Meeting the Client's Needs

I recently had a couple of reminders about how
important it is to meet our clients' needs.

Those of us in the service business need to remember
that it is the clients' perspectives that are most
important, not necessarily our point of view.

The first reminder came the last time I was getting
my hair cut. I overheard the receptionist talking
with one of the stylists in the shop.

The receptionist was the one who made the
reminder calls for the appointments the day
before they were scheduled. Since she was
making calls for all the stylists, she had
thirty to fifty calls to make each day.

In order to get through the calls, she found it
useful to leave them as quickly as possible.

One of the customers had said to her that it was
difficult to understand her message because she
spoke so fast, and that the customer had to replay
it a couple of times to make sure of what was
being communciated.

After relating what the customer had said to her,
the receptionist said to the stylist (as if she was
talking to the customer): "You try making more
than thirty calls, and see how fast you leave the
messages".

What struck me about this brief conversation was
that the purpose of the call had been overlooked.
Although the receptionist was being efficient, the
purpose of the reminder call was to be caring and
welcoming to the customer. And if there was a
reason why the appointment couldn't be kept, to
open the lines of communication so that the stylist
didn't have an open appointment time.

Even though it may have been the receptionist's
thirtieth call, it was the first one received by that
customer. In an effort to get her task completed
as quickly as possible, the receptionist lost sight
of the fact that the customer was somewhat incon-
venienced by having to replay the message several
times.

It was a great reminder for me to constantly
recommit to serving my clients. Every one who
calls me for information, for rates or to help them
solve a problem deserves for me to treat them like
it is my first call of the day.

They are calling me to help them meet their goals,
for their reasons. I owe it to them to be patient,
considerate and thorough.

The second reminder came tonight. My wife Sheri
and I went to see Van Morrison in concert at the
Civic Theater in San Diego. It was the first time he
had performed in San Diego in 37 years!

He performed for about 90 minutes and I thought
he put on a great show. Even though he is 65 years
old, he brought energy, professionalism, and a
virtuosity to his concert.

I know that not all of my readers will know his
music, but at his age, how many times do you think
he has sang "Gloria", "Brown Eyed Girl", "Moon-
dance" and his other hits? Thousands, I am sure.

What struck me, was that even though these songs
have been sung by him an untold number of times,
this was my first opportunity to hear him live. And he
delivered a high-quality performance that respected
those in attendance and brought credit to his pro-
fessional reputation.

I suppose he could have just "mailed it in". But
that would serve no one. The audience would have
been justifiably disappointed and felt cheated.
Van Morrison would have diminished his reputation
as a performer by delivering a sub-par effort.

The lesson I took away from this was that I need
to always remind myself that my customer may
only have one encounter with me. I need to respect
their concerns and deliver the highest quality
service that I can in that encounter.

They may ask me to be part of their team of trusted
advisors for a period of time to help them meet their
goals. They are inviting me into their financial lives,
asking for my assistance, and paying me for my
services.

My clients deserve nothing less than my best effort
when we work together. And I can thank the salon
receptionist and a professional entertainer for the
reminders.