Chapter Six

Recognize and Deal with

Customer Turnoffs

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 2

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Everyone has pet peeves about the way they are

served, or not served…

But how do you prevent a decrease in product or

service loyalty, not just defection

Often these little annoyances have a cumulative

effect, making a dissatisfied customer or,

minimally, an indifferent one.

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 3

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

What is the problem with the Way It Is (pg. 86)….

1st assistant: Unsympathetic, mechanical, nonessential information

2nd assistant: Sympathetic, check up call, apologized

Tow truck driver: labeled, apologized explained, quick knowledgible

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 4

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

What is the poorest experience you have had?

What is the best experience you have had?

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 5

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Typical pet peeves include:

Being ignored Waiting too long

Poor quality work Dirty restaurants

High-pressure sales Unknoweldgeable employees

Condescending employees

Out-of-stock sale items

Prices unmarked on merchandise

Deep telephone menus

List your top 6:

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 6

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Reducing turnoffs can be the best form of

advertisement.

Customers whose problems are addressed

by a company are actually more likely to

do repeat business than customers who

have never had a problem.

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 7

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Customer turnoffs fit into three

areas:

Value problems-poor guarantee, poor

quality, high prices

Systems problems-slow, dirty, low selection,

bad layout

People problems-lack of courtesy,

knowledge, and good ap

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 8

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Value proposition is the apparent quality of a product or service relative to its cost to the customer (utility).

Company leaders are the only ones with the power and authority to make changes to the value of a product or service….

but where does demand come from?

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 9

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

“Systems” refers to anything involved with getting the product or service to the customer. (The processes).

Company managers are best suited to solve problems with process systems within a company. Careful design and extensive training improve systems.

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 10

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Typical systems turnoffs include:

Procedures for pickup & follow up.Display clarity.

Policies for guarantees and product return.

Technology.Billing.

Training, staffing.Records access.

Staffing & shift changes.

Locations, layout, parking, phones.

Facilities. Systematic actions.

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 11

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

People problems are communication

problems…(aaaand sometimes people problems

are problems of the people you serve).

Often employees communicate poorly by their

incomplete words, reactions, nonverbal actions

and lack of interpersonal skills.

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 12

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Service recovery

6 tips from Australian sales https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM-HPvs5I08

Seeks to win back customer who had bad experience

Attempts may build stronger loyalty

Customer Service, 5e

Paul R. Timm 13

© 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education,

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Regularly identifying and working to reduce

possible customer, system, and value turnoffs

can provide a basis for building customer

loyalty (pg. 93).

Attack: Dissatisfied, unmotivated, and

customer turnoffs . Yet positive emotion and

friendliness (pg. 95 & 96) won’t win or retain

all over.