In business, it’s easy to confuse silence with satisfaction. The thinking looks like this:
No one’s complaining, so everyone’s happy.
That’s 100% incorrect! It’s not only incorrect. Thinking that way can destroy your business. Allow me to explain.
When a customer receives an average service, they don’t tend to make a noise. That’s because an average service isn’t good enough to motivate them to praise you and it isn’t bad enough to motivate them to complain.
Silence equals indifference
As a business owner, you need to understand that silence is a sign of indifference. And indifference kills businesses! If you have too many indifferent customers it’s impossible to succeed in any meaningful way. That’s because a customer who feels they receive an average service will switch as soon as an above average provider or outstanding provider approaches them.
Now, if only a tiny subset of your customers never recommend you or thank you for going the extra mile, you’re fine. However, if too many of your customers are silent, take heed. Figure out why they’re not occasionally taking 2 minutes to thank you and why they’re not telling their friends about you. Then put a plan together to switch them from indifference to delight. From silent customer to passionate advocate.
In a nutshell, give them something extra to care about before someone else does.