Shep Hyken's Blog, page 239
July 29, 2013
5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of July 29, 2013
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.
Top 10 Most Amazing Customer Service Stories Ever Told (Slideshare) by Merlin
(Merlin) Here are 10 amazing stories that will either blow your mind or warm your heart.
My Comment: What makes these ten customer service stories amazing? Sometimes it’s just the attitude of the people. Sometimes it’s some creativity. Sometimes it’s the company and the employees having fun. I’d take one each week and share it with the team. What can we learn from each story? What can we take from each story and use in our own business? Let’s not just enjoy these stories. Let’s use these stories to learn how we can take our customer service to the next level.
10 Ways to Improve the Customer Experience by Gallup
(Gallup) Executives must start by engaging their employees and then taking these steps to help their workers become effective brand ambassadors.
My Comment: Excellent ideas on how to improve the customer experience. Implement any of these ten “ways” and you, your customers and your employees will be better off for doing so.
3 Ways Customer Service Will Enhance Your Bottom Line by Jason Boies
(Salesforce) Goodman says that not even 25% of customers bring their service issues forward because it’s often just too much hassle. Many of them still believe companies won’t care and/or won’t fix the problem to their satisfaction, even if they did receive their complaint. Here are three ways for customer service leaders to address this particular challenge.
My Comment: Three great ideas on creating a better customer experience; empower your people, ask for more complaints and communicate/educate to prevent future problems. Yes it’s common sense, yet it’s nice to be reminded of some of the more sound customer service/experience strategies and tactics.
The True Cost of Bad Customer Service by Desk.com
(Desk.com) Bad customer experiences are more expensive than you think. Learn the true impact of bad customer service and its effect on customer loyalty and satisfaction.
My Comment: This infographic illustrates the high cost of bad service, and has a few great ideas on how to deliver a better customer service experience. While a very general overview, the concepts will make you think – and hopefully take action.
Expert Feature: The Hidden Truth That Allows Some Businesses To Charge More Than You Do by Scott Aughtmon
(Bay Business Help) I heard of a Chinese legend that a man named Morris Mandel once shared. It first reveals an obvious lesson about the fact that many good things in life are ordinary. But it reveals a hidden lesson that I think you’ll want to see.
My Comment: The title of this short article should compel just about anyone to read this article. How do you make price less relevant? Read this story and you’ll start to understand how and why some companies can get away with charging more than their competition for similar products.
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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July 24, 2013
Customer Service Is More than Just Being Nice
Amazing Customer Service
We don’t want to be known for having the nicest people. We want to be known for having the most helpful people.
– Tom Knox, Vice-President of Retail and Business Development, Ace Hardware
Last week I had the privilege of presenting a speech to the fine people at Ace Hardware. As usual, the focus of the speech content was about creating customer service – actually amazing customer service. Tom Knox was one of the corporate speakers. The comment he made about nice versus helpful really resonated with me. Anyone can be nice. But he wants more. He wants his people to be nice plus knowledgeable. The combination adds up to the Ace brand promise, which is to be the helpful hardware store.
Have you ever done business with anyone where the people were extremely nice, but you didn’t get what you wanted? You might argue that the people are “so nice,” or that “they try so hard.” But in the end, they don’t get the job done. I’ll argue that nice and not getting the job done is better than not nice, but it still isn’t good enough to keep my business long-term. Nice might earn the company another chance or two. But in the end, no matter how nice the people are, if you don’t get what you want or need, you’re going to eventually do business somewhere else.
And, just as important, if the people at a business are knowledgeable and not nice, you go and find another place to do business. Sure, there are some customers who will put up with lousy attitudes and non-appreciative people, but the majority of customers would like the total experience, which includes nice people, who know what they are doing – and by the way also sell a quality product or service. In all of this, I have to make the assumption that whatever the company is selling, it does what it is supposed to do.
