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Archive for category The Customer Service Dept

Welcome to our Landscape

Oct 21

Posted by Steve Gray in Innovation and Creativity, People!, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept, The Operations Dept | 1 Comment

Hi everyone,

If you are here to check out the web site GREAT! If you are a business professional and write articles, blogs etc, or want to, then this is where your opportunity rocks!
We want to build this web resource to be world class, with great depth and a multitude of solutions for all people in business large and small.

If you want to be part of our contribution team then drop us a line and tell us, show us what you’ve got that will be of value to our readers. Remember the resource is a free one (probably a great place to be discovered!) and therefore we are not aiming to pay for any contributions, however links and correct attibution to the writer is our hallmark!
Cheers!

From the free business tips team.

The Ill Mannered Corporate World

Oct 21

Posted by Debbie Carr in Excellence!, Human Resource Management, Leadership, People!, Personal Development, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept | 1 Comment

Has the world changed so drastically that manners are no longer considered necessary? Is a thank you or a quick acknowledgement of an email too hard to do in our busy and stressed out working lives?
How can we change this poor culture and start treating each other with some common courtesy and respect again?
 

Here are a few suggestions that spring to mind.

  • Yes your email can be so overbearing that it is easy to quickly look at it and then decide to go back to it later. Don’t do it! Deal, Delegate or Dump it! If someone needs an acknowledgement hit the reply button and send it. If it’s SPAM dump it, if you have to go back to it, remind yourself in your calendar and file it in a personal folder.
  • If someone sends you a gift in the mail  acknowledge them with a quick email or better still a phone call.
  • Remember you are not  so important that you can’t offer your fellow human being a quick answer, acknowledgment or thank you.
  • Your organization should strive to have happy, helpful and have courteous employees. Returning phone calls and emails is just plain good manners. The voice-mail was invented to take messages for you when you were away from your desk.  It seems these days it’s a tool to help staff avoid speaking to their customers.
  • Always give excellent customer service, and then give that little bit extra.
  • Send cards by mail, yes I mean the old fashioned way with a postage stamp. Thank you cards or just a postcard is a novelty these days and stands out.
  • Take a colleague out for coffee if they have done something to help you, or do it to cheer them up if they are having a bad day.
  • Try and smile to at least 5 strangers every time you walk down the street.
  • Bring some laughter and fun into the office, creating a fun environment is contagious.
  • Always be on time for appointments.
  • Smile and be happy when you are on the phone, it really does make a big difference
  • If you say you are going to be somewhere, be there! Unless you have a genuine excuse do not let people down at the last minute.

All it takes is just a few tiny changes in attitude to make our working days much happier and productive.

Branding, it’s the little things…..

Oct 15

Posted by Bren Ryan in Excellence!, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept, The Operations Dept, The Sales Dept | 5 Comments

What’s so hard about branding?

I think it’s the little things that are hard sometimes. Well, at least it seems to me the little things can be the easiest to get wrong.

Read the rest of this entry »

Got Returns? How to Get Fewer of Them (and Many More Happy Customers)

Oct 14

Posted by Alexandria Brown in The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

I hate to admit this, but I’ve ordered more than one gadget or doohickey from TV infomercials. It’s usually been when I’m back East visiting my parents around the holidays, snowed in and bored to tears, and watching TV I’d never dream of watching in my “real life”.

For example, last year I bought the “Hair Mate” – this silly stand that holds your dryer while you blow-out your hair. Hey, trapped in the ‘burbs, sleepless at 2 a.m. from eating too much pie, this seemed like a completely necessary purchase. (Plus it came with not one, but TWO bonus professional styling brushes!)

Weeks later, back in Los Angeles, when I opened the box from UPS, I cringed. Had I really ordered this stupid thing? The magic and excitement had worn off. I packed it up and hurriedly shipped it back to get a refund on my Amex.

