Shep Hyken's Blog, page 215

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of February 2, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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.

Keep Your Customers as Close as Family by Chuck Cohn

(Entrepreneur) Whether your company has 100 customers or 100,000, you can do six simple things to build stronger connections between your company and its customers.

My Comment: This article combines some of the most powerful customer retention concepts; customer service, sales and marketing. Simple tips that any company can use to build a better relationships with their customers.

3 Things Starbucks Corporation Wants Investors To Know About The Future by Daniel B. Klein

(The Motley Fool) Starbucks has morphed from being a coffee company into being one driven by technology. That should allow the brand to move beyond its traditional delivery methods and find new ways to put coffee into the hands of customers.

My Comment: Starbucks is no longer just a coffee house. They are an amazing technology driven organization. And, there is a lot we can learn from them, starting with this article.

The year of engagement: Optimising customer service in 2015 by Marije Gould

(Fourth Source) With the new year upon us, it’s a good time to review the year that was and identify customer engagement trends likely to play a major role in shaping the industry over the next 12 months.

My Comment: Here are six common sense tips that any customer-focused organization can consider for their customer service strategy.  And just because they are common sense, that doesn’t mean that everyone is doing them.  And, finally, as simple as they appear, that doesn’t mean they are easy to execute – but it will be worth it to do so.

50 Customer Service Quotes to Motivate You for 2015 by Infinit Contact

(Infinit Contact) So to help you internalize customer service excellence, here are the best customer service quotes to motivate you for 2015.

My Comment: This is a list of 50 great customer service quotes. Print this out and use a quote a week to inspire your team. Or, use some of the quotes in your newsletter. A great resource!

What is the “X Factor” in Customer-Centric Success? by Bob Thompson

(CustomerThink) My recent benchmark study confirmed, once again, that each of these habits is correlated with business success. However, in crunching the numbers, I found something quite interesting about why these habits are more prevalent in top-performing customers.

My Comment: No doubt that the culture of a company starts with leadership define the culture. It is then leadership’s job to get all employees into alignment with the vision. They also set the tone and demonstrate by example, how to deliver the vision. Great article! Thank you for sharing.

BONUS

50 Customer Experience Blogs You Should Be Reading by Angela Stringfellow

(NG Data) Listed in no particular order of importance, the following 50 blogs are must-reads for any marketer committed to creating an amazing customer experience.

My Comment: Here is a bonus article for you to read. Angela Stringfellow of NGData compiled a list of the “Top 50 Customer Experience Blogs You Should be Reading.”  It could be worth your time to find a few new resources from some of the leading experts in customer service and experience.

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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Guest Blog: Tools To Help Deliver A Stellar Customer Service

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague James Clifton shares an experience where customer service was lacking due to a reluctance to new technology. He shares easy and inexpensive ways to deliver stellar customer service. – Shep Hyken

Having the right tools enables you to deliver stellar customer service.

Let me tell you a brief story of my last employment where customer service was severely lacking because they didn’t want to make the move to new technology.

A bit of background first, my previous place of employment was a holiday apartment rental agency with offices and apartments around the world, with the head office located in Barcelona. I was in charge of social media for said place of employment. Every year, just before summer arrived, the reservations department would be inundated with queries, bookings and so on by anxious holiday planners. At the same time the reservations department started getting busy, I would notice a spike in questions and complaints coming across the Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Things along the lines of:

Have you received my booking?

Why hasn’t my email been answered?

I still haven’t received my confirmation number despite having paid.

When do I receive my deposit back?

There were a number of problems that occurred as a result. Firstly, the clients weren’t receiving the sort of customer care they had come to expect and would likely look elsewhere when booking accommodation again. Secondly, the reputation of the business suffered due to the highly visible nature of the complaints on social media and, finally and perhaps the most damaging of all, the booking agents became stressed and disengaged. Overall, it wasn’t great news for the company.

Although one could employ more staff to handle the busy times, which would be costly and inefficient at best, it doesn’t address the underlying issue, a lack of good customer support software. The agency had a haphazard approach to answering emails and dealing with customer feedback, which in the end has proved quite damaging to the company’s reputation. Unsatisfied customers who despite being happy with the accommodation on offer probably wouldn’t book again because of a sloppy booking process.

