Today, I gave our client services team an earful. I don't like doing it, although I know some would swear that it is one of my most enjoyable things to do. This seems to be a problem a lot of people can't quite grasp.
The client calls/emails with a complaint/request. You see it. You know you can't do anything about it immediately. You wait until you are able to do something about it. The wait is about 2 days. Two days later, you do it.
The client may even expect this task to take a week. "I've done a great job!", you think to yourself. Wrong! You have done a terrible terrible job!
The first thing to do is to acknowledge the client's request. You may not have an answer or anything worth saying. It doesn't matter! You MUST, ALWAYS and CONSISTENTLY acknowledge that you are aware of the issue. If you don't, the client thinks you are ignoring him/her for the two days you spent working very hard getting the job done.
Imagine having a conversation with a friend. "So, what do you think the rent around the Greens costs these days?", you say. Your friend looks into the distance. Says nothing. Nothing. He remains silent the entire time you are together. He goes home and calls you back two days later giving you a well-researched answer. How would you feel about that? I know I would think my friend is crazy.
A simple, "Thank you for your request. I will look into it and get back to you tomorrow afternoon." will suffice.
So, please please, fellow entrepreneurs, do make sure the people who deal with your clients always acknowledge the client. It could potentially cost you the business.
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