Companies should settle for pro-activeness and truth

The issue of customer care in this country has been noted in several reports as one that costs the country a lot of money in terms of lost business. Several efforts have been made to correct the situation by training personnel basics of how to treat customers beyond the cliché of them being kings/queens. Several companies now have customer care departments fully staffed and charged with addressing customers’ concerns. In some companies the concept of customer care is often confused with that of public relations. The bottom-line though is that a company’s reputation is always at stake if those charged with customer care or public relations do not do a clean job. Every now and then something may go amiss and the company should be in position to fix the problem and address any resultant inconveniences. It could be the breakdown of service due to a technical problem. In other cases, an individual customer or a group of customers may have trouble with the services being offered by the company. The way a company reacts to such demanding situations may be the one thing that determines its survival. There fore a good job ought to be done when something is not right. The first trick a company should employ is pro-activeness. Pro-activeness here refers to a company showing its empathy before clients demand for the same. For example if there was a technical problem with the telephone service provider it is always wise to respond to the problem before your customers demand an explanation. Do not wait until all is fine before you can explain what is going on. If the systems are down, you can have an assuring announcement running over the radio or TV informing your customers that you have identified a problem and you are doing all you can to fix it. Unfortunately most companies will go on about fixing the problem and leave their customers in total ignorance of what may be going on. They will resort to asking fellow customers what is going on. Such situations cause a lot of unwanted tension in the lives of the customers something that may make them think of switching service providers. Where the company is smart enough to talk to the customers to explain what exactly the problem is and what is being done to fix it, the truth is key to success. Once you admit that something is actually wrong you are probably going to win some sympathy and understanding from the customers. The trouble with most companies is that those charged with customer care or public relations often go into a defensive stance when things are wrong with some even fabricating clear lies. The job of the customer care/public relations is not simply to lie for the company and defend it. You are not a company lawyer you are a customer care fellow and you should be caring about the customers not just your company. Doctors will often find ways to tell patients the cause of suffering without having to defend the hospital. The same method needs to be employed by companies if they are to hold on to their customers during the tough times. Your customers are not dumb so do not bother offering them blatant lies or ignoring them during a crisis. ssenyonga@gmail.com