For Ace Hardware, the formula looks like this:
Nice + Knowledgeable = Helpful
Helpful is what Ace wants to be known for. That’s their brand of customer service. Helpful creates confidence and confidence leads to repeat business. In other words, it leads to loyalty.
So, what do you want your customers to say about you? The point of this lesson is that great customer service is more than just being nice and having a great attitude. It’s a total package. Define what that total package has in it and you’ll find your customers are happy, confident and willing to come back.
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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July 22, 2013
5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of July 15, 2013
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.
2013 Customer Service Hall of Fame, by Karen Aho
(MSN Money) The 10 companies most often credited for ‘excellent’ service in our annual survey share a similar focus — and results that suggest focusing on customers pays off.
My Comment: The MSN Money Customer Service Hall of Fame is always interesting to look at. Look at the companies that made the list and see what they have in common, what they do different, etc. We can learn a lot by understanding how these companies do what they do. It doesn’t surprise me that Amazon is at the top.
4 Customer Service Tips from Disney, by Anna Eschenburg
(Salesforce) Here are four customer service lessons you can learn straight from Walt Disney.
My Comment: Hard to believe that Walt Disney opened the gates to Disney land 58 years ago. How many businesses have earned and maintained an excellent reputation for that long. Read these four quotes by Walt himself and you’ll understand (and learn) why Disney’s customer service and excellent reputation have become legendary.
Three Tips For Finding (And Retaining) More Customers, by Young Entrepreneur Council
(Forbes) While many business leaders are content to sit at their desk waiting for the phone to ring, in today’s competitive business environment, you must begin thinking differently in order to grow (or retain) your client or customer base. This doesn’t mean changing your service offerings; it means spending time on the prospect-client relationship itself. Below are three tips to help you do just that.
My Comment: Three simple ideas to keep your customers; make it personal, go the distance (actually the extra mile) and empathize. Sounds simple, so why don’t more people/companies do it?
How to Sell the C-Suite on Service, by Sumair Dutta
(SmartVan) A customer-centric transaction doesn’t necessarily mean less focus on product features and capabilities. It means that the features and capabilities built into the product are tied to the needs of the customer. Note, I didn’t say that product features are solely designed based on what customers want or fancy; they are tied to a deeper understanding of customer needs and how you can maximize value.
My Comment: The best leaders don’t just focus on the numbers. They also focus on the people/customers. Customer service is not just for the front line. It’s for everybody. It’s not a department. It’s a philosophy.
What Your Company Can Learn From the Best, by Ed O’Boyle and Jim Harter
(Gallup Business Journal) Only 30% of American employees are engaged in their jobs — a figure that hasn’t moved much in more than a decade. Given the proven links between employee engagement and financial outcomes, this low level of engagement is a drag on an already sluggish U.S. economy. Imagine the positive — even dramatic — impact on the country’s economic prospects if companies could double the number of their engaged employees.
My Comment: Engaged employees are happier, harder working and do a better job at delivering a better customer experience. Here are four concepts that every company should consider when creating an engaged workforce.
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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July 17, 2013
Focus on the Customer, Not the Money
Deliver the Best Customer ServiceDon’t worry about the sale. Just take care of the customer. Give the customer the best customer service you can deliver, even if the customer isn’t buying, and eventually the sale will come.
This idea actually goes back to a concept I’ve been writing about for almost 30 years. Dr. Ted Levitt, senior professor at Harvard Business School, once said, “The function of a business is to get and keep customers.” However, when I ask many people what the function of a business is, most of them say, “To make money.
Making money is not the function of a business, it is the goal. If you confuse the function of the business, getting and keeping customers, you don’t always reach your goal, which is to make money.
Dr. Levitt’s comment is brilliant. Focus on getting and keeping customers, and eventually you’ll make money. Simply put, you need customers to make money. Without them, there’s no money – and no business.
Once again, I’m bringing up Ace Hardware, who is the feature of my upcoming book, Amaze Every Customer, Every Time. They are a role model case study for this concept. Here is a “Good Samaritan” story.
