#331
This is an excerpt form my book: Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless.
Look out for the (loyalty) locomotive!
Customer Satisfaction is Worthless.
“Wait just a second there,” you say. “Customer satisfaction is important!”
I agree. It is important. It’s just that on the ladder of customer service importance, the ladder of success, “customer satisfaction” is the lowest rung.
Customer Loyalty is the top rung.
Why is “customer satisfaction” worthless?
Because satisfied customers will shop anyplace. Loyal customers will keep coming back for more, fight before they switch, and tell everyone they know to do business with you. Get it?
Which would you rather have — a thousand satisfied customers or a thousand loyal customers? Get it?
Worthless. “Can I help you?” If you were shopping in a store your reply would be, “No thanks, just looking.” Then the clerk might say, “Well. just holler if you need me.”
Not a very memorable exchange. But in the end you may buy something and leave the store as a satisfied customer. Big deal.
Will you return to the store? Maybe. Will you tell anyone else you were there? Maybe. How will that type of exchange breed loyalty? It won’t.
Priceless. Loyalty breeding service is about memorable, and making the commitment to get there. EXAMPLE: Suppose you were walking into a store and an energetic, friendly young woman greets you with, “Welcome to Acme Clothing, my name is Amy (she shakes your hand and you offer your name, Bill Johnson). Mr. Johnson, most people who come in the store are just looking, but take a minute with me and let me show you what just came in —- I’m excited about it, and you’ll love it.”
See the difference? Not that difficult to do. Yet it makes a BIG difference in the perception of the customer.
How do you get there? Easy — just follow your own experience train:
Teach yourself lessons from your own real world. Use the lessons and stories from your life as a cash paying customer —- some are hilarious —- some made you applaud —- some made you nauseous —- some even made you throw up.
I learned stuff as a customer in hotels, on airplanes, and buying stuff in stores —- trying to spend my money —- to people who often refused to take YES for an answer. So did you.
The bad news is good: It’s getting harder to spend your money anywhere in this country without getting pissed off —- or at least disappointed at the level of service received. Soooooo… Your opportunity to earn loyal customers is as simple as this: Learn to serve in a memorable way from those experiences you’ve already had.
Word of Mouth. Customers need service all the time in all kinds of ways. Some are happy when they call, some are so mad they can’t see straight. Your responsibility is to serve them in a way that they will go away ecstatic, tell their friends how great you were, come back again for more, ask for you personally, and bring their friends with them. WOW!
All Aboard The Loyalty Express… a train that will train you, and provide a memorable ride for your customers. And you keep all the tickets and end up with all the money! What a country!
FREE GitBit… There are three options a customer has to talk about you when the transaction is over. Want to know what they are? Just go to www.gitomer.com — click Free Stuff the click GitBit — register and enter the secret word, “OPPORTUNITY”.
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. President of Charlotte–based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. He can be reached at 704/333–1112 or e–mail to salesman@gitomer.com
(c) 1999 All Rights Reserved — Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written
permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Business Marketing Services 704/333–1112
