The Golden Rule of Customer Service

Posted on 16. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

“Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” Don’t worry; I’m not trying to take you to Sunday school under the pretense of a business article! However, in one form or another we have learned this rule for as long as we can remember. Many people try their best to apply this rule in their everyday lives. But, how many of us try to follow such a simple principle when it comes to business?

If you think about it, it could single handedly be the most important rule to follow in business. After unpleasant sales encounters, most customers are not most upset with the product or service that they purchased. Sure that may have been the root of the problem. But, most people understand that we don’t live in a perfect world and sometimes things don’t work!

The reason most people leave these situations upset is because of the way that they’ve been treated. They feel that they have spent the money for your product or service that for one reason or another did not perform properly. This upsets them, but what really angers them is that they feel that no one cares.

We’ve all had negative customer service experiences. Those of us in sales have most likely been on both sides of such exchanges.

When we’re in the salesperson role, we may be running ragged from an extremely busy day. We may have issues going on in our personal life. We might simply have gotten up in a bad mood that morning. There’s nothing innately wrong with any of those things. However, it is our job to find a way to put all of those things aside to help the people we’re paid to assist. This is why I feel that sales people should really be required to take Acting 101! Ideally, we would always be able to genuinely be interested in listening to our customers and helping them find the solutions that work best for them. But, we all know that that’s pretty much impossible everyday, absent a fairly large prescription of Prozac! Salespeople are just that, people. We’re not always going to be at the top of our game, but we must be able to “act” as if we are. Convincingly, act as if we are!

On the other hand, being that salespeople are people, we are constantly faced with these situations in which we are the customer. Undoubtedly, you have run into a few salespeople who have irritated you or who may not be quite as helpful as you’d like.

Now, obviously, we will never be able to be perfect in all of our customer interactions. However, if we were to try and keep the good old “Golden Rule” in our consciousness at all times when dealing with customers, I think we’d find our jobs more enjoyable, our customers happier and yes, even our profits growing!

Don’t Lose a Customer to Bad Customer Service

Posted on 14. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

Four years ago my husband received his first paycheck from his new job so we decided to celebrate. We went out to our favorite sushi restaurant for dinner. The excitement and pleasure we normally experienced was soon shattered by disappointment and a little rage.

The wonderful service we received was replaced by a waitress who was too busy to take care of us. She had no problem serving the tables to the left and right of us, but we seemed to be an inconvenience. We had to call her over for our order and for refills. She forgot our straws, forgot our wasabi, forgot my daughter’s dipping sauce, and forgot my husband’s soup. She finally brought the soup and straws upon our second request, but the wasabi and dipping sauce never arrived.

“That’s okay,” I thought. “Everyone has a bad day sometimes.” But then came the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my entire life! It was heavily suggested that my husband and I were LIARS!

When we received our bill, I noticed that we had been charged for two coffee drinks. The problem was that while I had ordered two coffees, we only received one.

When the hostess came by, I explained that I would like the second coffee taken off because I never received it. Her reply, “yes you did. I brought it to you.” I looked at her and said, “Yes, you brought me the first coffee I ordered. The second coffee never arrived.” She left the table to discuss the matter with our waitress.

The waitress returned and said, “You had two coffees. I picked up a glass.” My husband and I looked at her and politely said, “Yes. You picked up the first glass. We never received the second coffee.” She then said, “Well the bartender made two drinks.” We said, “That may be so, but we never received it.” She walked away to discuss the matter with her manager who in turn went to discuss the matter with the bartender.

The bartender swore he made the drink. We didn’t deny the fact that he made the drink, we simply stated that we had never received the drink. The manager came to our table and said, “We have a dilemma here. My waitress, the hostess, and the bartender said you received your drink.”

We looked at him and said, “We don’t deny that the bartender made the drink or that we ordered two coffees (Baileys Irish Cream and coffee, to be exact.), but that second coffee never made it to this table.”

Doesn’t sound so bad, right? Well, here’s the kicker! The manager looked us dead in the face with a look of anger and in a harsh voice said, “Well, I can always go look in the dishwasher for the second glass. My bartender assures me that you are the only ones who ordered one of those drinks.”

