The late comedian George Burns once said: "The most important thing is sincerity. If you can fake that you've got it made." When it comes to caring for customers, too many businesses are trying to fake it, and their customers know it.
You know what I mean: companies that hide behind voice mail with no live operator option. Poorly trained, unempowered, and uncaring employees. Web sites without live customer contact information. Inflexible policies that fail to allow for unusual-but-legitimate needs.
Even more aggravating are companies that provide poor customer care while spouting meaningless advertising and marketing mantras about how much they value their customers.
Entrepreneurs need to remember that most customers have their own policy: when a company doesn't deliver real customer care, they deliver their business to another company.
The pervasive environment of pretend customer care is a huge opportunity for every entrepreneur in every industry. Entrepreneurs whose businesses deliver real customer care will be recognized and rewarded by loyal customers who are tired of the posers and the fakers.
Source: CRM Daily, http://www.crm-daily.com