Walk a mile in your customers shoes

We have all heard the expression about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, but how often do we demonstrate this concept when dealing with our customers?

We often get so caught up in “doing our job” that we are too busy to really understand how our customer is feeling.

I recently had a fantastic experience with a company that was renovating our kitchen that really brought that concept home.

My wife and I arrived home after working all day, excited to see the progress that had been made on our kitchen -- they were installing the crown trim between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling.

When we walked into the room, the first thing we noticed was that the work had all be completed and beautifully installed. The second was that the colour of the cabinets and crown was slightly off, causing the effect of a dark line around the top of our cabinets. We knew that with a hand painted finish that colour variation was part of the effect, but this seemed too much.

We looked at each other and were immediately concerned. Could we live with this? Would the company tell us that this was the hand painted effect? I am sure you can imagine.

The installer could probably read our thoughts, because he informed us that he had already called the sales person and owner about this issue and they we on their way to have a look. He explained that until the material was installed and you stood back to look, it was impossible to tell the colour differences.

Well the sales person walked in and immediately agreed this was an issue that needed to be dealt with. He offered no solution yet, but our stress level was immediately calmed.

The owner walked in and also agreed the issue needed to be dealt with. They then began a team discussion about the best solution. They did so with my wife and I included in the conversation as they discussed the various options.

Finally, they decided the best option was to remove the crown moulding, return it to the shop to re-finish or prepare new pieces. The owner then pointed at the hood fan cover and a couple other pieces and stated that they weren’t up to standard either and they needed to come down as well.

Imagine our surprise! Imagine our delight!

The owner explained that we would have to live with this kitchen for many years, we had made a significant investment with his company and he wasn’t happy unless we were 100% satisfied. Incredible!

He put our satisfaction/needs ahead of his own. In the end, his need of building a prosperous business was accomplished.

We were more than 100% satisfied with final product -- we are enthusiastic ambassadors for his company. We have shared this story (and others from our experience) with many people and have already referred his company to at least 2 friends thinking about a new kitchen. Their business will continue to grow based on this kind of exceptional word of mouth.

Are you putting yourself in your customer’s shoes when they are faced with a problem, or are you focused on your own needs?

(If you are located in Toronto/GTA and want the company's name and number -- drop me a line)

Cheers!

Bill's passion is improving business results by working with leadership teams to change employee behaviours. He does this by equipping leaders with the principles, processes and tools to cultivate an engaged customer-focused culture.

As well, he is a dynamic, results-oriented speaker on the importance of a customer-focused culture, either as a guest speaker or acting as a facilitator of a group discussion/workshop.

For more information please contact (905) 841-3191
Email: bill@billhogg.ca, Web: http://www.billhogg.ca/