wanted to talk to Chris, who had
sold her on the company in the first place, and Andrew promised to have Chris
call her as soon as he came into the office.
Chris
arrived dead tired after a long day filled with meetings with potential new
customers. When Andrew told him about Gladys and asked if he’d be willing to
call her, Chris responded, ‘‘No way. She’s going to need more than a phone
call. I’ll stop by her house on my way home.’’ Chris arrived at Gladys’s house
ready to comfort her through her anger and outrage. Then he assured her that he
would personally oversee the repair of her table. This calmed her down, and she
thanked him for coming over.
Unfortunately,
the repair was less than perfect. Andrew knew that he had to set things right,
even though doing so would be expensive. He called Gladys and promised that she
could meet Chris at the marble store and personally pick out her new marble
tabletop. Since Chris knew that Gladys didn’t drive, he called and arranged to
pick her up and take her to the store himself.
Gladys
is now living at one of metropolitan Detroit’s premier retirement communities
with her new marble table. While it cost Andrew and his employee Chris extra
time and extra money to make things right, the payoff was outstanding. Gladys
tells everyone moving into or out of her assisted living complex that they have
to hire Professional Movers if they want to work with the best movers in town.
High and persistent praise from such a hard-to-please person attracts
attention. As a result, Andrew’s company is now the number one choice of movers
for Gladys’s retirement complex. By creating a culture that values
compassionate connection with his customers, Andrew has built a referral base
that has helped his sales grow by over 40 percent in two years.
This
culture of connection has been particularly effective in building a strong
business with senior citizens. Seniors often move from their homes to be nearer
to their children or to retire to a senior community. Professional Movers has
found this population to be a good fit for its particular style of customer
service, so it put a great deal of effort into developing the market segment.
Everyone at Professional Movers makes a practice of creating a human connection
with her clients. The staff members show respect for their clients’ wisdom,
experience, and opinions. They also know how moving affects their
clients, both physically and emotionally. It isn’t easy leaving behind the
security of their homes, their friendships with neighbors, and the familiarity
of their routines. Andrew’s employees are trained to be sensitive to the unique
issues of downsizing. They are sensitive to the emotional connection to their
precious family heirlooms that senior citizens feel as they leave behind the
past. Professional Movers strives to give seniors the sort of service they
would receive if their own family were doing the job.
‘‘It’s
like we’re their sons,’’ Andrew said with a laugh. ‘‘We get very close with
their families. We interview their caregivers and their social workers. It
really helps us develop a customized process to address their concerns.’’ This
needs-based approach to both customer service and sales has helped the company
become the top provider of moving services in metropolitan Detroit’s retirement
market.
Enjoy
“Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest
Fan” - available at most online booksellers, or purchase it from Amazon.com here.
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