Maria lives in Mesa, AZ. Her eight-year-old-daughter, Lisa saw one of those color-changing Mood Rings in the mall and pushed it onto her finger. Unfortunately the ring was too small and wouldn’t come off her finger. After struggling for an hour, she was showing signs of circulation problems. What did Maria do? She went to the local Ace Hardware store. Why? They help with everything.
Floyd, one of the Ace associates came to the rescue. With a special pair of pliers, Floyd carefully maneuvered the ring and eventually it came off.
Once the ring was off, Maria took a picture of her daughter showing off her newly liberated finger at the store. She was smiling and posted the photo on Facebook and told everyone how Floyd at the Ace Hardware store had helped her. The post received great response.
Maria bought nothing that day. But, that didn’t deter Floyd from delivering the amazing customer service Ace Hardware is known for. While Ace didn’t make an actual sale, they made a customer very happy, so much so that the customer evangelized on their behalf.
Ace knows that the customer is more important than the money. Once customers recognize this, they reciprocate with business and loyalty – and that leads to profit.
NOTE: This article is based on one of the tools from Shep Hyken’s upcoming book Amaze Every Customer Every Time: 52 Tools for Delivering the Most Amazing Customer Service on the Planet, which appears in stores everywhere in September 2013. Preorder the book and get valuable extras at www.AmazeEveryCustomer.com .
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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July 15, 2013
5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of July 15, 2013
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.
Create an Exceptional Customer Service Culture by Carolyn Crews
(CRM Magazine) A strong company culture has become more than a fringe benefit. Culture is now a deciding factor for employees when choosing where they want to work. And once they are employed, culture impacts how they work inside that company—influencing their actions and attitudes toward each other and, more importantly, toward customers.
My Comment: If you want to have an exceptional customer experience, the first thing is to have an exceptional culture – specifically a customer focused-culture. That is where it starts. The tips shared in this article are great ideas to create the culture, that when it comes to customer service, will define your company.
How to Create a Perfect Customer Experience by Peter Sandeen
(Duct Tape Marketing) If you’re not getting the customer referrals or repeat business you hoped for, something’s wrong. Here’s how to create a perfect customer experience.
My Comment: The title is intriguing. There is obviously a lot that goes into creating the perfect customer experience, but to start with, you can’t go wrong with the ideas shared in this post.
Is Bad Customer Service Linked To “Bad” Leadership by Jaquan Bland
(Got Service) The conclusion I have come to is that THERE IS a direct link to leadership (or lack of) and bad customer service.
My Comment: There is no doubt that leadership plays an important part in a customer service culture. A lack of leadership, or leadership that doesn’t model the right way to treat people, will have a negative impact on the employees, which is felt by the customer. Conversely, strong leadership who emulates the way customers should be treated by treating their employees that way (or even better), create a culture that is customer focused. Culture and leadership – two of the most important concepts behind a great customer service experience.
Best Way to Track Customer Retention by Jeff Haden
(Inc) Here’s the easy formula that every business owner should know by heart.
My Comment: Simple is good, but not always easy. And when it comes to calculations about customer retention, loyalty, churn, etc., there are so many different ways to track and measure, that it can be dizzying. I like this very simple formula to track customer retention. From here, you can start to analyze other numbers that are also telling, such as the amount of each purchase, the frequency, etc.
The Challenge of Building a Customer Experience Team by Jeannie Walters
My Comment: In theory, customer service/experience should be easy. After all, isn’t a lot of it common sense? The reality is, that common sense is not so common, and that making something easy isn’t always so easy. And, when it comes to building a customer experience team, well that too can be a daunting task. This short post has four simplistic ideas to use in putting together the customer experience team. But, don’t confuse simple as being easy. Take the time to work through these ideas and your company – and your customer experience team – will be better off as a result.
