Customer Service: Customers Are Smarter Than We Think

Customers Usually Are Smarter Than We Think.

And why would we not think a customer is smart?

Sometimes it has to do with technical information which we possess and 1) don't share or 2) the customer has decided not to deal with.

Perhaps it is because we haven't taken the time to understand the full scope of the customer's marketing and operations.

Often small mistakes made by the customer (we all make them) become favorite stories in the account's oral history. "Do you remember the time ..."

With the information availabe today -- some of it supplied by competitors -- any customer has access to all information needed.

Given today's economy, if you have a job in Customer Service ... and your customer has a job ... it is fairly safe to assume you BOTH are pretty smart people

So the REAL questions may be: How do you stay ahead of your customer? How do you become more valueable to your customer?

For starters:

• Do you have Google Alerts set for your customer and your customer's line of business (a Google Alert simply for Customer Service also can yield interesting insights.)


• If your customer's company is publicly held, have your requested an Annual Report?


• Do you listen to your customer's quarterly financial calls?


• Do you have copies of the latest collateral?


• Have you visited your customer's front lines ... seen or experienced their Customer Service?


• Have you signed up for their loyalty programs?


• Do you follow your customer (and other company contacts) on Twitter?


• Does your customer have a Blog you can read?

Do these things (and more) and you'll find that your customers are pretty smart ... and you'll be better prepared to DELIGHT CUSTOMERS!