It is not about giving your customers products for the sake of selling
but ensuring they get what they really need. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Assurance. A singular word
that means a plural of emotions. And, retained, or new, sales. Assurance
is a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise.
Assurance is what a customer who is going through uncertainty needs- not
what he says he wants. Confused? Hang on. You have my assurance that
you’ll get it.
When you call to say you sent money to
the wrong number how often does Safaricom wash its hands off the case
with, “Sorry. Your mistake. Can’t help you.” In my experience, never.
It’s more like, “Sorry. Let’s see what can be done.” Even if the money
has been withdrawn, as in a case I know, whereas what the caller wanted
was her money back, what she got is what she needed-assurance. “Sorry.
The money is already withdrawn. But when he loads his account again we
will be sure to refund you.”
It’s over two years now
with no refund, but that has not dampened her enthusiasm for the
service. They listened to her; they assured her; she trusts it will be
done. Now, it is very likely, that you and I signed somewhere terms and
conditions that indemnify Safaricom from such mistakes. And yet how
often, if ever, do they point you to them? Comparatively, how do you
suppose a bank would respond?
When I was insisting that
my insurance agent pick the cheques for renewing my medical cover, he
read into what my real need was. “I’m sorry I haven’t picked them yet.
Don’t worry though. We’ve already asked the insurance company to renew
the cover.” And just like that all the anger and fear turned into
happiness and confidence.
Assurance is a tool most
readily available in retaining than getting new sales. Sadly, most front
office personnel do not wield it as often as they should, preferring
instead to become defensive. Some version of, “It wasn’t me,” is the
default response for most.
Don’t accept blame seems to
be the explicit message with every morning brief by the bosses. The
thinking, I assume, is, customers are all big bad wolves just waiting
for you to hesitate that they may pounce and eat you alive.
And so the customer chooses not to argue against, “It was your fault” and acquiesces, while harbouring a grudge.
They
didn’t even listen to me. Assuring doesn’t necessarily mean solving the
buyer’s problem. When I called my insurance company to report that I’d
been involved in an accident, I expected the typical cold shoulder of,
“Don’t accept liability” or, “Do you have a police abstract”.
Instead,
my heart warmed at hearing, “Are you okay?” It didn’t mean they were
going to pay or that I was not at fault. In fact, it had no bearing to
solving my problem. To assure need not mean that you will give the
customer what they want. It means that you will strive to give them what
they need.
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