I got a little lecture at the airport today when the agent scolded me for not using the self-check in to change my seat assignment. We’ll save the topic of “talking yourself out of a job” for another day. Today let’s talk about rules.
List the Top 5 complaints you get about your company’s rules and regulations. Not the complaints you hear about price and availability and the 4-6 week turnaround for special orders, but the complaints about rules modeled by the industry then established by your company.
Is it your 9 to 5 weekday delivery hours? Your refusal to sell a loveseat away from the sofa or dining chairs away from the table? Your customer service response time?
There is so much you cannot control in your business: manufacturer’s assortments, financial terms, backorders.
What can you control? What policy, procedure, rule or regulation could you wipe off the board to accommodate your customer? What would this say to her about your company? What does the existing rule say to her now?
Are any of your rules arbitrary to your customer, set in place only to make life easier for you? What does she think about that?
Shane this sounds like to tough spot. I know the owners of your company care deeply about providing great customer service on all levels.
My suggesting is talking to one of the family owners directly (after talking with Lee first) about this communication and policy problem.
Amy is right, we make rules to solve some problem we my never have, and then forget why they were created in the first place.
Take care, I look forward to seeing you soon.
We have a policy that seems to be creating a stir with a lot of our clients. If we have the client put a deposit down on their furniture (which we only do in certain situations), the deposit has to be paid before we “schedule” the delivery”. The client really has an issue with wanting a certain day for delivery and we are not able to provide that day for them (even if it is available), because they still owe a balance. By the time they pay the balance the day could be closed. The client believes that “we do not trust them”. In actuality we do, it just creates a problem on our end if they do not come in to pay the balance and the delivery day has arrived and their furniture is on the way to their home. The delivery drivers do not accept payment. Do you have any suggestions on how I can better handle this? It comes up about once every two weeks or so.
David, I’m looking forward to our training next week. You have been a blessing.
Consumer terrorism is becoming a national movement. Businesses who don’t wake up to this fact may not wake up at all.