My husband looked at him in disbelief.

“Did the manager just call us liars?” I asked myself.

My husband simply replied, “Look, we understand your position, but we never received the second coffee. Go look in the dishwasher.”

Frustrated, the manger threw his hands up in the air, and with a disgusted voice said, “Well here is what I am going to do. I am going to credit you this drink.” No apology. No sorry for the misunderstanding. No sorry for the inconvenience. Nothing.

I looked at the manager and said, “We come here every other week. We never had a problem before.” He just walked away—no reply, no words.

The manager came back with the check and a tally that showed the times each of our orders were put into the system. Guess what? The second coffee was not listed on that sheet, but he had written down two times in blue pen and said, “The first coffee was put in at 5:58 and the second coffee was put in at 6:40.”

We looked at him and said, “We aren’t denying we ordered two coffees; just that the second one never came.”

Then my husband added, “Look at this table. Everything from the second order is here. Do you see that cup here?” The manager didn’t even look, he just walked away disgusted.

We paid our bill, left a $10 tip since the bill was $100 and we didn’t want to stiff the sushi makers, and walked out.

My son, who hates waiting for the bill because he always feels bad when we spend too much money on eating out, had gone outside when we asked the waitress for the bill. The look of bewilderment and anger on my face must have given me away because my son asked, “What’s wrong?”

After a little nagging, I finally told him what happened. He looked at me and said, “Mom, you never got that second cup of coffee.” I said, “I know and you can bet we will never eat there again.”

The moral of this story…sometimes bad customer service can cost you a long-time repeat customer. If you’re having a bad day, try to take a deep breath and don’t take it out on your customers. And remember, sometimes, employees lie to cover their butts. And sometimes, mistakes just happen.

Is Good Customer Service Going to the Dogs?

Posted on 12. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

I had an experience the other day that has made me think about how too many customer service experiences unfold in the business world today, and about the difference that really good service can make.

I have two dogs. Earlier this week, it was time for them to get their summer haircuts so that they will be able to comfortably cope with the Houston heat.

The newest addition to the house is Jason, a miniature schnauzer who had been the prized pet of an old lady who had to give him up for adoption when she moved to a nursing home. She had chosen to keep him fully furred, not trimmed in the traditional schnauzer cut, so that he had a really nice wire haired coat to go with his bushy eyebrows and stubby tail. The other dog is Lucky, a schnauzer-poodle mix—poodle ears and body, schnauzer muzzle and curly tail—he gets the traditional cut.

So, I took the two little guys to the groomers the other morning. I was the first client of the day, and the salon was nice and quiet. I explained what I wanted to the person who would be doing the job—traditional schnauzer cut on Lucky, but not on Jason. Just a trim for him. This is important, I told her, because I don’t want his coat shaved off—once that wire hair is gone it never grows back. Did she understand, I asked?

Yes, she answered. But did I want Jason’s skirt trimmed?

Skirt? I stared blankly and finally figured out that she was talking about the feathery bits on his chest and belly. Yes, fine, I said. Trim that area but just don’t shave him. She nodded.

I went back a few hours later to pick up the boys. At that point the salon was buzzing with dogs, clients, and groomers. The fur was literally flying. First came Lucky, looking very dapper and neat. A few seconds later, out came Jason, and my mouth dropped open.

He had been completely shaved!!! The groomer had given him a standard schnauzer cut—and that lovely wire coat was gone forever.

I couldn’t believe it. I was angry and sad at the same time. What had happened? How could the conversation we had had in the morning have been so completely lost?

After discussing the situation with the salon owner, she reluctantly refunded my money, which was very small consolation for the snafu. It should be no surprise that I will not be going back to that salon when the boys’ fur has grown out.

This whole thing left me thinking about how this kind of customer service happens in other businesses. There were several points about the experience that translate:

1. Are we really listening to our customers? Do we ask the questions we need to ask to make sure that we understand what they want from us? Do we make accurate notes so that we retain instructions and deliver what was asked for? I got plenty of nods from the groomer during our talk, but my instructions obviously got lost somewhere between her ears and her shears.

