“Helpful” isn’t the same as “controlling”

An organization believed that it was being helpful by scheduling a customer for an appointment that the customer didn’t know about or want. In all fairness, the business thought it was doing the right thing by being “proactive” and making the appointment without consulting with the customer first. But there is a difference between “proactive” or “helpful” and “controlling” or “a nuisance.”

Because then the customer had to call another facility to cancel the appointment (that they never wanted in the first place), creating yet another task for the customer to have to do. So while the business thought they were saving the customer time, they only created a headache.

Think about the customer journey, do they really want you to do whatever it is you’re about to do for them? Do they really want you to do that? Or is “helping” them going to cause more problems for them?

To be truly “helpful,” an organization must understand the customer’s needs and make life eaiser for them. Not more difficult. 

The next time your business thinks it’s being “helpful” to a customer, stop and analyze, is it being helpful to the customer or to itself?