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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July 10, 2013
Giving Back Creates Customer Connections
Tip for Creating Better ExperienceWhile this may not fall under the category of customer service, which is what most of my writings are about, this is one of the strongest strategies or tactics you can use to connect with your customers.
As I was interviewing owners of some successful Ace Hardware stores for my newest book, Amaze Every Customer Every Time, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about their charitable efforts. This is a way for them to connect with their community on a deeper and more personal level.
One of the keys to delivering great customer service and to creating loyalty is to build the relationship with the customer. I’ve written about building rapport, communication techniques, managing first impressions, and many other topics. There are dozens of these, and all are good and very important. The idea of being charitable and giving back to the community as a relationship building technique is another layer. This connects with the customer at a deeper level, sometimes even an emotional level.
Some of the Ace retailers will have food drives, put out charitable collection receptacles, contribute to the local sports clubs and more. One of my favorite examples is how some retailers will allow kids’ teams and clubs to sell cookies and candy, or have a bake sale, in front of their stores on Saturday mornings. By giving back to the community, at many different levels, the customers feel a connection and reciprocate with their business.
Now you might think that one of the reasons a business like Ace Hardware is charitable is to get recognition and get more business from their customers. And, you’re right. There is no doubt that recognition and goodwill are benefits to giving back to the community. However, that’s not so bad.
Rick Alspaugh from Kingwood, Texas, one of the Ace retailers I interviewed uses most of his marketing budget for local charities and his community. Everyone knows him. He says there isn’t a Little League team, a bake sale or school or charitable event that he doesn’t contribute to. His business is deeply interwoven into the community. As much recognition as he may get, there is just as much appreciation from his customers.
Your business might not have a storefront that can handle a bake-sale. You may not be a “local business.” You may not even be in retail. But that doesn’t mean that the concept of giving back and building a relationship with your customers on a charitable level can’t work. Many companies take their “giving back” strategy very seriously. Just Google the phrase “charitable companies” and you will be amazed at the number of great companies, like Ace Hardware, that are committed to giving back. It builds a relationship with the community, helps with employee fulfillment and can create an emotional bond with customers. And when the customer feels good about who they do business with, well that can only lead to a better customer experience, which can then lead to more business.
NOTE: This article is based on one of the tools from Shep Hyken’s upcoming book Amaze Every Customer Every Time: 52 Tools for Delivering the Most Amazing Customer Service on the Planet, which appears in stores everywhere in September 2013. Preorder the book and get valuable extras at www.AmazeEveryCustomer.com .
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 ©MMXII, Shep Hyken)
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July 8, 2013
5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of July 8, 2013
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.
Is This the New Golden Age of Customer Service? by Barry Moltz
(OPEN Forum) Customers frequently lament the good-old days of customer service. Why? With today’s technology, you can still serve them like it’s 1955.
My Comment: Barry Moltz has written a great article about going back to the basics and giving customer service “the way it used to be.” And, technology can even help you do it. This is a great reminder that sometimes the basics in customer service can make a big impact.
No. 1 Secret to Top Notch Customer Service by Janine Popick
(Inc) A resort in Mexico sets the standard for stellar service. What lessons can we learn to apply to our own businesses on how to keep our employees happy and delivering awesome service?
My Comment: The message in this article is simple: First, treat employees well, and they will treat the customer well. Second, get them in alignment and focused on customer focus. And third, recognize them for a job well-done. Great reminders!
Loyalty Cards Don’t Drive Loyalty by Colin Shaw
(Customer Think) But the name ‘loyalty card’ has so many connotations associated with it that one can’t help but wonder why it doesn’t necessarily make a customer loyal.
My Comment: The question is simple: Are customers really loyal to the company or to the loyalty program? True loyalty is an emotion that the customer has with you. However most loyalty programs don’t connect with that emotion. Instead, they connect with the customer’s wallet – in the form of a discount. This article has a lot of information that may make you rethink any type of loyalty program you have.
