Perfection! We’re all striving for it, but none of us have achieved it. When we go to a restaurant, our expectation is hot food and not too long a wait. When we take our cars to be repaired, we want them fixed right and on time. When our food isn’t hot, and the car isn’t fixed right, of course we are frustrated. At times like these, we still need the situation fixed, and we need to feel like someone cared, or we will definitely take our business elsewhere. Yet, most businesses never take the time to teach their employees how to respond in situations like these, and because of the lack of training their customers become even more frustrated.
At Alexander’s, almost all of our jobs are completed on time and right, though there are a few that are done wrong and even fewer that are delivered late. But, we know that we are not perfect. We know that when a problem occurs with your project, your immediate concern is how that problem is going to be fixed, and you want to know that we really care. You want to know what we are going to do to make you happy.
Many years ago I learned to ask a question that can be the secret to your customer service success. I call it the Gold Question, and if customer service professionals have the nerve to try it, it has amazing results. The question is simple but not easy to implement. Whenever you have a customer that is frustrated by your company’s lack of performance, in addition to immediately taking action to fix the problem, you tell them you are sorry and then ask the Gold Question, “What can I do to make you happy?” That is it. Sounds simple, but you won’t find many people that will ask the question exactly that way, and even fewer companies that are willing to take the implied risk.
Actually, asking the Gold Question is the easy part. The hard part is being patient enough to let the customer answer. Most of the time after you ask the Gold Question, they will ask you what you think is the right solution, and you will be tempted to offer something in the form of a discount or incentive. You cannot fall into that trap. At first the customer usually isn’t sure what will make them happy. So, if you rush in with an offer, you may have caused a second problem by not actually addressing their pain. Your customer needs to be able to think about what will truly show them that you care and have eliminated that pain. When they ask you what would be “fair”, remember that only they know what will make them happy.
Because customers are virtually never approached this way, if they look confused, you can further explain. Tell them that when this problem is solved that you want them to be a happy and loyal customer who will definitely return to do business with you the next time they need your service or product. With your clarification and genuine empathy, your customer will usually quickly understand what you are trying to accomplish, and they will let you know what they truly need to be happy and loyal.
As I mentioned earlier, many people are afraid to ask this question. It is easier to just offer a discount, and, besides, who wants to risk “giving away the farm.” The biggest reason for this hesitancy is that your customer could tell you they want your service or product for free. Very few people will make that request. Most just want to know what you are going to do so the same problem doesn’t happen again. Some will want a discount and in most situations it will be a smaller discount than you would have offered if you had given them a suggestion. But always remember, what they request is what will make them happy. And on the rare occasion when the customer asks for the product for free, you smile and give it to them. Once they have made the request, and you agree, it will be very hard for them to complain about a company that gave them exactly what they asked for.
Why is truly making the customer happy so critical? We live in a different world than customer service people lived in 20 years ago. Our customers have instant access to social networks and the internet where they can complain about a business in just a few seconds. Once that complaint is out there, it won’t come back. However, if your “happy” customer posts on the Web, you win many times over.
One note of caution. If you are the employer or manager, you have to be prepared to back up your employee when they ask the question. If you don’t, they will never ask it again.
We have used the Gold Question in our business for years, and I truly believe this is one of the most important customer service secrets in the world. Yet even today not everybody is comfortable asking the question. Maybe they don’t like explaining to the customer what we’re trying to do, or they may not believe I am serious about letting the customer have the choice. Whatever the reason, it takes time for people to get used to this concept. Once our employees get used to asking the question, they aren’t afraid to ask again. They see that it really does make a difference, and luckily we don’t have to ask very often.
The reason I call this simple question “Gold” is because it brings customers back and takes the focus from the problem to the solution. Asking the Gold Question also provides you with an opportunity to develop a stronger relationship with your customers, and when they talk about you with others it will be a positive conversation. Try it, but remember to let the customer answer the question. Don’t even try to think you know what they want better than they do. I can guarantee you will find customer service success from the Gold Question.
