Sometimes we have a relationship we think is good, but it really isn’t. It\u2019s true in friendships, marriages, and yes, even business relationships. There are some signs that your Customer relationship is all about you, or one-sided, and they are easier to spot than you think.<\/p>\n
Many of the things that make personal relationships fail make your relationship with Customers one-sided. I wrote a blog a while back about some friends who only called me when they wanted something.<\/a>\u00a0Over time, I learned they aren\u2019t really friends. If one side has to make all the effort, it\u2019s not a productive, equal, or fruitful relationship. Many organizations are guilty of this behavior whether they realize it or not. The first step for change, however, requires awareness. To that end, here are three ways you can identify how you are making your relationship with Customers one-sided:<\/strong><\/p>\n #1: \u00a0You don\u2019t take no for an answer.<\/strong><\/p>\n If your technique is to keep trying to overcome objections until you get to \u201cYes,\u201d you are not asking for the business; you are demanding it. This method is not the way to set up a relationship that is open and honest with your current and future customers. Instead, you encourage them to find a new relationship, a competitor who listens to what they have to say.<\/p>\n #2: \u00a0Your Customer retention<\/a> plan includes penalties or fines if they want to end the relationship.<\/strong><\/p>\n Locking someone in an agreement by threats of penalties is not a great way to start a relationship. Is this a relationship or an indentured servitude? It virtually guarantees they will want to get out of this arrangement once they become a \u201cclient.\u201d But since you have the handy fine in place, they will have no choice but to bear it out until the contract ends. Fines and penalties are in place to protect you from losses. If you find that the Customer is always winning, and you are not, this is not good for business. From an operational standpoint you can\u2019t always be the one that loses. Of course, Customers can\u2019t always feel like they lose either. That\u2019s terrible from a retention standpoint. A relationship is a two-way street. It should build on a win\/win foundation.<\/p>\n #3: \u00a0Your policy is to renew this cycle, over and over again.<\/strong><\/p>\n Maybe these two sound familiar, Maybe you think I am na\u00efve or that my label of one-sided is code for \u201chow it\u2019s done.\u201d However, Customer Centricity puts the Customer first, not the organization. Those that don\u2019t put the Customer first are more likely to have these types of policies, creating relationships that exhibit classic signs of one-sidedness. If you support either of these concepts, maybe it\u2019s time for you to take another look at the relationship you set up with your Customers.<\/p>\n Is Your Relationship with Your Customers All about You?<\/strong> So how do you know you are in a One-Sided relationship, and on the wrong side of it? That\u2019s easy: the relationship leaves you feeling emotionally spent instead of recharged. If you feel drained by it, threatened into it or afraid to find out what would happen if you were to change it, then you have a classic one-sided relationship.<\/p>\n Relationships are everywhere in your life, good and bad. Mostly we keep the good relationships close and find a way to kick the bad ones to the curb. It is easy to imagine this relationship playing out in a romantic sense. It can sometimes be harder to see in \u201cother\u201d relationships–especially if you are the one making it that way.<\/p>\n What are some other signs of a one-sided relationship? I would love to hear what you think some other signs show an organization is only thinking of themselves and not the Customer.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in the following blogs:<\/em><\/p>\n Colin Shaw<\/em><\/a> is the founder and CEO of<\/em> Beyond Philosophy<\/em><\/a>, one of the world’s first organizations devoted to customer experience<\/a>. Colin is an international author of<\/em> four best-selling books<\/em><\/a> and an engaging keynote speaker.<\/em><\/p>\n
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