How Are You Keeping Your Clients Happy?
June 19, 2008
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By Tracy Collins
More and more, corporate
As a small business owner, we have to make sure that we are keeping our clients happy. I'm not saying to go out and decrease your profits by offering free services constantly, but maybe send them a thank you card with a gift card in it for a local restaurant, offer a discount on their next month invoice, something just to let them know that you care about them and their needs and wants. Do this at other times besides Christmas. Your clients will really appreciate the fact that you are thinking of them and you appreciate them.
If you don't have the finances at the time to do this type of thing, contact them once every six months or so and ask them if they are happy with your service and if there is anything that they are unhappy with. Sure, this might be tough to hear at times but your clients will appreciate the fact that you value their input and you value their business so much that you are willing to get their opinion. Also, if anything that they are unhappy with is something that you can fix or change without costing a fortune, do it. They will appreciate it.
Some customer service follow-ups can be automated. Look over your website, and see what it can be doing to help keep your customers happy -from providing easily accessible support, to automating customer awards, or collecting customer feedback.
Make sure that if you are in a business where service or product fees decline over time, that you keep your older customers up with the current pricing. Nothing is more distressing to them than to look at your website and realize that you are offering a higher service for a lower price to new customers, while the existing customer service package has not changed. Customer incentives need not be expensive to work - they just need to be meaningful and sincere
Also, if you created/maintain your own website, do a client spotlight once a month or so. Have a link to their website, a write-up about them and their business, why you chose them etc. Just make sure that it is okay with your client first.
Once you start making a comfortable living doing the business of your choice, don't forget your current clients. If it wasn't for them, you wouldn't be where you are today.
Tracy Collins, Confidential Virtual Assistant, owns/operates Collins-Admin Services, http://www.collins-admin.com a virtual assistance company based out of
7 Secrets for Moving Customers Out of a Hardball Mentality
May 27, 2008
By Myra Golden 
Here are 7 proven tips for moving customers out of a hardball mentality into a constructive dialogue.
1. Confidently acknowledge and address anger.
A big mistake among customer service professionals is to ignore a customer’s expression of anger or tip-toe around it. There is something known as the communication chain. When people communicate, they expect the person they are communicating with to respond or react…this response is a link in the communication chain. A failure to respond to communication leaves the communication chain unlinked…broken.
For example, If I walk into my office and say… “Hello Sherry, how are you?” ….and she says absolutely nothing, she’s broken the communication chain. And that leaves me feeling awkward, perhaps embarrassed.
If a customer expresses anger and we fail to respond to it, the communication chain is broken and the customer feels like they are not getting through. The customer might become even angrier and more difficult, as they are resorting to whatever it takes to feel heard and understood.
You can keep your angry customers from getting angrier by confidently acknowledging their anger and responding to it. You can respond to anger with a statement like, “Clearly you’re upset and I want you to know that getting to the bottom of this is just as important to me as it is to you.” This statement directly and professionally addresses anger – without- making the customer even angrier. Now that the anger has been acknowledged, you have completed the communication chain.
2. Allow the customer to vent, but don’t lose control.
An Angry customer can be compared to an erupting volcano. When a volcano is erupting, there is nothing you can do about it. You can’t speed up the eruption, you can’t put a lid on it, and you cannot direct or redirect it…it must erupt.
When a customer is angry, they must experience and express their anger – and often this is done through venting. We should not interrupt an angry venting customer or tell them to “calm down.” This would be as futile as trying to tame a volcano. A volcano erupts and eventually subsides. Your angry customer will vent and eventually calm down.
Always let angry customers vent. In most cases, your customer will only need to vent for fifteen to thirty-five seconds. Venting beyond 35 seconds can become ranting and cause you to lose control. After a few seconds of venting, you’ll want to jump back in and move the conversation forward constructively.
