The ABCs of Customer Recovery

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As I read this article on customer recovery I saw many suggestions that could be utilized for both Call Center agents and  the managers that take escalated calls from customers.

The ABCs of Customer Recovery
By Myra Golden

This week I present 26 little ideas to help you respond to complaints and difficult customers with much more ease….the ABC’s of Customer Recovery.

A ct as if every lost customer’s sales come out of your paycheck.

Believe the best of customers. Don’t make the mistake of assuming most customers are out to simply get something for nothing. The truth is, less than 1% of customers contact companies with ulterior motives in mind.

C ommunicate with diplomacy and tact when you final answer is “no” and when explaining company policy.

D on’t tell a customer she is wrong. Telling a customer they are wrong never makes them want to agree with you. It only pushes them more forcefully into their original position.

E mpathize with unhappy customers and allow this empathy to season your responses.

F ind a way to say “yes” to customers. Instead of saying “no” or telling the customer what you can’t do, think critically about what you actually can do.

G ive a token item such a coupon as a concrete form of apology.

H ave a sense of urgency. Demonstrate with your words and speed of response that getting to the bottom of the problem is just as important to you as it is to your customer.

I nvolve customers in the problem resolution process. Sometimes it’s very helpful to simply ask, “How do you see us resolving this?”

Jot down the customer’s name and details of the problem they are describing so you don’t have to ask the customer to repeat information.

K eep customers apprised of your timetable and progress toward resolving their problems.

L isten with the intent to truly understand your customer, not with the intent to interrupt, reply, or correct.

M onitor your customer service calls to ensure your tone is friendly, helpful and willing.

N egotiate resolutions that balance both the interests of your company and your customer.

Open the door with unhappy customers with open-ended questions. Make your questions demonstrate a sincere interest in better understanding the customer’s problem or experience.

P ut yourself in the customer’s shoes. How would you feel if the exact same problem happened to you?

Q uickly apologize. Apologize both when the company is at fault and even when the customer is responsible for the error. An apology goes a long way in creating calm, diffusing anger and regaining goodwill.

R ecognize that the issue is not the issue. The way the issue is handled becomes the real issue.

S ay “no” diplomatically and without causing resentment. The best way to do this is to start out by telling the customer what you can do.

T hank customers for their feedback.

U p-Service your customers by suggesting products or services that enhance the value of their current purchase.

View the customer as the reason for your work—not as an interruption to your work.

W OW customers.

Ex amine the root cause of problems and work to eliminating problems at the root.

Y ou are the company to each customer. Never underestimate your power to influence the customer’s future buying decisions.

Zero in on the customer’s needs and wants.

Myra Golden is an award-winning professional speaker and principal of Myra Golden Seminars, LLC, a customer service training firm serving clients in food and beverage, banking, healthcare, hospitality, and other industries. Her client list includes McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin Tires, Pirelli, and Procter & Gamble, among many others.

For hundreds of ideas for customer service improvement for use in customer service training, visit the customer service training resource portal by going to http://www.totalcustomerservicetraining.com

Customer Service Techniques

Brandon Walker provides 6 customer service techniques that can be used for your call center agents to improve their customer service skills

By Brandon Walker

When dealing with any customer always remember the golden rule that it is a good opportunity for your company to make an impression by providing that person with a sense of personal satisfaction. My research has clearly shown that successful businesses and organisations make every effort to deliver what the customer wants by applying a number of key customer services techniques

The following are six significant techniques that will assist in making your customers feel important and attract them to want to deal with your business.

1. How to build rapport and trust

Providing helpful advice and friendly service helps to build a rapport and trust. An excellent technique to use is to connect the customer in conversation by giving your name and asking theirs as this indicates you are interested in them and what they are looking for. Always be polite, ask appropriate questions and show interest in what is being said as this will help the customer to develop confidence in you.

2. How to communicate

Most customers will know what they want although some may be unsure on where to look or find what they have come for. Your responsibility is to help by assisting them to get what they want. The best customer service technique most businesses follow is to ask relevant questions and importantly to listen as this will help you to assist the consumer. A happy customer will keep in mind the obliging service provided and will return and tell other people about your business.

