By way of example, I was recently researching a purchase online - and I only had a general idea of the type of product I wanted.  Therefore, I did the usual research about the product by category on the internet and began to compile a shortlist of potential suppliers.  Once I was happy with my shortlist, I made a few calls direct to each supplier to further narrow my selection.

My selection criteria were probably pretty common to most people - I wanted a supplier who I felt was professional, reliable and competitively priced.  Other considerations such as location and speed and cost of delivery may also be important.  My own shortlist consisted of four suppliers:

Supplier 1 – A very hurried sales person answered the phone who made me feel that I was interfering or taking up too much of their time by asking questions.  It seemed as though they expected me to be familiar with the product already and to not need to ask quite so many questions.  They weren’t ‘rude’, but I didn’t feel particularly ‘welcome’ either.  I got the sense that they weren’t used to being contacted unless there was an obvious problem with an existing order.  They repeatedly referred me to the website to find the answers to my questions.  Though the website was comprehensive, I’d have felt more comfortable with a more personal and responsive approach.

Supplier 2 – The sales person answered the phone with a very practiced and polite manner.  After explaining the general purpose of my call and just beginning to ask my first question, I was interrupted with their programmed sales patter.  They seemed more interested in fishing for a way to trap me into a sale and progressing through their script than in listening to my questions - I don’t doubt they heard me, but I have little faith they actually listened to what I was asking.  Again, they weren’t rude exactly, but I did feel as though I was being funnelled to a predetermined outcome without any real interest in whether this particular product was right for my needs.

Supplier 3 – Someone answered the phone and asked if I could ring back!  After some obvious hesitation on my part, they reluctantly suggested they would get back to me within the hour.  Two and a half hours later someone called who wasn’t aware why I had phoned in the first place.  I began to explain the reason for my call and just decided that I couldn’t be bothered to do the work to give them my business, so I politely said it was sorted and apologised for taking up their time.

Supplier 4 – A warm and professional sales person took my call.  They listened to my questions, made sure they understood my needs and then told me everything I wanted to know about the product.  They assured me of their warranty, delivery times and how I should proceed if I wanted to go ahead.  They offered to send me an email containing further product specifications and urged me to call again if I had any further questions.  They then asked me for my business directly - they were professional, competent and confident in their ability to close the sale.

I went with my gut instinct and chose supplier 4.  They processed my order quickly, delivered ahead of schedule and telephoned me to ensure I was happy with the purchase a few days later.  Though I did spend a few pounds more, I had much greater confidence in their approach and treatment of me as a customer.  I will definitely do business with them in future and I have already recommended them to several people.

In the example I have described, each supplier was offering the same product - with the same characteristics, same benefits and same performance expectations.  However, each supplier’s actions created a different impression of them as a business and whether they would prove to be reliable and trustworthy.  Their actions had a direct influence on the impression I made of them.

You can appreciate the difference that people’s actions and approach may make in a situation where they are selling you a service.  As a client or customer, you will likely have no experience of their services, you may be uncertain what to expect and are reliant on your own judgement and their ability to represent themselves and their services.  Their words and actions will be very important to your ability to evaluate them, as they will give you a good indication of what to expect from them and their services.