Friday, June 21, 2013

Changes in Customer Circumstances

Our trying economic environment is having a severe impact across the globe. The market place is so affected that once reliable customers are finding it increasingly difficult to meet their payment obligations where once before it would not have been a challenge.

As business owners, there needs to be a plan in plan in place as to how we will handle customer who fall upon misfortune. Challenges facing customers include, but are not limited to, burdens on financial security, health care, employment, inflation, increased taxation, and the list goes on.

More and more businesses are feeling the brunt of accounts receivable, NSF cheques, increasingly crafty customers, and those who tug at the emotional heartstrings.

As a business, will we resort to:

  • compliance 
    • using the legality of verbal agreements, documentation, and contracts
  • embarrassment
    • harrassment
    • violence
    • emotional abuse
  • compassion and understanding
    • a listening to understand the customer's perspective while being discerning
Your use or abuse of the above methods which have been stated in the broadest measure possible will determine the success or failure of your business in the long and short term. 

Examine your strategy if you have one. Is it working in today's environment? If you don't have one, what will you do to develop approaches so that you are not caught out in the cold reacting to knee-jerk emotional situations?

Why not tell us about yourselves? We may be able to assist you in developing your customer service approaches. 

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