3. Don’t react emotionally.
It can be easy to lose our cool when a customer gets hot, but be warned: In most cases, showing frustration, impatience, or acting even mildly upset doesn’t help you move the customer out of a hardball mentality. Usually, losing our own cool does nothing but make the customer even more upset or our attitude will make the customer even firmer in his original position.
If you feel you’re beginning to lose your cool, don’t be afraid to hit the “pause” button. You hit the pause button by putting a customer on hold or telling the customer you will call them back.
4. Heed Steven Covey’s Words…Understand, then be understood.
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Steven Covey tells a story of a patient going in for an eye exam. After briefly listening to the patient’s complaint, the doctor takes off his glasses and hands them to the patient and tells the patient to simply “take his glasses where them.”
What are the chances you’d go back to a doctor that prescribes a solution without even diagnosing a problem? You don’t have much confidence in someone who doesn’t diagnose before they prescribe… But how often do we prescribe a solution before completely diagnosing the situation, in dealing with customers?
Seek first to understand. Before you try PRESCRIBE a solution for a customer’s problem, before you quote policy or tell a customer what you cannot do, seek to truly understand the customer’s viewpoint. How has the problem impacted your customer? Has your customer lost money, time, respect, or confidence because of this problem? Does the customer feel embarrassed, wronged, discriminated against, or powerless? Try to really understand what your customer is experiencing and feeling. when you respond, communicate your full understanding of the problem from the customer’s perspective. Only then can you truly diagnose, BEFORE you prescribe a solution.
Listening with the intent to understand gives you empathy for the customer and puts you in the position to solve the real issues. Once you really understand your customer, you naturally begin to communicate with empathy and to communicate more effectively. Your customer, who feels understood, can now begin to understand you.
5. Don’t belabor your point…no matter how right you are.
be•la•bor - [bi-ley-ber] – verb: (1) to assail persistently, as with scorn or ridicule (2) work at (something) repeatedly or more than is necessary: He kept belaboring the point long after we had agreed.
If you really want to tick a customer off or incite an already upset customer, belabor your point. Repeat your point (your policy; your position) over and over again. I mean really badger the customer with your elementary explanation so that the customer feels they aren’t too bright.
Customer service professionals all around the world make the mistake of belaboring a point when speaking with customers. Don’t let this happen to you. Simply make your point once diplomatically and then enter into a constructive dialogue with your customer.
6. Get the customer saying ‘yes’, and if possible, keep them from saying ‘no’.
When a person says “no,” all of their pride demands that they remain consistent with themselves. And it is very difficult, once they’ve said ‘no’, for them to change their mind and become “agreeable” with you, because their sense of pride is now involved. And we invest so much in our pride.
Here’s how it works. Build an affirmative path by asking your customer two simple and obvious closed-ended questions that you know will result in a YES response. Once you do that, the customer will be on an affirmative path (with you) and it is far easier for them to agree with your next question. It’s very much psychological…your customer won’t feel comfortable disagreeing with himself…and will feel compelled to say yes to your third question so that he agrees with himself!
7. Have a graceful exit.
When all else fails, you need a way to gracefully get out of a conversation with a difficult or unreasonable customer. Here’s a simple way to gracefully exit: “We see this differently and I’m going to have to put thought into the perspective you have shared with me. I will visit with my supervisor about your concerns and call you back with a response.”
Try these tips and I promise, dealing with difficult customers won’t seem so difficult after all!
Imagine your next phone call is from an angry, irate customer, and you've only got a few seconds to gain control. Are you 100% confident you can handle it?
If not, Myra Golden has the perfect program for you…a free online training designed specifically for hard working customer service professionals.
Simply click this link now to see what it's all about: http://www.tamedifficultcustomers.com
Myra Golden is one of the customer service industry's most highly regarded trainers and is nationally recognized for delivering paradigm-shifting customer service programs that position employees to deal more effectively with difficult customers and completely restore customer confidence after dis-satisfying experiences. Her clients include McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin Tires, Pirelli, Scotts Miracle Gro, and Procter & Gamble, among many others.
3 Customer Service Ideas to Earn Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty
May 23, 2008
Customer service has never been worse than it is in today's business environment. With companies trimming their budgets as much as possible, there isn't the time or money to spend on customer service skills. If it can be automated, it gets automated no matter how inconvenient it is for the customer.
How many times have you been ready for the now familiar message "please listen carefully for our options have changed" only to find yourself screaming at the phone after one too many option levels? Hey - it works for the business - it keeps their operating overhead down - they don't have to staff as many people as they used to because the call tree does the job on auto-pilot. No late or sick employee to worry about. No customers complaining about your phone receptionist cutting them off or having a bad attitude.
When you stop to think about all the conveniences we have lost over the years, it's pretty astounding. Doesn't it seem like we're doing more with all the automation that was supposed to make our lives easier? No more secretaries; we have a computer. No more gas jockey; we can do it ourselves and we even get to watch TV while we're pumping. Nobody to answer your call or tell you when they will; you can leave a message.
I don't know about you but all this convenience can be very frustrating for me. I can't ever sit back and let somebody else do the task because I'm expected to use self-serve. I remember the days when service people were expected to be extremely helpful. We have begun to expect poor service and we are no longer surprised when it occurs.
This is the perfect time for small businesses to step up and offer that which cannot be offered by the big companies. Convenience is such a big selling point, how about offering customer service as a convenience for your customers? Many small businesses are run by owners that are too busy running the business to implement good customer service on the Internet. In fact, customer issues may be rare and infrequently occurring, but as the business grows good customer service becomes a necessity. The business owner will eventually find it difficult and overwhelming in the long run.
The post sales process is just as important as the initial sales process when it comes to customer loyalty. A poorly treated customer will not have a reason to do business with you again even when you roll out new products and services. Here's three ideas for you to implement that will not take excessive time or money but will increase customer satisfaction and customer loyalty:
Follow-Up Personally with an Irate Customer
Running a business is like having a new adventure every day. You can never be surprised when the unexpected happens, only be ready to deal with it. When things go terribly wrong for your customer, have someone follow-up with a phone call. You may be surprised to learn that Internet shoppers think of online businesses with a bit of celebrity stars in their eyes. It is totally unexpected that an online business would call them to apologize for any inconvenience and make sure the issue was resolved to their satisfaction. I've done it - it works like a charm every time.
Use Words and Phrases Guaranteed to Calm Any Customer
Customers enjoy the speed of the purchase and the anticipation of the immediate download shopping on the Internet for digital products. Things can go bump in the night at any point in the purchase process, even getting to the download page. Make it easy for your customer to report the issue by having at least one method guaranteed to get results within four hours. And then be sure you always include "we apologize for the inconvenience", "please reopen this ticket if further assistance is needed", "thank you for notifying us of this problem", "please", "thank you", "we're so sorry for the delay", etc. This type of acknowledgment lets the customer know that you care. Isn't that really what we want?
Give the Customer Value for Their Inconvenience
New people are coming to the Internet every day so you should expect and plan for the "this is my first time" issues. One way you can do that is to provide your customer with more information than is required to resolve the issue. For example, solving the issue and telling your customer how to prevent a similar issue in the future will assist them in using the Internet and they will greatly appreciate the extra time and effort your business took to assist them.
Combine all three of the above ideas and you will provide customer service few have seen on the Internet, let alone in many offline businesses today.
Digital Info Diva™ supports Internet Marketers. Sign up for The Diva's customer service tips for Internet businesses and learn how to profit from your customer issues.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherri_Wynters
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Putting the "Service" Back in "Customer Service"
May 17, 2008
by: pianopl123
The future of customer service is here. Technology has made seeking out support faster and easier than ever. But, has your digital age company sacrificed true service in the name of automation?
Today, finding customer support is as simple as writing an e-mail or picking up the phone. But, even though you're not face-to-face with your customers, you still leave a lasting impression. Do you come across as caring and competent, or menacing and mechanical?
Offering stand-out service on the Internet isn't as hard as it is rare. Take these simple steps towards old-style service in the digital age:
Give Each Customer a Personal Response
Be Clear, But Sincere
Offer Live Customer Support
Make Sure Your Support Reps Have All the Answers
Give Each Customer a Personal Response
When a customer sits down to e-mail your company, it's because he needs help. He chooses e-mail because it's quick, but his request still warrants a satisfying and personal response!
Companies eager to save time and money often take automation too far in their customer support. Each customer has a unique question, and deserves a unique answer. Even if you save time by copying and pasting stock replies, change the opening and closing to make the message sound less robotic.
Be Clear, But Sincere
When responding to customers' e-mail, be sincere and to the point. Before sending a message, try turning the tables. Ask yourself, "Would this answer satisfy me if I were the customer?"
Take that extra moment to give your customer the help he deserves. It might mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a credit card chargeback!
Offer Live Customer Support
E-mail has become an acceptable form of communication. But, live customer support is still necessary. The plethora of information available online can be overwhelming to customers, especially those new to the Internet!
Single your company out from the crowd by providing customers with a real person to talk to. Live phone support is an invaluable way to foster trust. When your customer has reached the end of his Internet rope, and just needs help, your toll free number is the answer he's looking for.
Make Sure Your Support Reps Have All The Answers
The presence of phone support will do no good if your staff doesn't know your product! Customer support reps should be warm and friendly, and willing to help with any aspect of your product.
What a good feeling it is to talk to someone who feels confident in his product. It's even better if he's knowledgeable enough to solve your problem without transferring you all around the company!
Provide Stand-Out Service; Gain Lifelong Customers
Too many e-businesses skimp on customer service, hiding behind web sites and message boards. Customer support is an integral part of every company, even those operating solely online. Be one of the few to offer stellar service, and gain customers for life!
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/
Delighting Customers
May 6, 2008
They are your lifeblood. And through Delighting Customers frequently and often, you will drive success to your business or organisation.
The key to understand here is that Delighting Customers is just that - it is more than satisfying, it is delighting them. Making their journey to you memorable. So, sorry, OK is not enough from now on - ever.
"Every business is built on friendship."
J. C. Penney
So, it is more, much more than creating a successful transaction. It is about a relationship that is far stronger.
Top Ten Things About Delighting Customers
Think of a time when you went 'Wow - that experience was something…'. It could have been a call centre, a store or at your doctor's receptionist. Sometimes, just sometimes, you get such memorable service you want more - and that place is special.
The very best places at Delighting Customers…
Have Confidence
They have people who are at the top of their game because they have the right training and use it in an enlightened culture.
Have Fun
By encouraging fun with each other, their people have fun with their customers and build happy relationships. This builds for the future.
Do More
By 'going the extra mile', their people show they care - not just superficially - but truly care for their customers
Put Customers First
No distraction gets in the way of being there for the customer. Great places have people who, come what may, have their customers needs first.
Empower Their People
In this way, their people are allowed to do anything that gets the very best outcome for their customers. They are encouraged to make sensible decisions to exceed the expectations of their customers.
Workaround Processes
They realise that whilst processes and systems are important, they are secondary to the needs of their customers.
Are Very Aware
They sense well. Meaning that they take in behaviours, words, moods and other signs to appreciate customer needs - in the moment; straight away, which strengthens the bond between them.
Follow Through
They do what they say they will do. Promises are always kept and everyone understands that as a given.
Respond to Feedback
And as the people are aware, they also pick up signals and signs. Where change is necessary, they respond urgently. They understand accountability and nothing slips by.
Treat Their Own People Very Well
In such organizations, their people are always treated well and there is a culture of trust and honesty. No one is ever blamed, though lessons are learned and in a supportive and generative way. This is reflected in their work with customers
Ten Ways to be Better at Delighting Customers
- Empower Your People
Give free rein to all of your people to do anything that makes your customer service special. - Don't 'Sell' - Offer Solutions
Be flexible in your approach - sometimes don't make a sale. But offer solutions in the best interest of your customer. Be really nice people! - Do Something More
And when you've offered the solution, do even more. One last act; one extra mile - think it through - let your people own their unique solutions. Trust them. - Be Interested in Them
Listen well to your customers - get interested in what's important to them - even if it's not related to a sale. But do it very, very well with sincerity. - See Their Point of View
Get to the bottom of what issues your customer has - and however challenging it might be, see their point of view - put yourself in their position. - Watch from a Distance
Truly experience your customers journey in your business. Actually experience it! Call the call centre, pay at the till, observe the service standards - then get to the source of issues you uncover - the true source and fix it. - Bend the Rules
Give your people license to include customers in bending the rules a little. Let your people 'cheat' your systems a bit, and let the customer in on it! - Fix Things
When you are hearing or seeing things that are wrong, respond positively and quickly and let your customers know what you've done. Thank them for their involvement. Use complaints as a really exciting and positive thing to help you grow and improve - celebrate them! If it fits, reward them somehow. - Follow UP
Keep in touch with customers - check if their products or services are OK and provide people who can help them if not. Profit in comes from repeat orders. - Open Your Culture
Hear what your people are saying - ask them if they are happy - if not, what you can do to help them. Dissatisfied customers come from dissatisfied employees - only you, as the boss can make this better.
5 Simple Actions You Can Take Today!
Target three customers a day where you do something unexpectedly positive for them. Next step - find out from your people what they might do in this way.
Enable your people to make every possible customer delighted. Turn off the blame and fault buttons in your organization!
Talk to your customers and show real interest - ask them more about what turns them on - be very sincere - checkout Communication
Find out what irritates your customers and fix it fast. If you can, let them know.
Get to know what is getting in your people's way from Delighting Customers. Make the changes needed openly and be prepared to make changes in yourself first.
Read some great books like:-
"First Break All the Rules (especially Chapter 4 - Rules of Thumb - Rule 4) - this is a brilliant book anyway, so buy the thing! - Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
"Delivering Knock Your Socks off Service" - Ron Zemke
"Customer Centered Growth" - Richard Whiteley & Diane Hessan
"Used by permission of www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com"
Customer Retention Team Development
May 6, 2008
By Diana Liffick
Handling account cancellation calls goes by many names. Whether you call it simply “Cancellations” or “Customer Saves” or “Membership Retention”, it’s all the same thing: bad news.
Here are some pointers to give your team to help turn bad news into good news more often every day.
Use the tools your company provides for customer retention, such as special deals or V.I.P. services, when it might be applicable.
I always had representatives on my “saves” team who were repeatedly not offering the deals that we provided, but couldn’t understand why they weren’t saving enough customers. Adopt the motto, ‘Use what works!’
Don't sound the same on every call — unless you get the same customer with the same reason for canceling on every call. Remember “Bueller? Bueller?” Avoid that. And musicians whose songs all sound the same get flamed for it. Mix it up! Sound alive.
All of the truly, honestly successful “saves” representatives I dealt with sounded personable, and customized how they handled every call to that specific customer.
Remember nothing "always" works "every time". In fact, avoid saying “always” or “never” unless it’s really applicable.
You might have representatives who quickly dismiss customer retention methods after they do not work on one or two customers. Comparing the conclusion to your, your team’s, or your company’s large-scale tracking of what really works with the rep can be helpful in keeping them from abandoning good customer retention methods.
You have to really WANT the saved customers. You must be truly DETERMINED to get them. They will not just fall in your lap all the time — you have to earn them.
