Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service

by Performance Research Associates, John Bush (Illustrator)

Para hacer que los clientes de hoy en día continúen regresando, usted no puede tan solo darun buen o incluso fabuloso servicio al cliente. Usted tiene que exceder susexpectativas.
Completamente actualizado con nuevas técnicas para ayudarlo a trabajarexitosamente hasta con los clientes más difíciles, ¡Wow! Deje al cliente boquiabierto con un servicio fuera de serie provee consejos y estrategias probados cumplir conlas expectativas de los clientes y satisfacer sus necesidades; hacer que seamás fácil que la gente realice negocios con uno; determinar los momentosapropiados para romper las reglas; convertirse en fantásticos reparadores ypoderosos solucionadores de problemas; enfrentar efectivamente a "clientesinfernales", ¡y mucho más! Escrito con un estilo accesible y humorístico, esta ediciónpresenta anécdotas recientes e ilustraciones nunca antes vistas del caricaturistaJohn Bush, así como también capítulos sobre temas importantes incluyendo lalínea divisoria generacional, servir a clientes por todo el mundo, ycomunicarse con eficacia con compañeros de trabajo de diversas funciones enotros departamentos.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Amazon, Management, Motivational, Self Help

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 1991

Reviews

[Shuhada Ramli]

This is a good book to read and to learn about how to survive in your everyday routine. I didn’t only look at it as how to win the customer service skills, but actually how to get along with people around you professionally. It’s a lesson of how to deliver your task well. Written simple and witty.

[Chad]

Practical customer service advice, backed by research. Much of the book is focused on dealing with upset customers. It covers many scenarios, and gives specific scripts for what to say.

Notes
Fundamental Principles
Companies that ask employees to make customers happier have happier employees, with lower turnover and absenteeism, and higher morale and satisfaction.

Use "I" instead of "they" or "we." This shows customer that you will take care of them.

RATER: how customers evaluate service quality
R: reliability. Provide what was promised, dependably and accurately.
A: assurance. Knowledge and courtesy you show, ability to convey trust, competence, confidence.
T: tangibles: physical facilities and equipment, appearance of staff.
E: empathy. Caring and individual attention.
R: responsiveness. Willingness to help promptly.

Reliability means keeping service promise (organizational commitments, common expectations, personal promises).

Wrong attitude: you need time to understand customer's problem before you can make commitment. Right attitude: customer needs reassurance of your commitment before they'll give you time to understand problem.

For timid customers with limited knowledge or experience, make them comfortable by educating and supporting.

For knowledgeable, experienced, demanding customers, acknowledge their experience and skip hand-holding. "I see you brought your requirements. You always make my job so much easier. Let me take a quick look and see if I have any questions."

Building empathy statements
1. Lead in: "I hear that," "I see that," or "It's clear to me that …"
2. Acknowledge person: "You"
3. Describe feeling: angry, frustrated, anxious, disappointed, nervous, confused, surprised
4. Describe situation
Examples: "I hear the frustration that you think no one can solve your problem." "I see you are surprised by the change in our return policy since you last shopped with us."

Make intangible service tangible. Example: hotel customer asks for directions to restaurant. Pointing the way is intangible. Drawing a map is tangible. Having a pre-printed map with specific directions is tangible and knock-your-socks-off.

Research shows that customers cause about 1/3 of problems they complain about. Acting like customer is always right can prevent education and problem-solving, harming them and you.

Don't try to educate the irate. That will make them more upset. Avoid embarrassing customers who've made a mistake.

3 strikes policy: 1st and 2nd time customer and you disagree, act like it's your mistake. 3rd time, impose penalty.

How To’s
Customers feel they've been treated fairly when:
They feel listened to and respected, even if they don't get the outcome they're seeking
The process is painless
You keep performance promises
You treat them ethically
You acknowledge their unique wishes
Their best interests are placed ahead of company's convenience

Seamless Service
Nothing says "knock your socks off" service like a willingness to go out of your way and do just a little extra to help them meet their needs.

"It's not the tigers and bears that chase the customers away. What bugs the customer the most are the mosquitoes and the gnats—the little things."

Problem-Solving
If the customer thinks it's a problem, it is. It's any time they're upset, dismayed, angered, or disappointed. You can't wish a problem away because it's unreasonable, or not your fault.

Recovery process
1. Apologize, regardless of fault. Acknowledge problem and show concern for disappointment.
2. Listen and empathize. Show that you care about them and problem.
3. Fix problem quickly and fairly. A fair fix is one delivered with a sense of professional concern. Customers want what they expected in first place.
4. Offer atonement. They want a value-added gesture that says, "I want to make it up to you." Atonement isn't always necessary; it's critical when customer feels injured, victimized, greatly inconvenienced.
5. Keep promises. Take immediate steps to fix.
6. Follow up to ensure problem is fixed to customer's satisfaction.

Apologizing isn't accepting blame or liability; it's simply an acknowledgement that things aren't right in customer's eyes.

