New Contractors To The Company
New contractors, do not tell a customer that you are new to a job rather redirect their question to know their complaints, for example, when asked “how long have you been doing this for “, your response should be “ long enough…is there a specific thing or area you would like me to work on “. By doing this you will make the customer clearly state their requirements and expectations.
The Case of the Mini-Valet Service
One of our technicians went to carry out a mini-valet service for a customer. He completed the job but made two key mistakes.
after finishing the service, he handed the car key back to the customer before collecting payment.
when the customer asked him how long he'd been performing this service, he admitted that he was new to it. The customer's confidence wavered.
Feeling unsure, the customer began to criticize the service, claiming it didn’t meet her expectations. She went on to say she wouldn't pay unless someone else came to redo the job. If he had held onto the car key until payment was made, or if he had confidently reassured the customer instead of revealing his inexperience, the situation could have ended differently.
The Lessons:
1. Keep the car key until payment is secured. This ensures the service is fully completed and paid for before you hand back control of the vehicle.
2. Speak with confidence, even if you're new. Instead of saying you’re inexperienced, Reassure the customer that you have been doing this for a year / two years. ask the customer what specific areas they’d like you to focus on.
For example, How would you feel undergoing heart surgery and the doctor tells you it is his first time right before putting you to sleep?
Take the assessment on Redirecting the conversation: