32 thoughts on “Are Your Policies Customer Friendly?”

1. Oh this really resonates Paul. I recently tried to put myself in my clients’ perspective of doing business with me and it really opened my eyes to some of my behaviours and ways of working with them. I know my clients get incredible value from the service I provide but I suddenly became aware that there was room for improvement in the way I engage with them before, during and after providing the service that would serve them (and therefore me) so much better.

   I’m new in business so it’s an obvious thing for me to do to look inward to my business. Your post reminds me that this is actually always a work in progress. Ongoing business success is going to be dependent on continually reviewing how we show up with our clients, the behaviours we exhibit, the policies and practices we use.

   Thanks for your insight as usual.

   1. I give you so much credit for doing this Jude . . . not an easy thing to do.

      It was when I did this recently that I realized that I needed to accept charge cards from my coaching clients and here’s the best part . . .  it’s a win/win in there because I will automatically receive payments.

      Sometimes these little bouts of “self analysis” makes EVERYONE a winner.

      Thanks for stopping by Jude!

2. You are absolutely correct. And if you own or manage the type of business that allows for customizing service, even better. Bot not taking credit cards, that’s pretty amazing considering many businesses do not take checks. Another operational cost that customers dislike is freight and anything to do fuel surcharges. Or how they can place orders. And also means of troubleshooting communication. 

   1. Very true Cheri and even beyond the costs that are being transfered to the customer are the crazy policies that only serve the supplier.

      Thanks for your valuable thoughts my friend!

3. You are absolutely correct. And if you own or manage the type of business that allows for customizing service, even better. Bot not taking credit cards, that’s pretty amazing considering many businesses do not take checks. Another operational cost that customers dislike is freight and anything to do fuel surcharges. Or how they can place orders. And also means of troubleshooting communication. 

   1. Very true Cheri and even beyond the costs that are being transfered to the customer are the crazy policies that only serve the supplier.

      Thanks for your valuable thoughts my friend!

4. Experiences like those keep us on our toes!  They serve as a wake up call, don’t they?

   1. They sure do Fant . . . great point!

      I bet all of us have at least one customer touch point that could stand a little polish.

      Thank you for your wisdom Mr Smith . . . always a pleasure my friend!

   2. They sure do Fant . . . great point!

      I bet all of us have at least one customer touch point that could stand a little polish.

      Thank you for your wisdom Mr Smith . . . always a pleasure my friend!

5. Great thoughts, Paul. Policies should always be customer friendly…and should be conveyed as such. I’ve run into situations that customers have been temporarily put off by my company’s policies until I explain why we do what we do. We should never simply say, “It’s our policy” and leave it at that. We should always offer a reason. “We’re a cash only business” is the equivalent of saying, “Because I said so and that’s why.” it may have worked for our parents when we were children but it doesn’t work for us with autonomous consumers in the marketplace.

   1. You really captured an important aspect of this whole “customer friendly” thing Doug . . . when we truly need to have something in place that our customers could have an issue with, taking that moment to explain it really is critical.

      FYI I hated when my parents said “Because I said so” 🙂 and couldn’t agree with you more when you point that out.

      Thanks for helping us take this up a notch Doug!

   2. You really captured an important aspect of this whole “customer friendly” thing Doug . . . when we truly need to have something in place that our customers could have an issue with, taking that moment to explain it really is critical.

      FYI I hated when my parents said “Because I said so” 🙂 and couldn’t agree with you more when you point that out.

      Thanks for helping us take this up a notch Doug!

6. Hi Paul,

   Great post as always. You make great points about the cash thing…I rarely have $20 bucks with me and rely on my debit/credit card. Makes life easier because I can track my expenses, which is something my accountant appreciates. I suck at accounting details:).

   When I read your post, two things popped up for me. One the attitude. Really – you bring it up at the end of the meal? It sounds like they kept their policy under wraps rather than be up front and center about it. In other words, in bold letters on the front door or in the menu for all to see. You are a sharp guy, so I’m confident you wouldn’t have missed it.

   As for credit cards and the % you give up per sale…to me that’s the price of business these days. I accept credit cards because it is often easier for clients and frankly, it gets money in the bank more quickly. I set my pricing taking fees into consideration. This restaurant could do the same. Or better yet…they could have a cash price and a credit card price with the credit card price incorporating the fees that they pay. In this day and age, I think the restaurant owners are being very short-sighted not to mention rude. You won’t go back – that’s bad enough. But you have influence and just told thousands of your peeps the story. You should probably disclose the name of the place and that would truly hit them in their pocketbook.

