Shep Hyken's Blog, page 237

September 13, 2013

Guest Blog: Lessons From the Mouse (Mickey, That Is)

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my friend and colleague Dennis Snow shares three lessons he learned while working at one of my favorite companies, Disney. The lessons Dennis shares came from his 20 years at Disney, and yet they are timeless and can be implemented today.


What can you learn from a mouse? When that mouse has been delighting and entertaining hundreds of millions of people for decades – it turns out there’s plenty to learn. I had the opportunity to “work for the mouse” at Walt Disney World for twenty years and during that time I learned invaluable lessons about service excellence and the creation of “walk through fire” customer loyalty. Now, as a customer service speaker and consultant, I’ve learned that these same principles can be practiced by any organization or individual. In these challenging economic times, most organizations are looking for strategies that will differentiate them from the competition. This article describes three low cost (or no cost) “lessons from the mouse” that can be immediately implemented.


1.    Pay Attention to the Details – “Everything Speaks”


Every detail of the service environment communicates something about your organization’s brand. Everything the customer sees, hears, smells, tastes, or touches impacts their experience. Anything out of alignment with the brand causes a disconnect in the mind of the customer. That’s why Disney World is so fanatical about keeping the place clean. A clean park is consistent with the Disney brand.


Imagine the impact of noticing dead or dying plants while seated in the waiting area of a hospital emergency room. Such details don’t inspire much confidence in a patient who may be in a medical crisis. Customers may not consciously notice every detail, but subconsciously clues about the quality of your organization are being communicated. What are the details in your organization saying?


2.    Never Let “Backstage” Come “Onstage”


An organization’s “onstage” environment is where customer interactions take place. “Backstage” is where operating processes occur that are necessary to the business, but would detract from the brand if observed by a customer. As a Disney “cast member,” I often saw Cinderella smoking a cigarette in the break room. But as a Disney World guest, would you want your two-year-old daughter to witness such a disturbing scene? All of a sudden, that college fund becomes money for prolonged therapy.


You don’t want anything to detract from the image you have worked hard to create for your customers. Open stockroom doors, overflowing trash cans, abandoned room service trays at a fancy hotel … all examples of allowing customers to see the “backstage” of the organization. And, the errors are not always physical. Employee complaints about management or other customers must be kept backstage as well. If overheard by a customer, your organization’s brand is diminished. In your organization, what “backstage” elements should customers never experience?


3.    “What Time is the Three O’clock Parade” Is Not a Stupid Question


Walt Disney World guests ask some funny questions. Every Disney cast member has been asked, “What time is the three o’clock parade?” In my first Disney job at the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Attraction, dressed in my Captain Nemo costume, many guests would ask, “Do you work here?” Such questions may seem ridiculous, but we were taught to understand the “real question.” Guests asking about the three o’clock parade really want to know what time it arrives at particular spot along the route. Guests who asked if I (dressed as Captain Nemo) “work here,” really just wanted to know if I could help them. Disney cast members understand that many guests are simply out of their comfort zones.


In any service situation, be it a computer repair shop, a doctor’s office, or an amusement park, visitors may be nervous or overwhelmed. Who, for example, hasn’t found themselves intimidated by an unthinking employee who uses unfamiliar industry jargon as though we should know what he or she knows? Taking the time to see the situation “through the lens of the customer” is a hallmark of service excellence.


Conclusion


In today’s competitive business environment, differentiating your service is the key to attracting and retaining customers, while driving bottom line results. More than ever customers are focused on value – what you can do that other organizations cannot or will not do. The three “lessons” described in this article might seem simple, or even obvious. But few organizations actually practice them. Those that do, however, place themselves in a league above the competition.


About the Author


Dennis Snow is a business author, speaker, and consultant who helps organizations develop world-class customer service. He is the author of two books, Lessons From the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life (DC Press), and Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service.” (Wiley). Dennis can be reached at www.snowassociates.com, or at 407.294.1855.


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Published on September 13, 2013 07:03

September 11, 2013

Customer Service Goal: We Don’t Want You to Come Back

Ask the Right Questions

How about this for a customer service goal: We don’t want the customer to come back!


Have you ever had an experience where the company makes you feel like they don’t want you to come back?  It may have been the bad service or an employee’s lousy attitude that made you feel that way.  That’s probably not their goal, but it is the result.


