Oh, for heaven’s sake, why can’t they do it right?

There are rules and there are rules. Most salespeople don’t follow them. Most service people don’t follow them.

Oh, they follow their policy.

Companies make policy rules to protect themselves. I’m talking about the rules that will attract a customer, create a purchase, keep the customer loyal, generate profit and generate referrals. The real rules.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Federal District Court Rules Corporate Transparency Act Unconstitutional . . . But Most Small Businesses Must Still Comply

Lyons Gaddis Real Estate and Business Attorney Cameron Grant shares important details of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).

Policy and sales, or policy and loyal customers, have little if anything in common. Policy doesn’t attract customers — it usually (OK, always) repels them.

My last two flights on US Airways have been less than stellar. Unfriendly, unprepared people “doing the best they can” or “just doing their job.” In retrospect it’s laughable, but in the heat of the moment, it’s maddening.

You’d think that a company like US Airways, on the ropes, in the depths of financial disaster, fighting for survival, would pull out all the stops to serve its customers better in order to sell more tickets. Not even close.

I won’t bore you with the details, but last night I asked for the phone number of a “boss” at the Charlotte airport. I called the “elite” chairman’s preferred number (note: I have been a member of that group since its inception, and just received a letter of congratulations as one of their 500 top customers. There was no phone number on the letter. What a disgrace.)

Anyway, I asked the very nice woman at the chairman’s desk to have this guy call me, and she “couldn’t guarantee anything,” so I asked her to e-mail me his number. Silence.

After a long pause, she said, “We don’t have e-mail, Mr. Gitomer.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked.

“I wish I was,” she sighed.

“Anyone ever ask you to e-mail them?” I asked.

“Every hour of every day,” she said.

Pathetic.

Now understand that not having e-mail is, in my opinion, not a problem. It’s a symptom. The problem is that US Airways, and many of its brethren, have no understanding for what it takes to attract the business they so desperately need.

Lousy food. No high-speed computer access in their clubs (some airlines finally have it in their clubs, but US Airways is still “investigating it”). Poor service. Unfriendly people. Fewer pillows and blankets on overnight flights. US Airways calls it “cost-cutting.” It’s actually “costing” them millions in lost revenues and loyal customers.

Businesses don’t recover from financial ruin by cutting costs. They do it by building sales. What good is cost-cutting without a revenue base? I think that’s Economics 101.

Remember the last CEO of American Airlines who cut costs, cut employees, but gave himself and the board millions of dollars in bonuses? Forced to resign. Anyone heard from him? I hear he’s now a waiter at Shoney’s.

It never ceases to amaze me that big company executives sit in meetings and actually think their policy decisions are good.

Policies are designed to frustrate both employees and customers. Wow. Come on boys, pour it on me. Drive me away. Let me take my money and vote for the competition.

Here are the lessons.

1. It’s always about the service. Attracting customers is hard. Keeping them is much harder. Creating positive word of mouth is hardest.

2. Don’t milk, cut or save just because profits wane. Attract harder. Serve better. Wow wherever possible.

3. Treat customers great. Treat employees better than customers. The employees are the ones who carry the message to the front lines of customer communications.

3.5. Make your policies have answers and solutions that address a positive outcome in every customer interaction.

Why am I on this rant? Why am I the last angry consumer? It’s customer service week. Do you hear any chief executive on Lou Dobbs saying, ‘We’re going to serve better'”?

Go shopping or call any retail business. See if you notice any difference. I don’t. And I wish I did.

Jeffrey Gitomer is author of “The Sales Bible” and “Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless.” He is president of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer. He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached at (704) 333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com.

? 2003 All Rights Reserved