This is called “buyer’s remorse” in the world of sales. But it doesn’t just happen with goofy purchases like this one. It can happen if you’re selling seminars, workshops, audio programs, ebooks, home study courses, anything that requires people to give you money.

Here are a few places you can use to help prevent it with your clients and customers. For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume it’s a physical product. But these ideas can be applied to ANY type of product, program, or service where a guarantee is included! Especially with higher-priced offerings.

1. Affirm They Made the Right Choice on the Thank-You Page

On your thank-you page, congratulate the reader and assure her she made a smart decision by investing in your program. For example, here’s the copy that was on the thank-you page for my Online Success Blueprint Workshop: “Congratulations! I’m so glad you’re going to join me, LIVE and in person at my first (and likely only) Online Success Blueprint Workshop. You are going to be SO glad you made this decision. It will honestly change your business — and your life — forever. I can’t wait to meet you in person and teach you my complete system for making your current business a source of money, time, and freedom…”

2. Get Them Excited via Your Follow-Up Emails

Any good shopping cart program can send out automatic emails in a series after the purchase of your product using an email autoresponder. (I use and swear by QueenCart.com.) These emails can work MAGIC in keeping your customers excited and eager to receive your product, especially if they won’t receive it for a week or two. For example, send them check-in emails on Day 1, Day 3, Day 5, and so on. In each email, highlight a benefit they’ll get from using your program, and include a success story from one of your other customers who have used it.

3. Surprise Them With a Bonus Gift

Before they even receive their package, why not send them a surprise digital goodie, like a bonus report, resource list, coupon, consultation, or quick-start guide? Everyone likes an unexpected gift, and it warms them up to you even more. They start thinking, “This is great. I can’t wait to get the full program in the mail next week!” It’s the law of the universe — we all feel indebted to someone when they give us something.

4. Ask Them to Do Something Immediately

I remember purchasing a home study course that included a free consultation with the author that could be used anytime over the next six months. When I received the package, it clearly stated that in order to redeem this consultation, I had to complete and fax back the enclosed certificate within the next FIVE DAYS. So I did. I later realized that this action made me step up and “own” the program, sealing the deal in my mind.

5. “Resell” Them on Their Purchase, as Soon as They Receive It

A few years ago, my partner and I bought a home study/training program in real estate investing. It was brilliantly marketed and a topic we were interested in. After some discussion, we placed our order, and about a week later, got a big box in the mail. I excitedly tore it open, and on top of all the materials was a video with a bright orange label that shouted “Watch Me FIRST!” On the video were several interviews with other couples who had used the program with great success. This helped affirm our decision that we did the right thing, that this was real and doable, and that our investment was worth it. (Now, whether we actually DID anything with the information is another story!)

I hope you get the idea. It’s just as important to keep your current customers happy as it is to get out there and find new ones. See how you’re *always* selling?

© 2005 Alexandria K. Brown

Keep it clean and tidy.

Oct 12

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, Leadership, Planning, The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

Have you ever had that sinking feeling, when the day simply slides in to a black hole, and sometimes it happens within moments! I have, but in particular I had it a few years back on walking into a business I was invited to evaluate and advise.

The sinking feeling came pretty quickly as I looked at the front window, it needed cleaning, the floor as I waked in the door had not been vacuumed in a long time, the front desk had grimy fingerprints where staff had turned the corner and held on to the counter, later I found out the toilets were an absolute disgrace, barely cleaned. Various other aspects of the business did not create a professional image either, the business owner felt that this had little to do with the businesses profitability as few clients ever came through the door. I pointed out that the staff cared about the presentation (even if not consciously), and how they felt was reflected in the way they dealt with clients. (That showed up later!)

Perceptions are everything.
I was always taught,you never get a second chance at a first impression. For me it is being on time and presenting appropriately to the person I am dealing with. Studies have shown that they will probably judge me in the first 5 seconds of meeting me (unconsciously) and this is followed up by the next minute and a half by my words and actions.

The same can be said of a business, the “suspect” walks in the door, makes a judgement… the sales person approaches and hopefully turns them into a prospect and then a customer but, only if the person decides that the image meets their expectation of what they were after. The same can be said of the staff in the opening example.

This approach to the psychology of a business also goes the other way, you can present a business in such a neat and tidy way that it may repel those looking for a bargain, they may consider your store’s contents too expensive based on the presentation levels. Smart business operators use this knowledge to their advantage and build a positive perception about the cost of goods and services they offer. Many then find they have fewer customers, however those that do enter are more likely to buy, sensing the higher value on offer.

I don’t want customers like that anyway!
I’ve heard it too often to mention, the grubby store (and probably its owner) says, “if they don’t want what I have to offer, then that’s their problem!” wrong, it is your problem and the thing to do is to get into customers heads and know that you are providing what they want, when they want it before they know they need it… (Tricky eh?) Take responsibility for the business you run and the image you hold, it is vital for people to create the right impression.

For some the way to maintain and build excellent standards of presentation is to utilize a checklist. Create a few pointers that you and your staff can work with. Then in time add to the checklist with many minor items listed as well as the major ones. Then allocate how often the staff should check the item and do something about it.

I mention these things to many of my clients and find that this approach works, however aim to check and correct these items at a suitable time, seeing staff cleaning at the start of the day is irritating to me as an early bird shopper. A commtted and motivated team player will ensure that little happens in the day to distract customers from making the all important decision to walk in the door and spend some cash.

12 Tips on Body Language

Oct 7

Posted by Wayne Berry in Leadership, People!, Personal Development, The Customer Service Dept | 5 Comments

Allan and Barbara Pease are the internationally renowned experts on human relations and body language. 20 million book sales worldwide have turned them into household name internationally.
Did you know that according to Allan Pease…

  1. Being ‘perceptive’ means being able to spot the contradictions between someone’s words and their body language.

    And that overall women are far more perceptive than men. Research reveals that women read the situation accurately 87% of the time, while men only scored 42% accuracy. This has given rise to the term “women’s intuition”.

  2. Modern humans are worse at reading body signals than their ancestors because we are now distracted by words.

    Try turning the volume down on the TV and see how well you do.

  3. False smiles pull back only the mouth while real smiles pull back both mouth and eyes.

    Science has proven that the more you smile, the more positive reactions others will give you.

  4. When you fold your arms your credibility dramatically reduces.

    You may feel that arm-crossing is simply comfortable but others will think you’re not approachable.

  5. Skilful elbow-touching can give you up to three times the chance of getting what you want.

    A light 3 second elbow-touch creates a momentary bond between two people. Touching above or below the elbow does not produce the same result and touching for more than 3 seconds will receive a negative response.

  6. Gestures can reveal if a person is lying.

    Seven of the most common ‘lying gestures’ are the, ‘Mouth Cover’, the ‘Nose Touch’, the ‘Eye Rub’, the ‘Ear Grab’, the ‘Neck Scratch’, the ‘Collar Pull’ and the ‘Fingers In The Mouth’.

  7. Pupil dilation is a sign that the person likes what they see

    When the pupil of the eye dilates, the black section in the middle grows in size. This explains why we sometimes see a “twinkle in the eye” when a person is happy or excited. The larger black area reflects light differently.

  8. The closer people feel emotionally to each other, the closer they will stand to each other.

    There are cultural reasons too, why people will stand a certain distance from another person.

  9. Jiggling the feet is like the brain’s attempt to run away from what is being experienced.

    If you are not sure whether you’re being lied to or not, look under the table or desk. Glass topped tables cause us more stress than solid tables, as our legs are in full view and so we don’t feel as if we are in full control.

  10. Open legs show male confidence; closed legs show male reticence

    Crossed legs not only reveals negative or defensive emotions, it makes a person appear insecure and causes others to react accordingly.

