How to be a Good Customer

July 5, 2010

Customer service is a tricky thing. There are some people out there that say you should treat someone like you want to be treated. I personally think really great customer service comes from trying to wear your customer’s shoes. Not how do YOU want to be treated, but how do THEY want to be treated. This is very important as we have become more globally aware and the business we do crosses more than just state lines, but also cultural borders. Customer service should not involve politics or efforts to be politically correct, just simply listening to your customer and responding accordingly in a positive way. I think it is in reality a lot easier than we try to make it sometimes. The customer is not always right, but they do always deserve my respect, my ear and my time.

On the flip side, I have faced challenges being a customer to vendors who did not follow my same core values or my company’s executive office suite culture. It can be difficult navigating a business and realizing that the company you are doing business with does not value you or your time in the same way you do. Company subcultures can be varied and difficult to navigate. It often requires more effort to break out of comfort zones. Often we do business with vendors, not because they are best for us, but because we are familiar with them. As a customer it is often necessary to recognize when we are making it difficult to receive good customer service based upon preconceived notions of what we think we need or have. You often end up with new vendors because you need change. The solution to your problem requires you to be open from the onset, and often we are not.

I have learned that it takes great effort and an open mind to be a good customer as well as a good customer service provider. You have to be willing to learn about the company you are doing business with and be open to doing business a little differently or outside your comfort zone to get the best experience at times. It can be like visiting a new neighbor’s home. They want to make you comfortable and so they open their door to you, but they may offer you hot cocoa instead of coffee. If you are open to adjusting to the change, you may find products and services that benefit you much more than what you previously thought you needed.

What really great customer service comes down to is two people communicating and trying to meet mutual needs. Many times it is a situation where one person needs goods or services and the other person needs money or services in exchange. It is always possible that both parties walk away satisfied and feeling good about business accomplished. It does however take effort from both and a willingness to learn from each other at all times.

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