| by: Jane-Michèle Clark | | | | and reputable your company is based on what they |
| It almost goes without saying that good customer | | | | see when they walk trough your doors. |
| service is essential to sustaining any business. No | | | | Preserve me from auto-attendant hell. Customers are |
| matter how wonderful a job you do of attracting | | | | becoming increasingly annoyed and frustrated with |
| new customers, you won't be profitable for long | | | | having to sift through a multitude of options and |
| unless you have a solid customer retention strategy | | | | press numerous buttons - only to be told that the |
| in place - and in action. It's the actions that count - | | | | desired service can only be obtained through the |
| not what you say you'll do, or what the policy says. | | | | company's website. Worse is when the |
| People will remember what you or your employees | | | | auto-attendant uses voice recognition - but doesn't |
| have done - or not done. | | | | 'recognize' your voice. People want to connect with |
| One of the key components of an effective | | | | human beings; they don't want to listen to a long list |
| retention strategy is exceptional customer service. | | | | of prompts. For hints on how to use auto-attendants |
| Not just good service, but memorable service. | | | | effectively, please read "The top 5 new things |
| Today, consumers' expectations are higher than ever | | | | people expect for good customer service" on our |
| and companies that fail to deliver, risk losing market | | | | webiste. |
| share. | | | | 5) Do what you say you will... when you say you will. |
| 10 Tips for Delivering Good Customer Service. | | | | The expression "Under promise, over deliver" may |
| 1) Treat me like a somebody. It's been years since | | | | have become somewhat hackneyed through over |
| that Midas muffler commercial aired, but the "I'm a | | | | use, but is still germane. One of the quickest ways to |
| somebody" phrase can still be heard from time to | | | | lose customer confidence is to not follow-through, or |
| time. Why? Because regular customers expect (and | | | | to be late delivering a service or product, without |
| deserve) to be remembered. As one woman | | | | notifying the customer in advance, determining |
| summed it up, "You don't need to remember my | | | | whether or not the delay will impact the customer |
| name, or what I order, but do acknowledge that I've | | | | and providing an alternate solution in the interim if |
| been there before." | | | | necessary. |
| One of the best examples I've ever seen of this is | | | | One of the best examples I ever experienced of a |
| at my local coffee shop. One day I noticed that the | | | | company doing it well happened with Toyota. There |
| young man behind the counter greeted some people | | | | was a problem with my RAV4 and Toyota couldn't |
| by name and, even if he didn't know their name, he | | | | repair it easily. I was driving a loaner, but had planned |
| knew what they usually ordered. As I waited for my | | | | to go camping with my kids. It was our summer |
| tea (he'd already placed my 'two milk on the side' on | | | | holiday and it had been planned for months. When |
| the counter without me having said a word), I asked | | | | Toyota couldn't repair my vehicle in time, they rented |
| him why he said, "See you later" to some customers, | | | | an SUV for us to use - without me having to ask. I |
| "See you tomorrow" to others, yet always said, | | | | have since purchased another vehicle from this |
| "Have a good week" to me. The smiling, friendly | | | | dealership and recommended it to 6 others who |
| reply? "Because you only come in on Mondays and | | | | have purchased from them. Coincidence? I think not. |
| Fridays". As I thanked him, I thought to myself, | | | | 6) Surprise the customer from the time to time. |
| "Wow. He won't be here long". Unfortunately, I was | | | | When it is possible to provide an extra level of |
| right. | | | | service, do so. Whether it's an unexpected |
| 2) Be polite! Too frequently company representatives | | | | complimentary dessert in a restaurant, or an upgrade |
| ask customers for file information without saying | | | | that has not been requested, these special gestures |
| "Please" or even being polite. It is not acceptable for | | | | go a long way towards engendering customer loyalty |
| a service rep to simply bark out, "Account number?" | | | | and to winning you new customers. It has long been |
| And it is never acceptable for a service rep to insult | | | | known that on average, a dissatisfied customer will |
