Shep Hyken's Blog, page 212
April 13, 2015
5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of April 13, 2015
Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
10 Customer Service Tips from the Transportation Industry by The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center
(The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center) The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center spoke to some of our past clients in the aviation and automotive industries and asked how they provide outstanding service for their customers. They kindly shared their most effective customer service tips.
My Comment: When the Ritz-Carlton shares great tips from other industries, you have to pay attention. Here are ten universal customer service tips that will work for just about any organization. Two of my favorites from the list are number two, which is “Practice Anticipatory Service” and number five, which is to “Invite Interaction.”
Customer Loyalty Month Special: 10 Great Tips To Foster Customer Loyalty by Lavanya Donthamshetty
(HappyFox) April is Customer Loyalty Month, tweeted Shep Hyken a few days back. I have to say, till then, I never realised we have a whole month dedicated to Customer Loyalty and all that it entailed. One month to appreciate the continuing loyalty and one month for a whole bunch of lessons in this so vital ingredient in any organisation’s success story! And what a better way to kick off the learning than by seeing what the great and the good have written?
My Comment: Customer Loyalty Month is the month of April. We’re just about half-way through it, and I ran across this great article with ten tips from other customer service and relationship experts.
6 New Ways to Celebrate Customer Wins by Jonathan Hinz
(1to1 Media) Try these tips to show your customers you care and stand out from the competition.
My Comment: Most organizations try and sell the customer a product, but the best sell the customer a solution. They know their customers’ ”goals.” That’s the first of six great tips from Jonathan Hinz, who writes on how to show your customers you care.
4 Tips to Forge Winning Client Relationships for the Long-Term by Gabrey Means & Cassie Hughes
(Entrepreneur) No matter what industry you’re in, the following 4 principles provide a great foundation for creating long and beautiful partnerships.
My Comment: Sales and service are closely linked. I want to do business with, as the old adage goes, with people I know, like and trust. I enjoyed reading this article and the tips about how to be more customer focused and less sales focused (which should lead to more sales).
What is Culture? How People Think, Believe, and Act by Bruce Temkin
(Customer Experience Matters) I often say that the customer experience your organization delivers is a reflection of your culture and operating processes. In other words, what customers experience outside is based on what’s going on inside. To consistently differentiate your customer experience, you need to transform your culture.
My Comment: This excellent article can be summed up in the first sentence, which states that the customer experience your organization delivers is a reflection of your culture and operating processes. The creation of that culture starts with leadership defining and communicating their vision for the culture. From there people are trained and the culture is put into action. Done correctly, the result is a better place to work, more engaged employees and happier customers.
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com . For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
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April 10, 2015
Guest Blog: Customer service isn’t dead….it’s just moved to Las Vegas
This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Donna Hanson writes about her recent visit to Zappos and what we can learn from a truly customer-focused company. When anyone talks about Zappos, I listen. – Shep Hyken
A recent trip to the gambling and entertainment capital of the US delivered some insights into how an on-line sales business is delivering exceptional customer service, generating both happy, satisfied employees and customers and making heaps of money on the way.
For Zappos, creating a Personal Emotional Connection IS the philosophy. In a stroke of genius, all visitors to Zappos must register on a computer, adding them automatically to Zappos mailing list, from which you can choose to unsubscribe of course!
Zappo’s team members must spend 80% of their day customer focused. A scheduling department assists in allocating the remaining 20% of time to team building activities or supporting other areas of the business requiring assistance that day.
Zappos employ over 4,300 staff in two US cities, Kentucky – the fulfilment warehouse and Las Vegas – Head Office. On one of its “best” sales days they turned over US$16.1 million, resulting in the printing of souvenir t-shirts for Zappos staff announcing, “My Company sold $16.1 million in One Day and all I got was this T-Shirt”. A gift worn with great pride by Zappos “family members”.
Whilst only 3% of Zappos customers actually call Zappos, teams are encouraged to take as long as they need with on calls which are “geo-tracked” based on staff backgrounds, i.e. call from Long Beach gets routed to a staff member originally from Long Beach to further assist in creating the personal emotional connection with customers. A far cry from many corporate call centres!
Problems solved are celebrated with recognition such as Hi-5’s, blowing of hooters or maracas shaking, depending on what each team has chosen.
Before lunch, for 15 minutes every day, staff are encouraged to decorate and write up cards to send to customers. Further adding to the personal emotional connection created on calls – i.e. good luck with your wedding on 28th!
Health and well-being are important at Zappos. A full time life/goals coach is employed by Zappos to assist staff in achieving their personal and professional goals. Goals achieved are documented in the stairwell of the building in graffiti style with the goal achieved and team member’s name.
To keep things fun and fresh, customer loyalty teams rotate physical desks and shifts every six weeks. Locations within the building are not referred to as the fourth aisle from the stairwell door instead they are referenced by street signs such as Chicago St, Las Vegas Boulevard etc.
Zappos also run regular social events including corporate challenge days, Art Contests, Easter Hunts and also host events such as Pie Your Boss Day and Nerd Day along with traditional “Happy Hours”. These are all recorded in a colour, hard copy Yearbook which is given to every employee.
So what can we learn from Zappos?
Zappos recognise that whilst great external customer service adds dollars to the bottom line, without exceptional internal customer service, you cannot expect to achieve exceptional success.
Donna Hanson is a learning and development consultant with a technology focus. She works with organisations who want to increase productivity and reduce risk with technology they already own. For more information on Donna visit www.donnahanson.com.au
For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com. Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:
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April 8, 2015
Ethics In Business: Would You Do the Right Thing?
Create Trust
I typically don’t like sports analogies in business, but sometimes they make such good sense. So, here is the story:
My friend and colleague Jim Tunney, an inspiring speaker and the Dean of NFL referees, writes a weekly article about sports stories that always make a point. Recently he wrote about the 2015 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, which for the fifth time was won by Novak Djokovic. According to Jim, the real story of the tournament wasn’t Djokovic’s fifth win, but came in the match between third ranked Rafael Nadal and 103rd ranked Tim Smyczek from Wisconsin.
Just as Nadal was about to serve, one of the fans in the gallery shouted some indiscernible remark, startling Nadal and causing him to deliver a bad serve. Smyczek approached the umpire at center court and suggested that Nadal get a second chance because of the disruptive fan. Nadal was granted permission to repeat his first serve and went on to win the point, the set and the match. Afterward Smyczek was interviewed and his comment was, “It was just the right thing to do.”
I love that: “It was just the right thing to do.”
How many times are we faced with decisions where “the right thing to do” may be a tough decision? Trust me, the right thing to do is always the right decision.
This is even more important in business, as your reputation with your customers is based on some level of trust. The trust comes from doing what you promised. The customer assumes they will get what they pay for. They also assume you will stand behind whatever it is you sell them.
A couple years ago, during the height of the holiday season, Delta Airlines featured some amazing deals on their website. For a short time, travelers could find airfare for certain domestic flights for less than $5. A round-trip ticket between New York and Seattle could be found for $25. Talk about a bargain!
But there was a problem. The outrageously low prices were the result of a computer glitch. Delta quickly fixed the issue and then restored their website – this time with the correct pricing.
Delta acknowledged their mistake and issued a statement on the situation.
“For a portion of the morning today, some prices on Delta.com and other booking channels were incorrectly displayed, resulting in lower than usual fares for customers. The situation has been resolved and the correct prices are being displayed. Delta will honor any fares purchased at the incorrect price.”
Instead of frustrating customers by demanding they pay full price for airfare, Delta took responsibility. Yes, it was a pricey decision. But they valued the goodwill of their customers over the financial implications.
You can’t go wrong by doing the right thing. In business, this might cost you a little more or take extra time up front. But the extra effort will pay dividends many times over. The best companies, and the people in those companies, have standards that can’t be compromised. This positively impacts both the customers and employees.
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com . For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
(Copyright © MMXV, Shep Hyken)
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April 6, 2015
5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of April 6, 2015
Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Customer service and luxury by Seth Godin
(Seth Godin) If your Chanel bag wears out, don’t expect the same response you might find if you have trouble with something from LL Bean or Lands End. Luxury brands have long assumed that if you can afford to buy it, you can afford to replace it.
My Comment: I’m a huge Seth Godin fan and love reading his daily posts. This short article offers up an interesting perspective on customer service and luxury brands. How can it be easier to get good customer service from a fast food restaurant than from an expensive brand? It shouldn’t be, and Seth’s comments are spot on.
Six signs your customer service strategy is broken by Kristen Lee
(TechTarget) Consultant Rick Davidson urges CIOs to take the lead on improving customer service in the digital age — and spells out the signs of a customer service strategy gone wrong.
My Comment: Even though this article focuses on CIOs, the six ideas in this article are appropriate for anyone in any company involved in creating a better customer service experience. Simple ideas such as, “If your customers need a manual or to call customer support, it’s already broken because that means it’s not easy to use.” Or, “The company blames the customer.” Some of the ideas may seem like common sense, but unfortunately you shouldn’t be surprised to find that they aren’t as common as you would think.
Calling CX a priority is easy. Following through on it is tough by Kyle McNabb
(ZDNET) Seventy-four percent of executives say improving customer experience is their top priority in 2015. So why is it so difficult?
My Comment: We hear it all of the time. Companies promise a great customer experience. Unfortunately, for some companies, it’s just a promise, which comes from the fact that delivering a good customer experience is a good idea. But, you can’t just say you will do so and it just happens. It takes a vision, a strategy and implementation. As this excellent article states, it’s the follow through that’s tough.
How to Wow Your Customers with Individualized Experiences – And Why It’s Harder Than It Looks by Jeff Lewndowski
(Andrew Reise) One size rarely fits all. Obvious? Apparently not, judging by how often businesses have a customer experience (CX) strategy that forces everyone to use the same website, the same app, or the same IVR menu.
My Comment: In most situations, customers want an individualized or personalized experience, whether they know it or not. It can be as simple as remembering what a customer bought the last time, or something far more sophisticated. The four ideas in this article are worth considering when creating the individualized experiences that will make customers want to return to do business with you.
Customer Service Has Its Day at Social Media Marketing World by Dan Gingiss
(Social Media Today) I’ve probably tweeted that a dozen times, and I think about it almost every day. But social media conferences – and the practitioners who attend them – have continued to be divided into two tribes as if they were playing Survivor: the Marketing tribe and the Customer Service tribe.
My Comment: Customer service is the new marketing! Dan Gingiss makes this point with a summary of some great speakers that recently presented at the Social Media Marketing World conference. Dan’s recap has some ideas that we should all consider in creating a better customer experience that gets customers (positively) talking about you, and more important, returning to do more business with you.
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com . For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
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April 3, 2015
Guest Blog: Why you should avoid ‘escalating’ support requests
This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Joe Westhead explains the concepts of All Hands Support and All hands Ownership as ideas for support agents to use when dealing with customers. I especially like the idea of every agent taking ownership of their customers calls from start to finish. – Shep Hyken
Raise your hand if a support agent has ever told you, “Let me escalate this…”
I think this is a risky tactic for the success of a customer relationship over time, and I’d like to present a possible solution. (And to be clear: this isn’t a new policy that Olark is adopting, just my own idea. Would love your feedback on it.)
Olark has used All Hands Support since we started. You may have even read about it here on Shep’s blog. (“An Opportunity to Walk in the Customer Support Center’s Shoes“) Everyone from the newest hire to the CEO helps out chatting to customers, answering sales and support questions.
All Hands Support is a great way to get everyone immediately and continually engaged with the product, but what happens when someone doing support is asked a technical question that’s confusing? In an attempt to quickly diagnose trickier issues, or pass them to someone who can give them more attention, or, and I’m being candid here, to avoid embarrassment/frustration because they don’t have answers, the discussion goes “up the chain.”
I propose taking All Hands Support to the next level with ‘All Hands Ownership,’ which means each person takes responsibility for owning a support request, responding to the customer at each step and following it through to its conclusion.
This starts with pushing back against four words that are entirely reasonable in a difficult customer exchange: “Let me escalate this…”
Is this really a problem?
Customer Support teams have long preached managing expectations: under-promise, over-deliver. In “Let me escalate…” (which I and other great colleagues have used), the customer is rightly made to feel special, but it can result in any of these unintended negative externalities:
“Escalate” may overstate importance. Why does something need to be escalated just to be looked at by someone else? Can I not just ask them? In the vast majority of cases, the word is too strong. (In the dictionary, examples of the word escalate relate to conflicts, tensions, violence, salaries and fuel prices.)
You immediately commit someone else to an issue. Worse, because the word escalate was used, you’ve set the clock ticking.
Expectations are reset for future requests. If a customer gets an escalation this time, they may be more likely to want to bypass the support team next time.
Lost knowledge. Every time a support request is passed to someone else, there’s a good chance there will be a lost transfer of knowledge with the lack of a feedback loop.
Gives the impression of stratified support. The perception can be that front-line customer service acts as gatekeepers to Engineers, Managers or Business Development personnel. We often experience the “Could you ask your boss…”, “Do you have a number for…” and “Tell this to your engineer…” instructions that imply a tiered system of helping.
