Are You Worthy Of A Recommendation?

I am sure, like me, you are familiar with receiving emails requesting feedback on the experiences you've had with companies you've dealt with. The requests for customer feedback could come from a wide range of companies such as banks, travel agents, telecom businesses, web services companies, retail stores, utility companies, and even not-for-profit charitable organisations.

All the questions and ratings that are required in the survey are relatively straight forward until you get to the question, "How likely are you to recommend [insert company name] to your friends, family or colleagues?" Here you are given a scale from 0 to 10, with 0, Not Likely and 10, Very Likely.

When faced with this question, I'm usually having to decide whether to score a 7, 8 or 9. [I never score a 10 because I feel that no company falls into a perfect, very likely to recommend category]. I normally would not consider proceeding with the customer survey from a company if the service has been average unless there was a point to be made. Fortunately, I have not had many bad experiences and even if I did, it's very unlikely that such companies would conduct customer surveys like the one mentioned above. [It's a paradoxical dilemma that companies who have poor reputations are often the ones not conducting customer surveys as they should.]

After rating the ‘recommendation’ question with a score, often a pop-up question would appear requiring an explanation as to why I scored the way I did.

After conducting a number of these surveys recently I thought it would be interesting to write an essay with the rhetorical question "Are You Worthy Of A Recommendation?"

From a client-to-business perspective there are five attributes which I consider critical before considering recommending a product, a service, a person or business. There was recently a case in point.

I have had the same financial adviser for a number of years and last month I was asked by a friend if I knew anyone who could assist him in providing some financial advice. I did not hesitate to make a recommendation because as far as I was concerned the five attributes I value were consistently met by my adviser.

The five attributes which I regard as important before providing a recommendation are:

1. Professional integrity

2. Service excellence

3. Excellence in quality standards

4. Responsiveness

5. Proven and consistent track record
   

Professional integrity is critical in a successful business relationship

I regard the first attribute Professional Integrity as the most important when dealing with a service provider. You hear many stories of service providers who are out to unscrupulously skim money or other valuables from unwitting customers. Professional Integrity is demonstrated by the adherence to a strong ethical code. The person has to be honest, and shows a commitment to doing what is right, showing trustworthiness, and accountability in the business relationship. While there is an Australian Securities & Investments Commission Code of Ethics that financial planners and advisers have to abide by, one still hears of professional advisers in finance, taxation, and wealth management who are only acting out of selfish interest.

Establishing professional integrity can take time when having to assess a person or business. One can do research using Google Reviews or seek feedback from friends who have used the same service provider or have engaged with the business. If you have a high degree of discernment or judgement you could detect telltale signs of a lack of professional integrity, from the words people use, tone and manner of their speech, or the ambience of the business setting.

The second attribute is Service Excellence. A few months ago, we needed to replace our washing machine. After going around various stores conducting our research which included reading online reviews, and speaking to different salespeople, we returned to the store which had ticked a number of our 'boxes’. The salesperson whom we met for the second time knew his products. He even suggested a smaller load machine for our two-person household. He didn't mind us not buying during our initial visit as he was happy to give us the information we were after. On our second visit, he remembered us and before we settled the purchase, he said that he would check the warehouse to see if the washing machine we wanted was in stock. To our pleasant surprise there was stock, and we could have one delivered at no cost the next day.

The next day came with washing machine delivered. Unfortunately, after the truck had left, I noticed a minor defect on the cover of the machine which would not have been picked up during the initial installation. After taking a few photos of the defect I immediately returned to the store. Fortunately, the drive was less than two kilometres away, but I spent the entire journey thinking of having to go through the rigmarole of explaining the defect and justifying a replacement. After seeing the same salesperson, I explained the situation. With no bother he authorised the changeover after completing some paperwork with no questions asked. His responsiveness and 'no-hassle' customer centric service were appreciated that day. We received the replacement washing first thing next morning.

