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Introduction.................................................................................................................................4
We’re all busy people, which is why the Small Business Success
Library of books is a great way to get your hands on a lot of
information; information that is vital to your business success, and all in
easy bite-sized pieces.
This first anthology in our customer service series opens with eight customer service strategies - things
like how to make your customers feel important, exceeding customer expectations, how to recover
from customer service mistakes, and even when it’s time to fire a customer. It follows with a great
‘cutting edge’ customer service story that demonstrates how well it works when people really care
about their customers, and continues with dozens of tips on how to make sure your customers keep
coming back. We close with two highly valuable tools to put in your customer service toolkit – the
Customer Needs Analysis and the Customer Survey.
Whether you want to learn ten key customer service principles, or ways to wow your customers and
win their loyalty, heart and soul, this is the eBook for you.
Ingrid Vaughan
Business Writer
H
ave you ever been in a
relationship where the
other person provided
you with just what you needed
before you even asked for it?
Do you remember what that felt
like? How it made you feel that
person cared about you enough
to know those small details and
take care of them? Sometimes
the key to your customer’s
heart lies not so much in giving
them what they ask for, but in
anticipating what they will need
and giving it to them before
they ask. Michael E. Gerber in
his world-renowned book “The
E-Myth Revisited” (which by road. Every night in a different city, a different
the way should be required reading for ANYBODY hotel, a different restaurant, isn’t as glamorous as
who owns a small business), tells the story of how some people might think. In fact, it’s very tiring,
a little-known inn off the highway in the Pacific predictable and often soulless. I arrived late one
Northwest gave him one of the most memorable night at a hotel in Prince George, BC on the last
customer service experiences he’d ever had. When night of my travels. When I checked in I went
I read the story I wanted to jump in my car and through the usual routine of giving my credit card,
drive there as quickly as possible so that I too could asking questions about locations of restaurants,
experience that kind of care. The book is worth the the location of the conference room where I’d be
price just to read that story! Anyway, I don’t have meeting the next day, etc. While the front desk staff
space to repeat Michael’s story, but I will tell you was friendly, my experience until that moment had
one of my own that illustrates this point. The story been very ordinary. What happened next was what
takes up most of this article, but the message really made this one of my most memorable customer
is in the story. As you read it, think about how it service experiences.
makes you feel as a potential customer.
I took the elevator up to the 7th floor and trudged
My job requires me to travel from time to time, down the hallway to my room. When I opened the
and last fall I was spending a lot of time on the door I immediately noticed something was different
There is an old adage that says your clients are product you deliver? How could you better serve
your business. Anyone who runs a business knows them? Written questionnaires, personal interviews,
how true this is. Without clients or customers, you evaluation forms, or simple telephone calls are
wouldn’t have a business. So how come some useful tools to help you determine what your clients
businesses have a hard time getting their customers want, and will assist you in delivering those things.
to come back, while others have customers so loyal
they wouldn’t go anywhere else? 3. Always Exceed Your Clients’
Expectations
The key is proactively “wowing” your clients on
a regular basis so they have no reason to go It is better to promise less and then exceed your
anywhere else, and every reason to be loyal to clients’ expectations, than to promise them the
your business. If you’re not “wowing” your clients, world and under-deliver. Be careful to promise
someone else will, and in today’s consumer- only what you can deliver, but make every effort to
oriented society people will turn with the wind to exceed their expectations every time. My friend is
one of your competitors if you haven’t given them fiercely loyal to a certain mechanic in town. He’s
a reason to stick with you. So what is it that builds not the cheapest, but every time she has her car
loyalty in your customers? How can you keep them repaired she finds it washed, vacuumed and shined
happy and coming back for more? Here are ten up inside. She’s paying for a repair, but she’s
principles to keep in mind. getting an added value that has inspired her loyalty.
Have systems in place to measure everything Remember, 80% of your business will come from
you do. If you don’t know how you’re doing, 20% of your customers. A successful business is
how will you know if you need to improve? From 80% client-focused and 20% prospect-focused.
cost-effective management to product price and Don’t lose sight of this important fact and spend
client service, find ways to evaluate how you’re your time, money and energy nurturing the clients
doing business and you’ll know quickly when and you already have.
where changes need to be made to increase your
productivity and client satisfaction. 5. Empower All of Your Staff to Deal
With Clients
2. Know What Your Clients Want
Nothing frustrates a customer more than calling
Don’t know where to start your evaluation process? with a problem, only to be told the person on the
How about asking your clients? Nothing makes a phone can’t do anything for them. Every employee
customer feel more valued and appreciated than who answers your phone should be empowered
being asked what they want and then seeing those to give the customer some level of satisfaction.
things being delivered. It’s easy to assume you Even a response like “I’ll look into it right away and
know what they want, but asking them is still the someone will get back to you before noon” satisfies
best way to find out. You may be surprised by the the customer’s desire to have something done
results. How do they really feel about the service or without feeling like he’s being put off.
