Getting Customer Care Right

Most successful organisations have as part of their "values and mission" policy documents statements relating to their approach to client care. Thus every manager, not just the sales manager, should focus on ensuring their staff receive regular sales training so that they know exactly what they need to do. Without this focus, the value and mission statements are simply words. It is often the small things that people do that make a difference, as this story clearly illustrates.

Our story starts when you decide to buy your next car from a large car manufacturer and go along to the manufacturer's factory to pick up your new, expensive, purchase.

You arrive at the factory, excited about your new, and very expensive, purchase. You enter a large, sober-looking reception hall where you receive a collection slip and a note of the number plate of your new car. Both of which you then give to a friendly woman at the counter.

Your car, as happens in many of these cases, is a company car, so the friendly woman does not know your name, nor does she bother to find out what it is. The friendly receptionist tells you to listen out for your number being called." Every person has a first name and a surname but that detail obviously wasn't included in the sales training this lady received!

Then you are shown a film that has been perfectly made by the marketing professionals about the company and its products. You also go on a tour of the factory, which is, admittedly, very interesting.

Once back in the reception hall you decide to have a coffee while you wait and quickly realise the second flaw in this company's customer care: you have to pay for your own drinks.

Once you've done your bit towards financing the company's hospitality facilities, your number is called. You go to yet another counter and announce that you are number 0815. A man tells you to be patient for a bit longer. Your new car will soon be at stand 16 in the transfer hall.

You think to yourself, "It actually makes sense that they number the stands." You then walk along a long corridor towards stand 16.

The place where you take possession of the car is very dull and appears a little dark. You search for, and find, stand number 16. But parked there is a different car with a different licence plate to the number you have been given. After a long wait you spot your new car being driven from the factory into the transfer hall. The person driving your car sees that stand 16 is occupied and so parks your car in a different spot before hurrying away without even acknowledging you.

You are left totally alone with your new car, perhaps so you can enjoy your first encounter with it to the full. A stunning marketing achievement: just you and your car alone in the hall!

Then you are abruptly brought back down to earth by another, rather scruffy looking, man: "Is that yours?" he asks abruptly. The young man, who is obviously in a hurry, enquires about the car you used to drive. You tell him the type of car you last had. His face lights up and he says, "Ah, then you know about cars!"

Only when expressly asked does he explain to you about the electronic drive block and the central locking. The highest maxim of the last and most decisive phase of this company's client care is quite clearly: "Don't explain more than one detail to your client! Otherwise you will deprive them of the adventure of finding out about their car for themselves."

The moral of this story: any organisation that lets their customers into their premises and lets their employees loose on those customers must look very closely at this case study to ensure that it is not being replicated in their organisation!

A postscript to this sorry tale... several months later your wife decides she would like a new car and buys one from a different manufacturer. As an academic exercise you decide to investigate this company's approach to client care. The result of your research: your wife is politely addressed by her name and given a complimentary drink while she waits for her new car. Lastly, a very smart friendly lady takes time to explain the various functions of the car to your wife, in very nice surroundings. You suspect that this company's marketing people have researched their customer care and have ensured appropriate sales training has been given to all staff who interact with their customers.