Training Blog...

How do you start your morning?  Do you go to the gym and get in your workout, take time to make a good breakfast, read the newspaper, read a chapter of a book with a warm cup of coffee, take a walk and watch the sun rise?  I start my morning every day by stopping into the coffee shop next to my office for a cup of coffee.  Yes, my coffee pot at home works just fine, but I don’t get the service at home that I do there.  On any given morning I can pull up and the line is out the door.  The end result for everyone is the same….we will all have something waiting for us under the “pic-cup” sign, but will we all appreciate the effort of the team behind the counter?  I am in customer service myself so I pay very close attention to the service that I receive and I share these experiences with my team.

What makes a customer loyal?  Some experts say that it is based on trust and others may say that it is the relationships that you build.  In my opinion, it is both.  Everyone has satisfied customers, but do we all have loyal customers?  Do you have customers that keep coming back to you for products that they could easily get from someone else?

The little things do count.  For instance, by smiling and addressing your customers by name you make them feel as if you are paying attention and that they are your only customer.  If you talk to customers on the phone, they can hear that you have a smile on in your voice.  With all of the technology that we have today, some of us may have fallen out of the habit of sending a hand written thank you note.  Start at the top of the list and take a few minutes each day to thank someone for their business.  Pay attention to what your customers tell you.  This is key.  Once you have built the relationship and your customer trusts you and your products, they will start to tell you things about themselves.  Things they like, dislike, experiences with previous vendors, their family…you name it.  By taking the time to make note of this, you have something to reference on your next call.

I could certainly keep the list going.  What small item could you incorporate in your day today that would make a big difference in the service that you deliver?

 ”I think a compliment ought always to precede a complaint, where one is possible because it softens resentment and insures for the complaint a courteous and gentle reception.”             - Mark Twain

How often do you find the good in your grievances?

We all complain about the poor customer service we experience in our lives, whether it be on the phone, at a restaurant, or in a store. Bad service can happen. I know there have been a couple of times I’ve been on the phone with a company sorting out an error or mailing I’ve received for what seems like hours.

In these bad situations I cannot control much, but I can control my response. Choosing to fight the problem, rather then fighting the person can have a surprising effect on the outcome. 

Last year I had gotten a new computer and was purchasing new software for it. I had just paid and downloaded the product, when I realized that it didn’t work… at all (insert major annoyance here). I fiddled around with the software a bit grumbling under my breath about the stupidity of modern corporate America, and realized… that the idiot in fact was me. I hadn’t paid attention to the fine print which clearly stated their software was not created for my computer.

“Oops” I thought, and called their customer service number to see what help I could find hoping for a 24 hour refund policy. I spoke with a customer service rep who informed me that “…although he was sorry, he could not apply a refund, or exchange for another product.”

Now at this point I was getting a little frustrated. I had just spent a lot of money on a product that didn’t work, and although technically it was my fault (okay fine, it was my entire fault) I wanted some help. Now I had two choices on the phone. I could scream and yell at the rep. stating how uncaring and cold hearted he was and then demand to speak to someone “who know what was going on over there”. Or I could thank him for his help, and the work he was doing, but kindly ask to speak with a manager who could make the decision to refund my purchase. I chose the latter, thanked him  adding he was very good at being patient with me. and was then transferred to a manager who quickly resolved the issue and gave me a full refund.

I was happy. The company was happy. And the customer service rep (who I needed to help get me to the right person) was happy, or at least knew that he was doing a good job.

As customers, good customer service can be just as much in our control as those who are doing the serving. A compliment joined with a complaint can go a long way.