How to lose a customer

Today I went to the supermarket to buy a few things for dinner. I knew it was going to go wrong because my usual entrance to the parking lot was gated off by shopping carts lying on the ground to block my path. OK, I'm flexible, I'll drive around.The second thing was when they were out of my favorite glass bottles of skim milk. It's the best way to drink milk, in my humble opinion. They had every flavor except for mine.Next, I tried to check out by "paying by touch." Let me tell you, this can be the best system in the world, you just sign up with your driver's license number, your credit card number, your preferred customer number, and your phone number, and away you go. Notice I said can be the best. Many times, my preferred card number doesn't work in the system, and it doesn't take the savings off of the bill, and tonight was one of those nights.Now this would have been okay, had the checker just used the house card and given me the lower price so my debit card would be billed the correct amount, however she did not know how to do this. Instead, she said to go over to the service counter and someone over there would help me out.Skeptical, I walked over to the service desk to see 3 clerks talking to each other and cutting out something that was much more urgent than me and the 4 other people in line. For some reason, after a few minutes, one girl asked to help me. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I told her my dilemma, and she proceeded to go through my bags, re-scanning things and writing down what she thought was the correct cents off. I'm no cheapskate, but five dollars is 2 gallons of gas! Of course, she was doing all of this in her head, and didn't let me see the slip, and of course didn't do it correct, ripping me off to the tune of about 20 cents, plus I had to re-pack my own groceries.To add insult to injury, there was no ramp open to go down to the parking structure I was forced to use, so I had to grab my bags and carry them, with my wife, down 3 flights of 10 stairs.This is maddening to me! It's so easy to do things right. Here's how I would provide customer service:Plainly mark the entrances that are closed, and advertise it on your stores website, thus alleviating some of your customers' frustrations, and provide the alternative entrances.If you're out of something, put a sign up that lets me know when it's going to be back so I can return and buy it then, and apologize that you're out. A little sign is all I ask, not a big production.Make the error in favor of your customers, and scan the house savings card whenever in doubt. And give your checkers the ability to fix this, instead of sending us over to the service desk.Offer something extra to customers when your computer systems don't work as planned. It doesn't have to be a lot, but give me a coupon for a free loaf of bread, a free deli sandwich, or something nice. It's not my fault your preferred system doesn't work.Use loyalty cards for EXTRA things, not to get the every day lowest price. Why am I going to scan my preferred customer card if I know I don't have anything that's on sale? I'm not, that's why.That's all I've got. See, it wasn't so hard, was it? Making customer service great is a lot easier than you though. And oh yeah, you won't lose me as a customer if you at least try. Thanks!

