I was once told…and I quote… “Happy customers are not the goal. You need to give your clients what they need, not what they want.”
Happy customers are not the goal? Happy customers are the goal to end all goals! If your customers aren’t happy, then…well…eventually you won’t have any customers.
The second part of the statement regarding need vs. want is valid. Customers who are given what they need are in the long run better off then customers who are simply given what they want.
Need vs. want
A customer may be happy in the short term because you gave them what they asked for, but happiness is fleeting if what you gave them did not provide them with the results they needed.
But a customer who has been forced to take what they need over what they want isn’t always happy either. They may grudgingly admit your approach gave them the results they needed but you may have sacrificed the relationship in the process. It does not mean you made them happy. And it does not mean they will come back to you for their next project either.
Eat it. It’s good for you.
There are many who approach the customer-consultant relationship with a me-vs-them mentality. The consultant thinks, “I am the expert. I know what is best. You should do what I say.” And that may be true but if you’re not careful, you can come across as an arrogant, combative, know-it-all and arrogance doesn’t look good on anybody.
That approach may work in a corporate setting where all your customers are internal and have no choice but to come to you with their projects. But be warned – the fickle finger of fate has been known to change that as well, and if you’ve earned a reputation for being difficult to work with you may lose more than your internal customers.
Happy customers are my goal
I prefer a softer, collaborative approach with my customers. I want to build trust and give my customers what they need AND want.
I will give you my honest opinion on what I believe will give you the results you need, but I’m not going to ram it down your throat. I won’t force you to eat your vegetables or clean your room either.
That doesn’t mean I won’t ever say ‘no’ to a customer. I will never promise anything I do not believe I can effectively deliver.
Happy customers are and will always be the goal. The difference is how you get there.