Many of the customer service tools, tactics and strategies I cover in my books, articles, speeches and videos are about getting the customer to come back again and again.  But there are times that you might have the goal of not wanting the customer to come back.  Actually, a better way of putting it would be that there are times that you don’t want the customer to need to come back.


If the customer calls with a service issue or complaint, you want to resolve it in such a way that the customer is happy and doesn’t need to call back for the same issue.  This is frequently called first-call resolution, and is the goal of many customer service support centers. There are some companies I’ve worked with that take this concept a step further.  They not only want to resolve the customer’s initial problem, but they will ask questions and probe to see if there are potential problems the customer might have in the future; the goal being they don’t want the customer to call back.


Sometimes it’s not about a complaint.  For example, you might be painting a room in your home and visit your local Ace Hardware to buy a can of paint.  The sales associate will ask questions to ensure you have everything you need for the project: brushes, rollers, drop cloths, masking tape, primer and more.  The goal is that you won’t have to come back because you forgot to purchase that one item you might need to complete your project.  When the associate asks the right questions and gets you everything you need, you are thankful and appreciative.  And while you won’t come back for that project, you will surely consider coming back for future projects.


So, you really do want your customers to come back – just not because they need to continue resolving the same problem or because they forgot to buy something they needed.  Ask the right questions.  Ask extra questions.  Be it one-call resolution or one-stop shopping, do what is necessary so the customer won’t come back… until they want to, not because they need to.


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 ©MMXIII, Shep Hyken)


 


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Published on September 11, 2013 12:08

September 9, 2013

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of September 9, 2013

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.


7 Ways Customer Service Impacts Retention Rates by Adriana Dunn


(Happy Customer) Here are 7 essential ways customer service impacts retention rates.


My Comment: Here are a bunch of statistics that will confirm just how important customer service is to your organization.  While the numbers may not match up to your company or industry, the concepts do.  They are a call to action.  You can’t afford not to deliver a stellar customer service experience.


If You Don’t Take Care Of Your Customers, Someone Else Will [Infographic] by SlickText.com


My Comment: This infographic is filled with information and numbers to reinforce the idea that if you don’t take care of your customers the way they should be taken care of, your competition will.  I was especially intrigued by the difference between how a small business and large business compare in missing, meeting and exceeding customer expectations.  Looks like the small guys win.  The big business that can create a small business feel may have a customer service advantage.


Live & Breathe Your GE Vision by elevateguestexperience


(Elevate Guest Experience) Does your team actively practice and embody your company’s vision and values? Or are both of these foundations of every successful organization buried deep within a long-since-forgotten orientation package?


My Comment: GE (General Electric) had a tagline: We bring good things to life.  Well, there is a new GE and it’s called the Guest Experience.  And done, well this experience will bring good things to the customer.  Two points that stand out in this article.  The first is making a transition from customer experience to guest experience.  (It’s more than semantics.  It’s a different way to think of your customers.)  The second point is the concept of everyone from the CEO to the front line and everyone in between needs to be customer/guest focused.


Customers Remember Experiences, Not Your Brand Logo by Martin Zwilling


(Forbes) Most businesses spend big money testing their brand logo, catchy marketing phrases, and demographics, but spend little time training and validating that their employees can and do deliver memorable experiences to their customers. The result, according to a recent Gallup survey, with 70 percent of U.S. workers not fully engaged, is unhappy workers and poor brand experiences.


My Comment: The customer experience defines your brand. And that means the customer defines your brand. Great article with eight tips on how to get employees engaged in delivering an experience that the customer remembers – and defines your brand the way you want it to be defined.


7 Lessons About Customer Service … From the Sage Listens Tour by Shawn Hessinger


(Small Business Trends) Here are 7 lessons about customer service that you too can use to deepen bonds with customers.


My Comment: I love a list, especially when it has to do with improving customer service. And what I like about this list, specifically, is that it is based on the experience that a large company had when it reached out to its customers; in person – face-to-face! The seven ideas in this article will help any company deliver better customer service.


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 ©MMXIII, Shep Hyken)


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Published on September 09, 2013 07:50

September 6, 2013

Guest Blog: Customer Service is the New Marketing

This post by Jeff Korhan addresses current issues in customer service today. I especially like how Jeff talks about how important it is to partner with our customers to create better customer experiences. Also check out his new book: Built in Social. – Shep Hyken


Is your business still hiding from social media – or using it to leverage the voice of the connected consumer?


