Kelly’s Korner: Customer’s View of Satisfied
Q. What is customer satisfaction from a customer’s point of view?
A. My conversations with people who both give and receive customer service lead me to conclude that customer satisfaction is a state of mind that surfaces after completing a business transaction. Each department in a dealership has its own opportunity to leave a great impression on the customer.
The sales department creates customer satisfaction when they treat their customers with respect and dignity and fully disclose all the financial details of the transaction. The service department has an opportunity to increase customer satisfaction by under-promising and over-delivering on the time frame of each job.
If a customer is due 100%, then strive to give 110%. It is through the small things that long-term loyalties are built. Customers understand personnel and resource constraints; they become upset when we fail repeatedly to keep the promises we make.
In my seminars I talk a lot about the Nordstrom’s way of doing business. Service and giving 110% are ingrained in each of their associates. Customers pay a higher price for Nordstrom’s products, and they do so willingly, knowing that the store will stand behind their products without hesitation or hassles. Nordstrom’s makes a tidy profit, and I for one have grown to be their fan and faithful customer.
If increasing the level of customer satisfaction is a high priority for you, read “Customers for Life” by Carl Sewell and then go shopping at Nordstrom’s. As you shop, stand back and watch how the associates greet customers and how they meet their customers’ needs. Then return to your dealership, stand back and observe your own personnel and how they help your customers. What differences do you see? Do you need to invest in training?