Is Your Business Writing Free of Artificial Client-Centricity?
Charles H. Green’s recent post on Faking Customer Centricity is a nice coda to my earlier commentaries on:
Green points out that, although the “language of relationships—feelings, apologies, empathy” is very much in vogue in the business world, many companies only pay lip service to being “customer-centric.” He gives a few examples of how businesses fail to back up their proclamations of customer care. From there, it’s easy to launch into our own experience.
For instance, what happens when a salesperson wearing a cute “I’m happy to serve you” button grumbles at your request for help? You feel slighted, maybe even ticked off. The same holds true when you ask a vendor to make good on their service guarantee and they offer a host of reasons why your particular problem isn’t their responsibility. This disconnect between promise (implied or overt) and action makes an indelible negative impression.
Service professionals often produce marketing materials and other communications stating “we care about you and your business” and “we put you, the client, first.” It’s very easy to embed those words in your business copy. But it’s much harder to prove to your prospects and clients that you mean what you state. The proof comes through their interactions with you.
How are you backing up your written claims of client-centricity?
