The Quality Blog is a blog about quality assurance, quality management and quality in general. The blog covers topics like TQM, ISO9001,human errors, BPM, Lean, Six Sigma...
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- Schedule a formal conversation to draw up a list of all wishes and demands. Denote to the customer how crucial this meeting is to assure a good cooperation. It’s not just a “casual” trifle.
- Ask open questions and not just questions that can be replied to with a few words. Dare to keep on asking but obviously you want to stay polite. Should you encounter a customer or prospect refusing to answer your questions, chances are real that you are being used, to get a second or third quote for example.
- Ask them how their organization deals with quality. This can reveal an interesting opportunity to see what they will really value in a cooperation.
- Paraphrase. You restate what the customer tells you in your own words. This has 2 advantages: for one thing the customer will feel understood and appreciated and on the other hand you will prevent misapprehension.
- Make notes, make notes, make notes. By meticulously making notes you’re not only showing your interest in what the customer tells you. It also helps you remember what is important. Studies have shown that without making notes people forget over 50% of what has been said in less than 5 minutes.
- Don’t react emotionally. It’s a proven method not to react on a complaint right away. Be prepared to listen when it’s a non-written complaint. Make notes of everything and promise to call back within x hours or days.
- Always fulfill your promises and always respect deadlines.
- Never only react in writing. It is proof of elementary courtesy and customer friendliness to at least give the customer a short phone call to elucidate your reply.
- Be grateful for the fact that the customer even bothers informing you about his dissatisfaction. Don’t forget that this means the customer values the cooperation enough to give you another shot. Look at complaints as being chances!
- Learn from your mistakes. Create an overview of the most common complaints on a regular basis and think about a possible cause. This can lead to the “quick wins” to perform better in the future.
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