For Customers, Perception Is More Important Than Reality

Sometimes a customer makes a downright irrational complaint. I don&#x27;t really understand what they&#x27;re complaining about or how to resolve the issue.<p>So I ask them to fill out a simple form: What happened? What did we do wrong? What is your desired resolution?<p>Often by the second question, they begin to realize we did exactly what they wanted (and no I don&#x27;t mean we did it in a smart aleck way) and that maybe they&#x27;re being irrational. By the third question, they get a perspective check: &quot;how would <i>I</i> do this?&quot;<p>Or they don&#x27;t... and then explain in detail what they didn&#x27;t like. We then address the complaint to the satisfaction of the customer.<p>I only use this in specific situations, but it&#x27;s very effective.

The perception thing is very real and that is what has driven the German automaker to tweak the sound the doors are making on their cars. Here are a few references. They are recent as this sound engineering has been going on for longer than the newspaper have been reporting online.<p>* <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bloomberg.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;articles&#x2F;2014-08-05&#x2F;mercedes-doors-have-a-signature-sound-here-s-how" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bloomberg.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;articles&#x2F;2014-08-05&#x2F;mercedes-...</a> * <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bmwblog.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;12&#x2F;22&#x2F;perfect-car-door-sound-made-bmw&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bmwblog.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;12&#x2F;22&#x2F;perfect-car-door-sound-mad...</a> * <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;mediatum.ub.tum.de&#x2F;doc&#x2F;1138344&#x2F;369710.pdf" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;mediatum.ub.tum.de&#x2F;doc&#x2F;1138344&#x2F;369710.pdf</a> * <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;emea.nttdata.com&#x2F;blog&#x2F;en&#x2F;its-all-about-sound-how-car-manufacturers-make-themselves-heard&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;emea.nttdata.com&#x2F;blog&#x2F;en&#x2F;its-all-about-sound-how-car-...</a> * <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;hal.archives-ouvertes.fr&#x2F;hal-00849046&#x2F;document" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;hal.archives-ouvertes.fr&#x2F;hal-00849046&#x2F;document</a>

Every time I read about this type of stories, where they show a small example of how our minds can be &quot;tricked&quot; by such simple tricks or stimuli, I always get afraid about all the other more important situations where this might be happening but we are not aware of it (choosing a career, deciding to get married to someone, etc)

So what&#x27;s better, to review email responses and therefore have a longer response time, or to focus on fast responses? I&#x27;ve read that replying within twenty or thirty minutes makes an enormous difference.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;ground-glass.com&#x2F;the-one-thing-you-must-do-when-replying-to-inquiries&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;ground-glass.com&#x2F;the-one-thing-you-must-do-when-reply...</a>

Suppose the customer wants a sandwhich, but you give them a perception of a sandwhich instead?

This would be true in a crowded marketplace driven primarily by sales.

There is no spoon