How to Create a “WIN” Every Time positive stories with such enthusiasm they’re
almost glowing with the good news! Sadly
I often teach a workshop on customer service, however, there are always more bad stories than
and one of the exercises I do at the beginning good ones. As a small business you have an
of the day is ask people to tell me about their opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest.
worst customer service experience. You wouldn’t You can create a “win” situation with every client,
believe how anxious people are to share their every day. If you can differentiate yourself from
horror stories about bad service. The energy your competitors by exceeding your clients’
around the room gets pretty high as people expectations, they’ll be talking about you all over
commiserate with each other about their similar town. Exceeding expectations isn’t as simple as
experiences, and always have one to top the you might think. There are some key components
previous story. Then, I ask them to tell me their to creating this kind of experience for your
most positive customer service experiences, and customers, and they require some work on your
the mood changes right away. People tell their part before you even sell them anything.
There was a time when customer service was doesn’t have to be onerous. It’s really just about
exactly what it said it was. It seemed to be sharing your values and expectations with your
universally understood what was involved in staff. Here are some things to think about when
making customers happy, and what it looked training your staff on how to deliver the kind of
like to take good care of them. It’s not that way service you expect for your customers.
anymore. You can’t assume that people you hire or
even those who already work for you, know what 1. Provide Goals and Expectations
customer service means to you. Your customer
service philosophy is something you should be What exactly do you want your staff to do to deliver
imparting to your staff on an ongoing basis. This your kind of service? How do you want them to
is the only way to ensure that your customers are behave – on the phone, behind the counter, on the
getting the service you want them to have. Training floor? Your answer will be unique to your business,
How many times have you spent your well-earned Put Them First
dollars on a product or service, only to feel like Remember that most customers are thinking WIIFM
a number, or a commodity to the company once (what’s in it for me?). In all your interactions with
they’ve received payment? On the other hand, how customers, think about whether you’re giving them
well do you remember the companies that made the answer to that question. Do they know you care
you feel like they really valued you as a customer? about what’s important to them? What’s in it for
It seems that the second scenario is becoming them has to come before what’s in it for you, or the
rarer, and those companies that do go the extra customer service equation doesn’t work. I recently
mile to make their customers feel important and heard someone say, “people don’t care how much
valued, stand head and shoulders above the rest. you know, until they know how much you care.”
Winning customer loyalty takes a lot of time and
energy, which is why so many companies can’t be Put Yourself in Their Shoes
bothered, but achieving it will give you a never- So, that customer standing in front of you is angry
ending source of repeat business and referrals. about what they perceive is sub-standard service.
How is your business doing in making your It sounds outrageous to you, but to them it’s very
customers feel important? Here are some ways you real. When faced with complaints or confrontation
can “wow” your customers. with your customers, put yourself in their shoes.
Try to remember the last time you were unsatisfied
Pay Attention with something you paid for. How did it feel? Were
When dealing with your customers, take note of you acknowledged or dismissed by the company?
all the little things that may not seem important How would you have liked to be treated? Stepping
to the transaction at hand. Did Mr. Jones walk back from the situation and realizing every
in with a limp and a cane today? Was Susan not consumer is just like you, might help you to show
her usual chatty self when she came in to pick up a little more compassion and understanding in
that part she ordered? When John came in, did difficult situations.
you notice he had a new puppy in tow? Paying
attention to the little details of everyday life, and Be Honest and Genuinely Open to
letting your customers know you noticed, will Feedback
make them feel valued. Criticism or complaints from your customers
are actually your greatest customer service
Really Listen opportunities. When you know what you’ve done
Use what Stephen Covey calls Level 4 Listening – wrong, you can take steps to make it right. Be
listening empathically. Not just for the content, or honest when you have made a mistake, and
for how you will respond, but listening between the genuinely seek to rectify it. Throw defensiveness out
words you hear. Do you hear fear, reluctance, or the window, and take your customers’ feedback to
excitement? When you really listen you can learn heart. It may sting, but it will take you to a greater
what your customers truly need, and meeting their level of customer service. Implement the things you
needs is another way you can make them feel hear from your customers, and thank them for the
important. opportunity to be better at what you do.