2009- The year of the customer

How can this be? This should be a top priority all the time, but especially in tough times. Here are some tips to improve your customer service - and make this a great year for your customers!1.) Be friendly. What happens to customers when they enter your business? Is there a gate keeper or a host? Gate keepers keep people out, hosts make people feel welcome. Your host should be smiling and should greet people when they come in. Bonus tips for restaurants - "How many?" is not a greeting. Try something crazy like, "Hello!" This goes for the phone too - do callers hear warmth or annoyance?2.) Stop assuming. I hate to say it, but too many managers are delusional. They think they can pay their front line people peanuts, treat them poorly, give them little to no training or feedback, and have them radiating joy and happiness all day. Get real managers. Have you ever rewarded good service? Does Susie Sunshine earn more than Evil Eddie? I bet not. That would be too hard.3.) Be responsive. I know we can't all be perfect, but people want you to respond quickly. After all, they are trying to give you money. Seat them quickly, get them through check-out lines quickly, don't keep them on hold. If people have to wait, at least train your employees to communicate! Too many times I see employees talking to each other rather than helping customers. Hello? There's a recession, people! You cannot afford to ignore your customers! But see number 2 - do your employees really have any incentive to help customers? And where are you when this is happening? In your office answering e-mail?4.) Provide information. All people are not technology experts - they need help and information. They don't know how to find all the things in your store or understand all the services you offer. The worst thing is, most of your employees don't seem to have this information either. Train them! Or make the information accessible. Listen to what questions customers ask - do they want nutrition information on the menu? Is your return policy confusing? If more than three people have a problem or ask a question - address it! Don't blame the customer for not reading your small print or your lame sign. They are in a hurry - train your people to be proactive and explain problem areas.5.) Have a great attitude. Customers will put up with a lot if the person trying to help them has a great attitude. Things are going to happen no matter how hard we try. Mistakes will be made. If you can keep smiling and the customer knows you are really trying, they will cut you a break. It's when you lose it or come across as rude, that they get angry. If you are a front line customer service person, your job will be a thousand times easier if you can remain friendly. You will also have job security - your boss won't want to lose you and all the customers you impress will want to hire you. And you will have so much more fun. We attract the energy we give out - give out happiness and good will - and it will return to you tenfold. Be rude - and you will suffer.5a.) Supervisors - this attitude thing goes for you too. Your people are often mirrors of you. Are you always angry and stressed? Well - there you go! Expect your people to be angry and stressed as well. I believe leaders get the followers they deserve. What kind of followers do you have?Companies talk a lot about customer service but at the end of the day, their actions speak louder than their words. They don't take care of their customer service people, yet they expect them to carry the company. But front line people have to carry part of the burden as well - are you really friendly? I've seen heavy sighs and eye rolls way too may times when I simply wanted to pay for a purchase. I've tried to find items in poorly organized stores and been ignored by employees who could have helped me. wake up, people! You wonder why sales are down? Because you treat your customers like garbage. You are mad when they want to return things or ask questions or need help. You make jokes about how stupid they are. Welcome to 2009, the Year of the Customer. Next time you treat a customer badly, you just might be out of a job. But be a superstar in all you do and who knows to what levels you might rise!

7 Customer Services Pointers

