The Other Guy Has a Better Deal
Have
you ever referred a customer somewhere else because
you knew they could get a better deal? Sounds crazy,
but makes good business sense.
I conducted full-day workshops on ‘Achieving Superior
Service’ in two cities in the Middle East.
The organizer in one city charged a lower fee than the
organizer in another. There were differences in the
date, location, meals and materials provided, but the
workshop content was the same.
Each organizer sent out their own brochure to their
own client mailing lists. It happened that several clients
in one city signed up for the higher priced event in
the other city.
Before accepting these enrollments, the organizer personally
called the affected clients to inform them of the lower
priced and more conveniently located option.
The organizer ‘lost’ 12 enrollments (almost
$5,000), but gained a new level of credibility
and respect from his clients, his industry colleagues
(competitors), and from me.
‘This is one phone call I will never forget,’
said one surprised client. ‘I will be their customer
forever.’
Key
Learning Point
If you can help a
customer more by sending them to someone else, don't focus
on the short-term sale. Take a longer-term view.
Action Steps
The next time your
client wants something they could easily get better
or cheaper somewhere else, don't hide it -
provide it! The short-term impact may be loss of a single
sale, but the long-term result will be increased respect
and credibility for you.
Next Article in Customer Service Standards >>
Meet Elvis, King of the Road
First Article in Customer Service Toolset >>
Future Sales are Hiding in Service
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Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed customer service training educator for quality service.
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