Every small business hopes to “wow” its customers There are positive ways you can salvage your client
to keep them loyal. While most businesses try relationships when you blow it. In fact, mistakes
their very best to practice good customer care, it’s provide you with an opportunity to turn those
inevitable that at some point they’ll make mistakes. disgruntled customers into loyal ones. If you can
How you handle these mistakes is as important as make that happen, they’ll stay with you forever.
how you try to avoid making them. When you make Whether your mistake involved thousands of dollars
a mistake with your customers (and note I said or just a few, these principles will put you well on
“when”, not “if”), be prepared to handle it in a way your way to establishing a reputation for integrity
that will help you not only retain those customers, in business, something that’s becoming a rare
but also strengthen those customer relationships. commodity.
Here are four things you should NEVER do when
you drop the ball with your customers. 1. Simply Admit Your Mistake
Your customer doesn’t care that the delivery truck
1 Customer Blaming - Some businesses have crashed on the way to the store, or that your
a gift when it comes to somehow turning their supplier ran out of the paint colour they chose, or
mistakes into the customer’s fault. If you’ve that your newly hired employee can’t count and
ever experienced this, you’ll know just how messed up the billing. If you didn’t deliver on your
ineffective this is. product or service for any reason - it’s your fault.
What happens in business may not always be
2 Playing Dumb - Pretend that you can’t within your control, but what is always within your
imagine how such a thing could happen in control is the ability to do something to rectify the
your company, or worse, give your customer situation for your customer. Excuses are not an
the impression that you don’t believe them, acceptable part of the equation, ever.
and you will send your customers running to
the nearest competitor. A friend of mine hired a communications company
to create a promotional package for a new product
3 Giving the Runaround - Assuring your clients line they were launching. The contract stated the
you’ll take care of their problem while giving marketing company would take care of the project
them the runaround and hoping they’ll get lost from conception to press for a specific deadline,
in the shuffle and forget about their issues, but once it got to the printer, there were all kinds of
will get you nothing more than an angry details that had been overlooked, requiring extra work
customer. Rest assured all their friends will to get it press-ready. My friend contacted the firm,
find out about your methods and will never and received an immediate apology and admission
darken the doors of your business. of the mistake, along with the assurance that they
would spend whatever time was necessary to get
4 Not Keeping Your Promises – If you make the package ready to print. Because of the deadline,
promises to your customers and don’t follow several people had to work through the weekend to
through, they will eventually lose faith that get it ready, but by Monday they were able to print.
your company will do anything it claims, and In spite of their blunder, my friend hasn’t stopped
quickly move on. talking about this company and recommends them to
everyone who needs communications work done.
Someone once said to me, “business would be Last week I was shopping at a department store
great if it wasn’t for the customers.” Sadly, that on a sale day. It was chaotic - people everywhere,
statement is all too often true. You’re in business clothing in heaps and piles, long line-ups for the
because you’re passionate about what you do change rooms - and most people were taking it all
- and it’s hard to deal with people who don’t in stride. Customers were joking with each other
appreciate what you have to offer. It is however, in the line-up, asking each other for their opinions
also true that without customers, you wouldn’t on clothing choices, and generally accepting the
have a business, and although there may be times chaos as part of the cost of getting good deals.
you wish you could let them know what you’re I can’t say the same for the young woman who
really thinking, the best policy for dealing with was working the change room area that day. She
your customers is to satisfy them, no matter what. was frustrated by the demands of customers, by
Whether you or your staff are on the front lines, the messes being left behind, and by the frantic
here are some customer service essentials. nature of the day. She complained to another co-
worker just loudly enough so everyone around her
Commandment 1 could hear, about how much she hated sale days,
Thou Shalt Always Put Live about how inconsiderate some customers were,
Customers Ahead of Phone and that they weren’t paying her enough to put up
Customers with the stuff she had to do. We’ve all experienced
it - you’re standing at the grocery checkout when
Have you ever stood in line at the service counter, the cashier grumbles about not having had a break
got to the checkout, and then had the service in four hours, or the parts & service guy at your
person answer the phone and spend fifteen service station complains to you that the company
minutes answering another customer’s questions never orders enough parts. Customers don’t really
while you stood there feeling ignored and irritated? care whether you think you’re getting paid enough,
Live customers should always come before or that you feel you’re overworked or how you feel
customers who telephone. To the customer, it feels about the company; all they want is good service.