There is in fact a really simple and relatively inexpensive fix to this problem had the owner been willing to embrace cloud technology instead of relying on the clunky inefficient in-house system. The tech guys were tired of it and there were times when the whole office would be offline while maintenance or upgrades were carried out; not very good for an internet-based business.

Today’s Helpdesk software would have put an end to customer complaints in next to no time. For example, if the agency had been using FreshDesk’s ticketing system, it would have sorted through customer requests, distributed ticket numbers to the client and sent them to the right customer service agent. An automatic email response is generated, informing the client their request has been received and that an agent will be with them shortly. This effectively prevents the client from airing their grievances on social media, since they are being made aware of what is happening.

Many of today’s HelpDesk solutions also come with a built in knowledge base. What this means for the customer is that they are able to help themselves and the business is able to save money. So, let’s take a common question I received when I was on social media at the agency as an example; When will I receive my deposit back? If we had been using HappyFox, for example, then all we would have had to do is to write a short article explaining the process and timing of when deposits are returned and add it to the knowledge base. The clients would then be able to source this information themselves without having to put more stress on the already stretched customer service team.

Having an extensive knowledge base means a lot less hassle for your customer service team and also means that they are able to focus their energies on more important tasks. An overly stressed employee is more likely to become disengaged and deliver less than optimal customer service and as we all know excellent customer service is paramount to business success.

James Clifton is the Social Media Manager at GetApp.com, the #1 independent Cloud Apps Marketplace that helps businesses to discover, compare, review and purchase the best B2B apps. You can connect with James on Twitter here: @GetApp.

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com

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A Hotel Tipping Policy Gone Amok: All She Had To Say Was Thank You

Customer Experience

Important: This article is not about tipping etiquette. This is an observation of a very nice hotel that left a bad impression. So, hang in there with me. There’s a point at the end of the story.

Here in the United States we’re expected to tip people for good service. Standard gratuity for a server at a restaurant is 15%. If the server does a great job, many times people tip 20%. At hotels we tip the doorman who gets you a cab, the bellman who carries your bags to your room, and others who help you along the way. So, what about the housekeeping staff? These are the people that make your bed, clean your room, and make sure you have clean towels. And when do you do tip? At the beginning of the stay? At the end? Every Day?

Some have said that TIP means “To Insure Promptness (or Performance)” however my research indicates that this may be a myth.

Still, I usually tip the hotel’s housekeeping staff a few dollars a day. Recently I stayed at a nice hotel and was upgraded to a beautiful suite. On the nightstand there was an envelope that had instructions on tipping the housekeeper. I first thought this was a bit presumptuous, but I went with it. I was staying for three nights so I put a twenty dollar bill in the envelope and wrote a note that said, “Thank you for taking care of me during my stay at your hotel. Shep H.” The next day I came back to the room and noticed that the envelope had been taken and there was a new, fresh white envelope, waiting for another tip. What was missing was a note that said, “Thank you.” At least something that indicated the housekeeper got and appreciated the tip.

At checkout the front desk clerk asked me how my stay was. I told her great, but I did have one issue. She seemed surprised when I told her my story. Then she said that maybe the housekeeper only spoke Spanish and didn’t know English, which is why she didn’t write a note. Well, I’ve stayed in hotels that weren’t nearly as nice, and have almost always received some type of acknowledgment – even from housekeepers who didn’t speak English. A simple note, even in Spanish, with just the word “gracias” would have been appreciated.

There are several lessons that came out of this experience.

Don’t take customers for granted. Be it a tip or just a customer who chooses to do business with you, don’t be presumptuous. Expecting someone to buy – or tip – you is in bad form. Earning the customer’s business – or tip – is the right way to do business.
When someone does something nice for you, always say, “Thank you.” If you spent money at a business and their people didn’t say thank you or express appreciation, you would notice. As a result, the next time you might consider doing business with someone else – someone who might make you feel more appreciated.
And, this lesson has an interesting by-product of the experience. Notice how the front desk clerk made an excuse for her housekeeper. When a comment like the one I made, which could have been construed as a complaint, is presented to you, take ownership rather than make excuses. She could simply have said, “I’m sorry. I’ll follow up on this.” That and a big smile would have gone a long way to making me feel as if I was heard.