   1. Hi Barb,

      You know, I downplayed the attitude but it really did piss me off. She acted as if I was supposed to know this but even more so like this was a common practice. 

      Truth be told, she also had me feeling like an idiot for a few seconds, because I was wondering how I could have missed the sign. 

      Well there wasn’t any.

      I agree with you with regard to the price of doing business and that makes me scratch this balding head of mine even more because their prices were on the high end (the place was a glorified coffee shop by with Greek dudes and dudettes because it was a Greek place 🙂 ) 

      Here’s what bothers me on a very similar level Barb . . . 

      We are just starting to come out of really bad economy here in the states. Going out to eat, during a challenging economy is somewhat of a luxury considering we are all watching our pennies. 

      So why would we screw with that when to top it off, there are no less than 50 other places where I can eat, within a 10 minute drive.

      That’s when I start scrutinizing everything, including the high prices that didn’t bother me until they made the buying experience more difficult.

      Thanks Barb!

7. Hi Paul,

   Great post as always. You make great points about the cash thing…I rarely have $20 bucks with me and rely on my debit/credit card. Makes life easier because I can track my expenses, which is something my accountant appreciates. I suck at accounting details:).

   When I read your post, two things popped up for me. One the attitude. Really – you bring it up at the end of the meal? It sounds like they kept their policy under wraps rather than be up front and center about it. In other words, in bold letters on the front door or in the menu for all to see. You are a sharp guy, so I’m confident you wouldn’t have missed it.

   As for credit cards and the % you give up per sale…to me that’s the price of business these days. I accept credit cards because it is often easier for clients and frankly, it gets money in the bank more quickly. I set my pricing taking fees into consideration. This restaurant could do the same. Or better yet…they could have a cash price and a credit card price with the credit card price incorporating the fees that they pay. In this day and age, I think the restaurant owners are being very short-sighted not to mention rude. You won’t go back – that’s bad enough. But you have influence and just told thousands of your peeps the story. You should probably disclose the name of the place and that would truly hit them in their pocketbook.

   1. Hi Barb,

      You know, I downplayed the attitude but it really did piss me off. She acted as if I was supposed to know this but even more so like this was a common practice. 

      Truth be told, she also had me feeling like an idiot for a few seconds, because I was wondering how I could have missed the sign. 

      Well there wasn’t any.

      I agree with you with regard to the price of doing business and that makes me scratch this balding head of mine even more because their prices were on the high end (the place was a glorified coffee shop by with Greek dudes and dudettes because it was a Greek place 🙂 ) 

      Here’s what bothers me on a very similar level Barb . . . 

      We are just starting to come out of really bad economy here in the states. Going out to eat, during a challenging economy is somewhat of a luxury considering we are all watching our pennies. 

      So why would we screw with that when to top it off, there are no less than 50 other places where I can eat, within a 10 minute drive.

      That’s when I start scrutinizing everything, including the high prices that didn’t bother me until they made the buying experience more difficult.

      Thanks Barb!

8. If you don’t make it easy for your customers to do business with you, they won’t.  Period.  The end.  Next!  

   1. So true Randi.

      We have more choices than ever and I truly believe that there’s always a competitor out there lurking who truly “gets it”

      Thanks for dropping by Ms Busse!

   2. So true Randi.

      We have more choices than ever and I truly believe that there’s always a competitor out there lurking who truly “gets it”

      Thanks for dropping by Ms Busse!

9. Paul, I think the restaurant needs to get out of the stone age and realize that we are becoming a cashless society.

   That being said, I believe that policies are in place to protect both the customer and the business. If it doesn’t help either, it should be reviewed and updated. As a sales leader, I am faced periodically with people who don’t like a company policy. I find that it usually has something to do with returns (I’m just sayin’).

   Miriam

   1. And that’s the thing Miriam . . . things do have to consider both sides. 

      We clearly can’t have things in place that tip the scales so far to the client’s needs that we end up taking huge loses, having legal issues and ultimately going out of business.

      Balance.

      I believe most of us, are unaware of how doing business with us looks like from the customer’s perspective simply because we haven’t taken the time to “be the customer” or even just ask them.

      Thanks Miriam. I really appreciate your input as well as the RT on Twitter my friend!