2. Are we communicating clearly back to them, or do we use industry jargon that they may or may not understand? When the groomer asked me about trimming Jason’s skirt, I had to stop and think. It was MY responsibility to figure out what she was talking about. Not a great way to do business.

3. Finally, and very very important, when mistakes do get made on our side of the transaction, how do we make amends? Even the worst error doesn’t have to mean the loss of the customer. Respond to the mistake with restitution that matches its seriousness. In my case, given the extent of the mistake with Jason, and the permanence of the result, the salon owner fell far short in restitution and in terms of keeping my business. I had to struggle to simply get a refund, which was insufficient compared to the permanent impact this error has. I won’t be back to that salon.

These three points–listening to the customer, communicating back in ways that they will easily understand, and making appropriate amends when mistakes get made on our end—are the core of excellent service and the key to keeping loyal and happy customers.

(As a post script, I should note that Jason still looks darn cute, even without his fur. And I’m sure he doesn’t care one way or the other about all that wire hair!)

Customer Service thru Call Centers – Are They Making Lives of Indian Customers any Easier?

Posted on 10. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

We all have to fall back on call centers these days whenever we need some help or information for our bank accounts, mobile services or tour itineraries as we don’t have the time to visit the relevant department. But the experience is seldom satisfactory and many people believe that customer service over telephone simply does not work in this country. Of course we cannot ignore the convenience of 24/7 but how far can we expect to get our queries resolved by the call center agents?

My personal experience is that simple queries like the balance of a savings account or payment due date of a mobile telephone bill can be handled by a call center. In fact most of the call centers had IVR facility and you even need not interact with an agent as the machine will read out the balance or due bill amount. But when it comes to taking a decision the efficiency level of call centers drop drastically and most of the time the outcome is very frustrating.

Usually a phone banking customer has access to internet and so to me the IVR is not so much of a value addition as one can check the same information in the web. So what is really expected of a call center are the queries which an automated system cannot resolve and needs human intervention. For example why my credit card was charged twice or my phone bill is not being mailed to me and in these kinds of cases the call centers are not really meeting the customer expectation.

I have a very bad experience with the country’s leading mobile services provider; I used to get my mobile bill to my email and since last few months the bills are not mailed to me when I had to take the initiative and report to the call center. I am still struggling to get this resolved despite repeated calls and emails, and for the past 3 months I am paying them in spite of not getting the bill just because I cannot afford to have my phone disconnected. Every time I call them I have to tell my problem from scratch and they assure me of sending all my bills and provide me with a token number but nothing has happened yet.

Nothing can be more frustrating than this and I have discovered after searching some product review sites that I am probably not alone. There are hundreds of customers suffering miserably at the hands of these call center agents as the agents cannot offer any solution to their woes and matters even get more complicated and confusing. In most of the cases it seems that the call center agents have no clue about the business processes and they just give misleading information and false assurances without understanding or studying the problems or cases.

The companies are heavily investing on the call centers but the investment so far is concentrated on infrastructure whereas the need clearly lies in the area of training and development of staff members. What is required for the call center staff is a good understanding of the business process and adequate supervision but that is unfortunately completely ignored. The BPOs have failed to provide process training to agents so that they can help customers and are simply providing some computers, network, CRM software and an accent training which is definitely not adequate for setting up a customer help line.

My experience with India’s No. 1 travel portal help desk was even more pathetic. I made an internet booking about 6 months back thru their website and when after 24 hours I was not mailed the e-ticket I was desperate to speak to a call center agent. I had to wait for more than 3 hours to finally get hold of one agent as either the numbers were busy or I was put on hold and finally disconnected. I was almost missing my flight and after that I promised myself never again with last minute tickets online.

There are numerous bad experiences like this with call centers and I think people are learning to avoid them and depend more on physical presence to get their queries answered and problem solved. It is no doubt a great concept that can make the life of the companies and customers better but unfortunately the companies have a long way to go before being able to really help their customers thru help desks. Right now the call centers are nothing but a bunch of unsupervised fresh college pass outs who have no idea of what they are doing and in some way struggling to answer customer queries using their imagination and some limited information in the computer databases.