By the way, if you are interested in tipping your housekeeper the next time you take a trip, consider that, according to Michael Lynn, a professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, about 30% of U.S. hotel guests leave tips for hotel housekeepers. And according to Emily Post, the typical tip is one or two dollars per person, per night. A little more for the fancier hotels. Be sure to leave a note with the money to indicate it is for housekeeping – unless they provide the envelope.

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5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of January 26, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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.

The Customer Service Journey: Does It Lead Customers Back to You? Jodi Beuder

(Impact Blog!) The ulti­mate goal of cus­tomer ser­vice is to deliver a pos­i­tive expe­ri­ence every time con­sumers reach out to your prod­uct, brand or ser­vice. Whether it’s a phone inter­ac­tion, web– or social media-based com­mu­ni­ca­tion, store­front encounter, or prod­uct expe­ri­ence, these “touch­points” add up to what is known as the cus­tomer ser­vice journey.

My Comment: The customer journey mapping process is such an important part in planning for an amazing customer experience. Success doesn’t happen by accident. The journey map is part of creating deliberate success. I’m surprised at the number of companies who haven’t gone through this process.

What Causes B2B Customers to Churn? Three Things, and “Price” Isn’t One of Them by Christine Crandell

(CustomerThink) “Value,” as uniquely defined by each customer, is contextual and multi-faceted, and changes over the relationship lifecycle. There is no single, commonly held definition of “value” for each industry, a market or customer segment. In other words, “value” is not solely in the product but in what surrounds it.

My Comment: While this article focuses on B2B, I think the ideas can apply to just about any business. The three ways this article describes why companies lose customers are also the three ways you can keep them. If the customer defines value as outcomes, trust and relevance, lacking in any of these areas can cause a loss of business. Excelling in them can gain an increase confidence, which ultimately leads to more business.

5 Reasons Mobile Customer Service Must Be a 2015 Priority by Tricia Morris

(LinkedIn) Think about service channels your customers use – email, support portal, phone, self-service knowledgebase, apps, etc. …. They’re all in your customers’ hands 24 hours a day, seven days a week via smartphones and tablets. Yet, many brands are still not prioritizing mobile customer service and the mobile customer experience. That needs to change in 2015.

My Comment: Tricia Morris’s of Parature/Microsoft says, “People say their mobile phone is now just as important as deodorant.” Great list of why every company needs to consider how important mobile is to the  customer service and experience strategy.

When New Hire Training Transforms the Customer Experience (And When it Doesn’t) by Chris Frascella

(ICMI) New hire training can be one of the most instrumental factors in delivering happiness to your customers—but it isn’t by default. There are three key elements to turning your new hires into one of your most positive influences on your customers’ experience with your company.

My Comment: It doesn’t have to be a support center to take advantage of the strategies and tactics in this article. First and foremost, when you hire new people, there needs to be an onboarding process that trains the new-hire to the culture and philosophies of the company. Beyond that, there can be training that is specific to the new-hire’s responsibility. There are a number great ideas here, but what stands out is a message that training continues long after the employee is hired. Training is not something you did. It’s something you do.

Treat Loyal Customers as Well as You Do New Ones by Karen Mishra

(Entrepreneur) Here are some tips to infuse compassion into your customer service.

My Comment: Years ago my friend Dr. Larry Baker made a comment: The most abused customer is a sold customer. We work hard to get customers to do business with us. Then once they do, some (not all) companies treat the customer a different way (as in not as well as in the “courting” stage of the relationship). The smart companies know that once the customer chooses to do business with them, they work to confirm the customer made the right decision.

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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Guest Blog: Where the Customer Experience and Customer Service Skills Intersect

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Joanna Jones writes about what customer service agents must know and do to provide our customers with consistently outstanding experiences. – Shep Hyken

If you were to query customer service team managers about their ongoing challenges, you would likely hear answers ranging from how to better enhance customer experiences to engaging employees to the frustration of social media. Managers are fully aware that customer service relations are continuously in a state of flux, but as you drill down a common theme emerges: The customer experience. What exactly do we mean when we talk about the customer experience and its importance? Here at Impact Learning, when we consider the meaning of customer experience, we think in terms of customers amplifying a product or company in a positive light on social media, customer loyalty, and increased revenue for your organization as a result of higher sales. By understanding how the customer experience and your customer service (CR) teams intersect, we’ll examine three ways you can empower your CR teams with the appropriate skills so your customers feel motivated to become brand advocates on your behalf.