1. You chose this job, or it chose you. Either way, it’s in your best interest and the best interest of the customer for you to show up and be fully present to the job. Set an intention every day to be the best you can be at your craft. Make it a point to do a little learning about how to get better at it every day. You get better the more you practice. Find joy in doing your job well. Recognize and acknowledge yourself for all the “wins” during your day. (Even if, and especially if your boss doesn’t notice often enough.)2. Be proud of what you do. You play an important role in the company’s success. I’m here to remind you that the experiences you provide for the customer could make or break their relationship with the company. Even if parts of the process are broken, even if the wait times are long, even if the customer is upset about some aspect of the company, a great experience with a customer facing person can make up for a whole lot. You have the opportunity to make deposits in the customer’s emotional bank account and keep those customers happy, coming back, and referring friends.3. You have emotional genius. Being good at customer service requires a great deal of emotional intelligence. In fact, in your job, EQ is as important – and often more important – than IQ. Here’s the neat thing – being in a people oriented position gives you the unique opportunity to practice and even perfect those EQ skills. That’s going to help you in every relationship you have in your life. As you get better at your job, you get better at your life. That’s a bonus!4. The customer is not always right. I know you might have a little card that came from the corporate office that tells you they are, but I’m telling you what you already know to be true. They are not always right. Sometimes they are wrong, sometimes they are mean, sometimes they lie, sometimes they drive you crazy. But being right or wrong is not the point. Your job is to be so skillful that even if they are wrong, angry, nasty or just having a bad day, you have the ability to turn a bad situation into a better one. A highly skilled customer facing person is a magician, able to transform and diffuse difficult situations into good ones. 5. You work in the performing arts. Service is not like a manufactured good. It can’t be made ahead of time and put on the shelf. It happens in the moment, as needed, and it’s all about performance. That makes you the performer. Just like an actor (or a public speaker or trainer for that matter) there will be days when you just don’t feel up to it and you will have to act “as if” you were. Here’s where your good training comes in. Rehearsal and visualization work to help you prepare for a great performance every time. Think of yourself as an improv artist. Ta-da! 6. You have a stressful job, but the amount of stress you take home every day is up to you. How you view your job is just as important as how you do your job. If you allow yourself to over dramatize, ‘catastrophize’, get defensive, and take everything personally, you’re in for a tough time. Your body reacts to the perception of danger with primal instincts to fight or flee – both involving a cascade of stress chemicals that can damage your body. You have the power to change how you view any situation – including your job. Find a “frame” that makes it less stressful and more enjoyable. 7. You have the opportunity to make the world a better place every day. Whether you deal with 10 customers or 200 customers a day, you have the power to create positive experiences for all of them. When you make your best effort to add sincere care and appreciation to every interaction, you are infusing it with positive energy and vibration. When the customer leaves the interaction with you feeling good they are likely to spread that positive emotion. Emotions are contagious - negative ones as well as positive ones. You have the power to spread positivity and make the world a better place. We all know how important that contribution is these days. Take it seriously and you can make a serious difference in the lives of your customers and every one they touch. Allow yourself to see the ripples of good will and well being you are sending out into the world. Spread happiness and appreciation and you will feel energized and build your own good health. Optimists live seven to nine years longer than pessimists. Use this list of “7 Things” to start a lively dialog in your organization. Spread the article around. Discuss each of the points, add a few of your own, really think about the good things about being in a customer facing job. Appreciate the power and opportunity that rest in your hands. Make the commitment to be the best you can be. Have fun and do good work. Caring is contagious – go ahead, spread it around.