For the last point, we’ve seen this in practice. We have transcripts where customers have asked for an engineer, not knowing they’re already chatting with the person who wrote the software. In their mind, they’re dealing with the monkey and not the organ grinder.
What are the benefits of All Hands Ownership?
Instead of moving a support request or ticket to someone else, take ownership of it from beginning to end. Even if you know you don’t understand, you can help the customer. Consider the empathy in this alternative to “Let me escalate this…”:
“Oh, you’re right, that is strange. How about I find out what’s going on here when I’m free this afternoon and get back to you as soon as I can?
You might still involve the engineer (which is fine, expected) but instead of passing the issue on, you can synthesize what you’re told and relay that to the customer. Suddenly there emerges a new set of possible consequences:
The customer doesn’t need to re-explain themselves
You can improve your own understanding over time
You can match the customer’s terms and tone in reply because often the next person is only working off case notes and reproduction steps that dehumanize the process.
It’s personal, you buy everyone time and reset customer expectations.
By admitting you don’t know, you’re putting yourself on a level with the customer. It helps create empathy. We’re in this together, not us v. them.
It moves the conversation away from simply fixing issues, but rather addressing problems.
This last point is subtle. All Hands Ownership isn’t about making everyone more technical. Instead, we should look to engage with the customer. “What is it you’re trying to do?” might get you to the heart of a customer problem in a more effective way than “What is happening?” Until you know what the customer’s intentions and expectations are, you’ll forever be fixing without necessarily improving.
By changing the way we own support requests, we could start to recognize patterns even when we don’t understand the issue. Over time, the person answering customer questions has a better understanding not just of technical questions, but also the benefit of engaging with a customer over several interactions.
All Hands Ownership, much like All Hands Support, would take time. It will not always be appropriate and will be frustrating. It is however intensely satisfying to learn and always appreciated by customers.
Joe Westhead is Chief Brit at Olark, a beautiful and effective way to talk to your customers for sales and support.
For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com. Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:
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April 1, 2015
April Is Customer Loyalty Month (Again!)
Even though every April is Customer Loyalty Month, it doesn’t matter when you are taking in this information. Customer Loyalty Month is simply a time to remember how important it is to show a little love to your customers. The reality is that it should be practiced every month, every week, every day – in other words, with every interaction you have with your customers. So, here are a few of my favorite ideas to ask yourself during Customer Loyalty Month – and every other month throughout the year:
Ask yourself the customer loyalty question: As the customer is working with you, ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing right now with this customer going to get the customer to come back the next time he or she needs what I sell?
Create confidence by always doing what you say you will do. If you promise you will call someone back in an hour, it had better be an hour. If you have an appointment or meeting, show up on time – not even five minutes late.
Pick up the phone to check in with your customers. Just check in to see how they are doing. While not necessarily a social call, it’s not about selling something either. This shows you’re as interested in the relationship as you are the business, maybe even more so.
Don’t forget your “other” customers. The other customers are your internal customers, the people you work with and your suppliers. You want to have a great relationship with everyone you do business with or work with, which includes outside customers, your colleagues at work, and the people who supply you whatever you need to do business. It’s the trifecta!
Do a Moments of Magic® Loyalty exercise. Every employee is given two postcards (or index cards) and over the next month has to submit the following two examples:
The employee writes out a short example of when he/she created a positive customer experience for the customer (internal or external).
The employee writes out a short example of one of his/her fellow employees created a positive customer experience for the customer (internal or external).
These examples should be compiled and shared, perhaps posted in the break room or lunch area for all to see. The best of the best should be put into a document, showcasing great examples of the types of customer service experiences that create customer loyalty.
Finally, and I always include this one, don’t ever forget to say thank you. It can be in person, on a phone call, in an email, or even a thank you note. Note: Thank you notes are more appreciated than any other expression of thanks.
These are just a few ideas to help you do something customer-focused during Customer Loyalty Month. I’m hoping you’ll come up with a few of your own. Would love if you would share them below.
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com . For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
(Copyright © MMXV, Shep Hyken)
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March 30, 2015
5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of March 30, 2015
Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
5 Steps to Building a Winning Customer Experience Strategy by Maya Nix
(Fourth Source) Five actionable steps you can (and should) take to create a winning online customer experience strategy.
My Comment: I love a list of great ideas on how to create a customer experience. This is a good list of reminders on what we need to help us create customer amazement.
10 Striking Statistics on Self-Service Today by Gigi Peccolo
(One Reach) At OneReach, we think self-service is a valuable tool that not only cuts costs but increases customer satisfaction. By adding self-service (and automation to speed up resolution time), businesses can receive a great ROI and empower customers with quick and easy service experiences.