  11. The size of a briefcase is linked to perceptions of the status of its owner.

    Those who carry a large, bulky briefcase are thought to do all the work and probably take work home with them because they are poor time managers. Slim briefcases say that the owner is only concerned with the bottom line and therefore has more status.

  12. Where you sit in relation to other people in a meeting or even socially, is an effective way of obtaining co-operation from them.

    It makes a difference whether you sit at a round table, a square table, a rectangular table or no table at all. It also matters where you sit – across from the other person, left or right of the person, next to the person and so on.

It’s a fascinating subject and reading a person’s body language is a skill which can be developed. Allan cautions us though not to jump to conclusions when we see gestures and suggests three rules for accurate reading.

  1. Read gestures in clusters and don’t interpret a solitary gesture on it’s own
  2. Look for congruency between people’s words and their ‘body language’
  3. Remember to read gestures in context with the environment and other things that are happening

Have a great week. Make it a great week!

People are way more critical than you think – don’t give them fuel for the fire!

Oct 4

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Leadership, People!, Personal Development, The Customer Service Dept | 1 Comment

Back in the early 70′s, recently accredited with my MBA and happily engaged in my first college teaching position, a friend asked me what my long-term career goal was. When I answered that I would like to eventually become the president of a large university, my friend chuckled and replied, “Tony, there’s no way!” I took offense at this and demanded to know why he would react that way.

He said, “Don’t misunderstand me, Tony. You’re certainly intelligent and ambitious enough. But can you imagine yourself addressing the student body with your Brooklyn accent?” I realized that he was right. My accent was so heavy (lots of ‘dees’ and ‘dose’) that it would have had a negative impact on my credibility and my career. I resolved to change that aspect of myself and eventually became a professional speaker.

The old adage is true: “First impressions are lasting impressions.” But if you’re like most people, you probably can’t see the first impressions you’re making. In that case, here’s some simple advice you can take from the story above: Take the risk of asking one or more of your close friends if you are guilty of any of the following image deficiencies below. If so, first thank your friends for their honesty, and then immediately do something to correct them! Try creating an impression you want to last.

Common first-impression killers & what to do about them:

A heavy accent – The Brooklyn accent is just one of many… Bostonians and Southerners beware!!! Some people read this as a sign of intellectual inferiority, others just won’t understand what you’re saying. Consult a speech coach if you must, but don’t let this habit get in your way!
A limp handshake – For a man, a sign of weakness…for a woman, a sign that she lacks confidence! Don’t squeeze the hand or hold it like a dead mouse, just give it a firm grip, a couple of pumps, and let go.

Along with making consistent eye contact, this is one of the easiest first-impression blunders to correct!
Sloppy grooming (long hair, sideburns, three-day stubble, bad makeup job, un-tucked shirt or blouse, unpolished shoes) – Says to hiring manager: “Can’t be left alone for a second with prospective clients” – also a sign of intellectual sloppiness!

Poor hygiene (foul body odor, dirty fingernails, chronic bad breath) – One of those things you want to ask your most trusted best friend about because

(1) chances are, you can’t notice it, and

(2) some people won’t want to hurt your feelings.
Weak vocabulary -Beside “like” “ah” and “um” try to avoid weak words (“awesome” “cool” and “super”) that make you sound like you just graduated from Sweet Valley High.
Poor posture – People notice the way you enter a room, the way you carry yourself. Take a few deep breaths to collect yourself. Stand tall and hold your head up high. Walk with purpose and direction.
Ill-fitting clothing – Even if your body is in perfect shape, the clothes you wear can make you look ridiculous if they are too big and bulky, or one size too small and reveal too much (stomach, hairy shins). Nothing screams “success” like a well-tailored suit…do yourself a favor and make a serious investment in clothes that fit!

Wake up!

Oct 2

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management, The Customer Service Dept | 1 Comment

I walked in the door, no sales person. I called out, no answer. I stood and checked out the display before calling out again, No answer. Finally a person came out and stretched with a wide yawn, “Ehr g’day, I didn’t know you were there… I was taking a snooze out the back. Must have over slept the door buzzer.” That’s ok I said I’m not a thief, lucky for you, otherwise I would have been able to take anything I wanted…. I got a blank look in return.

