No doubt you've been on the receiving end of lousy
customer service a time or two. You've come to a company
with questions only to be told by some sterile voice to
press this or click that until you arrive full circle to
your starting place with no help at all. Or, worse, you've
reached some bored CSR who calls you by name but delivers
only the infamous phrase, "I am sorry, but there is nothing
I can do."
Now you are on the other side of the equation. You own a
business or you manage a department and you want your
customers to be happy, to come back for more products or
services, and to tell others wonderful things about your
company. What do you do?
In this edition you'll learn some of the steps to take to
create a responsive, caring organization. As you read about
how customer service works, you'll transform what you learn
into your own, unique style. You will merge these ideas with
the mission you have for your organization. It is vital that
your front-line people understand and share this vision. You
must give them the tools to put that vision to work. We'll
tell you how.
Courtesy, Caring, and Willingness to Serve
If you were raised with basic good manners and along the
way ever joined a service group, like the scouts or 4-H,
then you've got the groundwork for providing great customer
service. The foundation you need is one of courtesy, caring,
willingness to serve, and an attitude that lets your
customers know that you they matter-and that you care. There
are skills and technologies that can help you put it all
into practice, but don't get your head turned by all the
whiz-bang tools that are out there. Great customer service
has its basis in good manners. See? Mom was right.
These days it is fashionable for companies to refer to
customer service as "customer retention," but that can lead
to backwards thinking. To retain a customer, simply serve
him and do it well. If you focus on retention you'll miss
what is important, which is the customer and his or her
needs.
Making the Most of Opportunities
Whatever it is that your company does, no matter how you
do it, you make a promise to each and every customer that
darkens your virtual door. You enter into a contract, even
if the terms aren't explicitly stated. The consumer pays you
something, and you promise to provide a product or a
service. There are pledges of quality and quickness.
Customer service involves living up to your word on these
matters, but it really gets to shine when something goes
wrong.
Here's the thing. Mistakes are opportunities -- golden
ones. Here's why. Studies show that a satisfied customer
will tell 2-3 people about his experience with your company.
A dissatisfied consumer will share their lament with 8-10
people and some will push that number to twenty.
But here's the opportunity. An unhappy customer will
become a loyal consumer if you fix his complaint and do it
quickly. Eighty percent (80%) of these folks will come back
to you if you've treated them fairly. That percentage rises
to the upper 90s if you respond immediately. Every day you
have the chance to transform your mistakes into returning
customers -- the kind who will tell other people good things
about you. Imagine that.
Building the Framework
There are, of course, tools and technologies to help you,
but the basis of your success will lie in the framework of
customer service that you establish for your company and the
atmosphere you set through your mission. Here are the
building blocks you will need for a solid framework:
A clear, stated vision of what your company does and how
it does it, with employees who understand that vision and
make it their own. This is the place for mission statements
and employee training. This is the place for a lot of hard
work before you put your first product or service on the
market.
Stated promises that you strive to keep. When you offer
your company to the public be explicit about what you will
do. Remember quality and quickness-two aspects that matter
most.
Ready access. Give your customers tools to find the
information or the people they need. Technology will play a
vital role here as you establish networks by which your
customers gain access via their computer or telephone. If
your customers press a number or click a button, always give
them the path to a live assistant. No technology can
substitute for a real person who has the knowledge and the
authority to solve a customer's problems. Read on.
Linked Sales and Service Departments. When you create the
framework for your company, it is vital to keep your sales
and your service closely tied together. A salesperson who
has no accountability for quality and quickness will lose
commitment to the customer and focus instead on his own
success in numbers. The CSR who had no part in the sale will
feel little accountability when things go wrong; "Hey, it
wasn't my mistake!" Create a corporate body in which both
hands, the head and the feet are part of one accountable
being. Every department shares in the goal of excellent
customer service.
Authority to resolve problems is what your front-line
people need to keep your customers happy. Companies that
don't trust their CSRs engender fear in the employees that
becomes an unwillingness to provide the "on-the-spot"
solutions that create loyal customers. "I'll have to check
with my supervisor", is a formula for disaster. There is a
high correlation between excellent customer service ratings,
a solid bottom line, and employee loyalty. Build these
strengths into your structure. Teach your CSRs to say, "I
can fix that," and give them the authority to do it. They
won't give the store away. They will deliver profits.
Service that goes beyond expectations. If you've made a
mistake, fix it, and then provide a perk for the
customer-something that says, "I'm sorry," and, "I care".
When all is said and done and the dust has settled, follow
up with the customer. "How did we do?" "Is there something
else you need?" Chances are you'll get another order on the
spot.
A forum that gives a voice to the silent customer. Fewer
than 10% of dissatisfied customers actually complain to a
company, but they do complain to each other. They'll tell
other people what you did wrong, even if they never tell
you. Remember the statistics, and give these people every
opportunity to tell you how you're doing. What you don't
know can certainly hurt your company. Call them. Send them
an e-mail. Write them a letter. Ask them if they're happy
and what they need from you. Much of this will lead to more
requests for your services or products.
Now, none of this takes into account the occasional
customer that is rude, irate, and unreasonable. They're out
there and despite what you've been told, they are not always
right. But this is true, they are always human and chances
are they will cool off and get their wits about them when
they realize that you are listening, that you can help them,
and that you care. Most customers will respond favorably to
good manners. Susan Gladin
