Imagine how a donor feels when she’s reached her limit
“No, we can’t do that. But it’s a good idea. You should definitely offer that suggestion.”
“I can’t. I’ve run out of allowed suggestions.”
“Oh, well, they limit them to make it easier on them.”
Had enough yet?
The above was a real conversation I had. And a perfect example of a bad customer service mindset. I’m not going to mention the name of the company, but let’s just say they work with nonprofits.
But as frustrating as this exchange was, it’s a great reminder – are the systems and rules you’ve put in place for your ease or for your donors’? How easy is it to call you, or write you, or make a donation?
- If someone does try to reach you, will she reach a person or have to endure endless voicemail prompts?
- If he’d rather email, will your donor be able to find the address of the person he wants easily?
- Do your online forms make sense? Is your website logically organized? Can someone over 50 read your response forms, or is the type all squished to fit on a small scrap of paper?
Believe me, I understand life in the nonprofit world is imperfect. We make mistakes. And we find our hands tied by technology or staffing that’s less than ideal because our budgets are less than ideal.
But what’s the mindset at your organization? Is it about making it easier for you or making it more compelling to donors?
Could your donor offer suggestions and be heard?
Mary,
Recently, I sat down with a Board member at a local organization and pointed out the very things you mentioned. Staff were not named on the website, no email addresses or phone extensions, etc. It was maddening. They made it next to impossible for supporters or someone with questions to make any contact with the organization. They say they want to take the organization to the next level, but unless they take some serious action, they will stay exactly where they are.
Seems obvious, doesn’t it? We might not think about having a “product” that we’re “selling” to “customers”, but we should.
I found myself nodding through this entire post. I’ve said these things until I’ve been blue in the face on several occasions.
Diana
Seems pretty simple, but I guess it’s not. Thanks, Diana.
Another great observation… We are discussing now how to move the culture of our organization (the parts that existed before the North American team) to be focused on what moves the donor, not on the projects we “need” to support.
Yes! Same here. What gets communicated too often is “we’re the experts, we’ll decide what’s important. You should just pay for it.” Not good.
Easier for donors even if it’s more work for us ends up leading to better results, and better input vs. output in the long run. It always comes down to short vs. long-term thinking and usually short-term thinking is focused more on our needs. Donors 1st…period!
Yes. Totally agree. We have to be willing to cede a fair amount of our perceived (not real) autonomy. They are our partners, not our bank.