Perspective

Looking back to the early days of customer care, when call centers and live-chat became more common place, what was considered quality service came off as rote and scripted, leaving the customer to wonder if she was interacting with a machine or a person. Customer Service industry practices have evolved, fortunately, and there is ample evidence that backs up the importance of agent autonomy and individualized care. For some managers, the idea of allowing agents more autonomy makes them break out in a cold sweat, but with the proper structure, more autonomy has proven to be a success for many businesses such as Telus International and Dell Computers. If businesses set and maintain the appropriate expectations for brand standards and service, it allows agents to have some flexibility in personalizing their interactions with customers. Micah Solomon, an author on customer service, suggests that companies define their standards in a summary statement format explaining the why of what you’re offering; the emotional response you hope to illicit from the customer; and finally, the expectations on accomplishing the service. Defining any unclear terminology is also important when establishing the foundation of your customer service expectations. It isn’t enough to say your company is “fast and friendly” because it doesn’t really provide meaning in terms of customer care. Being clear and providing definitions with general phrases are important and help guide CR agents when interacting with customers.

TELUS International has successfully trained for and allowed for agent autonomy within its company culture. It co-created and implemented a program called “Moment of Truth” which empowers its agents to solve problems in a personalized way with customers and record their decision-making process with documentation. The “Moment of Truth” program was successful in part because it had buy-in from every agent and leadership team member. This collective ownership and the responsibility entrusted with the agents are what allowed TELUS to give its agents with the autonomy to work with customers and personalize their care. Because the agents were clear about what the company objectives were they felt empowered to share their insight and perspective with customers and seek a mutually beneficial outcome for both parties. Customers are more inclined to return to your business or product when they are tended to in a personalized way. It creates a win-win for your employees and customers alike!

The Arc of the Customer Experience

An article published last year by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) highlighted an intriguing phenomenon that examined customer experience metrics and the overall satisfaction a customer felt toward a product or business. The authors discovered that businesses often look at their customer satisfaction metrics in isolation and don’t consider them in the aggregate. When measured in isolation, customers seemed satisfied at various touch points, but when considered more holistically, there was a decrease in customer satisfaction. This illustrated that many businesses tend to silo their operations and feedback. While each department may be doing a satisfactory job, the overall customer satisfaction declines if the entire customer experience isn’t coordinated across departments and platforms. The good news is that the authors noticed that when companies holistically managed the entire customer experience, the rewards included increased customer satisfaction, greater employee satisfaction, and increased revenue.

To ensure your customers have a positive experience with your brand and think of you first, look at your operation from an aerial view and ensure there is seamless integration across platforms and departments. Looking at your operations from the customer’s perspective and thinking about their journey from beginning to end will illuminate those areas or departments that need improvement.

Stay Consistent

Customer loyalty doesn’t happen after just one positive experience. Excellent customer care requires consistent and relentless delivery. When customers experience inconsistent care between departments, they are less likely to regard your company in a favorable light. A level of trust needs to develop before a customer feels loyalty to a company or brand. When personalized customer service is consistently provided, the customer will slowly internalize the positive interactions and feel loyal toward your brand. An easy analogy to emphasize this pattern is eating out at a restaurant. The first time you eat at a restaurant, and have a pleasant experience, you may not register that this was anything special. If you go back multiple times and have a repeat of your first experience, you’ll begin to recognize the pattern of this restaurant providing an enjoyable experience. Most likely you are now feeling some ownership and identifying with this establishment. Even if the occasional mistake occurs, you’re willing to continue frequenting this place, so long as the mishaps are infrequent. You’ll notice that to develop a relationship with a customer takes time and the customer must feel compelled to return to your business, which is where the consistency of service comes into play.

However, consistency on its own isn’t enough. You can be consistent, but unremarkable, which doesn’t provide any incentive for your customer to return. Delivering seamless “meh” service isn’t enough. Building lasting relationships requires authentic connection with your customers. Yes, consistency matters, but customer service teams need to deliver consistently outstanding experiences. When experiences are memorable and mutually beneficial, customers feel trust and loyalty to your brand or product.