Where customer service begins

Ask any CEO if he or she is committed to excellent customer service and the answer typically is, “Of course we are!” But ask why their organization’s service isn’t among the ranks of the Walt Disney Company, the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, or any other extraordinary service provider and the excuses are tiresome: “We can’t pay enough,” or “People don’t care,” or “Our turnover is high.”Now assume for a minute that these excuses are valid (which I am convinced they are not), and ask a leader, “What are you doing to alleviate this problem?” and witness their awkward scramble for an answer. If an organization is truly committed to legendary customer service and their lame excuses were valid, why wouldn’t they be using all available resources to solve these problems?So what is the secret? It may seem amazing that the solution to achieving legendary customer service does not lie in some “slogan driven” training program, but rather in a simple two-step process: (1) Hire to the culture of the organization; (2) Provide a multi-day orientation program that encourages new hires to embrace a new set of values.Think about it – Disney, the Four Seasons, Nordstrom, and other celebrated service providers hire from the same employment pool and pay about the same wages. What these companies do better than others is hire and orientate.Hire to the culture. World-class service providers require multiple interviews with potential employees in addition to the one or two human resource interviews. The purpose of these multiple interviews is to assure that the candidate fits the culture of the organization. At the Four Seasons, in addition to a diverse mix of employees, each hotel or resort manager must also interview all potential hires before an offer is made. Kathleen Taylor, President of the Four Seasons’ worldwide operations explains: “It is not for the GM (General Manager) alone to say, ‘Yes, I like the person’ or ‘No, I don’t.’ It shows the potential dishwasher that his [or her] job is really important. He may go home that night and tell his mother or friends, ‘Wow, I met the GM today,’ and on his first day at work, he knows the GM, and the GM knows him.” Equally important to ensuring that a candidate fits the culture is consistently demonstrating that everyone's role, no matter where in the hierarchy, is important to creating magical moments of service.Hiring to the culture of your organization assumes you can define your organization’s dream (or vision), values and behaviors (Codes of Conduct, as defined in our best-selling book, The Disney Way). If your culture needs defining, it would be wise to work on those critical elements before embarking upon the hiring process.Over the years I have heard many executives argue, “Why be so concerned with hiring the right person? Anyone can learn these entry-level jobs, and if a new hire doesn’t work out, there are three people waiting in line.” The solution to their short-sighted mentality eludes them. They probably would agree that the most valuable asset of any organization is the customer. So wouldn’t they want to trust their most valuable asset to the most competent, capable and skilled person available, not just the “next in line?” It leaves me dumbfounded. JoAnn Wagner, President and CEO of the SOS Staffing Family of Companies, explains how ‘Hiring for Fit’ is vital to effective customer service and overall success. “Superior customer service begins with uniting the right talent with the right opportunity, which starts long before a candidate’s first day on the job. Interviewing, testing and screening of a candidate’s experience and background compared with a company’s culture are all factors that must be carefully weighed. Once a culture match has been made, a comprehensive orientation program is the final crucial piece.” So, if caring for your customer is not reason enough for finding the right employee, isn’t increasing your competitive advantage? Both the Hay Group and Workforce Management magazine have calculated the cost of replacing an $8.50/hour employee at $10,000 to $12,000. Disney, the Four Seasons, and fellow world-class service providers experience 3-5 times lower turnover than their competition.I also hear the argument, “Our HR department is too small or does not have time to find the ‘right’ people.” One solution to this problem is to form a strategic alliance with a staffing services firm. Susan Aherns, Regional Manager for Adams & Associates in Washington explains: “Companies who form a true partnership with a staffing firm will add arrows to their quiver that they would not have otherwise. The right firm can function as an integral part of a company’s HR department, saving it valuable time and money. In the end, businesses often save more by utilizing a staffing firm to find the best candidates.” The Commonwealth Alliance Program (CAP) reports that businesses now attribute 25% of all revenues to strategic alliances. Karen Lustman, District Manager for Orange County direct hire firm Devon & Devon, elaborates: “Hiring in today’s competitive climate is much more than finding a body. Strong strategic alliances result in win-win solutions. When a hiring firm understands the company’s mission and culture, they send only best-fit candidates.”If you have hired an individual who has passed the “culture fit” test with flying colors, it’s now your responsibility to immerse him or her into your culture. This must happen before they begin their operational or staff responsibilities.Orientation. Orientation programs in most organizations would have to increase by a factor of ten to reach the level of pathetic. Most involve new hires in tedious activities ranging from completing forms to reviewing policies. Then, the “welcomed” newcomer gets thrown into the hustle of getting the job done. Even in companies with well-defined cultures, the success rate of these new hires is less than stellar.If new hires end up being fired or resigning within the first six months on the job, they are almost always branded as failures. I’ll bet you’ve heard the feedback: “he never really bought into our level of service,” or “she never really understood our values.” An all too often believed myth is that values can be explained or even dictated. Nothing could be further from the truth. One cannot mandate a new set of values to anyone; the only way for values to be effective is for individuals to embrace and internalize the values. Luckily, we can turn to a tremendously successful role model for this lesson in action. . . Isadore Sharp, CEO and founder of Four Seasons. “Issy” told me, “They (values) are only words on paper, the words have significance only if behaved; the behaviors are significant only if believed.” Legendary customer service does not come from a policy manual; it comes from the heart. So, how do you get new hires to embrace a new set of values? Answer: Build a multi-day orientation process. Anything less than two days is not enough. People need time to understand how the new values contribute to the success of the organization and why their current set of values will not work. For decades I have been involved in leading organizations to structure cultural orientation programs so that individuals and teams can internalize the vision, the values and the culture of an organization. I challenge you to spend your time establishing the right hiring process and the right orientation process, not in just getting the “right” people.

