“Turn off the TV and go to sleep right now.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
I can still hear my dad saying those words to me when I was a kid. Back then, there were times when his authority was simply enough. He didn’t need to go into a long drawn-out explanation. His word was final. I turned off the TV and went to sleep.
Do you remember those days? I’m sure you do.
Now, my dad could have said, “Son, it’s time for you to turn off the TV and go to sleep. If you don’t do that, you won’t get enough rest and you will not do well on your test tomorrow. If that happens, it will affect your overall grade point average and that will go into your permanent record. It may very well prevent you from receiving an academic scholarship later on and you may not be able to attend the college or university of your choice, thus limiting your earning potential and possibly leading to a career which will neither fulfill you nor meet your financial needs. Don’t you think it would be wise for you to turn off the TV now and try and get some sleep?”
As a first or second grader, I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend all that information. As a matter of fact, I most likely would’ve fallen asleep long before he actually finished his detailed explanation!
But, as an adult, I do question things.
Nowadays, I need information.
I need to know WHY.
And “Because I said so” just doesn’t cut it anymore (Although, if my dad was still around, it might).
Our customers are the same way. They want to know WHY.
Most of the time, all they really need in order to say YES… is to know WHY.
Example: A customer says, “I received a notice that Bob is no longer going to be my bug guy and you are sending some new technician named Steve to my house. Why?”
Answer (Why): “Because… Bob has been promoted! He is now sales and is no longer servicing residential pest control accounts. He is excited about his promotion. We wish Bob the best and we know you do too. Steve has taken over Bob’s responsibilities. But, rest assured, Steve will deliver the same high quality care and friendly customer service that you were accustomed to with Bob. I guarantee it. Just give Steve a chance and let him prove it to you. Would you be willing to do that?”
My point: Anytime you change the rules or ask you customers to do something different and/or unexpected, you must give them a complete, detailed explanation that they can clearly understand. (And it helps to leave them feeling as if they have a choice and not feeling boxed into a corner.)
Why?
Because…you want them to say YES.
And “Because I said so” just won’t cut it.
Thanks for reading this letter, and I hope YOU have a great day,
Hal
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