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Consistency Counts

January 23, 2014 By Stan The Trans Man Leave a comment

©iStock.com/Ljupco

©iStock.com/Ljupco


When you hear the word consistency, what do you think of? If you’re a sports fan like me, you might picture Michael Jordan shooting over 85% from the free throw line each year, or Aaron Rodgers having a passer-rating over 100 throughout his career. While these are incredible accomplishments, consistency is more than just performing. It’s about how you approach each task, problem, or customer (in our case) that you run into. Every single time.
In the automotive aftermarket, there are times when we as remanufacturers do everything right. The correct part number is selected, built quickly, and leaves the facility on time. Somewhere between the shipping dock and the customer’s parking lot, there is a problem. Whether the delivery truck broke down, the carrier lost the unit, or a tornado destroyed the terminal, the product did not make it to the customer when they needed it.
Your situations probably aren’t the same as ours, but the question is the same: how do you approach it? When there was nothing you could have done to prevent an issue from happening and the customer is on the phone shouting profanities at you, what are you going to do?
Your consistency dictates the next step you take. If you treat each situation as “just the way it is,” your customer will treat you like “the supplier we used to work with.”  If you’ve trained yourself to attack every opportunity and never waste a good crisis, then you pull a rabbit out of a hat for that customer. You do everything in your power to get your product, service, etc to them so they are up and running – no matter what. When you consistently act like the only option is over-the-top customer service, it isn’t a matter of choosing what to do next. It just happens.
When you have a problem, no matter how big or how small, lay consistent groundwork. When you “practice like you play,” the large issues feel just like the small ones – for both you and your customer.

When there was nothing you could have done to prevent an issue from happening and your customer is on the phone shouting profanities at you, what are you going to do? This week, Stan the Trans Man talks about consistency – and where is really counts. Have something to add? Comment below or email Anthony directly!
FILED UNDER: CUSTOMER SERVICE REMAN U ARTICLES

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