A few months ago, my children's daycare fired their long-time director because she broke company policy for a family in need. The company found themselves in a PR nightmare throughout the entire ordeal. As a parent with two children at the daycare, I can tell you I was disappointed at the lack of communication with their "customers" regarding what was going on. I won't go into the details because that isn't what this blog today is about.
Fast forward...August 1st, the terminated director opened her own daycare and not surprisingly she not only attracted most of the children currently attending her old daycare, but also brought with her a number of the staff my kids enjoyed the most.
I struggled as a parent to decide what to do because we've been a customer of the current daycare for 10 years and have put three kids through the center's program. Ultimately I decided to move the kids.
Now to my point...As I was struggling with making the decision, I realized not once did the new director try to get to know me or my family. She was busy trying to make the center attractive, but forgot to connect with the people (her customers). She planted flowers, got new toys for the kids, painted etc. all to make the center look nice. When it came down to it, I decided it isn't about the appearance of the center, but the people in it and I wasn't alone.
Today will be my kid's last day at the daycare and the center is more of a ghost town then a vibrant daycare. If I had to guess, I'd say 80-90% of the existing families have pulled their children over to the new center. When I talked to some of the parents, they said it was for the same reason. The company has forgotten again that decisions ultimately come down to relationships.
When I gave my notice to the new director to let her know we would no longer be one of her customers, she just replied with "ok" and started working on whatever was in front of her on her desk. After 10-years of being a dedicated customer, this was the reaction. Wow...well...it confirmed my decision and at the same time reminded me of one of the most basic lessons in customer service. People do business with those they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST. People do business with People - it isn't about the pretty brochure or the fancy office. It is about the people inside making connections with customers.
Who is on the front line in your office interacting with your existing customers and what impression are they giving them?
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