10 Customer Hostile Behaviours That Need to Stop
Here are 10 customer hostile behaviours that need to stop (in no particular order).
1. DM For Price
It is a breath of fresh air when a business is incredibly transparent. On the other hand, when something as basic as pricing is obscure and seemingly veiled it can invite uncertainty into the transaction. How do I know that the price you are quoting me in the DMs is the same price you are quoting everyone else for example? The argument can be made that it filters the serious inquiries, we would argue that that is not worth chasing away countless potential customers and champions for your brand. We believe businesses should be transparent in their pricing and confident enough to stand by them.
2. Not answering the phone during opening hours
When a business lists their opening hours, it creates an expectation in a prospective or existing customer. It is, in essence, a promise to be available at those listed times. Businesses should make it their business, pun intended, to be available then. If you anticipate needing the first and last hours of a work day for setup and winding down respectively, perhaps they should not be listed as times that you are available to customers. I would go as far as to recommend that lunch hours themselves are specifically identified or excluded out of opening hours too. Lastly, in the case of one-off scenarios, where the entire work-staff will be out, notifications should be sent to your customer base through the respective social media and mailing channels.
3. Surprise charges
Financial Institutions are infamously associated with surprise charges. No matter your net worth, a surprise charge does not sit well. It creates a feeling of unrest and distrust. A similar feeling can be created between business and customer if the customer receives a surprise charge. A great and courteous practice is to let the customer know what each step of the process will cost them upfront and let the power of decision remain with them. Radical transparency of how you arrived at your prices is even better! Be prepared for the event that not every prospective customer will be mature enough to handle your radical transparency however, but the ones that appreciate it have the potential to become champions for your brand.
4. Forcing additional purchases for basic functionality
It has become a trend to remove what was once a key feature of a product and sell it separately, even lauded as “bravery”. This practice however, as smart as it may seem to the manufacturer, can be dangerous. It can slowly create a negative sentiment and while it may seem good for profit in the short term, long term repercussions can be catastrophic including loss of customer confidence. It is a shame that some of the largest tech companies these days are operating with this strategy deeply embedded in their pipeline. Nevertheless we should strive to be customer-oriented.
5. Belittling the customer
Customers are the reason why businesses stay afloat. They should be treated with respect even if refusing their business for an ethical reason.
6. Unnecessary Red Tape
One should not need a law degree to make sense of what a business is offering or to make a purchase for that matter. Information should be presented in a simple, easily digestible manner. For example, a prospective customer should have a concrete idea of what your business is about within 5 seconds of visiting your website. From there on out, browsing your offerings, making a purchase or even contacting you should be a few steps away.
7. Obscurity and Obfuscation
Again, we are on the subject of needing a law degree to make sense of what is on offer. Sometimes businesses, the insurance industry for example, intentionally structure their customer facing material in a way that makes it difficult to be understood by their everyday customer. The unwitting customer often ends up agreeing to several things they do not fully understand including “surprise charges” because they are in need of the service. These businesses “get away” with this practice as it has become standard in many industries. Nevertheless I hold the position that this is a shady way of profiting in the short term, as a customer is quite unlikely to continue doing business with such an institution or even recommend them once they learn of their true nature. The unscrupulous standard practice leaves way for a benign business to step in to revolutionise the said industry.
8. Not Listening to the customer
If we claim to be interested in the customers we are creating products of value for, then we must listen to their feedback. This will allow us to better cater to needs and dial in to address problems with practical solutions. Even in cases where we cannot grant every request, just hearing them out and considering their input goes a far way with building a lasting relationship with your customer.
9. No communication
If we are listening, it stands then that we should respond. People enjoy doing business not only with those that take care of them, but with those that they feel they know. The best way to let our customers get to know us is to communicate with them, in a consistent way. Consistency here is even more crucial than frequency.
10. Greed
Our culture today glorifies the highest earners across the world. The 1%. It has created a perpetuating machine that conditions us to see a billionaire lifestyle as standard and to get there by any means necessary. To live the “good life”. The more you have or can have, the happier we will be. But however clever the method this lie is told, it remains just that. A lie. Honest, perpetual profit is a myth. More does not equal happy and certainly we should not trample over each other as we seek financial gain. When did enough or more than enough stop being enough. When did “most” become the new standard? Let us be aware in our lives and certainly in our business practices to be on guard against greed.
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The Popcorn Maker
