One of the prerequisites of being a customer service rep is being able 
to read people's minds. Most customers come to you saying what they want, but it turns out that it's not really what they need.
Mary Schmidt, a business developer and marketing troubleshooter, tells of a time when a client came to her wanting a press release, but she ends up helping them with a marketing plan instead.
Part of being a great customer service rep and salesperson is determining a customer's needs. If you fulfill their needs, they're less likely to have buyer's remorse or become unsatisfied. It's also up to you to educate your customer as to what they really need. As Mary says, " We don’t always want what we need and, will resist – to the point of failure and even actual death – doing what we need to survive and thrive."
Yes, and it's a very delicate dance (and takes some work) to figure out the "sweet spot" where you're providing the perceived value (which isn't always the need) to the customer. That value is what the customer will pay for (and will keep you in business).
Which leads to my continuing bafflement why so many companies treat their service employees like sweatshop piece workers (or even outsouce call centers to the Federal prison system.)
Posted by: Mary Schmidt | February 28, 2006 7:21 AM | Permalink to Comment