as if someone from the end of the line has cut in Complaining about your job in front of customers
front of them just as they reached the service desk. is a major turn-off. If it happens too often, your
Politely ask callers if you can take their name and customers will go where they are welcomed by
call them back when it’s less busy. Acknowledging people whose primary concern is providing them
and serving customers who are right in front of you with the service they are paying for.
will result in customers who feel they are valuable
and important to you. They are customers who will Commandment 3
return and continue to do business with you. Thou Shalt Always Make Your
Customers Feel Valued
Commandment 2
Thou Shalt Never Complain Doing the little things that make people feel special
About Your Job in Front of will win your customers over and make them
Your Customers loyal to you forever. The fact that my auto body
Termination Strategies for Getting The first and most difficult step is recognizing when
Rid of Toxic Clients that relationship needs to end. Some of the things
that may lead you to that conclusion:
If you’ve been in business for any length of time,
you’ve likely had at least one - those clients who • The client doesn’t respect or appreciate your
appear to be more trouble than their potential work and verbally puts down your company
profit to your company. Always complaining, or your staff
never happy, destructive, sometimes even
abusive, and always toxic. Your staff hates • The client makes excessive or unrealistic
dealing with them, and every time you see demands on your company and your staff
their number on call display, you let it go to
the machine. They are demanding, demeaning, • Expectations about what they are willing
unappreciative, and miserable. So much so to pay for your product or service are not
that you wonder why they keep coming back reasonable - they want work done cheaply
if they’re so unhappy. And yet, they do. While and under unrealistic deadlines
it’s obviously in a business’s best interest to
retain clients whenever possible, it’s also a • They pay their bills slowly, or sometimes
smart business strategy to realize when a client not at all
or customer is actually costing you money – • They are always pushing you to the limit,
or worse, costing you staff – and to consider taking advantage of you and your staff at every
“firing” that client. turn
O
ne of the consumer
trends that is rapidly
gaining popularity is
real-time customer service
experiences. Consumers
are doing this in a variety
of ways – through Twitter
conversations, Facebook
entries, blogs, and even
creating short videos
uploaded to YouTube.
You can get a first-hand
customer review on
almost any product or
service you can imagine,
without working very hard.
Recently, I was browsing
the Internet for reviews on
a particular knife set I was after his purchase he was cutting a piece of
interested in purchasing. I came across a video of cheese, and the blade of the knife snapped from
a man talking about his experience with a particular the handle and broke. He contacted the radio
knife company (not the one I was looking at, but company that ran the campaign, and was told
it caught my attention anyway), and it turned me that Company X would contact him the next day.
toward now investigating this other company. It In fact, Company X did contact him by phone the
was actually a story about a customer service next day, apologizing for the problem and advising
experience, but I thought, any company that treats him that several other customers had complained
its customers like this must certainly have products about the same problem, and that at some point
worth investigating. Here’s how the story went. during that year they had changed manufacturers
and corrected the issue of the steel edge not
The man in the video (we’ll call him Joe) ordered going deep enough into the handle to prevent
a set of knives from Company X through having breakage. They told him they would send out a
heard about them on a radio campaign. These new knife. The next day, a courier delivered the
knives were manufactured in the UK and promised new knife to his door. Inside the package was a
a 20-year warranty on sharpness and quality. He hand-written note from someone at Company X,
was very happy with the knives, however, a year apologizing for the inconvenience and letting him
Company X obviously gave the radio station that Don’t Underestimate the Power of
ran the campaign a 24 hour customer service the Personal Touch
promise – indicating that anyone who contacted
them with a complaint would get a telephone call In the video, Joe made a point of letting the viewer
the next day. The radio station told this to the know that the note that came with the replacement
customers. We’re used to being told that someone knife had been hand-written. That was important
will get back to us soon, but are often surprised to him. It showed him that someone had taken
when they do. This company took their promise the time to address a note to him, and deal with
seriously and followed through. him personally; again, a rarity these days. Do
you take the time to make a personal connection
Provide a Prompt Response to with your customers when they have concerns or
Customer Complaints complaints? It may mean the difference between
having them ranting about you or raving about you
It’s human nature not to want to deal with to all who will listen.
problems – and dealing with customer complaints
is not on anyone’s “top ten favorite things to do” This little one-minute video had a big impact on
list, but it should be! Customer complaints give me. Imagine what this kind of marketing could do
your business an opportunity to shine. Given for your business? Being aware of the media tools
the time difference between the UK and North available to you as a business and using them as
America, it would have been easy for Company savvy marketing strategies is one lesson from this
X to use that as an excuse not to be prompt with story, but it starts with being the kind of company
their reply, but they returned that phone call as that is committed to creating customer experiences
soon as it was possible. This made the customer worth talking about.
feel valued and important.