3. How to help the confused consumer

Sometimes it's not humanly possible to provide what your customer wants. In such situations it is important to know everything there is to know about the products or services your business has to offer. A good customer service technique some businesses use is to look out for consumers wandering around looking lost and confused. By approaching and offering to help, the customer will be grateful and appreciative for the service and attention you have given.

4. How to provide exceptional customer service

It is easy for successful businesses to become complacent and be lulled into a false sense of security when turnover figures are up. Being complacent can provide the competition with an opportunity to be more productive. To counter this a good effective customer service technique is to introduce staff training programmes so staff can be equipped to provide exceptional service through effective communication, client rapport, phone management and handling difficult customers. Investing in role playing type training programmes is one of the most successful methods businesses use to convey to staff what type of service to the consumer is expected and necessary if a business is to survive.

5. Thanking the customer

Always ensure the customer is genuinely thanked before they leave. This simple gesture is important because most people generally like to be appreciated and know that you are grateful for their business. Also ask the customer if there is anything else you can do as this could result in repeat business.

6. Following up

A very effective customer service technique used by businesses today is to offer generous warranties and discounts on goods and services to loyal consumers (some businesses provide loyalty cards that offer discounts). If a customer has a problem with a product always offer advice and try to fix it or provide a solution. Following up with after sales service through Email, phone or letter is another technique that helps to earn loyalty and adds a nice personal touch.

Brandon has been involved with customer relations and interaction with customers for many years now. To find more informative articles and resources about customer service visit his site goodcustomerservice.org

 

Examples of Good Customer Service

In the article below Brandon provides a few back to basic examples of Good Customer Service that we hope you find useful at your Call Center for your agents. Good luck to you!

Examples of Good Customer Service
By Brandon Walker

How examples of good Customer Service lead to exceptional service

The number one rule to remember in running a successful business is to develop a culture of providing exceptional customer service or you will over time struggle in a competitive market. The best process to find out how service is to learn can be provided is to learn from both your own experiences and other peoples examples.

Earning a reputation for excellence

To help your business obtain a reputation for providing excellent customer service there are a number of essential trade secrets that need to be followed. One scheme many businesses use these days is to arrange brain storming sessions during staff meetings and training programmes to discuss the type of service delivered by other successful companies. By discussing examples with staff it helps your own organization to deliver quality superior customer service. Also by recognizing the positive contribution staff make for the business morale and team spirit is boosted. This can be done through bonus or incentive payment schemes or introducing for example a 'salesman of the month' award.

The following are some questions that may identify whether your business is providing just basic or excellent examples of good customer service.

Background knowledge. Is the employee trained to know the core business and can effectively supply the customer's with what they require?

Image. Is the employee friendly and project a good image and manner to the customer?

Difficult customers. Does the employee deal with difficult customers with courtesy and respect?

Helpfulness. Is the employee helpful and ensures customer requirements are met?

Going the extra mile. Does the employee regularly exceed standards by going the extra mile to provide outstanding customer service?

8 Examples of Good Customer Service

Friendly staff
Ensure employees who are hired to deal with customers on a daily basis especially at first point-of-contact or in reception areas have a friendly, positive and helpful personality. Employees should have a good knowledge of the business. Engaging employees who already have customer service credentials is an advantage as it indicates they already have the skills and a commitment to customer service.

Appreciating employees
A happy employee will feel valued and provide customers with good service. A salary that offers staff discounts and other incentives will appeal to employees and indicates the company cares about them. Providing opportunities for staff development through training programmes encourages and motivates staff.

Modern technology
Customers can become annoyed and frustrated when put on hold and left waiting by automated phone systems. The overuse of this type of technology can sometimes be counter productive and cause losses to the business bottom line.

Customer issues
Complaints need to be dealt with swiftly. By delaying dealing with customer issues can lead to your business losing a valued customer. By sorting problems out can unlock the door to sales and help your business gain an edge over the competition..

Improving service
Always treat your customers with respect and courtesy. When dealing with issues find out as much as you can about the problem as it could help you to refine and improve existing services.