Exceptional customer experiences require more than delivering the basics. The expectation is for your agents to be experts, and it isn’t enough to simply meet their expectations, your agents must exceed them. Long-term customer relationships develop when they feel a personal connection and their expectations are consistently met. There are numerous case studies showing that customers will remain loyal and will share their positive views with others when they feel personally connected with your brand or product. You don’t have to wonder if these investments will pay off—they will!

Joanna Jones is a Marketing Manager and professional copywriter. She currently helps manage branding for MHI Global’s brands, which includes content and strategy oversight.

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com

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The Only Customer Service Trend that Matters

Customer Momentum

Over the last month or so I’ve received numerous requests for comments on what I see the trends being in customer service and experience over the next year. Sure, we can spot many trends from the way customers behave and react – or the way companies are delivering service. But, in the end, there is only one trend that really matters:

The trend of your customer doing business with you. Let’s call it “customer momentum.” Is it trending the way you want it to – which is usually up – or not?

Okay, that may not be the trend you were expecting to learn about. You probably thought you were going to learn something that you didn’t already know. Some stat or fact that might impact your customer service and experience strategy – or maybe even your bottom line. Well, I can’t think of one trend that is more important than customer momentum, which is the customer doing more business with you, buying more than they used to each time they do more business with you, and recommending you and your company to others. That’s the trend I focus on.

Regardless of all of the great lists of outstanding ideas and trends, none of them really mean much if they aren’t impacting your customer’s experience positively. You can implement the latest and greatest systems, upgrade to the newer technology, and bring in the best consultants, but if they don’t do anything to increase the customer’s perception of you, the amount of business they do with you, and anything else tied to the success of your business, then it all means nothing.

The customer momentum trend to pay close attention to has to do with your own personal numbers. Numbers that impact customer momentum are revenue, average sale, number of purchases or transactions compared to last year, the customers purchasing frequency, and more. You can even consider customer satisfaction surveys, such as a Net Promoter Score or a customer effort rating. These are the indicators that will give you insight to the customer “trends” you want to be watching.

Now, just to please those people who were looking for trends outside of customer momentum, here are a few that we’re spotting that you may also want to take notice of:

If you haven’t noticed, more and more customers are going social. While not a new trend, it’s a growing trend.
Customer service is the new marketing. More and more companies realize that their word-of-mouth reputation is strengthened when they deliver an amazing customer experience.
Video is hot. Companies are using YouTube as a way to share value-added information that customers want and need to have about their products and services.
Self-service customer service is being widely and happily accepted by customers. Easy to use websites that have answers to common problems or frequently asked questions make it easy for the customer to use. YouTube videos that offer help to these same questions and problems are gaining in popularity. You just have to teach your customers to use them.
And, customers continue to get smarter, at least as it applies to customer service. They expect better service than ever before. I’ve written about this a lot over the last year or so. Your company is no longer being compared to just your competition. Your customers compare you to the great service they had at the restaurant they ate at last night – or any other company inside or outside of your industry that provided them with a good customer service experience.

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  http://www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter:  @Hyken

(Copyright © MMXV, Shep Hyken)

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5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of January 19, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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.

Do Your Customers Talk About Your Products or Your Ads? by Annette Franz Gleneicki

(CX Journey) Are you delivering a great customer experience – or are you just relying on advertising to create awareness and sell your products?

My Comment: Love this article. It reminds me that the best kind of advertising we can have comes from our happy customers telling potential customers how great the product is. And, when a great product is combined with a great service experience, that is a combination that is hard to beat.

Knowledge is power: What lies ahead for CX in 2015 by Idit Aloni-Halfon

(NICE) We were delighted by the outpouring of ideas that came from CX professionals. Here, in a nutshell, are the 5 trends we came up with when we put our heads together.

My Comment: It is amazing how fast trends happen upon us. Our friends at NICE have written a great article that gives us some important insights into what customer experience trends we should be paying attention to into the near future.

The Five I’s of Employee Engagement by Bruce Temkin

(LinkedIn) An engaged workforce is an incredibly valuable asset. Our annual benchmark study of U.S. employees shows that engaged employees are more likely to work harder, make recommendations for improvements, help each other, and recommend that other people join the company. They are also less likely to look for another job and take sick time. What’s not to love about engaged employees!

