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Mind Capture

By Tony Rubleski
President & Author,
Mind Capture Group
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I was recently thinking about an interesting experience my wife Kim had at our local Ford dealership when a flash of the obvious came to mind. I grabbed a pen, a Post-it note, and jotted down the following statement:

“Delivering good customer service shouldn’t require a focus group or study by Harvard Business Review magazine!”

Here’s the premise of my thought: great customer service makes dollars and common sense for every business to strive for, especially when getting new and repeat business is the lifeblood of every organization. Surprisingly though, poor customer service is still the norm in many businesses and it simply should not be tolerated.

Let me go back to the rep at our local Ford dealership for a moment and how poor his service and ability to deliver on his word were during and after the sale when working with my wife. If I had been with her, I would have left and gone to a different dealer; however she’s much more patient than me. Now that it has been a couple months since her purchase, our car guy has never once followed up with a phone call or even a thank-you note or to see what my wife thinks of her new truck. I’m simply stunned that this type of casual, less than memorable type of behavior is still permitted and allowed to take place.

Is it any wonder why many auto dealers are struggling? I hear about the same types of lackluster experience and follow up after the sales from countless others I speak with, regardless of the type of car or price of the auto they’ve purchased. New customer acquisition is tough enough these days as prospects are jaded, skeptical and picky when looking for someone to work with for the first time, or when they’ve become dissatisfied and looking for a fresh alternative.

Here are five powerful reasons why superior customer service is vital to marketing success. If marketing is the oxygen of every organization, then great service is like the blood that flows to support the entire body. It’s essential that they work together in tandem and not in opposition.

#1. Word-of-mouth marketing online and offline is either your friend or foe

Exceptional service pays off in multiple ways that far too many people downplay or continue to ignore at their peril. When done well, people talk about you and it costs nothing, but it can pay off in a big way. When done badly, poor service spreads much quicker, especially in the age of instant communications. Tick off a customer today, without offering up a happy resolution quickly, and you risk that the unhappy person will go online and find potentially several hundred, if not thousands of people to tell and turn against you. The choice is yours.

#2. Better service = more referrals.

This should be common sense but many businesses, non-profit leaders and sales people still don’t get it! The customer of today expects and wants to be appreciated for their patronage and relationship. Again, if you do this well, they’ll tell others they know and become your unpaid sales force in the form of referrals and continued repeat business. Yes, these little details do make a world of difference.

#3. Happier employees often translate to happy customers

Every person on your staff is the “Director of First Impressions” whether they know it or not. Well-trained, valued and respected employees are a non-negotiable in today’s turbulent economy. It can take years to win a customer and only seconds to lose them. A grumpy or distracted employee is far more dangerous than your biggest competitor. The competition you’re often aware of and can keep an eye out for. However, a disgruntled employee can often hang around like an undetected cancer that slowly takes over the body (your business) and hopefully can be caught and treated (put on a plan or fired) in time before it’s too late.

#4. The “Cheers” effect

People want to go where people know their name, but more importantly do business with those who appreciate and respect their business. For example, the late Mary Kay Ashe was legendary for telling her people to imagine that a customer has an invisible sign around their neck that you can’t see that says, “Please appreciate me.” How true this advice is, especially today where the attention to detail in serving others and common courtesy are often hard to find and in short supply with most firms. Upper management may have a strong sense of ownership mentality, but far too often the staff has little if any incentive to think this way. The end result is lackluster and non-memorable service, which also negatively impacts the next point, repeat business.

#5. Increased repeat business

Duh! I’m often told by people that when I speak at an event or do training that I remind them of simple strategies that they know they should be doing to be more successful. They’re timeless, solid principles that work, but often they’re easy not to do because people don’t make them into a consistent habit or part of their daily job to help produce positive breakthroughs.

Learn from these five customer service keys and if you continue to master them, you’ll unlock the doors to greater sales, referrals and better opportunities to grow in a challenging economy! MSS

Bestselling author Tony Rubleski, is the president of Mind Capture Group based in Spring Lake. For feedback and/or column ideas he can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .