Treat everyone as your customer. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? But how do we really treat someone as our customer in a phone call? Is it our tone of voice, the rate at which we talk, or how well we listen? Is it making sure we answer all their questions? What about giving correct directions or instructions? The answer is all of that and so much more.
Every time you speak with someone, you have the responsibility of treating them like a customer. Treat them the way you would want to be treated or would want your dear grandma to be treated. We have the chance to really take our time and make sure we are handling the call properly and doing our best to strengthen the relationship with the person on the other line. There are so many ways that one can do this, including simple things like taking the time to engage the donor and asking how they are, as well as responding to their answer. Furthermore, we should listen to the reasons they feel they can’t donate, being informative when needed and compassionate to what they are going through. Relate to the donor and really show them that they are important to not only the blood center but to you too.
Everyone wants to feel like they matter – like what they are going through matters. It is our job to help the donor see just how important they truly are. It is important that they feel like our customer; they need to know we value them and what they do. Go above and beyond for the donor. If you see they have a lot of points remind them of what they can do with those points. If they don’t care about the points you should let them know they can always donate the points back for different causes and further their generosity. If you see there are certain promotions going on, let the donor know, and do what you can to help them qualify for those promotions. If the donor has a medical question, take the time to look it up, and if it isn’t listed, let the donor know about the medical help desk number.
In every call use a friendly voice, engage the donor, and respond accordingly. Nothing is worse than having someone ask you a question and then having that person ignore the answer or response. It is our job to make them feel valued, so use every opportunity you get to treat them as a customer, or, more specifically, your specific customer.
How do you make your customers or donors feel as though they are valued?