My sons were sick yesterday so I took some time off to spend with them. They improved as the day wore on and we ended up outside playing football.
I was in goals and Aidan (6) took a shot which I managed to save. “Great save” I exclaimed. “Self praise is no praise” was his retort. We laughed. I’ve been trying to teach him humility and he had turned the tables.
The incident reminded me of the regularity with which companies and organisations blow their own trumpet – without any basis for so doing.
Have you ever experienced customer service of a lower quality than the provider says they provide?
If you’re like me the answer’s a resounding “yes”.
Where does this disconnect come from?
Well it can obviously be because the provider doesn’t actually ask their customers about the customer service they receive – the providers simply believe they’re doing a great job.
And, even if they do ask their customers, they may be asking the wrong questions or even asking the right questions in the wrong way!
In contrast, here’s an example of a business going about things the right way.
The lesson? A good policy is to avoid saying something unless you know you can back it up.
And if you do want to use positive stories as part of your marketing – then perhaps let such positive stories come from your customers as opposed to from yourself!
If you don’t have such positive stories well then there’s an action for you – to either ask for them or to earn them! Get in touch if you want help getting those stories!
Meanwhile, next time I’m playing with my sons, I’ll try and praise them rather than myself!
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