FIVE KEY Questions to Determine Customer-Centric Culture by @annettefranz #EQlist
(EQ – Entrepreneurs Questions) Let’s dive in and identify FIVE KEY questions you must address in order to achieve the right culture within your organization.
My Comment: If you want to know if your company has a customer centric culture, consider your answers to Annette Franz’s questions. You may also want to pose questions one and two – about core values and purpose – to the employees and determine if they are in alignment with your values, purpose, mission, etc.
Forrester: How Do You Measure Great – or Bad – Customer Experience? by Barry Levine
(CMSWire) It’s a given these days that companies need to deliver successful customer experiences (CX) in order to survive — but how can you measure this kind of success? A new report from Forrester Research attempts to point the way.
My Comment: Most companies don’t take the time to measure customer service and experience. It’s one thing to get feedback, yet another to measure the effectiveness of the service and experience you create for your customer. This article helps to simplify the customer service/experience measurement process.
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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July 3, 2013
Customer Service Tip: Create a Lasting Impression
Make the Customer Want to Come BackThere is an old expression says, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.” It seems people are giving a lot of weight to that first impression, and for good reason. It sets the tone for whatever the interaction is that follows. It’s a very important moment.
And then there is the last impression. This one is just as important, if not even more so. This is what leaves a lasting impression. And, not too dissimilar to the old adage of first impressions, you may not ever have another chance to make a last impression.
If we make sure the customer’s last experience during the service encounter is a positive one – an above average experience, even an amazing experience – then the customer will self-reinforce that positive emotion on your behalf for a long time after the actual experience. Maybe that positive reinforcement will express itself during the ride home when the customer thinks back about how nice it was to do business with someone who smiled, could answer questions, was helpful, respectful and more. In other words, the last impression lasts.
Maybe the last impression came as a result of a simple “Good bye” or “Have a nice day.” Or perhaps it was someone who stepped up and demonstrated expertise or went above and beyond, creating a confidence that the customer didn’t have before the interaction began. Or maybe it was an online transaction, and moments after the customer hit the “Confirm Purchase” button, that customer received a confirmation and thank you email, letting the customer know that the order went through. Online, offline, in person and over the phone, there are many ways to create that last impression.
So, what do you do or say to create a strong last impression? First, don’t leave this to chance. Think about how you end a conversation with your customer. Not that it should be scripted out, but you should know what needs to be said and how. Regardless of what you say, it should always have a feeling of appreciation.
Between the first impression and the last impression, there are many interactions that may take place. I’m not minimizing the importance of those. They must be managed as well. But at the end, the last impression should be the final impression that creates a lasting impression that will make a customer think back and say, “I want to do business with them again.”
NOTE: This article is based on one of the tools from Shep Hyken’s upcoming book Amaze Every Customer Every Time: 52 Tools for Delivering the Most Amazing Customer Service on the Planet, which appears in stores everywhere in September 2013. Preorder the book and get valuable extras at www.AmazeEveryCustomer.com .
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 ©MMXII, Shep Hyken)
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July 1, 2013
5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of July 1, 2013
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 Reasons Why the Customer Should Be #1 by Ilya Pozin
(LinkedIn) The customer is king. Believing otherwise will likely drive your business into the ground. Here are a few tips from John Tabis to get you on the fast-track to putting your customers first.
My Comment: Great article. These are great tactics, even more than reasons, to make the customer number one. And, if you use these tactics and reasons for your internal customers (as in employees), you will create an amazing culture.
Employees Are Customers, Too by Tim Miles
(Business2Community) The most important hat your employees wear is the customer hat — now available in “extremely satisfied.” That’s right — your employees are also your customers, and they should be treated as VIPs.
My Comment: This article is an excellent reminder that your internal customer is every bit as important as the external customer. One of my favorite “mantra’s” is that what is happening on the inside of an organization is being felt on the outside by the customer. Create an internal customer service culture and the employees will understand and deliver great customer service to the external customer.
