 1:1
– The Next Wave in Customer Care
What’s
next after customer satisfaction?
In their bestselling book, The One to One Future,
Martha Rogers and Don Peppers offer some useful answers.
To keep customers coming back, Peppers and Rogers highlight
four key approaches:
1. Recognize your
most valuable customers. Provide special deals,
unique acknowledgments, prestige club status, surprise
gifts, etc.
2. Create loyalty
award programs. Buy ten – get one free, frequent
flyer miles, bonus awards for repeat business, etc.
3. Provide outstanding
customer satisfaction. Doing a top quality job
is still key. Deliver what you promise, when you promise,
and more.
4. Build learning
relationships. Collaborate with customers to tailor
your service delivery ‘just the way they want
it’. Over time, your company will deliver service
that is so customized, your customers won’t bother
to teach other companies how to serve them as well.
For example, imagine an airline that keeps track of
your telephone number, meal, drink and seat preference,
whether or not you like to be left alone during long
flights, your favorite choice of reading materials,
and your personal sports or hobbies. Then imagine they
actually integrate this information with their reservations
office, check-in desk and cabin crew. Now imagine the
staff are trained to refer graciously to this information
while serving you.
I’ve had several airlines ask me to complete their
‘premier passenger’ questionnaires, but
none seem to actually use the information I provide.
If one airline staff member (on the phone, at the check-in
counter or in the air) would simply say, ‘Welcome
back, Mr. Kaufman. Have you had any good scuba-dives
lately?’, my eyes would go wide with surprise,
and my sense of loyalty and connection with that airline
would certainly jump!
Key Learning Point
Don't settle for mere `customer satisfaction'. Build loyal,
long-lasting relationships. Know who are your most valuable
customers. Understand how and why they use your services
or products. Remember their preferences and adapt your
delivery to give them what they want, when they want it,
the way they want it.
Action Steps
There are many steps
you can take to move your company in this direction. Start
by signing up for Peppers and Rogers free e-mail newsletter.
It's one of the most interesting pieces of e-mail I receive
each week. You can subscribe by visiting their website
at www.1to1.com
First Article in Customer Service Vision >>
100% is Not Enough. You Need 120%
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Copyright, Ron Kaufman. Used with permission.
Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed customer service training educator for quality service.
He is author of the bestselling series "UP Your Service!" and founder of
"UP Your Service College".
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