ID & Meet Customer's Needs #2

by Jayne Kowal in eZineArticles.com 5/13
enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz

CHALLENGES contintued

2b Value. Primary factor is Knowledge of your products & services. This requires knowledge beyond your department to focus on identifying what your business products or services are (features) and how the product or service will assist the customer in enjoying value (benefits). Knowledge is key to recognizing and seizing opportunities to cross-sell additional programs/services or value-sell related programs/services, both techniques to add increased value to your customer. Remember, the primary goal is to meet the customer’s need. When we engage in cross-selling & value-selling techniques we are trying to suggest additional or complementary products/services that the customer will want or need. We are not “pushing” products. When done effectively, both the customer & the business win.

3. Problem-Solving & Decision-Making. Customers desire their need to be addressed as quickly as possible. The more people or time it takes, the greater chance of dis-satisfaction. Do you have the skills, desire, knowledge & opportunity to solve problems & make decisions at the first point of contact with the customer? If the answer is “no”, consider the following questions and strategies within your department:
Q1. Do you require additional training and understanding of the products & services your business offers? What can you do to make this happen?
Q2. Do you want to solve problems and make decisions on the spot?
Q3. Do you require support in understanding policies & guidelines and the kinds of creative alternatives you have to choose from?

During all contacts with Customers, we need a “Can Do” attitude to meet their needs.

4. Customer Complaints are opportunities for us to learn what our customers want from us (their expectations), what is not working with our products/services/processes, etc, so we can improve. Those who complain are likely telling us what many may have experienced, but never verbalized before. We meet needs that come to us in the form of complaints by actively listening, identifying what we can do to resolve their problem (if we ask them, we can assure our resolution actually provides value) and following-up on what we promise. Take this one step further and share your learning – what was the problem and why was it a problem? If we don’t know about problems we can’t make changes to improve.

5. Customers have both Tangible & Intangible needs. It is our ability to recognize & meet the intangable needs, which creates real value for the customer. Think of intangible needs as customer motives. We are all humans and desire engagement at the human, versus business, level. Here are some examples of Intangible needs:
1) Staff who are understanding, knowledgeable & helpful, 2) Feeling safe & secure, 3) Feeling important (personally valued), 4) Social opportunities to interact with others, 5) Acknowledgment of the “urgency” of the situation & assurance that is given the highest priority.

Comments: Is there anything else we should cover to meet Customer’s Needs?