The Cure for Costly Customer Attrition

PRLog (Press Release) - Sep 26, 2008 -
While it is true that on average only one in 27 unhappy customers will actually complain to management when there is a customer service issue, each of the 27  will tell an average of 10 people about their bad experience.  According to Peter Jordan, CEO of CRM Learning, most negative customer experiences occur because of front line staff indifference.  “Sixty-eight percent of customers who decide to take their business elsewhere do so because of a perception of indifference by a company employee,” says Jordan.  “We call that the WAYMISH effect – leaving customers wondering Why Are You Making It So Hard for them to give you their money.”

CRM Learning’s new training program, WAYMISH, based on the book of the same name by Ted Cohn and Ray Considine, illustrates how good customers can be driven away by a lack of helpfulness or an overall indifference to their needs.  It then provides skill points on the attitudes and behaviors that keep customers coming back. According to Jordan, there are many inadvertent ways that employees can send the message to customers that a business doesn’t want their money.  “Conversely, there are a few easy things employees can do to put the service back in customer service,” says Jordan.  “By quickly acknowledging customers, listening carefully to their needs, attempting to effectively solve problems, finding a way to say yes and remembering that customer service IS their job, customers can be made to feel like they are number one.”

Customer service has become such an important part of business that companies are investing heavily in customer service training.  According to a recent story in the Los Angeles Times, the city of Anaheim is spending $90,000 on customer service training for police, emergency workers, cab drivers, hotel workers and others in the city's Resort District, which includes Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney.

WAYMISH  allows managers and their employees to spot WAYMISHes through fun and entertaining scenarios while a folksy, straight-talking host helps service providers transition from an attitude of  “that’s not my job” to “I can handle that for you.”  The training program is available for an introductory price of $895 which includes both supervisor and employee modules as well as a detailed Leader’s Guide and a PowerPoint presentation to assist in the facilitation process.  10 WAYMISH-buster Employee Handbooks and 10 Reminder Cards are also provided.  Full-length previews of the program can be seen by visiting www.crmlearning.com/keepcustomers.

“Eliminating WAYMISHes can help companies retain loyal customers,” says Jordan. “In these tough economic times, it is imperative for businesses to treat their customers with the utmost respect and care.  Most consumers are very careful about where and how they spend discretionary funds, so businesses need to make it easy for them to part with their hard-earned money.”