"It's Our Policy, Grandma"

Jeffrey Gitomer, the self-acclaimed "America's #1 Sales Authority" wrote a book called "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless."  The book was put in my hands several years ago by my friend, colleague, and mastermind partner Rick VanDermyden--and I want to encourage YOU to put it in your OWN hands.

Customer service teams make or break successful business retention and new business recruitment. I have distributed this book to my customer service teams in the past--and made it a case study for the "right" ways to approach the customer interaction.

There is one section in Gitomer's book that is so insightful that it helped create the subject line of this blog post.  To quote from the book:

"Every time you speak to a customer, end it with "Grandma." If it sounds like something you would say to your grandmother or your grandmother would want to hear, then say it. If not, don't"

Gitomer's examples:

• Sorry, we're closed Grandma.
• What is this in reference to Grandma?
• It's our policy, Grandma.

He goes on. "If you wouldn't say it to your grandma, why would you say it to your customer?  There are lots of phrases you use every day that irritate customers, and you have no clue until you insert "Grandma" at the end."

There are many that argue the customer service team, or "inside office team," is the most important part of customer satisfaction and retention.  I am one of the believers.  Field sales people get all the attention, blame, and glory--but if the inside team or customer service group isn't UNBELIEVABLY professional, friendly, and customer-focused,  then the game is lost at the first phone call. 

The following is straight from Jeffrey Gitomer's website about the book. I say again, buy one for yourself, one for each of your people who touch your customers, and then lead your inside sales team through a several week group reading of the book.  You'll be very pleased that you did.

From Jeffrey Gitomer's Website

Here are Jeffrey Gitomer's 3.5 compelling reasons why you and every employee in your company must own this book, must read this book, and must act on the principles of this book:

1. It contains a game plan that any customer-serving employee, salesperson, manager, executive or entrepreneur can enact to ensure loyal customers.
2. Any front-line employee can read it and "get it." Any front-line employee can read it and "do it."
3. Customer Loyalty is the measure of your present and future success.
3.5 Your competition may already own this book.

From the Table on Contents:

Part I: Customer, the Source of your Paycheck

1. Introducing the Most Important Person in the World
2. Introducing the Customer (Help!)
3. The Reality of Service -- Lousy, Satisfactory, or Memorable?
4. Who's Wrong? What's Wrong?

Part II: The Right Principles Create the Right Words

5. Principles, NOT Policy
6. Three BIG Factors: 1. Get Real. 2. Get Friendly. 3. Get WOW!
7. What's the Word Out on You
8. The (Secret) Service Success Formula
9. If you Talk Stupid, They'll Get Angry
10. It's Not the Apology That Matters...It's the Recovery That Count
11. Benchmarks Set the Standards... for Best Performance
12. Put Your Job Skills to the Test

Part III: Lessons from the Real World

13. Lessons I Learned Sleeping in Someone Else's Bed
14. Lessons I Learned Shopping in Someone Else's Store
15. Lessons I Learned Flying in Someone Else's Airplane
16. Lessons You Never Learned in School
17. Loyalty Lessons from the Real World

Part IV: Loyalty -- The Final Frontier

18. The Loyalty Answers for the Company and You
18.5 Loyalty Mission: The End of Satisfaction