An Opportunity to Reset Expectations on Service Visits

Continuing my “service visit” theme, I thought I would share with you something that I always found to be a little stressful―taking over service accounts. This was especially uncomfortable when the service rep was from our company and was underperforming. When we find ourselves in situations like this, we have to be aware that chances are the customer is somewhat dissatisfied, and we could be stepping into a hornet’s nest. So, what can we do to ease the transition?

As an initial step, it’s a good idea to meet with the customer when you take over the account and determine what their expectations are. Don’t assume their expectations were being met by the previous rep. Expectations can vary from customer to customer. If we are using a cookie-cutter approach to the service visits, then we may be missing the mark. Some customers like a lot of detail; some just want to know “everything is fine.” And there is every shade in between those two extremes. The previous rep may or may not have had a clear understanding of the requirements. By the way, this can go for whatever service you perform.

Bottom line…ask the customer what they expect and then tailor your visits to accommodate those requests. You can even tailor the service report to what they want to see. For those who want details, give them details. These reports can tend to get longer than most, but look to see if you can create a template that works for your report.

Asking the customer what they expect shows them you are listening and interested in meeting their needs. People buy from people. If your company’s service was not meeting the customer’s expectations, then there is a good chance you are not going to be servicing that account much longer.

The end result of this exercise is that you will probably improve customer satisfaction and get this relationship off to a positive start. Use this fresh start to your advantage.