Managing Customer Expectations

During my last business trip to Norway, I encountered a strange problem with FinnAir. I generally travel by Lufthansa, as I am member of ‘Miles and More’; but this time around due to schedule I had to travel by FinnAir.
The argument was that i have more weight in cabin bag and I was arguing that my total weight is much less then the limit plus I am not crossing the cabin bag limit by much.

Ultimately, I transferred some of my jackets to my check-in bag and managed to get out.

What prompted me to think is how important to have a better customer handling guy at those points where your company meets the customers. Be it front desk at a hotel, a bar tender in a restaurant or a customer relationship manager in any customer engagement activity.

The front desk lady of that airlines could have told me this in a totally different way, this is what happened when I was returning. Stockholm FinnAir handled me in totally different way (Not on the same issue though).

Imagine, you go to get any service and you are well treated and asked to have a seat and initially asked if what they can do for you? Take example of a saloon for a hair-cut, if the haircut reception doesn’t treat you well, however well the haircut may be you will think twice before you go again to the same shop.

Customer is a king and understanding the psychology of the customer needs a great art. It can be any industry. You need to have your best employees at those points where your company interacts with customers in order to do a better customer management and to have repeat customers.

Imagine, a ‘bad-customer-facing’ guy sitting at customer place and not able to manage the expectation. Your company will get a bad reputation and the whole company will be branded based on that experience. Resulting in to no further business or strained relationship.

On the contrary there are several examples where a great customer relationship management by certain individual has resulted in great business.

I have been arguing that India needs a better training to handle customers and especially when we are moving towards service driven industry. I personally feel we lack the art of handling the customers.

Cost of not learning it is high, so better learn it!