Would you want to do business with someone who you feel is being insincere to you? Even if done in a flattering way people typically prefer an honest interaction rather than being pandered or placated.
I was visiting with a potential client and was saddened to learn of a bad experience they had with a customer service consultant. One of the main lessons this individual taught the audience was that you should always be complimentary of your customer – even if it is insincere.
When I heard this I was shocked, appalled, and even a little speechless. In customer service one of the most important aspects is clearly bonding and building of rapport. This is important for three key reasons:
- People who are like one another, tend to like one another.
- People who like one another, tend to trust one another.
- People tend to do business with people they trust. In all relationships, business and personal, everyone wants to be heard and understood.
How in the world could insincerity be part of this equation?
Most people sense insincerity and when they do – it does not build trust! In fact it does the exact opposite – it causes suspicion and makes people NOT want to do business with you.
As I am sure you can tell – learning this bothered me greatly. Not only because teaching someone to be insincere is counterproductive to the core fundamentals of building relationships, but also because it paints a terrible image for individuals and organizations that implement the suggestion.
Please do not be insincere – nobody likes it and it's counterproductive. Others can and will see through it. When they do they'll usually respond in kind creating an adversarial interaction.