How To Promote Employee Engagement Within Your Organisation! by Editor
(TurnOverCost.com) Employee engagement is a term often used in business management circles when referring to an employee that is fully involved in their work. An employee that is engaged, is a great asset to a workplace as they will be keen to involve themselves in the key goings on within the organisation which will result in a better working environment and improved morale.
My Comment: You can’t ignore the importance of employee engagement. As it applies to the customer, and that means customer service and the experience, disengaged employees will not always rise to the occasion. Their disappointment and lack of enthusiasm can go against what the company wants to achieve with their customers. This article approaches some of the symptoms of employee disengagement and how to deal with them.
105 Brilliant Ways to Improve Customer Service: Small Business Advice from Bloggers by Valpak
(Valpak ) We scoured the web for the crème de la crème of small business advice on how to excel at customer service. With all the creative minds we uncovered out there sharing unique perspectives and clever ideas about boosting customer service, there is guaranteed to be something here you’ve never thought of before.
My Comment: I love this type of post. What a great resource for all businesses – big and small – in any industry. Lots of great ideas from many different experts who post great customer service content on the web.
The Importance of Customer Service in the Mobile Era by Alex Hisaka
(Desk.com) Companies that are serious about customer service will therefore have to take proactive steps to interact with customers who are getting used to instant and ‘within arm’s reach’ contact. Relying on traditional, office-hours based, ways of interacting with customers simply will not do anymore. Some of the ways in which customers with mobile devices may want to interact with your company include the following.
My Comment: Mobile communication is changing the way many companies do business. If you don’t understand the way mobile is helping to create a better customer service experience, this article is a good place to start.
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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June 26, 2013
Customer Service Advantage: Use Customer Feedback
Track and Measure Customer ServiceCustomers have always had a voice, but today it is louder than ever. Great companies want to hear from their customers. They want their feedback, opinions and anything else that will give them an advantage. And, great companies don’t wait to hear from their customers. They actively solicit feedback in the form of surveys and have programs in place to ensure they deliver an experience that makes their customers want to come back.
Recently I was asked about companies who have reaped rewards from surveying their customers and measuring their customer service. A few excellent examples came to mind.
Ace Hardware is one of the best examples of a company that uses surveys and measurement to stay successful. A network of privately owned stores, they are recognized for their helpful customer service. To ensure they are meeting their customers’ expectations, they participate in a mystery shopping program where a high score will “certify” them as “Ace Helpful.” Their goal is to be the most helpful hardware stores on the planet, and there is a direct correlation between a high score and a successful store. They go up against big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes. It’s a David versus Goliath story, and they use helpful, which is their version of customer service, to win. To their credit, J.D. Power and Associates ranked Ace Hardware “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores” for the seventh straight year!
American Express has had a tremendous turn around over the years. From a credit card company with typical complaints and customer dissatisfaction, they started using a short survey question that measures their “member” satisfaction at the end of a call. It’s the well-known Net Promoter Score question: On a scale of 1-10, what is the likelihood that you would recommend us? The call center employees’ bonuses are based on their scores. The management and executive bonuses are also tied to the score. This is one of their most important metrics. It’s not how fast they get through the call. It’s how well they take care of the customer. They are now recognized as a top customer service company, worldwide, in any industry.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car is another great example. They also use an NPS type of survey. Over time they became the number one car rental company in the world – not just in size, but also customer satisfaction. They acquired Alamo and National Rental car, which at the time of the acquisition were at the bottom half of the top ten customer service companies in the car rental industry. Infusing the Enterprise culture of customer service and using surveys to confirm what was working and what was not, they moved Alamo and National to being top performers.
Companies that track and measure their customer service have a competitive advantage. They know when they are doing a great job, and more importantly, they know when they aren’t. They take advantage of all data, good and bad, looking for opportunities to take their customers’ experiences to the highest level possible. The reward for this effort is more business from existing customers and new business from the excellent reputation they create in their marketplace.
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 ©MMXII, Shep Hyken)
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