Are You A Coward? I Was

Over the last month, I have come to hate emails and answerphones; not because I get 100 emails every day but because emails and answerphones are fast becoming the tool of the coward. At Beyond Philosophy we worked with a client a while ago whose account managers and sales teams never used to speak to anyone! They just used to send emails. If the customer called in they were greeted by answerphones which were kept on all day. You see the sales teams were all busy doing "real" work. The customers were just interrupting them. Surely this must be the height of "inside out" behaviour.

But why do people do this?

Primarily, it is because we all feel we can say things in emails that we would never say face to face. In my experience this never works how people would expect. No matter how hard you try, you think you have written one thing and the person reads something else. Before you know it you have lost a customer or lost a friend. We seem to forget that that all important 'relationship' with the customer is built on human contact, not emails!

One example springs to mind a few years ago when I worked in a multinational organisation and was involved in a large internal project. Things were not going well. I decided to send a "broadside" to the party who were driving me nuts! I took great delight in constructing the email. It was actually quite therapeutic. I worked on it to get the right message across so they would absolutely read between the lines and understand what I thought. I pressed the button and off into the ether it went. I remember thinking, 'Great I have told them what I think'. COWARD! How stupid I was, how naive, how self-righteous I was, and how wrong I was!

I lived to regret it. The email caused a big argument. I had said things that were misinterpreted despite my best attempts to be clear. I ended up upsetting a lot of people. I ended up regretting sending it. I was wrong. Since that day I now have adopted a few rules with emails that I would like to share with you.

1. Insist that all calls are answered by people and answer phones are banned other than outside office or opening hours.

2. Never reply to an email when you are emotionally charged. DO NOT type a reply and press the send button, until you have had a cooling off period. Put it in your "Draft" emails and look at it the next day. I always end up changing mine.

3. When you think "Shall I talk to them or shall I send them an email? It is at that moment when that little voice in your heads says; "No, just send them an email that'll be simpler, you don't want to talk to them it may be embarrassing?.." That is exactly the time I know I MUST talk to them. So pick up the phone and talk! It's never as bad as you expect and people always appreciate it.

4. Finally a plea. When anyone sends you an email, please reply. Don't just ignore it. Reply even to say "GO AWAY". I find it amazing that you can send an email to someone and they don't even have the courtesy of replying. What's your thought? If you have a view, drop me a line!

Colin Shaw Founding Partner, Beyond Philosophy © Beyond Philosophy 2004 - Ref. QR

Colin Shaw is the Founding Partner of Beyond Philosophy and guru of the Customer Experience Management. He has also produced two most successful books on customer experience which are now available in market. His first book, Building Great Customer Experiences sold out within just eight weeks, is on a third reprint and available in paperback.

Colin's second book, Revolutionize Your Customer Experience released in September 2004 and considered as Bible in Customer managment business world.

Colin has enjoyed over 20 years of experience working in blue chip companies, including Mars Ltd., Rank Xerox and BT. Colin's final position was Director of Customer Experience for one of the world's largest global companies. In his career, he has held senior positions in a number of different functional areas including Sales, Marketing, Customer Service and Training.

Ask Colin A Question

View what Colin is saying

---

Transforming Disgruntled Customers into Your Biggest Advocates

"I am writing to complain about the widget I bought... Read More

Clients... and 38 ways to communicate with them

As Alan Weiss (guru to the savvy consultant) says: "It... Read More

How To Keep Your Customers Coming Back -- Understanding Customer Retention

Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth... Read More

It Is All About Customer Service!

In this day of terrible customer service, it should come... Read More

Automating Your Customer Support

My regular readers will know that one of the things... Read More

Why Cant Microsoft Make Soft Packaging?

Why is it that Microsoft wants you to buy its... Read More

Are You Satisfying Your Customers?

The latest report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (Michigan... Read More

What Do They Want Anyway?

You want customers. I want customers. We all want customers.... Read More

Develop Loyal Customers for a Lifetime ? part 1 (1 ? 10)

Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their... Read More

Accountability

The Call Center world is an intense pressure-driven environment continually... Read More

Committed To Your Customer? Prove It When They Complain!

Businesses like to brag in their advertising about quality of... Read More

When a Customer Has Done Everything to Get Your Goat

You try to make your customers happy. You sincerely WANT... Read More

Clients - What They Want from You

A growing number of individuals are finding themselves called to... Read More

What To Do When Youve Blown It

It's bound to happen sooner or later ? yes, even... Read More

Customer Service and Marketing that Works

Go into many businesses today and try and get service,... Read More

Your Career Plan--Think Like A CEO

You've been going 6-to-late; exhausted by running the supersonic treadmill... Read More

Take Care of Yourself Before You Take Care of Your Customer

One of the most important questions people ask when they... Read More

One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day

What happened to the old saying, the customer is always... Read More

Doesnt Anybody Work Here? Nametags Impact Employee Communication

Walmart was the first business to require all its employees... Read More

Creating the Right ?Viral Reputation?

Unless you are brand new to business, or have been... Read More

The Importance of Good Customer Service

Do you have good customer service? Even for your free... Read More

Retail Store U-Scan Machines: Self-Serve or Voluntary Part Time Job?

Do many of us realize that we are working an... Read More

Get Customers to Stop Calling You--12 Easy Ways to Save Money with Online Customer Support

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Web is not dead.... Read More

Find Out Where Your Firm Stands in Today?s Customer

Looking For Ways to Improve Sales and Customer Relationships?Find Out... Read More

Restaurant Owners ? How Important are People Skills?

You are serving great food. Your establishment is new, spotless... Read More

Tips for Curing Bad Customer Service

Bad customer service is everywhere these days - unmanned front... Read More

Say It With Humor

When you own a business, you may find yourself in... Read More

The Sellers Creed

I will not make sales. I will make Customers.I will... Read More

Leverage Customer Capital First

If you're still dreaming about raising outside capital for your... Read More

Stellar Customer Service in 10 Simple Steps

If you're like me, you've had plenty of experience with... Read More

How To Kick Your Customer Service Up A Notch!

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Human Tech Tips --... Read More

Customer Service: Everyone is Fighting Their Own Personal Battles

Relationships... Money... Health..The Past...Failure..Mental and Spiritual Battles..Time Constraints...Professional pressures..At any... Read More

Making Your Contacts Work For You

The best way to explain this concept is to tell... Read More