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Doing the impossible is mark of great customer service
Marketing
By Bruce D. Murdy
When was the last time you “did the impossible” for a client? Did they ask for a report by tomorrow and you told them it would be next week?
Did they ask you for something that you don’t ordinarily do and you said “no”?
Doing the impossible is what great customer service—and great marketing—is all about. It is what makes you feel really great about yourself, proving that you really can do the impossible.
We recently had a client who had a communications issue that could have negatively affected their sales. Our team pushed the limits of our capabilities in every area possible and created some outstanding communications solutions in a matter of hours instead of what should normally take a matter of days or even weeks.
Our client felt great about resolving their problem, and we felt great about being able to provide our help when the client needed it most.
What about your business? When was the last time you went above and beyond the call of duty to deliver great customer service?
Recently, a client of ours launched a customer service campaign dedicated to making sure every customer is 100% happy. The campaign is already making measurable strides in increasing customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. This loyalty translates into word of mouth advertising that is more powerful than any traditional ad. Most importantly, it translates into sales.
Our client told their associates that, “Yes! We want you to surprise our customers. We want to deliver customer service that is not only good, not only what people expect, but that surprises and delights them.”
In these days of waning customer service in almost every business category, a positive customer service environment is a rare and highly valued commodity.
Think of a recent time when you had a problem with a company’s product or service. Imagine if someone recognized the need and did something immediately that you might have thought impossible. Imagine how many people you would tell and the power that message would carry.
Now imagine your company and the difficult situations, many of them not of your own doing, that have occurred in the past. What did you do to respond? Did you make a reasonable, normal, measured response? Or did you stand up and say, “OK team, we’re really going to make the impossible happen today!”?
These obstacles can and should be viewed as opportunities to shine. When someone asks you how your job is going, rather than respond with, “Same old, same old,” try, “You wouldn’t believe what we did at work today!”
Think about that one time you did the impossible. You felt great. Your customer appreciated you more. And you did what your competitors don’t or can’t.
Doing the impossible is one of the most powerful and least used marketing tools today. It is not easy, but it is an intoxicating way to do the best you can for your clients, grow customer loyalty and build your sales.
Bruce D. Murdy is president of Rawle-Murdy Associates Inc. a Charleston-based marketing, advertising and public relations firm. E-mail him at bmurdy@rawlemurdy.com.
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