That may sound counterintuitive, but consider this—your clients will appreciate you more if you serve them so well that they need you less. In a recent CBS Money Watch article entitled “Make Customers Want You More by Needing You Less,” author Michael Hess argues that exact point; when it comes to customer service, less is often more. Consider your own personal retail experiences—aren’t you more satisfied the less help you need?
To demonstrate how this has worked in a real-life business scenario, Hess uses Apple as an example, citing Steve Jobs for his driving principle of empowering users and employees to do great things as the reason his company has so many satisfied customers. He claims Apple was successful because they applied three key strategies:
1. Offer user-friendly and intuitive products and/or services. In Apple’s intuitive user interface that eliminated the need for multiple buttons and instruction manuals, they created products that required less customer service. Hess explains, “Look at what you sell through the eyes of the buyer—are your products or services as simple as they can be? Or conversely, are they more complicated than they need to be?”
2. Put “short circuits” in place. Hess explains that “Apple puts very little between a problem and a solution.” Ensure that your clients get the resolutions they need as quickly as possible. Eliminate red tape and processes that clog your system and generate frustration with your clients.
3. Hire well, train well. If your practice is big enough to require a support staff, you must ensure that you’ve hired stellar people who are well trained. They will interface with clients and, hopefully, ensure client satisfaction and retention.
As you move deeper into this New Year, consider your clients and how satisfied they are with your services. Is it possible that you could improve their experience by reducing their need to interact with you as frequently? Could making their experience more seamless, and less needy, create a clientele more loyal to your firm? We challenge you to answer those questions. And asap!
UAC Offers Onsite Employee Training
UAC has been training professionals for over 30 years in bookkeeping, accounting and tax services. Imagine teaching each employee how he or she can become your business’s profit expert. Universal Accounting Center has developed a proven program to help non-accounting employees understand their function and importance in the business model. With Universal’s proprietary training, each of your employees will understand how critical their position is to the business. They will improve their skills in performing important responsibilities that will greatly benefit the company’s profitability while improving client satisfaction. Call 1-800-343-4827 today for more information on how Universal can improve your staff.
Resource
Hess, Michael. “Make Customers Want You More by Needing You Less.” 3 January 2012 CBSnews.com