On a recent business trip I rented a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Overall their customer service was great. However, they did something that reminded me of that fact. How did they remind customers of their great customer service? They simply asked a question.
As I was leaving the parking lot, the attendant at the gate asked me “how was our customer service?” That caused me to reflect on my experience thus far and I realized that it was really good. I stated as much and drove on my way.
When I returned to the airport when my trip was ending, the Enterprise folks checked out my car and got my paperwork finalized. At the end of that interaction, they again asked “how was our customer service?” It was great so I again stated such.
The question that Enterprise asked is a very powerful tool that you can use in your business. It is important to note, that Enterprise has a big focus on customer service and isn’t afraid to ask this question. Your business will need to be willing to accept the customers’ answers and adjust accordingly.
Remind Customers
Asking customers the question “how was our customer service?” forces them to think about their interactions with you. It helps remind customers of the good moments of customer service they have enjoyed with you and reinforces those memories.
If you never asked this question, the customer may very well move on with life and forget just how great your service is.
The trick when asking this question is that it is built upon the assumption that you actually have to do something memorable.
Opportunities for Improvement
A second benefit of this mighty question is that it enables a follow-up and more learning for your business. If the customer answers something other than “fine”, “good”, “great”, etc. you can ask for more details. Try something like “where did we not meet your expectations?” or “how could we have done a better job for you?”
The answers to the follow-up questions will give you plenty of areas to improve your service and the quality of interactions with your customers.
Even if you want to focus on the positive points of your service, you can ask “what did you find most helpful today?” You’ll then know what to continue doing in the future with other customers.
You can remind customers of your customer service, and learn a thing or two, by following Enterprise’s example and asking “how was our customer service?” at the end of your interactions with customers.