4 Steps to Spectacular Customer Service
“Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company,” -- Erwin Frand
During our recent weakened economy, many businesses have seen declining revenues and declining budgets.
Declining budgets often lead to reduced staff levels and diminished services. To me, this does not make sense.
I believe that it is during the down times, when service
should be at the forefront and retention of loyal customers even
more of a focus.
When price wars fail to drive revenues, businesses often look to
service to give them a competitive advantage.
Many big business marketers are returning to a “service
sells” mentality, however, many sell great customer service and
few deliver. The problem is that few marketers have ever truly
served a customer.
Throughout my years in business, I have had the opportunity to
interact and develop a customer service philosophy. It is
inherent that when you are in a service-based business, there
will be times when your customer is compelled to offer you their
feedback. It is what you do with this feedback that will shape
the future and their impression of your business.
Upon reflection, most all of my interactions with displeased
customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a
disappointing customer experience. Why is that?
Because, product is not personal, customer service is. Briefly,
I would like to share with you eight critical steps to establish
a customer service culture.
1. Customers are the reason for work, not an interruption of
work
This sounds really obvious doesn’t it? How many times have you
gone into a business only to wait while someone is on the
telephone or busy doing some “non-service” task? Employees often
lose sight of the importance of the customer and get consumed in
lesser day to day tasks. Sure, there are tasks that need to be
accomplished, but you cannot afford to sacrifice service to get
them done. Good customer service must be a priority for you and
your team. Without your customers, you have no company!
2. Train, train, and continue to train.
Cross train your entire staff to be able to assist a customer
regardless of their department. When a customer becomes upset
they want their problem solved not to be shuffled between
employees that are not empowered or enable to assist them. Offer
continuous customer service training for your staff and once
they are providing good service, continue to train them. Utilize
role play situations to assist your staff in recognizing and
experiencing both easy and difficult service opportunities. If
an employee has a level of comfort with a difficult situation,
they will be able to better handle it.
3. Empower your staff to serve
Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the
customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to
provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a
customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow
your staff to serve customers.
Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to
recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that
a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and
per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure
exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong
or create a “memorable” customer experience. I am not advocating
large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a
small gesture can go a long way.
Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better
service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building
without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your
staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you
with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
Greet repeat customers by name, if possible. Offer a handshake
and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will
not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations
should they arise.
Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a
difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In
my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without
concern for repercussion, as long as they are meeting a
customer’s need. I have found this creates a greater willingness
to serve the customer. Often times you could say “no” to a
customer, however, “no” can have huge implications on your
business. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to potentially lose 10
customers as result of this interaction?”
6. Offer a solution
Shift from the problem to the process for resolution. Offer a
choice between several options. Put yourself in their place.
Involve the customer in determining the solution. Clearly
explain any limitations that exist.
7. Recognize your staff members for outstanding service
Implement a customer service awards program that recognizes
employees for exceptional customer service. Maybe you have tried
these without success and do not believe that they work. I would
tend to agree if the program were like most I have seen. Try
something different; break the mold.
Take the time to acknowledge employees at staff meetings. People
want to leave their mark and feel that they matter. Taking the
time to recognize them in front of their peers can make a real
difference.
8. Ask your customers what they think of your service
The best way to find out if you are satisfying customers is to
ask them. Formal efforts could include customer surveys,
questionnaires, interviews or comment/suggestion cards.
Informally, get out and talk with your customers and your staff.
Ask them how they feel about service you are providing. Ideally,
use a combination of both methods.
You may be thinking, “Why should I go ask for trouble? Who knows
what I might hear if I ask?” That is the point. As you will see
in the statistics below, most customers will not voice their
disappointment with your service levels. They will simply leave
and never return. If you do not ask about the quality of your
service, you might make the wrong assumptions and feel that you
can reduce service levels because you get few complaints and
lead your organization into areas that turn off your customers
or cause problems that you never intended.
On the other hand, asking your customers about their
satisfaction sends a message to them that you care about your
business and about them. While you might hear some criticisms,
you might also learn what you are doing right and see what you
should modify. In addition to the information, you will benefit
from the interaction. Every interaction is a customer service
opportunity. Make the most of each and every one.
Most of us continue doing business with people and businesses
who give good service. We might not say anything, but we reward
good service providers by continuing to do business with them.
If the service is outstanding, we will probably tell our friends
and colleagues about it. Likewise, when we receive poor service
most of us vote, not with our voice, but with our feet—we just
leave.
The White House Office of Consumer Affairs commissioned a report
called the TARP study. The report revealed the following facts
about unhappy customers:
96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain directly.
90% will not return.
One unhappy customer will tell nine others.
13% will tell at least 20 other people.
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