Customer Service ? Improve it With These 6 Tips

Posted on 10. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

Good customer service is one of the most important part of your business. It’s essential to get repeat customers, the backbone of most businesses. And unsatisfied customers are always fast to spread their unhappiness. So here are a few tips about customer service:

1. Be polite and use appropriate style.

This is a must. Your clients will respect you a lot more if you act and sound professional. And many people will take offence at being addressed too familiarly.

2. The customer is always right.

That is an old saying, but always true. The problem or blame may be on the customer’s side, but you should never tell this outright. If it’s a problem on his side, just tell him the steps to fix it and be understanding. And, if the problem is on your side, do not be afraid to say sorry and explain the problem if the situation warrants it.

3. Offer a refund if the problem is too serious.

Some customers will not dare to ask for a refund, even if it’s appropriate given the situation. Tell them yourself that you will refund them if they wish to, even if you have a clear guarantee displayed on your site.

4. Be willing to go the extra mile.

It’s the little things that count. When you can do more than asked do not be afraid to, your customers will love you for it. For example, you can use pictures, screenshots or samples to answer a question instead of simply describing with words, or send a handwritten thank you note with your physical products.

5. Make your customer feel comfortable asking questions.

Answer all questions you receive promptly and politely. The fact that they may not be taking part in your latest promotion or buying your latest product doesn’t make their question less important. It may be less profitable for you, but your customer could not care less about these things. Who know, they could be planning a big purchase, or would have if they had been treated well.

6. Always follow-up if you expect a problem.

You do not need to follow your customers every step of the way. But if you notice a problem, or just answered a particularly complicated request, it’s best to make sure everything is resolved before you move on. Make it easy to contact you if there is still something wrong.

Customer Service ? Improve it With These 6 Tips

Posted on 10. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

Good customer service is one of the most important part of your business. It’s essential to get repeat customers, the backbone of most businesses. And unsatisfied customers are always fast to spread their unhappiness. So here are a few tips about customer service:

1. Be polite and use appropriate style.

This is a must. Your clients will respect you a lot more if you act and sound professional. And many people will take offence at being addressed too familiarly.

2. The customer is always right.

That is an old saying, but always true. The problem or blame may be on the customer’s side, but you should never tell this outright. If it’s a problem on his side, just tell him the steps to fix it and be understanding. And, if the problem is on your side, do not be afraid to say sorry and explain the problem if the situation warrants it.

3. Offer a refund if the problem is too serious.

Some customers will not dare to ask for a refund, even if it’s appropriate given the situation. Tell them yourself that you will refund them if they wish to, even if you have a clear guarantee displayed on your site.

4. Be willing to go the extra mile.

It’s the little things that count. When you can do more than asked do not be afraid to, your customers will love you for it. For example, you can use pictures, screenshots or samples to answer a question instead of simply describing with words, or send a handwritten thank you note with your physical products.

5. Make your customer feel comfortable asking questions.

Answer all questions you receive promptly and politely. The fact that they may not be taking part in your latest promotion or buying your latest product doesn’t make their question less important. It may be less profitable for you, but your customer could not care less about these things. Who know, they could be planning a big purchase, or would have if they had been treated well.

6. Always follow-up if you expect a problem.

You do not need to follow your customers every step of the way. But if you notice a problem, or just answered a particularly complicated request, it’s best to make sure everything is resolved before you move on. Make it easy to contact you if there is still something wrong.

Your Customer Service Function is an Important Management Tool

Posted on 10. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

Many enterprises consider their customer service function to be a needed but distasteful function. By so doing, they are missing a very important function that customer service can provide to the enterprise.

The complaints which are received by the customer service function are a mirror of how the organization is performing its functions. Typically the complaints reflect one of two types of error.

The first type of complaint occurs when a mistake is made by a member of the work force. An example of this type of mistake would to send the wrong item to a customer. In this example the enterprise has established the proper methods and procedures, but the individual worker made an error in the execution of the system.