My Comment: Self-serve customer service is gaining in popularity. All companies should be thinking of how they can provide their customers a self-service alternative. These stats and facts should help companies that haven’t made the decision to do so rethink why they should.
Three ways to get more customers and increase loyalty by Chad Halvorson
(The Globe and Mail) You have to make strategic moves to build brand awareness, improve customer service and bolster social engagement to help it grow. Here are three simple changes you can make that can help you continue to grow your business.
My Comment: Be easy to do business with. Take advantage of social media. Be community and charitably minded. Great rules for any company to live by. These three simple strategies can help endear your company to your customers.
Building your internal customer service skills by Barry Himmel
(RentalManagement) Management has a responsibility to set standards for all positions and that includes skills related to delivering exceptional customer service. All employees must buy into your company culture. You need to help them understand the value of upholding your standards.
My Comment: Another great article on how important it is to service internal customers. Many of the same tactics we use on our outside customers apply to taking care of the people we work with. They may seem like common sense, but unfortunately they aren’t always as common as they should be.
5 Lessons All Departments Can Learn From the Customer Service Department by Blake Morgan
(Forbes) If you want security for your business go gaga over service. A service oriented approach to business is the only choice for the future. Those who don’t recognize this will not be here to make mistakes in the future. Here are my five tips from support.
My Comment: I’ve always said that what is happening on the inside of an organization is being felt on the outside by the customer. The best companies know that and therefore focus on delivering the same level of customer service (if not even higher). Great article to show how other departments can become customer focused.
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com . For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
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March 27, 2015
Guest Blog: Customer Satisfaction and Market Intelligence
This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Gregory Yankelovich writes about the importance of measuring customer satisfaction for predicting success. I have always said that companies that track and measure their customer service have a competitive advantage.
– Shep Hyken
There is hardly a company, regardless of size or industry that does not measure Customer Satisfaction. It seem to be clear to most people that Customer Satisfaction is a predictor of business success as customers, who have choice, will not stick around if they are consistently disappointed with products or services provided. Regulated monopolies are excluded, but even they measure Customer Satisfaction for reasons that defy explanation.
The correlation (or causation) between customer satisfaction and profitability, revenue growth, and equity shares performance, is relatively well documented. I did not provide any links to these studies because each one makes it sound that customer satisfaction measurement methodology is the most important factor in success of the subject’s study. I happen to believe that the key to any business’ metric improvement is caused by improvement of the customer’s experience, properly measured as a customer satisfaction. In other words, it is less important how you measure it than what is it you measuring, and the most importantly whether the company is committed to action based on these measurements.
If the previous paragraph seem obvious and self explanatory to you, it is perhaps because you are not aware that many companies measure customer satisfaction without clear definition of the metric and a plan for action. There are few good reasons for this unfortunate state of affairs:
Regardless of a scale one selects to use, there is a lot of ambiguity what exactly the results are “telling” to people outside of a Market Research department. The only exception is NPS® methodology (Net Promoter Score) and that explains its popularity in executive suites.
Absolute measurements of Customer Satisfaction are meaningless. Whether your customers are 100% satisfied with your product, rate your service 4.25 stars on the Liekert scale, or profess their Net Promoters intentions at .35 NPS – it makes you feel good only as long as you don’t know that competing product scores 25% higher.
The score itself is just a tip of proverbial “iceberg”. The scores, without root cause analysis, cannot provide actionable intelligence. Considering that many companies in reality “listen” and score brand affinity/sentiment, as oppose to customer satisfaction with specific product or service, no specific action is even possible.
I would like to suggest that measuring customer experience versus customer expectation with specific elements or attributes of their experience, is more meaningful and actionable strategy. Subsequent benchmarking of these results against competitors, can support well informed decisions for improving profitability and growth.
“NPS®, Net Promoter and Net Promoter Score are registered trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company and Fred Reichheld.”
Gregory Yankelovich has been involved with customer centric product management and marketing for over 25 years. He currently serves as Founder and CEO of Amplified Analytics. Their core competency is the extraction of Customer Experience marketing intelligence from social media, using proprietary opinion mining technology.
For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com. Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:
April is Customer Loyalty Month: What Are You Doing For Your Customers?