That is to say, representatives don’t have to be full of longing — they just have to be committed to succeeding in order to do so.
Constantly develop and adjust save maneuvers. Even if you can’t help but sound the same on every call, if the ways your company handles the competition isn’t cutting it, then there isn’t much you can do besides pass that information ‘up the chain.’
Your company needs to stay on top of the competition, as well as problems that can cause customers to cancel. Listen to your representatives when they tell you why customers are leaving and what your company needs to do about it. Don’t quickly dismiss all feedback from the front lines just because some or most of it isn’t going to help.
Hopefully, these tried-and-true tips that I learned will help your team be very successful at saving customers from canceling their accounts. Remember, if you are properly coaching a representative, using the standard feedback cycle, until it becomes obvious that they will never ‘get it’, then ask yourself, Why are they taking only customer retention calls? Their skills should be re-evaluated to see where they belong. Good luck!
5 Simple Steps To Improve Your Customer Service Right Away
April 30, 2008
There are so many things we try to improve Customer Service. And the most effective are the simplest. Read about 5 ways you can improve right now!
There are 5 Simple Steps that you can do that will make a difference in your Customer Service right away. Some of the Steps will seem obvious.
It’s just that we assume everybody has what is commonly referred to as “The Basics.”
I’m here to tell you…….WAKE UP! And smell the coffee before it’s too late.
Here are the 5 Simple Steps to teach that will make a big difference.
1. Teach them to SMILE. I know, it seems too simple, doesn’t it? Why would I need to point that out? It’s because I travel all over the country and consistently receive better service whenever I am Smiled at. And I can always tell when I am about to receive less than Average Service when I don’t receive a Smile.
In today’s faster, unfriendly and discourteous world it makes a HUGE difference.
It may not seem too scientific, that Smiling thing. Just try NOT Smiling to your Customers for a couple of days and see what happens. Understand this is a big part of the Perception. When people Smile at us, we perceive it to be a much better experience, even if it was mediocre.
I recently had a meal at a restaurant in
2. Say their Name. It’s the most wonderful sound to our ears. Our Name. And when someone takes the time to learn ours, we feel really appreciated and will respond appropriately. Even in a quick Customer Service environment like fast food or dry cleaners, we will always return to a place that remembers our name.
It’s quite simple to do actually. Introduce yourself, and ask their name. It goes like this, “Hello, my name is Leonard, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your name is…?” Whew, that was hard, wasn’t it? Here is the trick. Remember it by focusing on their name and either the color of their eyes or an article of clothing.
If you are in the restaurant business, introduce yourself, ask their name and when delivering their order, set it in front of them and say “Mary, you’ll really enjoy this dish.” Watch your tips go up.
3. Use Courtesy. Use those words you learned when you were little. They include “Please”, “Thank You”, “May I help you”, “How are you doing”, “Is there anything else I can do for you today”, “How did you find your service experience today”.
Courtesy also extends to actions, not just words. I worked at a dealership that emphasized things like walking your Customer to the item they asked about, cleaning the bathroom sink with a paper towel after using it and presenting the best possible face to the Customer along with other things that demonstrated their commitment to the Service Experience.
4. Ask for feedback from the Customer on the use of and experience of your Customer Service. Ask the right way. Instead of “How was our service today?” which will get you a “Oh, it was fine” kind of answer, ask “On a scale of 1 to 10 how would we score on providing Service to you today?” (It is the “Specific” question that gets results) You might get a lot more interesting answers especially if you ask the follow up question “Specifically, how could I make it a 10 in your eyes?” for any answer that is not a 10.
5. Invite your Customer to come back. The right way. It’s all in the presentation. “It was good to see you today, and I look forward to seeing you again. If for any reason you remember something we could have done better, call me at
I read somewhere that the most complex questions we face in our society are often solved with the simplest of solutions. Here are 5 Simple Steps you can take right away.
