Nagging Customers
We all love customers who leave us those five-star reviews. They write these fantastic reviews that talk about how great we are as a business, as owners, and as service providers, but sometimes these comments and reviews are no more impactful than our mom being proud of us.
The question I want to ask you today is this: how are those amazing reviews helping you get better? Most people don't like the opposite of that over-the-moon review and, in fact, most people try to discredit the negative reviews as well. Your friends and colleagues will write them off to a “crazy customer” who is “just so demanding”. If you have caught yourself justifying or discrediting negative reviews in the past then this post is for you. Let's look into all the things a nagging customer teaches us.
1. Humility
Nagging customers show us that we aren't perfect and that our employees aren't either. When we see success, we can get cocky and when we get cocky we cut corners. When we cut corners our quality drops. Those nagging customers will always be there to remind us that our quality has dropped and that we need to get back to being better than the competition.
2. Holes in the boat!
This might come as a shock to you, but if there are no perfect people. Crazy, I know. BUT if there are no perfect people in the world, then the companies that these imperfect people run must also be imperfect. If you don't feel that this is an accurate statement, let’s set up a consulting call to discuss your theory. The reality is that without your nagging customers, it’s a lot harder to know where the holes in your boat are. If you know that your ‘business boat’ is sinking but don't know where to look to begin bailing out water, who better to help point out those holes in the hull than the customers who are complaining about getting wet?
3. Raise your standards
The customers who praise you make you think that there is no way that you can get better - you’re perfect. It goes without saying that a nagging customer is harder to please. While some people will try to discredit the nagger as someone with unreal expectations, I would argue against that. Instead of fighting the negative review, I suggest you really do some soul searching. Take the customers with those “unrealistic expectations” and ask yourself what would it take to meet their standard on every job you complete. If you can hit their expectations, lofty though they may be, it also means your performance will soar above the expectation of those customers who already thought you were great. Now, that's real growth and I challenge you and your teams to take on this challenge!
Today's tidbit:
Stop writing off your nagging customers. Stop coming up with cliche sayings for them and creating excuses for your team. Though it is uncomfortable, these people are offering you free advice on how to improve your product and services. Take time to listen to them and create action plans geared toward improving your team, your product, your process, and your company as a whole.
Enjoy!