The person went on to say that it was a quiet time of the week and the boss was out doing deliveries, this person was just in the shop to answer the phone while the boss was out.

To top it off this was another, non-smiling staff member oh great! The person stood and made excuses, and was not at all fussed that I was there for a purpose. I eventually told them what I wanted however all the way, there was not a smile or hearty welcome. Therefore I did not feel welcome.

Who’s at fault, the boss or the worker?
The boss… Not his fault, He would probably say “You can’t get good staff these days, they are just not motivated. I asked the person to be here to put their best foot forward and make sure that things were looked after, but I can not be here all the time to watch out for them.”

The worker… Not me! “All I did was what I was asked, that is to be here to answer the phone while the boss is out on deliveries, what more is there? Anyway the boss did not tell me what else to do.”

The Situation
Blame, if all else fails blame someone… That’s how it is done in many businesses. In this case one person could blame the other and they would get nowhere. Wake up, avoid blaming others, note the situation and get on with altering it. The aim, perhaps a “blame free zone” so your team can start heading for a business that works more effectively.

What now?
How do you make sure the staff are being responsible? Working effectively while you are out, getting other things done? Answer, train them. I can hear the calls coming already “I don’t have time to train people, I am too busy working on the business to train anyone and besides, what do I know about training people?”

Good answer, and I would suggest that this business owner will always have an average business with an attitude like that. Those that get ahead often train without knowing it, they often let others know what needs to be done and how to do it. This is the age-old principle of the master and the apprentice, these days much of the though around training is more formally based, yet the idea should still hold true for many businesses, even if they are not trades based.

Consider  this, how many times does a good communicator in business have to pass on information to their staff? Not often, the staff will appreciate the effort taken, will learn readily and retain the information that has been presented (often in a relaxed non-threatening way.) They obtain the skills, hone these, and are ready to pay back the education given by simply doing the best they can.

Many books over the years on staff productivity and business have shown that staff will give 110% when they are lead by a person that sets high personal standards in all areas of business and personal life. If the boss is a hard task master they are often ridiculed behind their back by the staff, yet if they are great at communicating the task at hand with ease then staff will often go the extra mile.

Consider going the extra mile yourself and with your staff. Give them your best, that way you can expect to get something back. As for the staff member who was having a sleep out the back, there may well be little hope of reform if the situation is allowed to continue. Six months later I went past the business to find that it had closed down. In reality the sleepy worker may have only been a small part of the problem the business owner faced.

In business the sleeper soon gets caught out, the business can quickly dry up and the customer can soon go elsewhere. Do yourself a favour… Wake Up!

Feed me…

Oct 1

Posted by Steve Gray in People!, The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept | 1 Comment

So there we were ready to eat, looking at what’s on offer in a semi fast food joint… The good lady wife asks about the “Indonesian pork dish” the girl says, “She likes it” and smiles, good enough for my wife who after looking at a bunch of food joints is now salivating and wants to eat.

It came with a rice side dish so it looked oriental enough. We shared the meal and found it was loaded with Jalepeno chillies and beans… WOW was it hot! Don’t get me wrong I like hot food, however this one had so many chillies it burnt and not in a good way… I started to put the chillies to one side, they made about 1/3 of the dishes ingredients. Woa! that’s hot, Thankfully the rice cooled things off a little and suffice to say we left the chillies and ate most of the rest.

Read the rest of this entry »

Faux Guarantees, Guaranteed! Or your Money Back!

Sep 24

Posted by Michael Crooks in Innovation and Creativity, Starting out in business, The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept, The Sales Dept | 3 Comments

I hadn’t come unglued for quite some time and, I suppose, I was due. Cause when the guy in the TV ad said, “Satisfaction guaranteed. Or your money back!” … I lost it.

“If my satisfaction is guaranteed,” I shouted, “then what’s with the “or” part. A guarantee is supposed to be an absolute. It’s supposed to be without fail. There should be nothing like “or your money back” after a guarantee. All the “or” does is tell people that the guarantee really isn’t a guarantee. It weakens the whole premise of a guarantee. It waters down the very thing you’re attempting to lure your customers with!”

At this point, I realized that my sudden outburst had scared the bejesus out of the cat who plowed through the popcorn bowl on his way out of the room at Mach I. As my wife and two kids retrieved popcorn from all parts of the room, it was strongly suggested that I give the subject of guarantees some additional thought … in another room.

Fine. Here’s my admittedly philosophical thinking. Time was, a guarantee was a solemn edict that meant something. Today, it’s almost a cliche’. Let’s say you’re guaranteeing “On-time” delivery. The very nano-second your delivery is late, the guarantee is null and void — proving that your guarantee really wasn’t a guarantee. That makes you a liar.

Part of the problem with guarantees is with the wording and the fact that people are attempting to guarantee that which they have no control over.

When developing a guarantee, think in terms of what you control. I can guarantee I’ll give you your money back, ie; “If you’re not satisfied, I’ll give you your money back… guaranteed.” In this case
I’m guaranteeing I’ll give the money back. I’m not, however, guaranteeing your satisfaction.

See the difference in the way the next two are written:
1) On time delivery guaranteed – or your money back.
2) On time delivery or your money back – guaranteed.

The first one guarantees on time delivery, as though I have control over mother nature, mechanical failure and a million other things that can prevent a delivery from taking place on time and ruin my reputation. With the second, I’m guaranteeing your money back. The first may ultimately prove to be an empty promise, which discredits me and gives my client or customer no reason to believe in my “faux guarantee” in the future. The second has teeth. It’s strong. It sounds good. But most importantly, I’m guaranteeing what I will do.

If you offer a guarantee, or are in the process of developing one, read it carefully to determine exactly what it is that you’re guaranteeing. Ask yourself, “Do I have control over what I’m guaranteeing?”

You see, I can’t guarantee my family uninterrupted tv time, because apparently, I can’t control myself. And I can’t guarantee they’ll let me back in, even if I make more popcorn. But, I can offer them this, “If you let me back in, I’ll make more popcorn. Guaranteed!

Closing the sale – It’s Highly Overrated!

Sep 18

Posted by Wayne Berry in The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept, The Sales Dept | No Comments

When I first got into selling I was told that to be successful I would have to learn how to CLOSE the sale. Indeed in that company, there was an elite group called “THE CLOSERS”.

This was a small band of highly experienced, highly regarded sales people, whom I was told, knew the “secrets” of closing the sale. Their powers were mystical and their fame legendary.

I was in awe of them, and occasionally had an opportunity to accompany one of them on a sales call to observe up close the magic they could work.

Mostly this involved asking confronting questions, bamboozling the prospect with clever answers to their objections, and then using silence to apply pressure.

I couldn’t believe the audacity of these manoeuvres.

I remember sitting in silence one day for at least 5 minutes waiting for one prospect to respond to a particularly confronting close. 5 minutes sitting in silence is a very long time. Try it sometime and you’ll see what I mean.

It was embarrassing… and it worked!

I just couldn’t see myself being that high pressure. I thought to myself, “I’m not going to make it if I have to do that”.

The truth is, high pressure, tricky closing techniques used to work, and to some extent they still do.

This is one of the reasons that many sales people and sales managers still believe that the most important phase of the sales process is closing the sale. Frankly I disagree.

Almost every week sales people tell me that if I could show them how to close, then they will immediately become more successful.

Some Sales Managers invite me to speak at their Sales Conferences and tell me that what their sales people need, is to be shown more effective ways of closing the sale.

Mistakenly they believe this will provide the much-needed “magic wand” for immediate success.