Social Media Presents New Responsibilities


Customer service for most businesses used to be answering the telephone. These days it’s not so much the phone ringing during business hours as it is comments on your Facebook page or Twitter account, both of which are open around the clock.


Is your business answering?


The social networks provide a direct line to every business, and to the delight of consumers, there is no waiting and few limitations or filters.  This is why many businesses fear these public conversations, which are actually opportunities in disguise. Use them to leverage the passion of your most vocal customers.


For decades customer service has been controlled by the business, but that control has clearly shifted in favor of the customer.  Of course, their expectation as a result is that businesses be available and responsive to their comments or queries.


More than just responding, why not consider developing a strategy to have meaningful conversations? For the most part, earlier customer service methods were designed to make the problem and the customer go away, hopefully amicably. A better approach is learning how to extend the conversation.


Zappos is just one example of a business that does this well, thereby earning a stellar reputation for customer service.  Their service representatives will take as much time with a caller as necessary, with the record service call being in excess of 10 hours!


How about your business? Is your customer service program designed for favorably resolving situations, or for also extending the relationship with each and every caller, Facebook fan, and Twitter follower?


Customers are Now Partners


Customers have always known how to get the attention of businesses. The old method was complaining. Remember the days of filling out a “complaint resolution” form, all the while knowing you would be lucky to get a response? It’s difficult to believe that was once a standard and accepted business practice.


Now consumers have learned they can more readily get what they want by being complimentary. This shift is a function of the collective voice of consumers being louder and stronger than that of any business. This is why companies like Ford Motor are focused on using social media to simply get people talking favorably about their brand. That’s their social marketing strategy, and it’s built on the premise that in a social economy what the business has to say is not nearly as powerful as that of the connected community.


To be more specific, according to its CMO Jim Farley, Ford literally takes the approach of giving up control of its brand to the customer. Social media has democratized media to effectively redistribute power that was once localized within corporations and institutions. So, letting go is a means for leveraging the influence of those that now share that power.


This trend is transforming customer service into a new form of marketing by engaging customers as collaborators. In addition to helping create better solutions to common service problems, they can help the business reach new buyers by sharing with their social media communities.


Treating customers as equal partners in a business relationship is a viable strategy for generating more favorable commentary about your business brand. In an increasingly transparent business environment, is there a more powerful form of marketing?


What we are really talking about here is reexamining the business process and designing it around the connected customer. This means the lines between sales, marketing, and customer service will inevitably become fuzzy, because they all contribute to creating more favorable customer experiences that get talked about.


How about you?


Let’s have a conversation in the comments below.


Jeff Korhan, MBA, is a small business marketing expert and the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business. He helps mainstream businesses translate their traditional growth practices to a digital world. He can be contacted at JeffKorhan.com.


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Published on September 06, 2013 14:11

September 4, 2013

You Can Be a Customer Service Hero (Don’t Miss the Opportunity!)

Opportunity to Shine

We were taking our 20 year old daughter to lunch before taking her to the airport to catch an international flight to the UK where she will be spending a semester abroad.  On the way out the door she dropped her phone and shattered the screen.


We immediately went to the phone store where we knew they could replace the phone.  We approached the manager and explained the situation.  She told us a technician would have to look at the phone, but they wouldn’t be able to schedule us in until later in the day.  By then it would be too late.  We asked why a technician had to look at the phone, and suggested the manger look at the phone to see that the glass was shattered.


Either way, the phone had to be replaced.  This seemed logical to us, but the manager insisted that the technician confirm the phone didn’t have any other damage.  The manager suggested we go to another store where she made an appointment for us.  The big problem was that we were cutting it a bit too close for comfort, but we had no choice.  Frustrated, we left for the other store.


In between stores I called the customer service number and explained our problem.  The gentleman on the phone was surprised the manager didn’t take care of my daughter.  He called the store we were going to and spoke to the manager, who said to find him immediately and he would take care of my daughter.  And, true to his word, she was.  It took less than ten minutes and she had a new phone.


The manager at the first store blew it.  She could have been a hero.  Even though the manager at the other store came through for us, what will my experience be next time?


