RELATIONSHIP, TRUST & CONSISTENCY: R - T - C
Nancy Friedman Speaker. I ZOOM TOO Vistage IFA Speaker
Nancy Friedman Founder, Chairman, Telephone Doctor Customer Service Trng St Louis, Mo. ZOOM Conferences 314-276-1012, IT'S FUN.
By Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor; President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training and Keynote Customer Service Speaker
In interviewing our customers, I found that there were several things they value. Things they want before the product or the service. They boiled down to three basic wants comprising of what we now call the R-T-C factor: Relationship, Trust and Consistency. Let’s go over them:
1. R – – Relationship
Building rapport is an overlooked art. Call many companies and the first word shouted at you is: “Name?” No “nice to meet you by phone” or even a “good morning.” There’s very little rapport building found in today’s customer service. Relationship starts within the first 4 to 6 seconds of a phone call or within 30 seconds for an in-person visit. That sets the stage for the rest of the transaction. Plus, it lays the groundwork for possible future business. Rapport building and relationships are vital to every communication exchange. It’s a simple basic process.
2. T – – Trust
If the customer is unable to trust what you say, the relationship will melt to zero. Gaining the trust of your customer is the KEY to relationship. From following through when you promise to call or fulfilling the company’s guarantee statement, creating trust is vital. If those trusts are broken, it’s a big fence to mend. Keep your word to gain the trust of your customer. They need to know they can count on you. Before any sale, a customer must buy “you.”
3. C – – Consistency
The McDonald’s hamburger in Cancun, Mexico tastes the same as the one in Des Moines, Iowa. Why? Consistency. The taste will be the same in each of the stores. A business should run with the same consistency. It shouldn’t matter who the customer talks with. Personally, I’m skeptical when someone tells me to, “Be sure to talk to Joe. He’s the best there is.” I’d rather hear, “You can talk to anyone in our office.” In summary, the R – T- C Factor is what customers look for and deserve in any of their transactions.
So, I ask you? Do you provide enough R-T-C to keep your customers satisfied? As we like to say, this is not rocket science, it’s not major surgery. . . it’s plain old common sense.
Do it!
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Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor
Nancy Friedman, customer service keynote speaker, is president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training and a featured speaker at franchise, association, and corporate meetings around the world. A popular TV guest, she appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning, as well as hundreds of other radio, television and print outlets around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. The author of 9 books on her chosen topics,
Nancy helps corporate America improve their communications with their customers & co-workers. Call today for a demo packet on her helping your company or association. 314-291-1012 (CST)
General Sales Manager at Seven Mountains Media
5 年Love this article! It’s so very true! It really made me think. One of the hardest things for me is figuring out when someone is just “blowing me off” or really means it. I had a customer I have been trying to reach. When I finally was able to talk to him we had a nice conversation but truly he made it sound like he wasn’t going to do anything but said I could call him in a few months. And though I did try a few times and didn’t reach him, I could have tried more. Then low and behold a few months later he is on a different station. Sometimes I need to remember that they mean what they say too. Business owners get busy and while they might value our product it’s not their job to remember that they want to use us....it’s mine!