30+ years in sales and training sales people have taught me…

The 5 SECRETS to closing the sale

I’ll share these with you in a future article,

In the mean time have a great week – make it a great week.

Are you “Shop blind” ?

Sep 16

Posted by Bren Ryan in Health and Safety Dept, People!, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept | 4 Comments

I once worked as a store manager for a fast food chicken chain, (WOW, I was young then).

I learned lots of fantastic rules for good business there, but probably the most important was to always walk in the front Read the rest of this entry »

Customer Focussed?

Sep 10

Posted by Steve Gray in The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

Try this quick quiz, and ask yourself how you fair in the customer focus stakes.

  • Do you have a clear understanding about your customer’s wants and needs?
  • Does your staff share this understanding?
  • Do you have clear service standards that are written and easy to implement?
  • Do you know what your competitors are offering your customers?
  • Do you have a customer complaints system that is easily and effectively used?
  • Do you have a quality control system on products that your staff agree to, and can implement with ease?
  • Do you have an innovative way of building the relationship with your customers so they feel special?
  • Do you have the potential to be better at customer service?

This quick quiz often catches people out, and often they say, but we are just a small business, my response, is sure you are, but your competitors may not be, therefore think and act like a bigger business.

If you are truthful with your responses to the quiz, there are probably some areas, which could be improved. In order for your business to sustain pressure from your competitors, each of these basic areas should be addressed totally and honestly. Quality service may be an obvious thing to some business operators, yet they fail to retain a customer-focussed approach at all times.

Here are a few statements and points to consider…

  • Do you know that most customers buy items to fulfil a need or provide a solution of some kind, they do not buy on price alone, yet most people sell that way?
  • Do you say to customers “Can you help them?” instead ask them, “Can I assist you?” (People only want help when they are in major difficulty, assistance is much softer.)
  • Do you know what motivates you and your team to provide effective service?
  • Did you know that there are only two types of customers, internal (your staff) and external (the paying customers). The internal ones require your attention just as much as the external ones.
  • All businesses want to provide great service and most think they do, yet reality tells us great service is often in short supply.

Shared vision.
Getting your team to share in a vision of providing excellent customer service is often easily achieved when they realise that their job depends on turnover and profits and that this comes from happy customers. If they really value, and are interested in doing a great job they will soon share your vision. Also remember that people are often lead by example and not by words alone so prove to them that you can also do as you say.

I spent some time with an organisation that had just put on a new recruit, getting used to the role of receptionist took a while as they were still unsure of some of the staff. Interestingly a number of calls were taken that were handled poorly, even a few that were lost in the system and disappeared completely!

The work I was doing related to marketing and in particular the service delivery of the business. When asked for some ideas, they were shocked to think that a customers first contact may well be with someone who did not really understand a great deal about the business or who did what! Yet it was an efficient measure at the time that quickly filled a hole for the expanding business. The longer-term effect may leave a little to be desired.

Efficiency V’s effectiveness.
Efficiency does not always mean effective and this company soon learnt the lesson the hard way when complaints filtered through from regular clients. Getting really focussed on providing great service is an important step in ensuring your customers get what they want, providing a solution to their initial problem in a way that keeps them coming back for more.

Now, ask yourself, are you really customer focussed, and what can you and or your team do about it?

Communication who cares?

Sep 10

Posted by Steve Gray in People!, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

I care that’s who! Far too often I am called in to work with an organisation that manages to get itself into a spot of trouble, in time the analysis often shows they were asking for trouble by not fostering effective communication among the staff at all levels.

Flatten it out.
There are books that explain the idea of flattened management, a style of management that has been proven to work in many different situations, yet consistently businesses seem to ignore it completely and opt for older outdated management techniques. Flattened management puts everyone on the same level. I know some of you would find that rather confronting to say the least, yet this is one way of getting everyone to take part in powerful quality development options.

