It doesn’t matter where you work or what your job is, the reason for your organization, department, or your job is for the customer you directly serve. I know people struggle with identifying their customer because their job is not “customer facing”. If you struggle with identifying your customer, ask who depends on you to get your work done? That’s your customer. If you say nobody, then you should be looking for another job. There is no need for your job.
Many times, customers are not treated like customers. The people who serve them don’t see their customers as customers. When I’ve been treated like a non-customer it’s like I am an inconvenience.
Quite frankly, as a customer I don’t care about all that you have to get done before the end of the day, or that you were in the middle of working on something else, or that I didn’t follow your process, or why you had to cancel a meeting with me. All I care about is that I chose to be your customer and pay you so that I can be your customer.
As someone who provides a product or service, you need to remember that your customer has no idea what your internal situation is. A customer can decide to become a customer somewhere else. Treat your customers like you know they can leave you (because they can). Make them feel like they couldn’t experience your level of service anywhere else.
Here are some real quotes from people who don’t think they have customers:
| What they said | What they should have said |
| “We are really busy.” | “I’ll be right with you. Do you mind waiting while I finish?” |
| “Wait a minute.” | “I’m sorry you had to wait. How can I help you?” |
| “You’re gonna have to fill out this form “ | “Can I have you fill out this form?” |
| “You should have followed this process“ | “Can I help you with this process.” |
| “I (or we) can’t do that.” | “We don’t offer that. Would you consider?” |
Notice how the statements from people who don’t think they have customers are statements. Customers don’t respond well when they are told what to do. It says you aren’t going to get the product or service unless you do as I say. Questions to your customers say that you are asking for their permission to serve them. Your customer may need to follow your process, but inviting them through a question is much easier for a customer to receive.
When have you been treated like a non-customer?
What could have been a better way for you to be treated like a customer?
I did that exercise years ago at Abbott Labs. It was a real mind bend to realize that the taxing authorities were part of our customer base. It might be an adversarial relationships, but they were customers.
More recently, I’ve been struggling with a defective phone and inconsistent service from Sprint. After repeated phone calls and trips to the store, I paid the termination charge and went somewhere else.
I’ve been a customer of theirs for 14 years and I can tell you, they did not care. The manager went so far as to say if I was that unhappy, I probably should go somewhere else.
The Sprint CEO wrote me an e-mail asking why I left (appeared to be routine). We’ll see if he responds.
That’s a great testimony. It’s hard to imagine a company that is okay with letting a good customer go. It is much harder to get a new customer than it is to retain one.
s/I don’t care all that you have to get done/I don’t care about all that you have to get done/
HTH
Thanks for the edit.
I know who my customers are, they are my patients. Unfortunately, the higher people climb on the administrative path, they forget that. Sadly, the way the economy is and the poor structuring of my department, I am overworked doing administrative stuff that the assistants don’t have time to do for me and take care of my patients. And I have to ask in advance to get comp time if I work over my 8 hour day. This economy is overworking the current workers, because they can’t afford to hire more people. The customers can suffer in these times. Solutions welcome.
Remember that your employment is at will. At will means that your employer can let you go any time they want. But then again, you can let your employer go any time you want. You are a kind of customer to your employer. If you aren’t happy where you are, you can choose to go somewhere that treats you better. You can make a change or a change can make you.
Last I checked the customer is the one that pays for the service. You provide your employee with a service, therefore the company is your customer.
I liked this blog post. I need this reminder from time to time about the importance of identifying and serving my customers. I have to go to the DMV tomorrow … perhaps I will get some additional examples of being treated like a “non-customer”
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Maybe you will be surprised. I know it is unlikely that you will get good service at a government service center. I will sometimes be the most pleasant customer just to see how they will react. I got great service at the post office of all places just a few weeks ago. Good luck.