3 Customer Service Ideas to Earn Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty
June 2, 2008
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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
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.
Improve Listening Skills For Enhanced Efficiency And Productivity
May 26, 2008
By Tom Fuszard
With all the talk about honing our communication skills, we rarely hear about improving our listening skills. Yet those are just as important.
Good listening skills are especially critical in a business environment. Listening attentively saves valuable time throughout your organization. As you know, time is money.
People who listen carefully make fewer mistakes. Customer orders are handled correctly the first time, eliminating the costs involved with fixing problems, reshipping merchandise, and issuing refunds or credits.
Your operations run more efficiently as well. Employees fulfill their duties without constantly asking for clarification. An added benefit is that there is less chance for misunderstanding, which in these litigious times can be costly.
These tips will help make you and your staff better listeners:
Complete existing tasks before addressing a question When approached, politely say, "Let me finish this first." Trying to do two things at once shortchanges both.
Overcome distractions Loud radios, chatty co-workers, and ringing phones make it difficult to concentrate on the speaker's comments. Find a quieter room to continue your conversation.
Concentrate on the speaker Lean toward the person slightly and maintain eye contact. Turning one ear toward the speaker can help as well.
Keep your mouth shut We have a nasty habit of interrupting while someone else is speaking. That is rude. Also, in doing so we tend to arrive at the wrong conclusion. Wait until the person finishes speaking before formulating and delivering your reply.
Take notes Not only does this help prevent misunderstandings and errors, it shows that you are paying attention. While taking notes you are less likely to open your mouth, as discussed above.
Listen between the lines A grumpy or surly attitude may not be caused by anything you've said or done. The person may be under duress due to personal or professional problems. Gently probe for the underlying cause and take that into consideration.
Recognize your biases Perhaps the person has a strong accent, speaks slowly, is from another culture, or is dressed oddly. Any of these, and more, can cause you to develop opinions about the speaker and get in the way of good listening.
Becoming a good listener does not require a lot of work. Focus on what the speaker is saying, and ignore competing noises and other distractions. You will be rewarded with a more beneficial conversation.
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Copyright 2008, Thomas R. Fuszard Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Fuszard |
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Do You Care Enough to Keep the Very Best?
May 23, 2008
Last night we went out to dinner at a French Bistro restaurant in our home town in
The waiter did not engage you and seemed to be emotionally distant. The service was good, but no real effort was made to connect with us. It seemed so different than the Italian restaurants we love.
So what was the difference? My wife commented that you do not hear much about the French Bistro. The food was excellent, but we probably would not spread the word. Why? Because we did not feel cared about as customers.
Perhaps the owner of the Bistro could have a conversation with the waiter about the apparent disconnection with customers. The feedback given in a caring way could be pivotal to the success of the restaurant and the employee.
Do you create a remarkable experience for your customers where they are happy to spread the word? It does not take a marketing budget, rather a mindset of building relationships.
Engaged workers produce more, make more money for the company, and create emotional engagement and loyal customers. They contribute to good working environments where people are productive, ethical and accountable. They stay with the organization longer and are more committed to quality and growth than are the other two groups of not-engaged and actively disengaged workers.
Happily Engaged Workers
• Employees must have a strong relationship with their manager.
• They must have clear communication from their manager
• They need a clear path set for concentrating on what they do best
• They need strong relationships with their coworkers
• They must feel a strong commitment with their coworkers so that they take risks and stretch for
excellence
Engaged employees tend to get the least amount of focus and attention from managers, in part because they are doing what they are needed to do. They set goals, meet and exceed expectations and charge enthusiastically toward the next tough task.
Great managers do not leave these excellent employees alone. They spend most of their time with the most productive and talented people because they have the most potential.
The challenge for managers comes when the first signs of disengaging appear from an engaged worker. The symptoms need to be addressed immediately or else the disconnection is most likely to continue. Most of the time this disengagement process can be interrupted by having meaningful conversations that strengthen commitment through relationship.
Do you take the time to keep the very best fully engaged?
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the BarOn EQi and
Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted adviser to senior leadership teams. We provide strategic talent management solutions to select and develop emotionally intelligent leaders and lawyers.
The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded two rare "Board Approved" designations for Dr. Maynard Brusman in the specialties of Executive/Leadership Coaching and Trusted Advisor to Attorneys and Law Firms.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maynard_Brusman
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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"