By having people working with the same end in mind (to profitably serve the customers) then the various tasks of being involved in the business all become important. So the idea of developing effective communication with all becomes vital.

Example
Picture the situation where a small argument over a production line activity is left to simmer for a few days, both parties resume discussions but both have now distorted the facts in their heads and are both aiming to save face. Very hostile indeed. It probably should have been sorted out at the time.

If the team had decided that a discussion should take place to resolve the issue then all ego’s should be put aside and the discussion begins. The discussion should not focus on fear of failure, or sacking for making waves. It should be an open and honest chat to negotiate the outcome required

Respect
The communication situation needs to be addressed at all levels and in time all staff will develop a greater respect for each other and have a stronger understanding of the individuals they are working with, despite their title and position.

Options
How does a small business find the time to have a formal meeting and discuss various issues of relevance to the organisation. For some the issues are discussed while they work, for others however they are working so hard they do not get to even take a break together.

Although a daunting task for some managers it is important that you consider having input from all areas of the business so each member can feel as though they are part of a team, not just a group of individuals working together sharing a common space.

If you are running a business, and want to develop your team communication, there are many ways of doing it. If you allow an employee to be confident and straight shooting in their approach to you about the business make sure of one thing, that you listen.

Also avoid justifying why a thing is that way, blaming other people for a problem and lastly denial of a problem is not going to do much good either. Let your ego down for the term of the meeting and carefully consider all comments made.

If an organisation can embrace these principles then a great opportunity arises to have a learning organisation develop from the basic level of business you may now be working with. It may be that your teams need to develop communication, leadership and negotiation skills to handle these communication challenges and the changes that flattened management can bring.

Explore all that this can do for your business. Experience shows that a team that learns together can have excellent spin off effects to their motivation to do business.

All this and more from more effective communication development. I like that!

The customers are revolting!

Sep 10

Posted by Steve Gray in People!, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

No they don’t smell that way, they are simply revolting due to the poor service they receive in many businesses, not all, just some.

They vote with their feet with only a small percentage actually complaining about the level of service received. These people walk out due to a range of annoying things that happen while shopping, both at a retail level and also at a business to business level.
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Retaining Customers

Sep 9

Posted by Steve Gray in People!, The Customer Service Dept, The Marketing Dept | No Comments

Studies have shown that the top two issues affecting customer’s decisions to return to a store are personal recognition and then service. What this reinforces is the fact that all of us, regard ourselves as the most important person in the world, and rightfully so.

Service Awards Results.
This was clearly shown at recent Customer Service Awards in a major city. The small business winner was a hairdressing salon who provides a cup of tea or coffee, just the way you like it, as soon as you arrive (they have your preference on file, so they make it immediately, without needing to ask what you would like), they have your favourite magazines in front of your chair, and a fabulous money back guarantee. They also provide an umbrella on rainy days and do multiple follow-up phone calls to make sure everything is OK. Their clients are delighted with the results and tell many others about what they get.

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Don’t tell anyone, but we’re doing OK!

Sep 9

Posted by Steve Gray in The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

The story…
Imagine a business that is booming, the staff are happy, their jobs are interesting and rewarding. The products they produce are in high demand and every core area of their business is running smoothly. Before long they are looking at how best to manage their expansion into new products and maximising the staff they already have to take on the expansion.
But wait, there is one special thing you need to know here; this business is operating at the peak of a recession! How do they do it? What is the secret? Simple understand what the customers need at any given time and provide that for them, but how?

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Customer Complaints

Sep 9

Posted by Steve Gray in The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

If your business is like most, it only truly finds out what the market place thinks of them when they receive a complaint.

Customer complaints often cause business people to become defensive, which can sometimes lead to customers becoming argumentative and disgruntled. Instead, the business owner should regard the complaint as a gift, why? Because complaints provide them with the opportunity to identify problems and challenges from the customer’s viewpoint, and because none of us can survive without customers this feedback however bad can be very useful to find out what is really happening from another persons viewpoint.
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