Thanking the customer
Always thank your customers for dealing with your business. Most customers' appreciate being valued and will remember the helpful service your business provided that will result in customer loyalty and repeat business.

Going the extra mile
Some customer's may be in a hurry so ensure they are dealt with promptly as it could be the difference between selling and not selling a product. Consumers appreciate businesses going the extra mile by taking care of their needs and can result in repeat business.

Customer feedback
Look at canvassing your customer's through online satisfaction surveys to determine whether your existing services are working. By asking customer's for feedback about your business you will be able to measure and improve your internal systems and services.

Brandon has written a number of article on customer service and has outlined some key examples of good customer service at his site.

Three Steps to Creating Exceptional Customer Experience

By Bill Zipp 

Here is the brutal reality: It's not enough anymore to JUST provide customer service.  

When my mother grew up and it was her birthday, her mother went to the store and bought flour, sugar, milk, and eggs; came home and baked a birthday cake. When it was my birthday, my mom went to the store, bought a cake mix and baked me a birthday cake. 

When my kids’ birthday came, I did neither of those things. For about ten bucks I went to the store and bought a pre-made cake complete with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on top. However when parents prepare for their children’s birthday today, a cake is not enough. There must be a party with games, prizes, balloons, and a clown.

This is what Harvard researchers Joseph Pine and James Gilmore call The Experience Economy. It is a fundamental shift in the marketplace where “work is theater and every business a stage.”   

In other words, people come to businesses today with dramatically different expectations than they did even a few years ago. They don’t want an ordinary product or run-of-the mill service, they want an experience.  

This is what will keep your customers coming back to your business again and again and again, the exceptional experience you provide. Or the lack of it that will drive them away.

 THREE ESSENTIALS TO EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

 Here’s how you can make every customer’s contact with your business an exceptional experience:

 1. Cast Your VISION

 It’s a quaint, yet insightful story told of a Londoner taking a walk downtown at the turn of the last century. He came upon laborers working on a construction project and asked one of the men, “What are you doing?”

He answered, “I’m layin’ bricks.”   

Continuing down the block a bit, he asked a second worker the same question, and the man answered, “I’m buildin’ a wall.”   

To a third a bit further down he posed the same question. The man stopped for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked to the sky saying, “I’m building a great cathedral!”   

Getting very, very clear about the vision of your work, the great cathedral that you are building, has a powerful effect on people. It transforms ordinary, routine jobs, like laying bricks, into a cause. And when people are committed to a cause, nothing can stand in their way.

In short, vision creates passion. And passion for one’s work is what delivers exceptional customer experience that is so critical to succeeding in this experience economy.

2. Empower Your PEOPLE

The carrot and the stick have proven to be poor motivators in the workplace because they do not move people from within. Positive input, encouragement, and genuine appreciation, however, communicate to people their value and worth and motivates them from the inside out.   

When provided on a regular basis, work becomes a place people enjoy coming to instead of just putting in their time.  

“Because of its power, ridiculously low cost and rarity, praise and recognition is one of the greatest lost opportunities in the business world today,” write Gallup researchers in 12: The Elements of Great Managing.   

In other words, your employees are your internal customer. When their experience working for you is affirming and energizing, that positive emotion overflows to your customers creating the exceptional experience you seek.

3. Live Your VALUES  

One of the most infuriating customer experiences is to be told by someone that your reasonable request cannot be met because, “It’s not our policy.” Many companies develop policy manuals as a rule book to keep people in line and keep customers from stepping out of line.

Leading companies, however, do not do this. They teach people values and how those values apply to the many, and varied, situations that may arise with customers.  

Visit any Marriott® hotel and you will experience this phenomenon. “Do whatever it takes to take care of the customer” is their mantra and they live it every day.   

The heroes at Marriott® are frontline employees who give money out of their own pocket to help with a guest’s cab fare or take special care of a package so that a traveler’s child receives it on their birthday. Talk about exceptional customer experience!   