The Customer Relationship Cycle

Using the “Customer Relationship Cycle” we can examine the payback of training customer-facing employees with business development skills.
The Customer Relationship Cycle illustrates a prospective customer's perception of trust and interest throughout the sales process.
A typical cycle progresses as follows: initial skepticism, a period of enthusiasm, a peak of excitement at the close of the sale, a period of disillusionment after the sale and an eventual plateau of realized value.
The Customer Relationship Sales Cycle has a simple and clear message: To maximize revenue, sales organizations must invest in managing the sales process at all points in the cycle. Companies must engage the prospect beyond the Peak of Interest (close of sale) through the Disillusionment phase (post sale) to the point of Realized Value (customer satisfaction and loyalty).
A customer passes through several stages on the path to realized value:
Skepticism (Initial contact through demonstration): A breakthrough, product or service demonstration, marketing launch or other event generates significant interest.
Peak of Interest (Close of Sale): During this phase of over enthusiasm and unrealistic projections, a flurry of sales activity results in some buying events.
Disillusionment (Post Sale): Hunter salesperson moves on to next opportunity. Customer relationship wanes.
Enlightenment (Implementation): If the customer is continually engaged after the initial sale and there a successful implementation of the product or service. Customer sees initial return on their investment.
Realized Value (Account Management): If an on-going customer relationship is maintained and value is recognized, the customer feels comfortable with the reduced levels of risk and a rapid growth phase of value perception and loyalty begins. Customer is open to value added products and services.
Success oriented organizations recognize the potential of each customer contact and the necessity to deliver unparalleled customer service while exploring sales and referral opportunities. The challenge is to train your service and non-sales representatives to approach every customer interaction as a selling opportunity.
....Any organization's non-sales staff can and should be able to generate sales leads and new business. It costs relatively little to make sure they get those skills today, to turn them into revenue-generating “farmers” for your enterprise.

A customer oriented organization

How to create a customer oriented organization
This article is about the creation of a service organization.
No matter the size of your company, the key to successful customer management is infusing your company to the core with best practice principles of quality customer service. This means, that every person in the organization at any level from piccolo to CEO must have a vital commitment to deliver service. The key to ensuring excellent customer service is through your employees. Your employee creates a customer oriented organization. There are some guidelines, which are essential in obtaining a customer oriented organization, some of them are;
A) The way you treat your employees has always an impact on how they treat their customers. It has a much stronger effect, than any training can provide. It is culture.
B) Frontline-staff as well as back-office staff must gain the effort of soft skills training and technical training. Training in interpersonal and communication skills as well as process and problem-solving skills is essential to any service organization. A minimum of training to all employees must be given. In a given situation, should back office-staff as well as front-office staff be able to handle the customer to a satisfactory level. No doubt.
C) The best and strongest managers in service organizations do always get in the frontline, and shows staff, how to handle difficult customers. They do always set a perfect example. They set up and implement a service model strategy, which should be followed by all employees. The service strategy is the brain of the service organization.
D) Do always design internal and external procedures with customer convenience in mind or make a reference group of customers, invite them in - and have their word of new coming procedures in the service organization. Involve your customers to commit them to buy your product through excellent attention and service.

Kindness and Customer Service

Customer service is not an option. When you think about customer service, do you own your customer or rent your customer? Would your customer go out of his or her way to do business with you? What does this mean exactly?
There really isn't a better or best time to think about our relationships with our customers. When considering these questionable economic times and the competition for the ever-diminishing discretionary dollar, will your organization rise to the top in the mind of your customer? How can you guard yourself from customer attrition and employee turnover?
If these questions cause a moment to stop and ponder, you no longer have to wonder what characteristics the companies that rise above all have in common. Their dedication to values such as kindness in leadership, customer service and community service sets them apart from crowd. Their faithful following will make the extra time and spend the extra gas money to do business with the organization that follows these principles. Here's a thought... try a little kindness.
When was the last time you just called to check-in and say hello or how are you? It is the attention to detail and the dedication to letting your customer know that they are valued that will make a difference. In other words, would your customer continue to do business with you if they had to make an extra effort to do so? Do you make an extra effort for them? Try a little Lagnaippe Service; do something special and see what happens. The little things in life offer the biggest reward.
Dallas Teague Snider, CMP is the Founder of Make Your Best Impression and a Business Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant. She teaches workshops and seminars on business etiquette, customer service and international protocol. Book Dallas to present to your next convention or meeting. She is currently accepting orders for her new book that is a must have for every business professional. Scheduled to be available in February 2009.