| a client. | | | | tell 10 - 16 others, but people who have had an |
| Six weeks ago there was a problem with my home | | | | unexpectedly good experience also recount their |
| internet account - which is with a phone carrier I | | | | stories. |
| have used my entire life (and, as you know, this kind | | | | 7) Provide "full" service. When Successories sends |
| of loyalty to a phone company is almost unheard of | | | | out its framed prints, it includes the hooks and a small |
| these days). In all that time, I have never been late | | | | levelling device. There's a remote control toy vendor |
| with a bill payment to them. There is a long and ugly | | | | near me who includes the batteries. "My" gas station |
| story here, but the short version is that a) the | | | | dispenses free coffee with gas on weekday |
| problem was on their end and b) before they realized | | | | mornings. A drive-through drycleaner in northern |
| where things had gone wrong, their rep was | | | | Ontario opens early and hands you the morning paper |
| extremely rude. When I asked him to please change | | | | with your order. Small things, yes. Greatly |
| the way in which he was addressing me, he snarled, | | | | appreciated? No question. |
| "Well whadya expect? If you'd pay your bills on time | | | | I spoke to each of my local retailers and learned that |
| you wouldn't have this problem." | | | | in each case, their sales - and profits - have enjoyed |
| I couldn't believe what I was hearing. In fact, if I'd | | | | double digits increases since they introduced more |
| just read this account (instead of being on the | | | | comprehensive service. Think about what you can |
| receiving end), I wouldn't have believed the story. | | | | add to help make things easier for your customers. |
| What's worse is that although the company later | | | | In some cases, by looking at what else it makes |
| apologized, their senior management seemed to feel | | | | sense to sell, you can even add a new revenue |
| that this was not an isolated incident. | | | | stream while improving the perceived level of |
| A 2005 survey conducted by Schulich School of | | | | customer service provided. |
| Business MBAs suggests that this kind of problem | | | | 8) Mea Culpa. When you have made a mistake, admit |
| exists in over 30% of companies, and costs them | | | | it and set things straight. When customers have a |
| hundreds of millions of dollars in lost customers (and | | | | complaint - listen, truly listen. Then apologize and take |
| revenues) each and every year. Don't let your | | | | corrective action. In many instances, the very act of |
| company end up one of these statistics. | | | | listening (without interrupting) can be enough to |
| 3) Thank your customers - like you mean it. When | | | | diffuse the situation and make the person feel |
| your employees conclude a transaction, they should | | | | worthy as a customer. Then ask the customer how |
| thank the customer with a smile and a sincere "thank | | | | they would like you to resolve the situation. In most |
| you for ... completed by whatever is appropriate for | | | | instances, your client will come up with something |
| your business". Too often, customers received a | | | | reasonable - and often less costly than a solution you |
| rushed and barely civil "Thanks-Have-a-nice-day-Next". | | | | might have proposed. |
| With large purchases, the verbal greeting should be | | | | 9) Listen to your customers. Conduct your own |
| followed up with a hand-written card - not just | | | | surveys and get feedback on what they like and |
| because it leads to increased referrals (which is | | | | don't like - and take corrective action as required. Let |
| does), but because it is the correct thing to do. | | | | customers know that their business is appreciated |
| Oh, and by the way, the word "Sure" is no way to | | | | and that their opinions are important to you. |
| respond when a customer thanks you. To many | | | | None of these suggestions takes a lot of time or |
| people in many parts of the world, this is dismissive | | | | money to implement, yet they can pay dividends in |
| and suggests you don't care. The correct phrase is | | | | increased customer satisfaction and retention. The |
| "You're welcome". | | | | key, though, is to ensuring that employees |
| 4) Appearances do count! According got two | | | | understand the importance of their front-line role and |
| independent pieces or research, nearly 90% of | | | | get good training and supervision. |
| customers form an impression about how competent | | | | |