Recognizing the Importance of it’s possible the manager might do errands after
Customer First Impressions lunch so in fact, he’s not completely sure when
he’ll be back.
You walk into an electronics store looking for a
specific piece of hardware for your stereo system. You ask whether there’s anyone else at another
You spend a few minutes looking through the store he could call to get the information. He
appropriate section but aren’t sure exactly what rolls his eyes, sighs, picks up the phone, and
you need. No one has come to your assistance, so dials the other store. “Hey Joe, yeah, this is Brian
you approach the young man at the counter. He from ABC Mall. I got a guy in here looking for an
is on the phone, on what is obviously a personal xxx cable for his stereo. He doesn’t know which
call. You stand at the counter for several minutes one to get. Any ideas?” He gets off the phone
without being acknowledged. While you’re and tells you that Joe isn’t really sure either, but
patiently waiting you notice a bag of opened that you could try Brand X because it’s usually
potato chips on the counter, with crumbs spilling pretty good and they don’t get very many returns
out of the bag. You notice that the clerk has a with it. You select the item and put it on the chip-
large tear in the knee of his jeans, and that his laden counter to pay. You pay with your credit
shirt has a number of food stains on it. You try card, but when you look at the receipt you realize
politely to interrupt his conversation and although he has charged the wrong price. When you point
he makes eye contact and nods his head, he does it out to him, he seems exasperated with you and
not finish his call. You look around to see if there tells you he’s not really sure how to do a refund
is anyone else in the store who can help you, but on the overcharge. He asks if you can wait for his
it appears he’s the only one. manager to return in order to fix the transaction.
You interrupt him again and this time, he says How are you feeling about this store right now?
into the phone, “OK, gotta go. Somebody’s How likely are you to shop there again? Dr. Carol
here.” He hangs up the phone and looks at you. Kinsey Gorman, keynote speaker, management
“What can I do for you?” he says. You explain consultant and business specialist says it
that you need a particular part for your stereo, takes the average person only seven seconds
but you’re not sure which brand to get for your to make 11 impressions. Look back over the
specific needs. He stares at you for a moment, story and count the number of impressions or
and then says, “I don’t know.” Stunned, you try assumptions you have made about the store
again by asking if there is anyone else in the itself and the young man at the counter. It’s true
store who could help you with this purchase. He that a customer’s first impression often makes
says the manager is out for lunch and that he is or breaks their decision to buy from you, so as
the only other person on today. He doesn’t offer a business owner – you should know what that
any further assistance, so you ask if the manager impression looks like. Knowledge is the key to
might be able to help you, and when he/she changing things that could be driving customers
would be back from lunch. He yawns, looks at away. Here are some tips on how to get a handle
his watch and tells you in a half hour, but that on those first impressions.
Service-oriented Businesses:
Do an honest assessment. When you look
around your lobby or reception area, is it warm
and inviting? Is it tidy and uncluttered? Are
A “Must-Have” Tool for Sales Success What are the most important things people should
know about your company/product?
How many times have you been sold something What are the benefits of buying from you?
you didn’t need by a sales executive who
convinced you that you did? How many times have Customers
you bought something that you thought would Who are your best customers?
meet your needs, but in the end it didn’t? How
often have you not received what you thought you Why do they buy from you?
paid for? All of these scenarios involve someone Where would you like to grow your customer base?
not taking the time to find out exactly what you
needed, and matching their product or service to Sales and Events
meet your needs. It’s easy in sales to get so caught What are the names and dates of your major sales
up in “making the sale”, that you forget who it’s events?
really about. Sure, in the short term making the
sale feels really good. But in the long run, if your What are your two strongest events and why are
customer doesn’t feel they got what they wanted they successful?
or needed, they won’t come back, and your short- What are some unsuccessful events have you held
term gain will have cost you a long-term customer. in the past and why weren’t they successful?
One of the best ways to determine what a client
needs is to do a Customer or Client Needs Analysis Market Position
(CNA). Not only does the CNA give you an accurate Why do customers come to you and not your
snapshot of your customers’ needs, it really puts competitor?
them at ease because they see you working hard to
find out what’s important to them. What do you offer that competitors can’t or won’t?
What is the greatest misconception people have What is your single greatest competitive
about your company/product? disadvantage?
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