The medical sector demonstrates daily service excellence and excellence in quality standards. It is where every decision can be a matter of life and death

The third attribute is Excellence in Quality Standards. I believe the quality of a product, or a service is inextricably linked to good customer service. Whether we are buying bread from the local bakery or purchasing a vacuum cleaner, the quality of the product must be of an acceptable standard relative to the price paid. If we are paying ‘good money’ we should expect a ‘good product’. Of course, if we are skimping on cost and paying for substitutes or copy items, then expecting a high-quality product is unrealistic. This happened to me when I was 'wet behind the ears' as a tourist and was shopping for shirts at an overseas street market. Not able to try the shirts, I went ahead and bought two so-called branded business shirts [I knew they were not genuine] only to find when I returned home that they were 'fakes'. Genuine fakes at that! The sleeves could neither be classified as long-sleeves nor short-sleeves. Not to mention the colour ran after the first wash and the post-wash size was only suitable for a child. [I learnt my lesson then and fortunately I was able to donate the unworn shirts to a local charity depot].

In another poor-quality example, there is nothing worse than having an Internet service installed and finding out it does not perform as advised. Much worse to then have a technician come over multiple times to fix the problem. Poor quality in workmanship, or a product, leaves an indelible mark in the customer’s mind when it does not meet the expectation of a quality standard. Meeting quality standards is a hallmark of customer service excellence.

A positive example of Excellence in Quality Standards, which was coupled with service excellence, was when I entered a luggage shop a few years ago and was pleasantly greeted by a staff member. She was very helpful in showing me the various types of luggage on display. The salesperson also explained the suitability of different luggage for different travel destinations, for example family vs adventure holidays. She knew her products and did not ask the question, [which irritates me] "How much do you want to spend?" For a casual worker in the store of two years, I was quite impressed. I asked her how she knew the various products’ features, specifications, where they were made and durability. She said she learnt them from her manager. I don’t normally send complimentary emails for services given, however in this case I did. I added that the salesperson was a great representative for her company. Two days later I received an email from the Head Office which read, in part, “Thank you for taking the time to appreciate that Udhaya enhanced your customer experience in the store. We know the importance of assisting our customers in making the right decision when purchasing luggage, so I am very proud that my team delivered on that promise”. The store is still there. The quality of the suitcase I ended up purchasing was a reflection of the guidance and excellent service received that day. The suitcase is still with us and has stood the test of time and the many international flights in and out of Australia.

The fourth attribute is Responsiveness. When we moved into our new home a few years ago I needed to get a quote for some concreting work to be done. I was given a mobile number, and I made contact via SMS. The concreter at the other end of my text message who had never met me immediately rang me back. I was very surprised because getting an immediate response from a 'tradesperson' was rare as they are usually working on a job or don't wish to take on new ones. It turned out that he was in the neighbourhood and he was able to drive past my place after his last job to provide me with a measure and quote. After receiving a few other quotes, I ended up offering the job to this tradesperson. About three years later when our neighbour needed some concreting done and after liking what we had, our neighbour asked for the contact number of the concreter. My recommendation paid off as he was contracted to do my neighbour's driveway and pathway.

The fifth attribute is a Proven and Consistent Track Record. Before I provide someone with a recommendation, I have to feel confident that whoever I recommend has met my personal list of attributes, including this fifth attribute. It is important to me because as I’ve put my trust in this person or business, I’m expecting my friend to do the same with my recommendation.

Responsiveness, and a proven and consistent track record are key attributes before giving a recommendation

My financial adviser has been providing financial management services to Jenny and I for nearly ten years. He was first recommended to me by my tax accountant when I was in full time employment. One day I asked my tax accountant, who had met all of my five attributes, if he provided financial management services. He advised that he didn't because he was not qualified as a registered financial adviser. He added that he was working to find a like-minded business to partner with, as many of his clients were asking the same question. I suggested that he should consider adding financial management to his portfolio of services, because I'd be interested to engage with someone with the same attributes, and caring and amiable character, as he. It was not urgent then, but a few years later, after asking him again he advised me of his financial services partner organisation. Because of my tax accountant, and his recommendation, Jenny and I have been receiving financial advice from the same adviser for the last ten years. The demonstration of proven and consistent track record is the validation of a recommendation worth giving. As an aside, my two adult children are using my tax accountant. They are not yet ready to engage with my financial adviser, but I am sure that if they come to me asking to recommend someone, I'll know whom to suggest.