Feb 15th, 2009
customer treatment
I am now starting my blog concerning marketing issues, which I often think about. Today I prefer writing about the relationship between customers and on the other side, the companies, which provide either good or bad customer service.
Actually I had much experience with bad customer service, and not that often received a remarkable good customer treatment. I think this is such an important point, first for the reason, that it concerns everybody when receiving a kind of service and this happens nearly everyday. The other reason, I think it is an essential part in marketing. The person who provides a certain kind of service is the connection between the company and the consumer. To give an insight in my experience and thinking I will explain my example with McDonald’s . It was approximately one year ago and I have been there and ordered my meal, than it tooks very long until my chips where ready, so I sat down to my friends and still wait. After I had seen that other people got some chips I asked her about my chips. She rolled her eyes and got the chips. I thought, if she had forgotten my chips, it wasn’t a problem, but I expected an excuse.
I think although McDonald’s is not a five-star restaurant, a certain level of friendliness has to be offered anywhere, where service is provided. And I think it is something a customer can expect. The more I thought about this situation, the more I thought that just one person can give a consumer a bad experience with a certain company. And do such people really know what consequences that can have for a firm?
I think, the best offer is nothing when it is served in a bad way. And another point to consider is, as I mentioned before, I had much more bad experiences than good ones. Maybe it is just the bad ones which stay in a consumers mind.
Hi,
Yes, and in this age companies can’t afford much customer cockups, bad news spread like fire. I don’t eat at KFC for years. Have you seen their youtube videos about rat in restaurants, what about their treatment to chickens? Think about the last 3 P’s of the 7 P’s when it comes to service/catering industry for instance. People, process and Physical Evidence – those three elements interplay and add to maximise customer experience – it is sad to see how little is paid attention in such an important element of a company’s marketing management.
Hey Theresa,
i think you´re making a good point! Bad experience stays in mind…
But unfortunately a lot of big companies don´t seem to care about that, especially if they have a monopoly. My Experience with those companies is that the customers are mostly treated badly. Only in a few cases the supporters help you in a friendly way! This experience is based on my private as well as on my business experiences.