Inconsistency destroys confidence.  Worse than that, the fact that the first manager dug her heals into the ground and refused to budge was truly a lost opportunity.  She had no idea who she was dealing with, until I told her.  She didn’t look up our account or she would have seen we have five phones we have bought from her company, not to mention the many phones we had bought over the years.  My monthly bill, multiplied by twelve months might have made her realize that this was a higher level customer.  Or multiply the bill by 24 months, which is how long our phones are under contract.  We are worth thousands of dollars to the company, but she refused to take care of us, even though we had an emergency.


Here’s the lesson: Don’t blow the opportunity to be a hero.  For example, we’ve had clients call us panicking because a speaker cancelled at the last minute, asking if I can fill in.  I’ve always helped if I was available, or at least suggested someone else if I wasn’t.  The last time this happened the client’s budget was much less than my fee, but it didn’t matter.  I was available and the client needed help.  That day I was a hero.


What are your opportunities to shine?  They don’t always have to be centered on problems or emergencies.  Sometimes, all it takes is giving someone a little extra time or giving a little extra effort to be that hero.


Look!  Up in the air!  It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  No… It’s just you being a customer service hero, doing “right” by your customer!


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 ©MMXIII, Shep Hyken)


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Published on September 04, 2013 07:57

September 2, 2013

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of September 2, 2013

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 Link Between Social Media and Customer Service [Infographic] by Impact Learning Systems


(Impact Learning Systems) Social networks are the new battleground for customer satisfaction. As a result of these sites, the customer experience is no longer isolated – It is communal. Companies now have to engage with the customer in the public eye.


My Comment: While much has been written and implemented regarding social media and customer service, I believe we are reaching a tipping point. This infographic has some interesting data and information that makes the case for why social is currently having great impact on a company’s customer service strategy.


Four Core Principles of Retail Customer Loyalty and Retention by Jodi Beuder


(Desk.com) These are the managers that know that it costs companies so much more to gain one new customer than it does to keep three current customers. These are the managers that invest in their current customers’ satisfaction, their loyalty and retention. These are the managers that practice the following four core principles that will keep their customers’ coming back for more.


My Comment: Four simple, direct and time tested ideas to create loyalty. It doesn’t matter what type of business you are in, these are basics that should be part of every customer loyalty strategy.



Customer Service Pick Up Lines by Jenny Dempsey


(Communicate Better Blog) The way a company communicates to you is HUGE for business. Are their words powerful enough for you to take them home?


My Comment: This is such a fun article. It’s nice to receive a notice that a package has shipped or an order has been confirmed. With a little creativity it can become more than the routine notification. And the examples in the article made me start thinking about customer service lines we could use to have fun with our clients.


Why New Customer Rewards Stink For The Rest Of Us by Jeannie Walters


(360 Connext) Do we live in a throwaway culture? Probably. It feels that way to loyal customers sometimes, thanks to customer rewards reserved for those walking in the door.


My Comment: It drives me nuts when a company offers some great deals to new customers and won’t offer the same incentives to existing (loyal) customers. Shouldn’t a loyal customer get the better deal? Great article that makes a great point. And, I love the picture!


Top tips to give your business a customer service edge by Chris Tyrrell


(FT Adviser) With the business scene as competitive as ever, there is a number of top tips that businesses can use to achieve customer service excellence. Here are our top tips.


My Comment: This article starts with the comment that with an unpredictable economy and incredible competition, customer service is more important than ever to not only survive, but also thrive.  Spot on.  This article is filled with tips to make anyone think about how customer service can give any business a competitive edge.



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 ©MMXIII, Shep Hyken)


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Published on September 02, 2013 05:42

August 30, 2013

Guest Blog: Bad Gas in a New Generator

I like this blog post from my friend Chip Bell for a couple of reasons.  First, the lesson about focusing on the relationship, not just the product or system is strong.  Second, he mentions one of my favorite companies, Ace Hardware, one of the most helpful retail stores on the planet.  – Shep Hyken



[image error]Last year was an unusual season for tornadoes in the South—several records were set for most tornados in a day, longest on the ground, most deaths in some states, etc.  It made me glad I bought a gasoline-powered generator three years ago.


The generator was uncrated, filled with gasoline, and parked in the garage under a customized cover. When a recent round of summer storms produced a power outage, the generator was uncovered for duty.  The generator was still bright and shiny like the day it was purchased!  But, it failed to crank. Fortunately, the power came back on before everything in the refrigerator was in jeopardy.