My Comment: Engaged employees are happier, stay longer and give much better service. Bruce Temkin is a rock star in the CX world and he shares five valuable tips to create an engaged workforce. In addition he shares his Annual Benchmark Study of US Employees.

7 Tips to Knock Your Online Customer Support Out of the Park by Jonathan Long

(Entrepreneur) Here are seven tips to help provide the highest level of customer service online.

My Comment: More and more, companies are adding alternative channels of support beyond traditional phone support. Any company that has online/social media customer support should take a look at these seven tips.

The #1 Difference between Customer Service and Customer Experience by Yoel Feldman

(LinkedIn) Today however, we all know that the two are completely different and that in order to provide your customer with either one you have to operate in different ways. Most importantly- the difference between the two doesn’t only influence our customers, but has a fatal effect on our business and money.

My Comment: I’m repeatedly asked about the difference between customer service and customer experience. There are many different answers to this question. This article does an excellent job of showing some of the differences. Customer service has always been a competitive differentiator. Understanding how it fits into the customer experience takes it up a notch.

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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Guest Blog: A Mark of Great Service – Consistency

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Roy Atkinson writes about an experience he had at a hotel and the inconsistencies in the service. I agree that consistency is so important in the customer experience. Consistency isn’t part time. It’s all-of-the-time.  – Shep Hyken

Recently I attended a conference at a major resort hotel complex. I was greeted in a friendly and professional manner at the front desk and sent off to my room, which was ready despite my early arrival.

There was a welcome reception at the beginning of the conference, and I noticed that the wait staff at the reception were making very little eye contact with the attendees, and saying nothing. (I realize that this is the preferred behavior in some cultures, but usually not in the USA.) Although I don’t especially like chatty, interruptive wait staff, I found that the silence and lack of connection was more disconcerting. Even when I tried to catch an eye or elicit a smile, I was unsuccessful on all but one occasion, when I was able to briefly converse with two Spanish-speaking attendants at lunch. (I’ve been a Spanish-speaker since age 7.)

On the other hand, every interaction I had with the hotel staff was pleasant and professional. It was as if there were two entirely different entities here: One was mindful of their employees’ demeanor and how it might affect the customer experience, while the other was only concerned with getting work done, regardless of the customers.

On the last day of the conference, I decided to grab a coffee during the scheduled beverage break in between sessions. I grabbed a cup, got my coffee, and headed over to stand where the lids, stirrers and sweeteners were. (I don’t use sweetener or sugar in my coffee, but I wanted to be out of the way while I put on the lid and grabbed a napkin.)

While I was at the stand, a woman from the staff came over to refill the sweeteners, which were already nearly overflowing. This meant that she had to remove the sweetener tray from its position, and, for some reason, refill it right at the stand. This created a backup of customers who were trying to get at the sweetener during their 15-minute interval.

Why, I thought, is someone trying to do this now of all times, especially when it’s not necessary? The alternative would have been to simply stand aside with the extra sweetener and wait to see if the tray needed to be refilled. No interruptions, no taking up space at the stand that was intended for customers.

Of course, this all made sense. While the hotel has management that clearly understands how to make customers feel comfortable and at ease, the catering and event management is much more focused on getting tasks done. They haven’t encouraged their staff to be people-minded or even people-aware. What prevented this hotel from being excellent, in my opinion, was the disparity.

Consistency counts

In order to truly achieve customer service excellence, the attention to customers must be consistent across the entire organization, no matter how many parts it has. If I hadn’t been staying at the hotel (friendly), my opinion as a customer would have been formed by the catering staff (no-so-friendly). I thought of the many conference attendees who were staying nearby, since the host hotel was full for the event, and how their perception of the venue’s staff would reflect on the conference as a whole. Would they rate this conference lower—perhaps not recommending it to their colleagues for next year—because of the impersonal service?

Great service has ripple effects we can’t even imagine. Less-than-great service does, too.

Roy Atkinson is a principal with Clifton Butterfield, LLC, a training and consulting firm, as well as a support industry analyst and writer. He has been named to many “Top 25/Top 50 / Top 100” lists on the topics of customer service and customer experience, and has written for many outlets, including The Economist Intelligence Unit. He is a frequent speaker on the subjects of customer service and customer experience, and one of the hosts of the popular #CustServ chat on Twitter, now in its fifth year. Follow him at @RoyAtkinson on Twitter.

