 So Simple, So Small, Yet Means So Much!
Consumer
banks work hard to serve and please their clients. Trouble
is, all banks compete on the same ‘big things’:
new products, better interest rates, more branch and
ATM locations, 24-hour call centers, easy-to-use websites,
convenience, accuracy, speed.
With every bank competing in the same ‘big’
categories, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.
One bank found an easy way to achieve a noticeable boost
in their customer satisfaction ratings. They discovered
something so simple, so small, so ‘un-bank-like’
their competitors didn’t even notice. But customers
did.
Here’s what the bank understood:
Waiting in line at the bank is a very public place.
No matter how quickly the line moves, there is always
some time when customers must stand exposed and yet
surrounded, inevitably looked over, checked out and
sized up by other customers and staff. It can be an
awkward time for many.
By the time customers reach the counter, they are usually
glad to be served and relieved to be out of the spotlight.
To help set customers at ease, tellers at this bank
are trained to ‘compliment’ each customer
quickly as he or she steps up to the counter. Without
getting too personal, tellers can choose from a range
of simple and polite, yet highly effective comments.
Here are a few statements that work over and over again:
‘What a nice smile you have on today’, ‘That
color looks great on you’, ‘Your handwriting
is so easy to read’, and the all-time classic
for self-conscious men in office attire, ‘Nice
tie!’
Seems like a tiny thing, doesn’t it? Seems like
these statements have nothing to do with banking, right?
But these short comments have everything to do with
putting people at ease and helping them feel comfortable
with themselves – and with others.
By taking care of their customers’ spirits as
well as their bank accounts, this service-focused bank
stands out from the crowd.
Key
Learning Point
To be successful
with customers you must get the ‘big things’
right: products, delivery, pricing, processes and people.
But sometimes it’s the smallest things that make
a positive service impression.
Action Steps
Without crossing
the bounds of propriety or personal space, what compliments
can your staff give to your customers each day?
Attire, preparation, understanding, tone of voice and
many other areas can be fertile ground for identifying,
recognizing and extending a moment of personal praise.
For many people you meet, it may be the only recognition
they receive all day.
What a nice thought that this positive moment should come
from a great organization like yours, and a great service
provider like you.
First Article in Customer Service Recovery >>
What to do When Your Customer is About to Explode
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