When later I mentioned to the local Ace Hardware guy that I could not get my generator to start, he gave me a two-word solution…”bad gas!”  At first I thought it was a crude joke!  However, I learned I was supposed to change the gas in the generator every few months.  Even with a fuel system stabilizer added, gasoline can go bad in a year or so making the lawn mower, weed eater or generator hard to start…or, impossible to start.


Too often service providers put “bad gas in a new generator.”  They focus on ways to make their service functionally efficient, but forget it is the pleasant emotional experience that their customers remember.  They implement CRM but forget the middle letter stands for “relationship.”  They put in high tech self-service delivery process without any access to a high touch person should the system fail to work.


But, worse they take away the freedom to be innovative (good gas) from the frontline leaving them tasked to just obediently follow procedures (bad gas).  Remember when the gate attendant or hotel front desk clerk made the call on the upgrades?  Now, the computer gets to do it…based on points in a frequent flyer or frequent stays program.  What was formerly a delight has become a customer assumption and therefore no longer value-added.  In fact, customers are disappointed when they are not upgraded.


Have you ever heard a customer compliment your amazing computer or awesome procedure?  It is people who make magic for customers.  Let’s bring back unexpected customer surprise by providing all employees the authority, capacity and encouragement to deliver innovative service!


Chip R. Bell is a customer loyalty consultant, keynote speaker and the author of several best-selling books.  His newest book is The 9 ½ Principles of Innovative Service.  The book can be purchased at www.simpletruths.com; Chip can be reached at www.chipbell.com.


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Published on August 30, 2013 10:08

August 28, 2013

Customer Service Lesson: Helping vs. Selling

Amaze Your Customers

It was 1987 and I’d just moved into my first house.  Doing some weekend repairs, I noticed that a saloon type door was coming off of the wall.  I took the bracket and hinge that connected the door to the wall and headed to my local Ace Hardware store.


I remember the nice gentleman that helped me.  I showed him what I wanted.  As we were walking down the aisle to get the replacement part he asked what I was using it for.  I told him, and he stopped.  He stated, “You need a different part.  If I sell you this, you will be back in here sometime soon.  Maybe a few months, maybe a year, but you will be back to replace it again.”  We walked to a different area and he said, “This is what you want.”  I would use the existing bracket, but only needed some inexpensive hardware to mount it.  This was not only what I needed, it was even less expensive.


There are several lessons here:



First, the person helping me was doing more than taking an order.  He simply asked an extra question to determine what I really needed.
What he sold me was less expensive than replacing the entire bracket.  He wanted to give me exactly what I needed, regardless of price.  He was more interested in taking care of his customer than the money .
But the big lesson here is that he didn’t try to sell me. Instead of selling me what I thought I needed, he sold me what I really needed and also saved me money.  In other words, he helped me.

As a result of this experience, I went back.  25 years later I remember the experience and am still telling the story.


So, think of a time when you received an amazing customer service experience.  How did it make you feel?  Did you tell others?  Did you go back?


Your answers are the same ones you want your customer’s answers to be if asked these same questions.  So how do you go about getting those answers?  The lessons just mentioned are a good start.


What’s really amazing about this Ace Hardware story is that I had no idea that I would end up writing a book that features them as a role model for amazing customer service.  But I did.  They were delivering that level of service 25 years ago, and they are still doing it today.  They helped me.  And that’s what they are known for; being helpful.  It’s their brand promise.  It’s how they amaze every customer, every time.


We could stop here, but I want to put in a plug for the just mentioned book, which is titled, Amaze Every Customer Every Time.  My Ace story and dozens more just like it are examples that support the 52 customer service tools covered in this book.  These tools will help you deliver better customer service, create a better employee culture, increase customer loyalty and much more.  I urge you to at least visit the website, which is www.AmazeEveryCustomer.com and download the free chapters, which include five of the Tools and much more.  Start delivering amazing customer service today!


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 ©MMXIII, Shep Hyken)


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Published on August 28, 2013 09:05

August 26, 2013

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of August 26, 2013

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 Secret To Amazing Customer Experience: Know Thy Customer By Michael Brenner


(SAP) Retailers not only want their customers to buy things, but to be loyal advocates of their brand. But making this significant connection with the modern consumer is a challenge – to be not only at the top of a customer’s mind, but at the tips of their fingers, too.