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March 25, 2015
Effortless Customer Service: Part Two
Make It Easy for the CustomerRecently I wrote about Effortless Customer Service and the concept of predictable consumption. Short of a product showing up on my doorstep when I need it, without having to order it and it just being automatically debited from my checking account or credit card, I can’t think of anything that would qualify as truly effortless.
That said, effortless customer service is a lofty goal. So, here is the question to ask yourself:
How easy am I to do business with?
While the article previously mentioned focused on predicting the customer’s buying patterns and then delivering their product, there were some other good examples mentioned, such as how easy it is to connect with a company, short wait times and more.
Upon further thought I wanted to expand on this concept, but focus on more traditional methods of customer service. So here are a few examples of this concept in action.
My real estate agent, Victor Cohen, is truly amazing. We bought our new home before selling our old home. The old house was older, on a large lot and needed ongoing maintenance to keep it “show ready” for that perfect buyer. Victor said he would take care of the home until it sold. The next time I would come back was to clear out any final items before we turned the keys over to the new owner. He made selling my home effortless.
Years ago when the interest rates were dropping I refinanced my home several times. I connected with a woman, Vicky Griswold, who made the refinancing almost effortless. First, I never ever went to her office. She came to me for any papers that needed to be signed. Other than having to get some documents together, she made doing business with her effortless.
My accountant, Stu Hoffman, makes doing my taxes so easy. Sure, I have to pull together all of the financials for my company. That’s work that we can’t get around. This year I planned to be out of town for tax day. Stu said to bring him checks made out to the different tax offices, but to just leave the amounts blank. He offered to take care of filling them out and mailing them to the appropriate offices. Yes, I trust him and one of the reasons is that he has a solid reputation and he’s easy to do business with. Almost… effortless!
The common thread between these examples is that the people involved were just making it easy on the customer. Sometimes it takes creativity, extra effort, a little muscle, some extra time – you get the idea.
True effortless customer service is like perfection. It’s not reality. Once in a while you’ll achieve it, but consistently it’s impossible. Vince Lombardi’s quote about perfection is a perfect way to summarize this point. He said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can achieve excellence.”
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com . For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
(Copyright © MMXV, Shep Hyken)
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March 23, 2015
5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of March 23, 2015
Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
One Hack That Turns a Loyal Customer Into a Lifelong Loyal Customer by Peter Shankman
(Huffington Post) This is a post that focuses on the super-loyal customers or clients you already have. These tips aren’t for all of your customers, rather, they’re specifically reserved for your best ones – the ones who already generate the most revenue for your business.
My Comment: There’s a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer. And, there’s an even bigger difference between a loyal customer and a “lifetime” loyal customer. This simple example is a great lesson on how to create that level of loyalty.
5 Secrets That Encourage Return Customers by Rohan Ayyar
(Zopim) Having users queue up outside one’s store is a pipe dream that every entrepreneur has had at some point in their journey. Whether it’s having worshippers queue up outside Apple’s retail church, getting fan mail raving about how much they think your product is like Starbucks, or having your brand define your users’ status as a successful go-getter like a Ferrari, there’s no better feeling than when your customers keep coming back.
My Comment: I encourage my clients to ask the following question: What am I doing today to make sure my customers come back the next time they need what we sell? These five tips can help promote that coveted return customer. My favorite is # 2: Don’t Let Them Forget You
21 Quotes to Inspire a More Customer-centric Culture by Tricia Morriss
(Parature) Compiled here are 21 quotes, many from well-known customer-centric CEOs and business leaders, to inspire first the talk, and then the walk toward a more customer-centric culture.
My Comment: Check out this list of “customer centricity quotes.” They will make you think and hopefully take action on creating a more customer-focused culture. Great conversation starters for your next leadership meeting!
50 Things You Need to Know About Customer Loyalty by Warren Miller
(The Customer Edge) Here are 50 statistics and statements on customer loyalty. Check these out and discover the multitude of benefits that your company can experience by securing absolute devotion from your consumers.
My Comment: Great stats, facts, quotes and ideas about creating customer loyalty that you don’t want to miss reading. There’s something here for virtually every business.
Are Your Selling Actions Truly Customer Focused? by Jim Pancero
(LinkedIn) There are four questions or tests you can take to evaluate how customer focused you really are in your daily selling efforts. Mastering all four of these questions can help increase your customer’s perceptions of your professionalism and interest in their business. However, the majority of otherwise experienced reps still wind up flunking all four of these questions. How will you do?
My Comment: There is always a tight bond between selling and customer service. Part of the sales process is customer service. Research, listen, take notes, and follow up – all great sales and customer service techniques!
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com . For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
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