Customer Service is not that complex. It’s a Simple Business. We make it complex.
There is not a result unless you take action. This article is written in the hope that you decide what you would like to change and then taking action to make the change. If you like what you have read and would like to have more interaction to really have impact then email me at leonard@bizprotraining.com or call
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leonard_Buchholz
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Call Center Reps Routinely Hang Up On Customers
August 27, 2007
Call Center Challenges…
As organizations try to become more efficient, I bet this issue comes up a lot.
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Fires Call Center Reps For Routinely Hanging Up On Customers bigcallcenter.jpgNationwide Mutual Insurance fired five Iowa call center workers for regularly hanging up on customers in an attempt to boost their stats, but one of them contends that the practice is widespread and they were only fired so Nationwide could deny their upcoming paid and unpaid leave, reports the Des Moines Register. "I didn't think about the fact that it could be someone that was needing help right
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Ten Ways To Help You Improve Your Customer Service
August 17, 2007
Ten Ways To Help You Improve Your Customer Service
By Catherine Franz
1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Just as it is bad news to send out too many emails to customers, it is just as bad to not stay in contact with them. Customers don't want to feel abandoned. So don't.
Here are three things to help you stay in touch.
(1) Offer them your ezine subscription at least once a month.
(2) Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to your Web site.
(3) Follow-up after each sale to see if they are satisfied with their purchase. Send an e-mail out a few days after their purchase, another in a week or two, and then another in a month.
2. Create a customer focus group by inviting 10 to 20 loyal customers to meet regularly. Alternatively, send out a monthly survey to this group asking for ideas and input on how to improve your customer service. Give them a reward. Pay them, give them a gift certificate, or send them free product.
3. Have a web site that is easy to navigate. Add a frequently asked question's "FAQ" page and explain anything that might confuse your customers or visitors. Follow-up with an electronic survey with questions on how to increase your site's user-friendliness.
4. Resolve customer complaints quickly and completely. Answer all e-mail and phone calls within a few hours. This will show your customers you really care about them.
5. Don't make your customers or visitors hunt for your contact information. Make it easy for them to contact you. Offer as many contact methods as possible. Hyperlink all your e-mail addresses so they don't have to find or type it. Offer a toll free number.
6. If you have strategic alliances or employees, make sure they are familiar with your customer service policy. Give your employees bonuses or incentives to practice excellent customer service. Tell employees to be flexible with each individual customer, each one has different concerns, needs and wants.
7. Give your customers more than they expect. Send thank you gifts to long time customers. E-mail them greeting cards on holidays or birthdays if you have their address or online cards if you only have their e-mail address and name. Give bonuses to your customers who make a big purchase or multiple purchases.
8. U-welcome, please, and thank you and can never be over used. Be polite no matter what. Admit and apologize for mistakes quickly and make it up to them in BIG ways if you want them to continue being a customer.
9. Reward in points — give customers a point for every dollar they spend. Set up a points-earned sheet. E-mail the customer an update monthly. If they send you a referral they get 10 points, if they buy something add 10 more points.
10. If your business is local, invite customers to your office for lunches, parties, barbecues, dances, seminars or other special events.
It isn't what you perceive as valuable but what customers see from their eyes. Yet, sometimes, you just can't please some folks. If that occurs, do you best and then let it go. You don't want them for clients anyway.
About the Author: Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Finding a Call Center Job
July 10, 2007
Call Centers have the capability to create a large number of jobs or employment opportunities. For this reason so many communities with soaring unemployment rates try to find call center companies in the vicinity and that is the reason offshore countries are approaching to expand and create their own call center unit or industry.
The scope for finding a job in a call center is immense. However the nature of jobs may vary from hourly or agent jobs to stay at home jobs to salaried jobs like IT jobs, account management jobs, supervisory
jobs and executive jobs.
Before starting your career in a call center industry, the first and the foremost thing you should know is 'how to find a call center job'. [Read more]
