May 2002
by Edward Poll, J.D., M.B.A., CMC
Many companies treat "customer service" as a necessary evil, an afterthought, a department only needed if mistakes and problems arise. This viewpoint is best reflected in the common statement: "No news is good news!"
When it comes to customers, that's bad news! Here's why:
If you have a customer who is happy and you do not actively give them a chance to tell you, you lose one of the strongest opportunities to increase customer loyalty. The need to be internally consistent is a driving force in shaping future behavior. In other words, if customers tell you how and why they are happy, they are very likely to repeat the behavior that caused them such satisfaction - which was doing business with you!
And what if you have a customer who is not happy? Who would you rather they tell all about it - you, or your prospects, competitors and other customers?
Key Learning Point: "One of the surest signed of a bad or declining relationship with a customer is the absence of complaints (or compliments!) Nobody is ever that satisfied, especially not over an extended period of time. The customer is either not being candid, or is not being contacted."
- Theodore Levitt
