A few years ago, when shopping for a new car, the selection process went smoothly until the near end. The sales associate we were dealing with was always personable, polite and tried to be accommodating.
As part of their closing process, we needed to meet with a finance person at the dealership, even though our financing wasn’t going to be with them. In that meeting, we were cornered into a small room and presented a whole parade of options that we were asked to consider. The tactic was easily one of pressure and urgency, to which I, for one, don’t respond well. Catching people when they’re perhaps vulnerable and hoping they’ll purchase some insurance features that are not likely to be necessary didn’t sit well with us.
As a customer, I might have considered some of them if we had seen them before and had time to think through their value. Pin me against the wall, I won’t buy. It makes me consider that they’re really not a great value. It also gives me the message that I, as a customer, am not really valued. Had they given us the respect and truly demonstrated that they appreciate our return business, and allowed us to review them in advance, the outcome may have been different.
Am sure that this might have been their standard process, but it didn’t work with us. Perhaps, the statistics show them that it works a considerable percentage of the time which is why they do their business this way. One approach is not good business, and one size does not fit all. Their tactic was a lost opportunity, at least with us. How do you approach buying? How do you approach your customers?
“Person-To-Person: Becoming a More Effective Communicator” will give you insight into how you process information and how others do the same.
“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” – Jeff Bezos