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Donna Siegel
Donna
Siegel

Reaching Out To New Customers: The View From The Customer's Perspective

Every business has repeat customers who are treated as special because they come back again and again. It's so easy to be warm and friendly and responsive with these people that we often forget about Reaching Out To New Customers, the ones who will become the repeat customers of tomorrow. Here is what these new customers need from us.

IN DEPTH

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I have a question about this gift I was given. I know where it was purchased, and I'd really like to exchange it. But the truth is, I don't know enough about these types of things to even ask the right questions. Whom do I talk to? How do I get the product I can use? How does this company's exchange policy work?

I've been putting off taking care of this for weeks. Yet I know I have to do this. It's silly to have something sitting here that I can't use. Just a complete waste of money.

What This Means To Customer Service Reps

Friends & strangers
In customer service, we meet many people in a given day. Some we can classify as friends; others as strangers.

"Friend" is the term we can apply to people who know exactly what to do to get the help they need. Usually these are people who have been customers for a long time. They have the advantage of knowing the staff (often by name), the company's policies and procedures, and even much about the merchandise or service. Getting help is never a problem for these customers.

Then there are the "strangers." These are often first-time customers. They might be unfamiliar with the company's policies and procedures, or even the type of merchandise or service. They might not know whom to talk with to get answers to their questions. They may not even speak the same language (every industry has its own jargon). They need help, and are not certain how to get started.

So what's the problem from the customer service side? We are naturally attracted to the friends, yet it's the strangers who need us the most. And whom we need the most. Our companies need to attract and retain the strangers, because they become our future friends. Every company needs to grow or at least replace its existing customer base.

How people get classified as friends or strangers
The moment we spot a person, we begin the process of classifying: "Is this a stranger or a friend?" We classify people as friends if they are familiar or resemble ourselves in some way. This resemblance could be along any parameter that is meaningful to us: physical, emotional, cultural -- anything that says: "We have much in common." We also include here people who are familiar with our operation, who speak our language or are familiar with our products and services.

Strangers are just the opposite. They are people who are different from us, or people who are going to interfere with our accomplishing our own goals. Sometimes we can just tell that helping a person is going to take time, and we already have other things on our plates.

Tips For Reaching Out To Strangers

As customer service people, we have to take the extra step to reach out to these newcomers and make them feel welcome. Here are some things you can do:

Acknowledge the presence of new arrivals. Let them know you see them waiting for service, even if you are not the person who can best help them. You can acknowledge them in many ways. Simple eye contact or a brief smile identifies their presence.
Greet strangers in an open and friendly way. If you can, make a point of greeting each new person you see. Tell them they are welcome and encourage them to be comfortable. If you're tied up with another customer, let them know how soon you will get to them.
Listen to their agenda. Find out what they have on their minds, before offering any type of help or explaining how your policies and procedures work. The reason you're there is to help the customer satisfy some need or want. It's their agenda, not yours.
Give them space and time to get comfortable. Very often people who are in a new environment need time to get comfortable and feel in control. Let them wander around on their own and explore as much as necessary. Just make sure they know how to contact you when they are ready for some assistance.
Direct them to the right area or person for help. Many times, you are not the best person to give them help. But by understanding what they are trying to do, you can get them to the right area or person. Even better, take them to the right place and introduce them to the person they need to talk with.

Donna Siegel is a senior partner at SeaBird Associates Inc, an author and consultant in the areas of sales management and sales coaching.