If apologizing feels like taking too much blame, say, "Thank you for bringing that to my attention."

Service recovery expectations
Receive explanation of how problem happened
Be allowed to talk to someone in authority
Be told how long it will take to fix problem
Be given useful alternatives if problem can't be fixed
Be told how to prevent future problem

Fix the person, then the problem. Give customer an opportunity to vent, apologize, reassure, then fix problem.

Treat customer like a partner in problem-solving. Ask the customer, "What do you think we should do to resolve the problem?" This restores feeling of control, calms them, and restores sense of justice.

Say, "I'm sorry this has occurred, and I'll make sure it gets cleared up right away." Don't blame a third party or a "misunderstanding."

Top 10 recovery actions
1. CSR dealt with upset
2. CSR apologized
3. CSR didn't become defensive, but showed humility and poise
4. CSR followed up
5. CSR showed skill at problem-solving
6. CSR admitted organizational error when appropriate; didn't shift blame
7. CSR acted in fully responsible, empowered fashion
8. CSR showed good interpersonal skills, particularly listening
9. CSR showed empathy for customer's plight and upset
10. CSR believed customer and valued their perception

Feel, felt, found approach: "I can understand that you feel _. Other people, including myself, have felt the same way. We've found that _ solves the problem."

When the best solution is obvious, present several options, then ask the customer's preference.

If customer rejects solution you suggest, you may not be solving the real problem. Keep probing by asking what they'd like to see happen.

If customer directs anger at you personally, say, "Have I done something personally to upset you? I'd like to help. Please give me a chance."

For egotistical customer, don't talk policy. Say, "For you, I can offer [whatever standard policy is]."

[hannah g]

i read this book for work. it’s my last of 5 books that i needed to read for work! all of them were incredibly educational. this book gives practical resources and helpful tips on how to treat “customers” (in my case, patients). this book was written in a way that was very easy to read and understand, and it even made me laugh sometimes at the wording! i would recommend this book for anyone who works with customers or literally just anyone who interacts with people.

[Mary Lou]

For many people in service professions, a lot of the information in this book will not be new. But it's a great refresher or, perhaps, reminder of the skills we need to work on. Written in a well-organized, easy-to-read way, with lots of cartoons and appropriate quotes to keep things entertaining, "Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service" shares anecdotes and tactics that will help you deal with the most difficult customers - or better yet, provide service that will keep them from reaching the boiling point. I'd love the authors to write a follow-up aimed at government employees who want to provide KYSO service, but who must deal with a top-heavy bureaucracy that has no threat from outside competition.

[Bobbi Galvin]

Some acronyms for remembering to give good public service, but nothing new.

[Lorena Díaz]

Creo que todos los que hemos tratado con cliente o pensamos hacerlo en algún momento debemos leerlo. Es un libro de consulta lleno de excelentes referencias y apuntes para todo tipo de situación que puede surgir tratando con un cliente para resolver un problema. Aunque no nos será nueva esta información, todo está en un solo lugar, es una gran ayuda para recordarlo y si nos falta alguna herramienta seguro la encontrarás en este libro.
Lo recomiendo ampliamente.

[Juan Manuel Sotelo]

A go-to reference for any customer service professional who wants to set best practices and a baseline/guide on how to handle customer service interactions

[Ray Hu]

Read for work - WOOF

[Devon Aguirre]

This was a very good book on how to deliver good service. A lot of it should be common sense but you’d be surprised how many CS workers don’t understand the basics.

[Beth Hartnett]

Finished another sales-oriented book for a course at work ... another pretty common-sense oriented one!

[Harry Harman]

To the customer, you are the company.

walked on like so much carpet

Practice makes proficient

[Arturo Gonzalez]

Muy interesante!

[Cheryl Durham]

I truly enjoyed reading this book. This book was a refreshing read. It was also a quick read. I chose to read this book because I wanted to give " the best of me" to the entities I represent. This book illustrated ways in which to better service age-diverse customers (baby boomers, veterans, millennials and generation X) as well as the customers you already have. It also elaborated on creating trust in an insecure and suspicious world. The author did a fantastic job also writing about freeloaders and regardless of the service delivery...all should be kept professional.

[Bert Edens]

This was a decent book, but not a "knock your socks off" book. While it had a lot of good details, most of it was just itemizing things I was already familiar with after being in customer service for over 25 years. However, there were still some good nuggets, and it's definitely recommended, especially for those who are relatively new to customer service or are experienced and need a recharge.

[Bryan]

Knock Your Socks Off Service, is the step by step playbook on handling any customer. This book lists many ways that anyone could use to improve there people skills. Also you will learn the fine art of depersonalizing a situation when someone is attacking you verbally.

[Veronica]

Execellent refresher in skillful tips in customer service improvements.

[Bob]

A really good book about providing customer service. A must read for anyone that had to work with customers either face-to-face on on the phone.

[Jan Paul]

I got interested in the situations about communicating customers from hell.

[Duong Tan]

Very good handbook for a service person.