Wars are won or lost based on this. Relationships will bloom or fade based on this. Your business will succeed or fail based on this. It is one simple concept that is all too often forgotten and when it is, your failure is guaranteed. It’s called FOLLOW UP. It isn’t in your client’s best interest to chase you down, it is in your best interest to follow up with them regularly. Keeping your clients informed about your product or service, your delivery methods, your lead time, your process, is critical to your success.
On the upside of this recently, I spoke with Ben at IVesta regarding drapery hardware. He was patient, professional, knowledgeable and efficient. He fedexed me samples as requested, made the revisions needed to my order, and got it out post haste. Their company policies made it easy, I simply provided my company information and credit card by email and phone, no faxing required (aren’t we in the digital age afterall?) I didn’t have to chase him with phone calls, I didn’t have to wonder when it might be received, he was clear in setting my expectations from the start. This is unfortunately rare.
It is far more common to experience poor follow up or not follow up (my favorite). For example, I’ve known for two months that I was going to order a piece of artglass (leaded glass) for a project. I had gotten in touch at the start with my favorite resource, she had recently moved and sold her business to someone she recommends. I trust her recommendation so planned to use him. I’ve spent the last month at least trying to get this piece of the project to completion. Mark’s follow up lacks any sense of urgency or completion. He originally required me to come out to see him, not realizing that his predecessor always came to me and that was appropriate and necessary.
I did homework for Mark by reviewing samples online, but when we met in person he hadn’t pulled those specific pieces together saving me time, instead he provided everything all over again. This seemingly simple goof created frustration and double work for me. When your client does work for you of any kind, don’t make them repeat it.
Use a checklist to ensure that you are dotting every I and crossing every T. Lack of follow up makes you look unprofessional, incompetent, and like a failure. It is always better to err on the side of extra contact than not enough. Even if you contact just to check in to ensure everything is as your client (customer) expected, that makes a difference.
Share your bad and good customer and client service experiences here! We can all learn how to improve our follow up and follow through to success.
In a blog post I wrote back in January, I called follow-up the “Achilles Heel” of the sales industry.
I think eventually, people either learn how to follow up properly or they leave the industry allowing others who are competent in that area to take their place.
And most people who don’t figure it out end up like “IFIDA”
Hey James,
Read your post and loved it, well done.
Unfortunately while bad service will kick some out of business, others just get bigger like the AT&T’s and Verizon’s of the world.
Best, Melissa
i hate talking on the phone, im not sure if i communicate clear enough. I like face to face so i can see if the Client understands what im talking about im going to create a prestamped follow up survey based on this blog post
Celeste,
Don’t give up on the phone. It is one of the most valuable customer service tools there is.
Keep a mirror in front of you to keep you smiling, a smile is heard loud and clear on the phone.
Hugs, Melissa
Great post Melissa – I have a theory regarding customer service and it goes like this. There has to be a piece of grey matter missing in most of our brains that stops so many companies from providing what every customer on the planet wants … good service.
If that is not the case and all our neurological connections are working properly, then why is it so hard for businesses to give us what’s obvious?
Poll after poll shows that the easiest way to increased profits is by giving the consumer outstanding customer service.
Therefore I can only conclude part of our brains is ‘misfiring’, which is a subtle way of saying most businesses are ‘brain damaged’.
John,
And I qualify as brain damaged for not replying sooner.
We switched hosting and my notifications got turned off, eeek!
I agree entirely, neat case in point lately with Starbuck’s who is definitely NOT brain damaged. They have their promise posted that if you drink isn’t perfect for you, they’ll remake it and they do (I’ve used it once or twice.)
Great to see you hear, we are overdue on that catch up.
Melissa
https://meclizinex.com/
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