It amazes me how simple communication can satisfy a customer and no communication can cause frustration and can cause customers to jump to conclusions. I recently took my boat into get repaired to a mechanic that we know quite well. I took it in on a Wednesday and they said they would look at it by Friday. Saturday, no call, so I called in to ask what the status was and the person there told me that they were waiting for a motor assessment tool and I left a message for the mechanic to call me. No word back, the next week I was going away so I did let them know there was no rush but I did want it the following weekend, got back in town and still no message. Finally I heard back the following week and the mechanic was very nice and said that the motor has been fixed and we could pick it up.
So everything was fine, but because there was no communication, I was a little concerned and ready to phone the owner of the marina. The moral of the story is most people do not mind waiting and are understanding but it is the not knowing that drives most people crazy and gets them upset.
Ensure that if you cannot get back to a client on time give them a quick call, it takes a few seconds to leave a voice mail and it can do a world of good to satisfy your customers.