The second type of complaint comes from a situation where the enterprise has not installed a fully functional set of methods and procedures. It is in the collection of these systemic errors that the organization has an opportunity to react to and improve their methods and procedures. By identifying and improving its methods and procedures, the enterprise provides its customers a better and more accurately functioning system.

An example of the second type of error would be the substitution of a higher value substitute to the ordered item This could occur if the original order could not be filled. Failure of the enterprise to specify the reason for the substitution of the ordered item to the customer could be considered an error in the processing system. The other system error which this example shows is that the enterprise did not have the ordered item available when and where there was a demand for it.

It in this latter example where the enterprise can learn from its customer service function. This however requires a reporting system and an analysis the actions needed to make things go more smoothly.

Spit Shined Customer Service

Posted on 10. Jul, 2010 by admin in Customer Service

We’ve come a long way since the days of the Pony Express.  E-mails, voice mails, and text messages have done an amazing job of speeding up the rate at which we do business around the world. Information flies back and forth in a matter of seconds and we accomplish so much more, so much faster.

But as electronic and high speed as today’s world has become, it’s still vital to know how to conduct yourself in “live” situations.  What can you do to avoid looking like a greenhorn as you do business in face-to-face interactions with clients as well as with each other?  Here are 10 tips on appearing as spit-shined and personable as possible: 

1) Treat them like people, not cattle.  Your customers want to feel special and cared for, not like an insignificant cow in the herd.  Treat them like they’re your top priority and the most important thing in your world at that moment. 

2) Look for the whites of their eyes.  When meeting with clients, look them directly in the eye.  Don’t hide behind your computer, fiddle with papers, or watch everyone who passes by your desk.  Direct eye contact indicates openness, honesty and friendliness. It shows you are totally focused on that person and their needs.

3) Call ‘em by name.  Everyone loves the sound of their own name. When you call a client by name, they know you’ve been listening and care enough to remember it. It connects you to your client quickly and makes your interaction much more personable.

4) Lend a helpin’ hand.  Take time for your customers. You are probably keyed in to being as efficient as possible during your workday, but don’t be too quick or short with clients. They are your bottom line, so taking time for them is the most important thing you can do.  Serve them in every way you can with top-notch personal attention.

5) Keep grinnin’.  Be happy about helping your customers. Don’t ever act put out when spending time with a client. They will sense it and may go someplace where they feel more welcome, like straight to your competitor. Serve clients cheerfully and promptly and they’ll keep coming back.

6) Mind yer grammar.  Bad grammar and spelling make you look unprofessional and take away your credibility very quickly. Watch what you say as well as what you email. Avoid phrases like “you guys” or mispronunciations like ‘realator’ vs. ‘realtor.”

7) Avoid barbed comments.  Always speak positively about your company and co-workers. You want people to be drawn to your organization, so present your business and staff in a positive light. Every business has improvements to make, but don’t degrade your products, services or co-workers in front of others.

Don’t poison your neighbor’s well.  Never put down the competition or speak of them negatively.  You may think it makes you look better, but it usually has the opposite effect. By acknowledging their strengths and professionalism you actually reinforce your own. Bring a positive perspective to business rather than a negative one.

9) Let every cowhand do their job.  Respect the professionalism of your co-workers. If they are with a client or on the phone, don’t interrupt or be distracting with overly loud conversations or boisterous laughter.  Keep your own language clean and appropriate as you interact with or around them.

10) Ride for the brand.  Stay true to your company’s policies and procedures. Occasionally customers ask for things you can’t provide. Rather than just saying ‘no,’ explain why. Once clients know the reason, they usually understand. Then suggest what can be done to get them what they want – authorization from your boss, another resource, or even a referral to your competition. By helping them obtain what they want, even if you can’t provide it directly, you are still acting with first-class professionalism.

Customers pay close attention to every interaction whether face-to-face, phone, email, or fax. Hold yourself to a high professional standard by offering customer service that is personable, positive and respectful.  With spit-shined customer service, you’ll make a great impression every time!