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com

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Small Employee Gifts Yield Big Engagement Dividends

Recognition and Appreciation

Not that long ago I visited one of my clients, the Breckenridge Grand Lodge, in Colorado, which, by the way, is an amazing resort. While talking with several of their team members, a florist came in to deliver a plant. My client looked at the card to see who was receiving this gift, and she smiled.

It turns out that the plant was going to one of their employees for their one-year anniversary. I was told that every employee receives a plant like this one on their one-year anniversary. I asked, “What do they get on their second year anniversary?”

She laughed and said, “A bigger plant.” She then went on to tell me that when an employee is hired, the management sends the new team member a nice welcome note and a plant. On their one year anniversary they receive another note and another plant.

Now, this gesture of welcome and appreciation may not seem like much, but to the new employee it means a lot. Sure, there are lots of things that happen when an employee is onboarding, but showing appreciation from leadership is not always one of them. It’s a small gesture, but an appreciated one. And, the one year anniversary plant is another way of showing a little appreciation.

I was told that the employees will also receive a gift catalog for them to pick out a gift for these special occasions. Studies have proven more and more that employees appreciate and remember these types of gifts over a small amount of money.

In the grand scheme of things, this really is a small gesture, but that doesn’t mean it is insignificant. All of these little “extras” go a long way in building employee morale. The happy employee is typically a more engaged employee. They feel a better connection with their company. They are willing to work harder for the success of the company, and perhaps even more important, to take care of the customer.

Other ways to show appreciation might be to take employees to lunch – or bring lunch in. Maybe it’s something as basic as recognizing an employee’s birthday. I worked with the former CEO of a trucking company who used to write a personal note on a birthday card to each one of his 300 truckers. He knew the value of showing appreciation to the employees who were on the road and away from their families while working for his company.

So, a simple question to make you think might be: What little things do you or your company do to show appreciation, engage and fulfill employees?

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  http://www.thecustomerfocus.com . Follow on Twitter:  @Hyken

(Copyright © MMXV, Shep Hyken)

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5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of January 12, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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.

Integrity Results in Customers for Life by Tom Smith

(Insights From Analytics) Integrity means doing what you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do it. It’s the imperative foundation for creating trust.

My Comment: This very short article is a nice reminder of the importance of integrity, with both customers and employees.

How Communication Channels Help Building Strong Client Relationship? by Fred Quinncy

(Live Admins) There are a number of ways through which, the communication channels help entrepreneurs building strong client relationships.

My Comment: Clients often ask me, “Which channels of customer support should we be on?” My response is always simple. “Go where the customers are.” And, as this article points out, the main channels include phone, email, social and chat. Regardless of the channel the customer chooses, the response should be consistent. And, it should be fast.

Defining the “Customer Experience” by Don Peppers

(LinkedIn) In my view, before setting off on any initiative to improve your company’s customer experience, you first need to agree on what a customer experience actually is.

My Comment: The top companies know that every interaction with a customer is an opportunity for the customer to form an impression. That means EVERY interaction. It all becomes part of the customer experience. This is a great reminder of some of the important tactics it takes to create an amazing customer experience.

Philosophies to Improve Your Customer Experience in 2015 by Colin Shaw

(LinkedIn) There are many philosophies out there. The thing about philosophy is that it doesn’t always have much real-world application behind it. Anyone can claim a philosophy but can they make it work in the real world?

My Comment: While I agree with all five of these philosophies on creating and improving the customer experience, it is the fifth one that resonates with me the most. One of the drivers of customer experience is customer service, which I’ve always preached is not a department. It’s a philosophy. The general philosophy of customer experience must be embraced by every department in an organization, and in turn, every employee. This is the root of the company’s culture.

10 Tips from an Amazon Customer Service Elf to Manage Post-Holiday Reviews by Jeff Breitenstein

(Business2Community) Here are 10 tips from a former Amazon Customer Service Elf to help you offer world-class customer service.

My Comment:This is a great article that focuses on the importance of how you handle returns and customer service issues after the holidays. However, I think that these tactics are excellent reminders for anytime there is a customer service issue.

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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