My Comment: No doubt that you can give a better customer experience when you know your customer.  And that means really knowing your customer. When you know their individual habits or preferences, you can customize an experience just for them. Big data helps you spot the trends of a group of customers. Little data is small, individual pieces of data about individual customers. Take advantage of Little Data and watch your customer loyalty grow.


Removing The ‘Grit’ From Your Customer Or Client Experience  by Adrian Swinscoe


(Forbes) Is there ‘grit’ in your customer service or customer experience?


My Comment: Even the smallest piece of “grit” in your show can cause pain over a long period of time. I like the suggestion of asking the customer the question about anything annoying about the experience, presently or in the past. It is important to see if other customers answer the question in the same way. If you have a number of customers who are annoyed by the same thing, you know you have something to improve on.


Making the Most Of Customer Complaints By Stefan Michel, David Bowen & Robert Johnston


(WSJ) Dealing with service failures means a lot more than just fixing the immediate problem. Here’s how to do it right.


My Comment: When something goes wrong for the customer, the goal should not only be to fix the problem, but to also restore the customer’s confidence so they will do business with you again. This WSJ article takes a deep dive into the look of customer recovery with some excellent ideas.


Seven Simple Building Blocks for Amazing Customer Service by Tish Hummer


(Assured Success) To clarify…SIMPLE doesn’t mean easy. But this is a great place to start.


My Comment: I love a list of simple, yet powerful, customer service strategies and tactics.  While I like all seven strategies that Tish Hummer offers up in this article, I’m especially partial to number two, which is to make each customer feel like they are the “only customer.”  What would happen if this really was your only customer?  How would you treat him/her?


What is Great Customer Experience? by Paige O’Neill


(B2Community) Marketers are struggling with a fundamental question right now “What is great customer experience?” Is it a marketing strategy? Is it just a fancy word for Customer Service? Does it really matter?


My Comment: While we might want to define our customers’ experience, we can’t. We can only hope that our customers’ perceptions of the experience they receive is the same as the one we want them to receive. This article is a very simple view of what to consider in creating a system to support the customer experience. Some things in the customer “journey map” are in your control, and some aren’t. And some are behind the scenes while others directly connect to the customer.


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 ©MMXIII, Shep Hyken)


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Published on August 26, 2013 06:37

August 23, 2013

Guest Blog: Four Things to Stop Doing that Make the Customer Experience Better

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post my friend and colleague Lisa Ford shares some great advice.  Instead of teaching us what we should start doing to create a better customer experience, she teaches us what to stop doing.   


The customer experience is all about doing things that will be memorable and of value to the customer. Start with the basics and fundamentals. Once you’ve gotten them right, you will have earned the customer’s trust and repeat business. To keep them loyal, break out and be different. There are plenty of companies offering what you offer, so be decidedly different. With that being said, there are things you must STOP doing if you want to stand out.



Stop asking the customer to repeat information they’ve told you already. This includes asking them to repeat identifying information already keyed in while listening to prompts. Make certain transfers are smooth and seamless by sharing key information with the next team member. Repetition only increases the frustration factor.


Stop having all employees greet the customer when entering a bricks and mortar store. Let one do it and then stop. It is amazing how employees are being asked to look up from a current customer conversation or transaction to yell across the floor to the just arrived customer. It is rude to the current customer and feels odd to the one crossing the threshold.


Stop being oblivious and unaware. Get your team to recognize and learn current customers. Encourage them to check the database and acknowledge the customer specifically. If your team serves customers in person, show you know them. Learn names and make connections.


Stop being scripted. Customers want a real person delivering sincere service. Allow your team to build a relationship and use judgment. If you have hired and trained well, then trust them to deliver memorable experiences.

There are plenty of things all organizations need to start doing but get started by stopping certain irritating behaviors. It just gives the customer a chance to think about taking their business to the competition.


What would like for companies to stop doing?


Lisa Ford is known for her work on customer issues. Her ideas help companies create customer-focused cultures and keeping customers loyal. She is a speaker and author with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. Lisa is the author of the videotape series How to Give Exceptional Customer Service, the #1 selling DVD series in the U.S. for over 3 years.


The post Guest Blog: Four Things to Stop Doing that Make the Customer Experience Better appeared first on Shep Hyken.

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Published on August 23, 2013 06:52