Response to blog on Worky

http://www.worky.com/groups/customer-service/show/40
http://marketing.about.com/od/relationshipmarketing/a/crmtopten.htm
http://www.contactignition.com

This is the type of noise that causes bad service in the first place. Let me point out why!

1. Know who is boss. You are in business to service customer needs, and you can only do that if you know what it is your customers want. When you truly listen to your customers, they let you know what they want and how you can provide good service. Never forget that the customer pays our salary and makes your job possible.

(Ron)1. You are the boss, you have all the power the person screaming is doing so because of "your power", you need to let them know from the onset that you are the boss and that you want to help.


2. Be a good listener. Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions and concentrating on what the customer is really saying. Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. Beware of making assumptions - thinking you intuitively know what the customer wants. Do you know what three things are most important to your customer?

Effective listening and undivided attention are particularly important on the show floor where there is a great danger of preoccupation - looking around to see to whom else we could be selling to.

(Ron) 2. Listening is great, but I will kick your A** in a minute for setting listening to customers without control, you need to take charge of the questions you are the expert not the customer.

3 Identify and anticipate needs. Customers don't buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical. The more you know your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs. Communicate regularly so that you are aware of problems or upcoming needs.

(Ron) 3 OK, I don't get what you are saying here? If I get you correctly you mean let the customer know about problem before they find out on their own (which would be good advise)?

4 Make customers feel important and appreciated. Treat them as individuals. Always use their name and find ways to compliment them, but be sincere. People value sincerity. It creates good feeling and trust. Think about ways to generate good feelings about doing business with you. Customers are very sensitive and know whether or not you really care about them. Thank them every time you get a chance. On the show floor be sure that your body language conveys sincerity. Your words and actions should be congruent.

(Ron) 4 This is good advise gone bad, if you really care about the customer, I don't need to tell you this. If on the other hand you don't care about the customer, those long hard days you have had in the pasted aren't going to disappear, get out while you can because the facts are that people working in service that don't like the customer get sick from this kind of work and really need to be "let go" for heath and safety reasons. Oh dear god please don't tell people to use the customers name without telling them how to do this 99% of the people I deal with in public do this wrong and cause themselves difficulties.


5 Help customers understand your systems. Your organization may have the world's best systems for getting things done, but if customers don't understand them, they can get confused, impatient and angry. Take time to explain how your systems work and how they simplify transactions. Be careful that your systems don't reduce the human element of your organization.

(Ron) 5 Most customers need to know nothing about what you need to do, they need to know what they need to do, when and why. No process is unbreakable so you can let them know what to do if something they should expect doesn't happen

6 Appreciate the power of "Yes". Always look for ways to help your customers. When they have a request (as long as it is reasonable) tell them that you can do it. Figure out how afterwards. Look for ways to make doing business with you easy. Always do what you say you are going to do.

(Ron) 6 "part right" I can always help you. Even if that is to point out that you have dialed the wrong number!


7 Know how to apologize. When something goes wrong, apologize. It's easy and customers like it. The customer may not always be right, but the customer must always win. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done. Make it simple for customers to complain. Value their complaints. As much as we dislike it, it gives us an opportunity to improve. Even if customers are having a bad day, go out of your way to make them feel comfortable.

(Ron) 7 an apology is valuable, but you haven't help here. an Apology is An expression of regret, roughly a dislike of one's own actions in the past. This is where you should apologize on behalf of the company and let the customer know who is being informed of there complaint. It doesn't help unless the customer knows that the problem is being dealt with fully. I hate it when the agent tell me they are sorry. .

8 Give more than expected. Since the future of all companies lies in keeping customers happy, think of ways to elevate yourself above the competition. Consider the following:

* What can you give customers that they cannot get elsewhere?
* What can you do to follow-up and thank people even when they don't buy?
* What can you give customers that is totally unexpected?

(Ron) 8 Great advise, let me know how many of your customers are giving their customer what they expect?

and by the way if you give good customer service the customer has almost never received it so you have your unexpected

9 Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve. There are several ways in which you can find out what customers think and feel about your services.

* Listen carefully to what they say.
* Check back regularly to see how things are going.
* Provide a method that invites constructive criticism, comments and suggestions.

(Ron) 9 look for improvement by: Scientific research methods, most companies don't really know what the customers thinks because of poor research method like using comment cards.

10 Treat employees well. Employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. Treat your employees with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for customers. Appreciation stems from the top. Treating customers and employees well is equally important.

(Ron) 10 company's that don't treat their employee well should be "companies" so don't advise them.

(Ron's Rule) I only have one rule for customer service that's to "improve" challenge yourself to get better, challenge your competitor to get better, challenge your suppliers to get better and challenge your customers to get better.