| Companies spend thousands, if not millions of dollars | | | | When you do customer service training, any employee |
| on advertising and training to promote their | | | | who interacts directly with the customer needs |
| extraordinary service and yet if the service | | | | customer service training! Even the technicians need |
| department isn't on board all of this time and money is | | | | training if they see the customer. Sometimes the |
| wasted. | | | | service department is the first experience your |
| About a month ago I took my lawn mower in for | | | | customers have with your company. A good service |
| servicing at a local power tool and lawn mower | | | | experience can lead to larger sales later and a bad |
| company. The man in the service department told me | | | | experience leads to bad word of mouth - the average |
| the mower would be ready in 7-10 days and that they | | | | disappointed customer tells ten people about their |
| would call when the mower was ready. After 12 days, | | | | experience. |
| I hadn't heard from them so I called to find out about | | | | Make sure your service department is honest with the |
| the status. I was told that it was going to be serviced | | | | customer. Don't tell a customer that service will take |
| that afternoon. The next day I showed up to pick the | | | | one week if it will take two. Always be truthful with the |
| mower up and found out that it wasn't done, but would | | | | customer. Always! If you make a mistake, be honest |
| be done later that day. When we called the next day, | | | | and apologize. Customers can forgive mistakes but |
| the mower wasn't done but would be done that | | | | they won't forgive being lied to. For most customers, |
| afternoon. To make a long story short, this happened | | | | this type of behavior is unacceptable and they will |
| again and again for the next week until we finally got | | | | move on to a new organization. |
| the mower - ten days late. | | | | Lastly, make sure your technicians do a good job and |
| This particular company spends a lot of money on | | | | do not cut corners. Shoddy work will lead to more |
| radio and television but because of this bad | | | | "word of mouth" bad press and cost you a customer |
| experience I will never take my mower there again for | | | | forever. You may save a little time and money this |
| servicing nor will I ever buy a new mower from them. | | | | way, but you will ruin any chance for a future sale if |
| In addition, I will tell my neighbors and friends about this | | | | the service work is poor. |
| bad service and cost them even more customers. All | | | | When setting up your customer service plan, do not |
| of this money and time on advertising and training is | | | | forget the service department. Make sure they are |
| being thwarted by the poor service in their service | | | | involved in training; honest with the customer and that |
| department. When you forget to train the service | | | | they are excellent at their work. If you follow these |
| department the results can be costly. There are three | | | | three points, your service department will be an asset |
| main points to remember. | | | | for your company rather than a potential liability. |