Not surprisingly, this also impacts the bottom line. Marriott® consistently stands as one of the most profitable businesses in the hospitality industry and in 2005 won an award for best customer service for any hotel chain in the United States.  

THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PAYOFF

When I visit Washington, D.C., there is only one hotel I will stay at, The Willard Intercontinental.   

Why?   

Not because of the complementary bottle of wine that was in my room. Or because when I arrived bleary-eyed from the west coast in the dead of night, the manager came out to greet me. All nice touches!  

It is because of a cleaning lady.  

I conducted a leadership seminar at The Willard Intercontinental and took off without the power cord from my laptop. Replacing one of those is a pain in the neck, not to mention living with a dead computer until you do.

But on my way to the airport I received a call from, you guessed it, the cleaning lady who found it and took the time to figure out that it was my power cord. She then OVERNIGHTED the cord to me and I had it to use the next day.  

What an exceptional customer experience!  

Yes, there are much cheaper hotels in Washington D.C., but the experience I had there was unmatched. Why would I want to stay anywhere else? You see, that’s how the experience economy works.

Would somebody get me a piece of birthday cake.

Do you own your own business or does it own you? Discover the difference with The Business Fitness™ System from Bill Zipp, President of Leadership Link. Bill is a seasoned small business specialist whose proven program provides a step-by-step plan for building a strong, self-sustaining small business. For a FREE Special Report, The 3 Biggest Killers of Small Businesses Today (And What YOU Can Do About Them!) visit www.LeadershipLink.net .

How Are You Keeping Your Clients Happy?

By Tracy Collins 

More and more, corporate America is more interested in getting rich than the needs and wants of their clients. They are forgetting about the clients that made their pocketbooks as fat as they are today. For instance, look at the gas prices. We all know the prices are high and it is hurting the little guy, while the oil companies are making record profits (but I digress).

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 Pennsylvania. Offering confidential virtual administrative support services to entrepreneurs/small business owners who feel they need higher than average confidential assistance.

7 Secrets for Moving Customers Out of a Hardball Mentality

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.

Improve Listening Skills For Enhanced Efficiency And Productivity

By Tom Fuszard

Copyright 2008, Thomas R. Fuszard Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Fuszard

Have You Had Your Laugh Today?

Jody Urquhart

Deep laughter lowers our levels of stress hormones, raises our pain threshold, increases our ability to fight upper respiratory diseases, relaxes muscles and reduces anxiety. Cracking up even has cardiovascular benefits. Studies done at Stanford University found that a two-minute belly laugh is equal to 10 minutes on a rowing machine in terms of boosting your heart rate.

Anybody can use laughter as therapy. There are no limitations in how often it's done, and there's no cost involved. It doesn't even have to be a real laugh. The body doesn't know the difference. If you pretend to start laughing, then you start really laughing. The following is only a partial list of the benefits of Laughing:

Laughter takes the focus off your problems

A sense of humor helps us gain a fuller and more realistic perspective of the world

Laughing invokes feelings of happiness and joy. Instead of being gloomy and frustrated

It’s easier to think creatively around a problem when our mind is lighter from laughter

Shared laughter promotes bondage and unity within the group.

Laughter also opens the door to more real and risky communication.

Humor can dramatically change the quality and outlook of our lives. Humor is an easy way to get in touch with your feelings, and control them in difficult situations.

Laughter is not the same as humor. Laughter is simply the physiological response to humor.

Laughing makes us feel good for a reason. The physiological effects on our body do some pretty amazing stunts. For instance:

Laughter appears to reduce levels of certain Stress Hormones

Laughter boosts the Immune System and Lowers Blood Pressure

Laughter may lead to hiccuping and coughing, which will clear the respiratory tract by dislodging mucus plugs.

Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory and facial, leg and back muscles a workout.

There also has been some belief that laughter may help prevent some life-threatening diseases

Share some humor today. Give yourself permission to REALLY

                            LAUGH!

 

Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who for the last ten years has motivated and inspired professionals to use humor to change there lives. Please contact us to see how we can recognize and inspire professionals at your next event.

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Remember life doesn't care whether you are having fun or not. You should. The only person stopping you from having more fun is you.