Can I Speak With Someone in the Customer Prevention Department?

• January 9, 2018

What company would even have such a department?? You would be surprised and horrified to find out, especially if that department existed in your company!

Make it easy for customers to do business with you… or they won’t! Have you ever tried to do business with a company that seemed like they had a Customer Prevention department? It might sound silly, but think about it!

Here are some signs that a company does not want your business or care about you:

• You call them and leave a message but they don’t call you back……. ever
• You ask them to send you something and you never receive it
• They answer their phone and sound bothered that you are calling them and interrupting them
• They don’t have their phone number listed on their website
• You can’t leave a message if you call after hours for a return phone call
• You visit their business and you can’t find anyone to help you
• You go to the counter to pay for your purchase and the person behind the counter is too busy texting on their cell phone to notice that you’re even standing there with money in your hand
• The employees of the company complain about their bosses, co-workers, policies or other customers in front of you

If you encounter such a company when you’re the customer, my advice to you is to pass them by. A friend of mine recently went to a local hair salon to get a blowout before a special event. She told me that although her hair looked beautiful, the hairstylist spent the entire time on a personal call on her cell phone. Not only did my friend feel unimportant, she felt like an inconvenience. Why should she return to a salon that clearly does not appreciate or value their customers, when there are numerous salons who do?

Business owners need to remember that they’re not the only game in town.  Actually, they probably have many competitors whose product or service is in all probability very similar to theirs.  The price is likely comparable as well.  So why should you buy it from them instead of “Joe down the street?”

Imagine getting into a car accident. You call up your insurance company and explain the situation. The first thing out of the agent’s mouth is, “What’s your policy number?” This agent is in the Customer Prevention Department. How should they have handled the call? “I’m so sorry to hear that you were in an accident! Are you alright?”

According to a survey by Bain & Company, 80% of companies surveyed believe they deliver a superior customer experience.  However, only 8% of their customers agree.  Those numbers just don’t add up, and it’s a recipe for disaster.  If you think you’re doing a great job taking care of your customers but your customers think otherwise, they may not be your customers for very long.

If you suspect that your company has a Customer Prevention Department, then it’s time to eliminate that department – and quickly!