My purchasing experience is that regardless of whether you are making a purchase – large or small – it is seldom the owner of the business that leaves a lasting impression. In most transactions, you are not likely to meet the top of the company’s management team. The person most responsible for your attitude regarding your purchase is likely to be someone further down the corporate ladder in seniority, training and scale.
When you look closely, you’ll find that in nearly every instance, your lasting feelings regarding your purchase will come from those least trained in building customer relationships. At an airport, it may be a baggage handler. At a grocery store, it may be a shelf stocker. At too many businesses, it seems to be the person on the other end of the phone conversation. In the flooring business, this person is likely to be the installer.
All great dealers spend time mastering the art of making a positive first impression when a customer enters their showroom. They insist on good general housekeeping and having attractive displays. They pay attention to the lighting. They know to have the correct type of background music being played at an appropriate volume level. All signage is both current and correct. While these steps are critical, they are only part of the customer service process.
Remember, there are two times where we create the most lasting impressions with our customers – at the beginning and at the end of a transaction.
While these in-store steps are critical, they are only part of the customer service process. Many of the same courtesies that a customer expects from an in-store representative are the same she expects from a service provider in her home.
Why is it then that too many merchants spend time only explaining expected customer service skills and techniques to their in-house employees? Is the behavior of a service representative not at least as impactful in the customer’s home or place of business?
Don’t be presumptuous. As the saying goes, “We don’t know what we don’t know!” And even if the installer “knows,” have you taken the time to explain why proper customer service techniques are important to all involved – including the installer?
Allow me to share an opportunity to make a favorable final impression long after the customer has said “Sold!”
Just as I advise sales professionals, the installer should always be respectful of a customer’s time. In a day when everyone has a phone in their pocket, there is no excuse for arriving late without having given prior notice.
A good habit is calling the customer a few minutes prior to the promised arrival time to advise her that he will arrive on schedule. By doing so, she will feel important to the installer and won’t feel compelled to look out the window wondering if he remembered her.
When was the last time a service provider called you to advise that they would be prompt? Maybe never! Remember that there are two currencies in this world – time and money. She doesn’t like to have either wasted! Implementing this habit will make your customer feel good about this purchasing experience.
Your installer should identify what type of vehicle that he/she will arrive in so that the customer is comfortable from a security standpoint. Due to the prevalence of sub-contracted installation firms, as an industry, we often arrive anonymously. She is used to seeing most service providers (UPS, FedEx, Orkin, etc.) arrive at her door clearly identified. When we show up unidentified, it can cause initial suspicion in the customer’s mind.
This call is a courtesy that she will appreciate. She will have formed a positive impression of the installer’s professionalism before he even arrives. She will now more likely greet him at the door with a smile, and he will be well on his way to establishing a good working relationship for the day.
Also, it’s critical that your entire staff understands the values that the customer uses when forming judgment regarding her installation experience. When sales personnel discuss an installer’s abilities, the majority of the focus is nearly always placed on their hand skills. Most seem to operate under the impression that this is all that our customers are concerned with. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Think of the service providers to whom you are loyal. Are you a capable judge of their specific tools and techniques used to perform their craft? Or, are you more likely to observe if they are pleasant, accountable, prompt, trustworthy, etc? While good hand skills are obviously necessary, most of us judge service providers based on the total experience of doing business with them. Why would they judge an experience having a floor installed any differently?
Whether you are a retailer, or an installation supervisor, ask yourself when the last time was that you invested in building your installation teams’ people skills? If the answer is, “I don’t know,” then let the red flags go up and the alarm sound! Can you realistically expect them to perform in a manner in which they have not been taught?
If you are not making a consistent training investment in all areas of your staff, can you logically expect a positive return? The realistic answer is no! You may not be paying attention, but you can be sure that your customer is.
Always remember the saying good enough seldom is. Leading firms never are satisfied to just get by. When you learn to properly manage the lasting impressions of a positive installation experience, you will see your satisfaction ratings begin to climb and your level of frustration begin to fall.
This is an area of great opportunity to differentiate your firm from the vast majority of the industry. Focus on what the customer sees. When you consistently do the seemingly small things well, large rewards can be yours.
