Caring for your customers so they keep coming back

Friday, July 18, 2008

Customer relations is much more than simply making the customer happy; it’s about creating a lasting relationship with your customers so they will choose you over your competition.

Part of this begins when you create an image that customers will come to expect each and every time they have an encounter with you.

The second part is making good on that expectation each and every time they have an encounter with you.

What type of experience does your customer have? Here are two examples of what can make or break return visits.

Regina at a Macy’s store in Columbus, Ohio, displays several stars for customer service on her badge for a reason — personalization.

Not only did she provide individual service to my 17-year-old daughter to ensure the sale shoe that she was considering fit perfectly, but as we completed the purchase last week and she asked for our phone number, she noted it was outside the Columbus area.

Correctly identifying it as originating from Maryland, she asked how the crabs were tasting these days, and then offered us a map of the area and directions to a nearby kiosk where we could find information about events and attractions in the Columbus vicinity.

The lesson here is to encourage your front line to be friendly and relate to the person and his or her needs. Regina anticipated our needs beyond an immediate sale through her conversation and was able to offer additional information for an out-of-towner that had nothing do with the transaction.

An interesting statistic offered by Technical Assistance Research Studies is that for every customer who complains, most organizations have 26 customers with problems, six of which are serious. These additional customers don’t complain; they often just go away.

Here’s an example of this disappearing statistic.

My husband, Dale, is a frequent traveler to Huntsville, Ala., and during a recent trip had some issues with a hotel in which he was staying. He called his travel agent to see about moving to Candlewood Suites for the remainder of his visit, but the agent advised that the Web showed no rooms were available.

He asked if she would call Candlewood directly and advise them that Mr. Hupp was checking on room availability. She called back a few minutes later, quite surprised to advise him that indeed Candlewood was happy to provide a room for him.

Upon his arrival at Candlewood, the manager greeted him warmly and by name. This type of individualized attention is not a one-time occurrence for them, and Dale followed up with an e-mail to the corporate office commending them for the experience they continually provide for business travelers. They responded with an e-mail thanking him and advising that they would forward the information to the Huntsville staff to let them also enjoy the positive feedback.

What’s saddest about this example is the lack of follow-through by the other hotel. My husband also wrote to the other hotel of the unsatisfactory conditions he had experienced and, while they acknowledged his e-mail, they in no way acknowledged the issues or a desire to improve them. Without such assurances that they would fix the identified problems, he won’t be returning.

PR tip of the month

Ask your customers how you are doing, and be prepared to take the ugly with the good. Evaluate the feedback and act on it to help you improve an aspect of your business. Remember to thank these customers for their assistance, and let them know how you have used their feedback to influence your services.

For more tips on how to expand your PR toolbox, consider attending the next meeting of Public Relations Individuals in Southern Maryland when we address ‘‘Art in the Garden,” with a new venue and a new way to approach the craft at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 21 at Annmarie Garden.

The garden opened its new 15,000-square-foot arts center in May and has invited the PRISM membership to holds its August lunch meeting in its meeting room.

Annmarie Garden is at 13480 Dowell Road in Solomons. For more information on this center, call 410-326-4640 or visit www.annmariegarden.org.

‘‘We’re all about making art more accessible,” said Stacey Hann-Ruff, director of Annmarie Garden. The program will include a regional panel discussing creative ways to use art to convey our messages.

Annmarie Garden is an outdoor sanctuary for the arts and nature. The new center has been designed in the shape of a boat. The glass bow overlooks ‘‘A Tribute to the Oyster Tonger, A Chesapeake Waterman” a statue by Antonio Tobias Mendez and the stern overlooks more modern sculptures in the wooded park. Attendees will also be able to view the center’s first exhibit, featuring kinetic sculptures.

The meeting includes lunch; cost is $13 for members, $18 for nonmembers. Registration is requested by noon, Aug. 20. Contact Gretchen Heinze for reservations at 301-885-0108 or gretchen.heinze@charlescommunityfoundation.org. You may also register online at www.prismonline.info⁄registration.

PRISM is the organization of public relations and marketing professionals in Southern Maryland. Bi-monthly luncheon meetings rotate among venues in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. The purpose of the organization is to provide professional development and networking opportunities to individuals practicing public relations and marketing. Currently, PRISM comprises members serving in various industries such as economic development, defense, retailing, health care, government, nonprofit, education and professional services.

Karen Smith Hupp is a member of the past presidents’ council of PRISM and the director of community relations at the College of Southern Maryland. For information on PRISM, go to www.prismonline.info or contact Hupp at karens@csmd.edu or 301-934-7701.