Corporate America's efforts to attract and retain customers has created the Killer Customer.  I know, because sometimes I'm one of them. We're the customers who demand high quality service and products at extremely low prices. We expect all of the "bells and whistles" served on a silver platter with a smile, with no regard for the organization's need for profits.  But customer service is a relationship and somewhere along the way, we lost sight of our responsibility in the equation.

A recent experience reminded me of my role in that relationship...and that it pays to be a good customer. My car died. I mean died! I've owned this car for 4 years and have been a customer of this car manufacturer for 30 years. The service manager told me my out of warranty repair bill would be $15,000; however, since I'd been a loyal customer, he'd spoken to his factory rep and gotten that reduced to half. My response was to take a breath. I wanted time to think.

Customer Service is a Two-Way Street
In my head, I was ranting and raving! I've been conscientious, diligently taking my car to the dealer for service every 5000 miles. The car had been in for service just 2 weeks prior to the death. When my anger began to subside, I started to focus on skills I'd learned as a Customer Service Manager and had taught as a Training Specialist. I reminded myself that customer service is a 2-way street and the relationship (key word) works better when both parties are working efficiently. I needed to be a "good customer". Here's how:

• Remain calm and professional.  It's difficult for a provider to help you if you're out of control. I know it's easy to feel entitled, make demands and bully. But you'll get a lot more cooperation if you're perceived as calm and logical.
• Patience is a virtue. Particularly if you're dealing with a difficult or abnormal situation; your vendor needs time to work through their red tape.
• Understand their system.  Ask questions about how their system works. Ideally, you learn about this before a problem occurs. In my situation, I knew there was a Corporate Customer Service Department. I called and asked for their assistance.
• Don't complain. I know that's what we normally do.  Companies used to actually call it the Complaint Department. By complimenting the dealer's efforts to help, I retained their support in escalating to Corporate.  My goal was for all of us to work together to get my vehicle back on the road at a reasonable cost. I wanted my "team" involved, not demeaned.
• Know what you want.  Most providers want to "meet or exceed your expectations".  They can't do that if you can't articulate what you want. In my case, I specifically asked the corporate rep for guidance on what I could expect. I didn't want to short-change myself or ask for something that was so unreasonable it would be denied easily. 

These principles work whether you're an external customer, working with a business or organization, or an internal customer, working with co-workers or team members. We expect a lot as customers. Being a good one is vital to a customer service relationship. And when you're a good customer, people look forward to working with you and go out of their way to help.

Because of my focus on remaining a "good customer", the Service Manager I worked with was able to practice BoldWork™ in our efforts to get this dilemma resolved. He worked consistently for the higher purpose of my satisfaction as a customer, he demonstrated excellence in our work together through his follow-up and, ultimately, he remained accountable to his own integrity and to the greater social meaning of "the right thing to do" for me as a loyal, conscientious customer. Who doesn't want that?

In the end, my bill was reduced by 75% and my service manager still loves me.  I know I'll continue to receive stellar treatment in the future.

*Killer Customers: Tell the Good from the Bad by Larry Seldon and Geoffrey Colvin