Here's Why We Lose Customers
The American Society for Quality Control reports the following study showing
the relative importance of several reasons we lose customers:
Die 1% Moved Away 3% Influenced 5% Lured away by competition 9% Dissatisfied
with product/service 14% Turned off by the attitude or indifference of
the sales rep 68%
This is one unmistakable message in this study, that is - people drive
more business away than lose it by any other reason. It comes down to this
simple fact,
"Unless a customer is completely satisfied - to the point of being positively
delighted and willing to brag about the product or service - there exists
a great potential for market damage and future trouble for the company."
Would your customers have that degree of satisfaction with you and your
service? If not, then maybe you should strive to enhance your "customer
relations." It's good business.
How to Handle People Who Talk Too Much
You needn't listen endlessly to people who talk on and on. You CAN INTERRUPT
them without offending them.
Communication expert George Thompson, author of Verbal Judo: The Gentle
Art of Persuasion, suggests using the powerful verbal tool known as paraphrasing.
To paraphrase is to put another person's meaning into your words.
Suppose someone is upset and complaining about you, or someone else,
and you have heard enough. How can you cut into this tirade and take control?
It's hard to stop people talking. They can't be told, "Get to the point!"
They'll reply, "I am getting to the point, you're not listening."
And telling them to shut up or calm down typically has the opposite
effect. Start instead with what Thompson calls the "sword of insertion",
a wedge into the harangue like "Whoa!" or "Wait a second" spoken earnestly,
not in anger. Then add this sentence, "Let me be sure I heard (or understood)
what you just said."
This simple sentence hooks people. Because people want so much to be
understood, no matter how upset they are, when you say it, almost everyone
will instantly shut up and start listening to you.
You have taken control because now you're talking and the other person
is listening (and no one listens harder than he does to his own point of
view).
As you paraphrase, you can substitute reason for emotion in the conversation.
You might go on to say, "It seems you're feeling X because of Y, isn't
that true?"
Now the other party can either correct the emotion or the reason. Then
you have a better chance to proceed with a more equal and purposeful exchange.
Notice that paraphrasing accurately is not the main issue -- you can
get it wrong and still win good will. It's the effort to understand someone
that is appreciated and calming.
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