   2. And that’s the thing Miriam . . . things do have to consider both sides. 

      We clearly can’t have things in place that tip the scales so far to the client’s needs that we end up taking huge loses, having legal issues and ultimately going out of business.

      Balance.

      I believe most of us, are unaware of how doing business with us looks like from the customer’s perspective simply because we haven’t taken the time to “be the customer” or even just ask them.

      Thanks Miriam. I really appreciate your input as well as the RT on Twitter my friend!

10. Paul, business should be about win-win and respect both sides needs. As a business owner, my need is to have a constant cash flow. As the economy was weak for some time, the ‘day-sale-outstanding’ lengthened in some cases from 30 days to 90 days, which was about to affected my bottom line. Now I use down payments before I start to perform. Observing that from a customer perspective, it might be unfriendly. But a need to run my life. Just to be fair: decision makers are with me and see my point, the financial departments sometimes do not. Which leads to other questions…
    Sometimes you need to have policies (I call it modus operandi) which are not everybodies favorite. The result for me: Clients love people with rules (instead of policies) and help me to manage a DSO that is currently less than 30 days. The result for my clients: A highly motivated performance consultant which delivers great value.

    1. Thanks for your perspective Helmut . . . I totally agree with it having to be a win/win and the idea that sometimes it won’t.

       I think the challenge (in some situations) can be if we are asking for things that aren’t customary in which case we had better be damn good at what we doing.

       And when I say “damn good” I don’t mean by our own declaration, I mean damn good as in there’s a line of people outside waiting to do business with us.

       I think the other part of this Helmut is in our ability to explain our policies to our clients in a way that doesn’t sound like a “my way or the highway” ultimatum. 

       With your situation it seems you have not only done that, but have the full support of your clients.

       Thanks for stopping by and sharing your valuable input Helmut!

11. Paul, business should be about win-win and respect both sides needs. As a business owner, my need is to have a constant cash flow. As the economy was weak for some time, the ‘day-sale-outstanding’ lengthened in some cases from 30 days to 90 days, which was about to affected my bottom line. Now I use down payments before I start to perform. Observing that from a customer perspective, it might be unfriendly. But a need to run my life. Just to be fair: decision makers are with me and see my point, the financial departments sometimes do not. Which leads to other questions…
    Sometimes you need to have policies (I call it modus operandi) which are not everybodies favorite. The result for me: Clients love people with rules (instead of policies) and help me to manage a DSO that is currently less than 30 days. The result for my clients: A highly motivated performance consultant which delivers great value.

    1. Thanks for your perspective Helmut . . . I totally agree with it having to be a win/win and the idea that sometimes it won’t.

       I think the challenge (in some situations) can be if we are asking for things that aren’t customary in which case we had better be damn good at what we doing.

       And when I say “damn good” I don’t mean by our own declaration, I mean damn good as in there’s a line of people outside waiting to do business with us.

       I think the other part of this Helmut is in our ability to explain our policies to our clients in a way that doesn’t sound like a “my way or the highway” ultimatum. 

       With your situation it seems you have not only done that, but have the full support of your clients.

       Thanks for stopping by and sharing your valuable input Helmut!

12. Great exercise.
    As it is now I just want to believe that what I do for my customers is good and right. But when I used your exercise I do realize there are some touch points that just aren’t completely right.

    It isn’t always so obvious what you are doing wrong, but you need to dig and find it before a customer does.

    1. You know its funny Daniel, every time I do this exercise, I learn something including things that people like and simply want me to do more of . . . and that’s a cool problem to have 🙂

       Thanks for stopping by to contribute Daniel . . . I really appreciate it!

    2. You know its funny Daniel, every time I do this exercise, I learn something including things that people like and simply want me to do more of . . . and that’s a cool problem to have 🙂

       Thanks for stopping by to contribute Daniel . . . I really appreciate it!

13. Customer service is the key to not just retaining but acquiring customers.  Overdoing it vs. under, and doing it in a place people can relate to (IE: in country) is the way to go each and every time.  It’s great to freak people out customers and prospect with how much you do for them (particularly if it’s at not cost), and it makes a sales team feel great about what their doing.

14. Customer service is the key to not just retaining but acquiring customers.  Overdoing it vs. under, and doing it in a place people can relate to (IE: in country) is the way to go each and every time.  It’s great to freak people out customers and prospect with how much you do for them (particularly if it’s at not cost), and it makes a sales team feel great about what their doing.

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