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Actual for You - 8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture
Everyone wants to make a lot of money and help people. Many also do not want to be stuck inside the same office environment every working day. A sales career will be one of the best occupations to achieve all this. So it sometimes amazes me on the high number of people, especially recent university or college graduates, who never think about pursuing sales careers.Now, I’m not talking about your average shopping mall sales clerk job or door to door brush salesperson here. I’m referring to much higher level corporate sales positions that require extensive training and specific personal attributes. Many such corporate sales careers will involve mid to large sized companies that deal with business to business selling, i.e., sales to other companies rather than individual consumers.Pretty well all high ticket value items such as specialized machinery or equipment, business services or supplies and any products that require a long term selling process are corporate sales. This includes business done on an international basis as well. Rather than ca
• Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
• Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
• Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.
• Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
• Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repe
When is the last time you worked on a day or evening that you had set aside to do something with your family and went to an appointment or party instead? How did you feel when you were there? Did you feel a little angry for letting the people who are most important in your life down? It's not a great feeling is it?One of the most important things I took into consideration when I was beginning my job in Direct Sales was that I needed something that I could work around my family and other obligations. It would be a lot different from what I was accustomed to which was working my family and other obligations around my job! This is what draws a lot of people into the Direct Selling business! Yet, there are so many consultants that are so afraid to set limits with others for fear of losing business if they don't work when the customer or hostess wants that it absolutely amazes me!I consistently held three to four parties a week for approximately 48 weeks of the year (4 weeks vacation wasn't bad) for over 22 years! Yet I never worked a day or evening that
During our recent weakened economy, many businesses have seen declining revenues and declining budgets. Declining budgets often lead to reduced staff levels and diminished services. To me, this does not make sense. I believe that it is during the down times, when service should be at the forefront and retention of loyal customers even more of a focus.
When price wars fail to drive revenues, businesses often look to service to give them a competitive advantage. Many big business marketers are returning to a “service sells” mentality, however, many sell great customer service and few deliver. The problem is that few marketers have ever truly served a customer.
Throughout my years in business, I have had the opportunity to interact and develop a customer service philosophy. It is inherent that when you are in a service-based business, there will be times when your customer is compelled to offer you their feedback. It is what you do with this feedback that will shape the future and their impression of your business.
Upon reflection, most all of my interactions with displeased customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a disappointing customer experience. Why is that? Because, product is not personal, customer service is. Briefly, I would like to share with you eight critical steps to establish a customer service culture.
1. Customers are the reason for work, not an interruption of work
This sounds really obvious doesn’t it? How many times have you gone into a business only to wait while someone is on the telephone or busy doing some “non-service” task? Employees often lose sight of the importance of the customer and get consumed in lesser day to day tasks. Sure, there are tasks that need to be accomplished, but you cannot afford to sacrifice service to get them done. Good customer service must be a priority for you and your team. Without your customers, you have no company!
2. Train, train, and continue to train.
• Cross train your entire staff to be able to assist a customer regardless of their department. When a customer becomes upset they want their problem solved not to be shuffled between employees that are not empowered or enable to assist them.
• Offer continuous customer service training for your staff and once they are providing good service, continue to train them.
• Utilize role play situations to assist your staff in recognizing and experiencing both easy and difficult service opportunities. If an employee has a level of comfort with a difficult situation, they will be able to better handle it.
3. Empower your staff to serve
• Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.
• Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong or create a “memorable” customer experience. I am not advocating large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a small gesture can go a long way.
• Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
• Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
• Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.
• Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
• Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for reper
For the person crafting their first r?sum? the task can seem a little bit daunting, even a bit frightening. Human Resources [HR] specialists, r?sum? writing professionals, school advisors, and even friends and family members all have their say. When it comes down to it you must have a r?sum? you feel comfortable with especially since you will be the one to read it the most. Let's take a look at some common r?sum? myths and misconceptions you need to be aware of before writing your first r?sum?.1. Pictures are a no-no. In most European countries it is customary that a head shot photograph be included with your r?sum?. In the US, most r?sum? writing professionals frown on this practice or are outright hostile to r?sum? photographs. Let me tell you they are wrong to be so rigid. If you are in the fashion or aviation industries your picture is expected to be included especially when it is stipulated as part of the application process. Yes, there are state laws against discriminating, but there are none that I am aware of explicitly forbiddi
Upon reflection, most all of my interactions with displeased customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a disappointing customer experience. Why is that? Because, product is not personal, customer service is. Briefly, I would like to share with you eight critical steps to establish a customer service culture.
1. Customers are the reason for work, not an interruption of work
This sounds really obvious doesn’t it? How many times have you gone into a business only to wait while someone is on the telephone or busy doing some “non-service” task? Employees often lose sight of the importance of the customer and get consumed in lesser day to day tasks. Sure, there are tasks that need to be accomplished, but you cannot afford to sacrifice service to get them done. Good customer service must be a priority for you and your team. Without your customers, you have no company!
2. Train, train, and continue to train.
• Cross train your entire staff to be able to assist a customer regardless of their department. When a customer becomes upset they want their problem solved not to be shuffled between employees that are not empowered or enable to assist them.
• Offer continuous customer service training for your staff and once they are providing good service, continue to train them.
• Utilize role play situations to assist your staff in recognizing and experiencing both easy and difficult service opportunities. If an employee has a level of comfort with a difficult situation, they will be able to better handle it.
3. Empower your staff to serve
• Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.
• Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong or create a “memorable” customer experience. I am not advocating large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a small gesture can go a long way.
• Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
• Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
• Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.
• Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
• Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repe
Challenge for working professionals todayIf you are reading this, I expect you are a working professional.The world has changed and so is the professional field.Today, maybe you are also a doctor, accountant, lawyer or whatever title you may hold. That does not matter. My cousin is a doctor and now worries he may be cut off because the government is downsizing.Is professional destination a guarantee for success, money or fame?As mentioned in "Rich Dad Poor Dad", the industrial age has passed and the information age has come. What used to be a hidden know-how, can now be performed by a minor. Knowledge is so accessible in a few buttons, right from the internet.Knowledge used to be monopolized by a chosen few is now open to anyone. I watched an interview by BBC News last year. It was talking how the internet has changed the world…An example:A 15 year old kid was answering complicated legal questions by a pair of troubled couples. They were inquiring some complicated issues with asset allocation after their div
2. Train, train, and continue to train.
• Cross train your entire staff to be able to assist a customer regardless of their department. When a customer becomes upset they want their problem solved not to be shuffled between employees that are not empowered or enable to assist them.
• Offer continuous customer service training for your staff and once they are providing good service, continue to train them.
• Utilize role play situations to assist your staff in recognizing and experiencing both easy and difficult service opportunities. If an employee has a level of comfort with a difficult situation, they will be able to better handle it.
3. Empower your staff to serve
• Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.
• Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong or create a “memorable” customer experience. I am not advocating large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a small gesture can go a long way.
• Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
• Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
• Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.
• Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
• Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repe
This year, in October 2006, a new European Union law will secure basic working rights for older workers in the UK and ease the pressures of midlife career change. Until then, however, employers will remain legally entitled to make people redundant for being too old, or to otherwise discriminate purely on the grounds of age. It is a sad fact that ageism and age discrimination will continue, albeit wrapped up as some other (spurious) reason for the discrimination, so older workers will have to be on the lookout when it comes to midlife career change. But far from becoming defensive about your age, look on it as an accumulation of experience and wisdom. High on the list of your key strengths and accumulated wisdom is likely to be the ability to deal with adversity and deal with difficult people.Presented in the right way, you can be an asset to any employer.Although critics argue that legislation is long overdue and that employers need to ditch any prejudice over age sooner rather than later, increased life expectancy coupled with a pensions shortfall,
3. Empower your staff to serve
• Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.
• Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong or create a “memorable” customer experience. I am not advocating large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a small gesture can go a long way.
• Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
• Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
• Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.
• Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
• Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repe
Outdoor advertising is an affordable way to gain high-frequency visibility to your target audience. There are many forms of Outdoor Advertising. You have conventional forms such as billboards, vehicle advertisements, or street furniture. On the other side of the spectrum, you also have more unconventional means of advertising that hold equal, or more, opportunity to draw attention. One of these more popular unconventional forms is inflatable advertising. In this article, we will discuss some of the advantages to using Inflatable Advertising as an affordable way to enhance your brand.What is Inflatable Advertising?Inflatable Advertising is any type of commercial signage that is intended to be filled with air. They can have any type of shape imaginable and come in sizes that can range to handheld to hot air balloons. Custom inflatable shapes, blimps, balloon replicas, balls, air filled display boards, are popular forms of inflatable advertising. Below are the benefits of using inflatable advertising:High-frequency visibilityTo
• Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
• Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
• Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.
• Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
• Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repercussion, as long as they are meeting a customer’s need. I have found this creates a greater willingness to serve the customer.
• Often times you could say “no” to a customer, however, “no” can have huge implications on your business. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to potentially lose 10 customers as result of this interaction?”
6. Offer a solution
• Shift from the problem to the process for resolution.
• Offer a choice between several options.
• Put yourself in their place.
• Involve the customer in determining the solution.
• Clearly explain any limitations that exist.
7. Recognize your staff members for outstanding service
• Implement a customer service awards program that recognizes employees for exceptional customer service. Maybe you have tried these without success and do not believe that they work. I would tend to agree if the program were like most I have seen. Try something different; break the mold. One of my most successful clients offers spa treatments for his female employees if a customer goes out of their way to recognize them for great service. Another client provides his employees with a “day off with pay” incentive for every five unsolicited, positive customer comments that he receives. These are just a few examples that are “outside the box.” Be creative and generate a little excitement in your staff for customer service.
• Take the time to acknowledge employees at staff meetings. People want to leave their mark and feel that they matter. Taking the time to recognize them in front of their peers can make a real difference.
8. Ask your customers what they think of your service
The best way to find out if you are satisfying customers is to ask them. Formal efforts could include customer surveys, questionnaires, interviews or comment/suggestion cards. Informally, get out and talk with your customers and your staff. Ask them how they feel about service you are providing. Ideally, use a combination of both methods.
You may be thinking, “Why should I go ask for trouble? Who knows what I might hear if I ask?” That is the point. As you will see in the statistics below, most customers will not voice their disappointment with your service levels. They will simply leave and never return. If you do not ask about the quality of your service, you might make the wrong assumptions and feel that you can reduce service levels because you get few complaints and lead your organization into areas that turn off your customers or cause problems that you never intended.
On the other hand, asking your customers about their satisfaction sends a message to them that you care about your business and about them. While you might hear some criticisms, you might also learn what you are doing right and see what you should modify.
In addition to the information, you will benefit from the interaction. Every interaction is a customer service opportunity. Make the most of each and every one.
Most of us continue doing business with people and businesses who give good service. We might not say anything, but we reward good service providers by continuing to do business with them. If the service is outstanding, we will probably tell our friends and colleagues about it. Likewise, when we receive poor service most of us vote, not with our voice, but with our feet—we just leave.
In the 1980’s the White House Office of Consumer Affairs commissioned a report called the TARP study. The
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