What Can the 30th President of the United States Teach Us About Customer Service?
Calvin Coolidge, half-length portrait, standing, facing left, tipping his hat. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/94505222/>.
A tip of the cap if you knew the 30th President was…Calvin Coolidge! (Bonus Points if you knew he was the only President born on July 4th.)
But to the point…
Following his term in office, Collier’s magazine contracted for Coolidge to write a series of ten articles, at a then-high rate of $2,000 per article. Coolidge submitted all ten articles as required, but the magazine published only six of them.
When Coolidge called attention to the four unpublished articles, Collier’s editor replied that the magazine had still paid for all ten. So the terms of the contract had been met.
“But if they aren’t worth publishing,” Coolidge responded, “they oughtn’t to be paid for.” He then presented a check for $8,000.
So what’s the point of this anecdote about an ex-President-turned-columnist returning income to which he was legally entitled?
It’s important to show people that you care about what they expect. It shows you’re interested in what they want, it demonstrates your commitment to delivering exactly what they need, and it makes them want to do business with you again.
Know your customers’ expectations. Then make sure you’re living up to them. And if you’re going beyond those expectations, you’ll stand out all the more in a marketplace full of mediocre (or worse) customer service.
Listening to your customers not only gives you the intel you need to execute world-class service, it strengthens your brand reputation by demonstrating your respect for your customers. Believe me, they’re starving for that today!
Of course, it doesn’t take a President to provide world-class service. The tools and the know-how are readily available. For businesses that come up short in delivering on their customers’ expectations, the failure is largely one of will.