Okay, Ignore me!

With technology moving as fast as ever and almost everyone has the ability to check email a least once per day, you would think there should be no reason why someone cannot respond to a few simple questions by email.

Over the last few weeks I've attempted to contact some people in a fairly well-known organization by email. My attempts have come up empty, yet I know these people do read their email because I've seen where they had quickly responded and commented on one of the national hvac communication boards within a few minutes. One of these people was even bragging on how he can check email while driving and how great technology is.

I preach the importance of customer communication and try to get back with people immediately. Even if I can't respond to their comment or know the answer to their question, I immediately get back with them and tell them that I am working on it or don't have an answer for you at this time.

How do people go through the day by just ignoring others and hoping they disappear? For those who know me well, I will eventally meet these people in person and it will probably be in a public place and I will make a big deal on how they never answer my emails. I guess I am just not up high enough on their list of people to be worth their time of a simple email response.

The point I want to make . . . No matter how insignificant a person may be to you, or how unimportant their specific issue is to you, get back with them. Overtime your inconsiderate behavior will come back to you in probably a most unpleasant way.

Ants

Friends, Family and Fans . . . It's been a while since I've posted here. Seems like I just keep busy or I'm exhausted. I often wonder where people get the time to just hang out and do a bunch of nothing. I remember a time when I was a kid and I sat around the house bored. I used to go outside and watch ants. I would attempt to figure out what each ant's specific job was. I'd watch them just running from place to place as if they were in some crazy maze with only moments left to get out or face a horrible consequence. Occasionaly I'd pick one up and move it to another location and watch as it would try to figure out where it was.

Sometimes I think we are like ants, running from place to place and looking as if we accomplish nothing but use up energy. We usually do have some specific long term objectives, but we get so bogged down and diverted that we wind up back at the same place we started from several days ago.

At times you have to take a moment and reboot your life so you can get out of the ant cycle. Think about what you can do to reboot, re-energize, re-organize or restructure your life for the better. You just have to look up. God is always there and yes, he does listen.

The Customer Satisfaction Pyramid

Understanding overall customer satisfaction is a bit more complicated than assuming everything went fine simply because they didn't complain. In fact for each customer who called and complained, there are twenty-six more who say nothing,(Based on study performed by the University of North Dakota) they just disappear and you never hear from them again. ever have a problem in a restaurant and when asked how eveything went you say, fine, just because it is not worth the hassle to say anything? During the drive on the way home you actually discuss whether you will ever go back there again. Yet the people in the restaurant are oblivious to your disatisfaction.
As illustrated in the "Customer Satisfaction Pyramid" the lowest level of satisfaction, or as I call, meeting the basic objectives; Trust, Reliability and Value is considered a given. In fact, these are the key elements as to why someone makes a selection as to who to even consider before doing business with them. Customers expect at least this. On level two, Timeliness, Knowledgeable and Responsible, the customer wants something he or she obviously expects once the experience has begun. At this point, a company has met the minimum requirements . . . fair price, trust, reliability, you know what you are talking about, you don't waste their time and show up when promised and take responsibility should something go wrong. These are logical demands.

Want a customer for life? get to their emotions. Level three . . . Caring, Concerned and Helpful. These are not just words, this is where your customer sincerely believes, based on your words and actions that you do indeed really care!
Let's take a look at the top of the pyramind. Fun, Friendly, Enjoyable or Entertaining. This doesn't mean you bring in a group of entertainers when you do business. What I am talking about is something so rare and unusual that the customer is so overwhelmed that they can't wait to tell someone else about the great experience they had. Whether you are a plumber, electrician, HVAC technician, roofer or handyman, your services, communication, appearance and interaction is not just compared to others in your field, but to every interactive experience that person has experienced in their entire life! So, don't focus on just meeting their basic needs, focus on being the best by overwhelming them.
Want to know more? I'll be posting more detail on this blog in days to come.

Back From Tampa

Had a great trip to Tampa, Florida. I was fortunate enough to meet some of the best and most succesfull contractors anywhere. I recommend anyone involved in the HVAC business go to at least one of these conferences. While I was there I also had a booth in the Expo floor. I was sure busy! Customer Care Plus was a big hit with everyone there. I even had a few folks run around to find their friends so they could see it also. In my workshop "20 methods to turn satisfied customers into raving fans" I had standing room only. in fact the room was so packed, people were turned away.

Right now I am nursing a cold. One of the bad things about working the convention floor is you shake a lot of hands and exchange a lot of germs. Even though I had plenty of hand sanitizer, I guess a few of the little buggers got through to me.

If you haven't signed up for a workshop yet, what are you waiting for? Call me 888-538-5383.