Archive for the ‘Customer Service’ Category

A Sincere “thank you” will do — and other things your mother taught you

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Thank You
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say “thank you”? – William Arthur Ward

Whatever happened to “please” and “thank you?”  When did you last  hear — or say – the words, “pardon me;” “Excuse me,” “Yes” (instead of “yup” or “whatever”)? Where are the Momisms from long ago?  Why can’t our techie toys — whether online, SEO or cyber-communication – include some niceties? Where are our personal AND business manners?

In the March 22, 2010 issue of Fortune, Becky Quick writes, “Most of us learn in kindergarten that when you hurt someone, you say you’re sorry.  But captains of industry seem to have forgotten the rules of common decency.  Lack of remorse may be good (temporarily) for a company’s bottom line, but it isn’t good for society.  The strength of the global economy depends on people’s willingness to trust institutions, and institutions’ ability to trust one another.”

Have we forgotten what we learned in kindergarten?  Are parents still teaching Momisms or do the kids of today only hear, “Good job!”?   Remember when kids heard phrases like:

  • “A stitch in time saves nine”
  • “If you open it, close it”
  • “Think before you talk”
  • Always be respectful – address your elders with, “Yes, ma’am,”  “‘no, Sir’”
  • Say, “thank you” anytime – to anyone – doing something nice for you

We had the opportunity to travel South Africa and Victoria Falls – taking the Blue Train from Pretoria to Cape Town.  Every single person serving us in any way would say ‘thank you’ as they were performing the task.  Finally I asked a waiter why he said, “ thank you”  as he placed my plate on the table instead of waiting until I said “thank you” and wait for the normally reply of, “You are welcome”.  He looked at me with surprise and said, “Because it is my pleasure to serve you.” Ummmmmm – How welcoming is that?!

I wonder …

  • Have men stopped opening the doors for women because women stopped saying, “Thank You”?
  • Are we in such a rush to make a sale that we don’t take the time to know the wants and needs of the customer?
  • Is life moving so swiftly that the act of human kindness of acknowledging, respecting and valuing another person escapes us?

What do you think?

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Handling Holiday Returns

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Retunrs
A consumer is a shopper who is sore about something. ~Harold Coffin

It’s inevitable – either someone gave you something that you don’t care for, or you got someone something they didn’t care for. If your company is in the business of selling anything, products or services, returns will come into play. Here’s a few short tips:

• By now, you should have some sort of return policy in place. Review it, revise it and post it prominently at your point of sale.

• If there are any exceptions to the policy, make sure your managers are aware of what they are and how to deploy them. Make sure it includes return expiration dates.

• Work out in advance what to do when a return is worn, damaged, expired or otherwise unusable.

• Online businesses should post their return issue at the point of sale, alert all call center operators etc.

What about YOU? How will you address holiday returns?

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Seven Steps to Great Customer Service

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

The perfect salmon filet at a local café. A product packaged in the perfect shade of blue. People have positive buying experiences every day. Customer service, in a nutshell, is influence translated into delivery and execution. I know everyone’s company is fantastic and everyone customer loves them. But does your customer agree? Here’s seven ways to make sure:

Make customer service a priority. Sounds simple, but it’s a rare find. Making exceptional customer service the backbone of your company’s vision is the key to repeat business. The goal is to “wow” your customer’s expectations.

Know your stuff. Generation Y’s usually scope out your company thoroughly before they ever contact you for a sale. Your Web site should detail your company’s products, services and return policies, if applicable. Customer trust and confidence depend on your ability to know AND show your stuff. Try to anticipate the types of questions that customers will ask. Update and amend your FAQ page frequently.

Smile when you say that. There’s a reason Chick-Fil-A employees present your food with a smile and a “My pleasure.” Not only is it courteous, it creates a positive customer experience. Smiles release endorphins, the “happy hormone,” which makes for a repeat customer.

It’s about the people. Henry Ford famously said, “You can have our cars in any color as long as it’s black.” Today’s customer wants it the Burger King – i.e. their – way. The more you can customize your product or service, the more inroads you’ll make in the marketplace.

Never argue with a customer. You know very well that the customer isn’t always right. However, it is important that you do not focus on the missteps of a particular situation; instead, concentrate on how to fix it. Research shows that 7 out of 10 customers will do business with a company again if that business resolves a complaint in their favor. Research also shows that the instance of repeat business goes up to 95 percent when complaints are resolved on the spot.

Underpromise and overdeliver. Everyone knows this cliché; few actually act on it. It’s much better to do what you can rather than make promises you can’t follow up on. When you deliver your products or services, be sure to check back to ensure that the customer is happy.

When you make a mistake (and eventually, everyone does), say you’re sorry. (See my Truth or Consequences post for more details.)

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Truth…or Consequences?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Truth...or Consequences?

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry…” Sadly, that truth only exists in the movies! As long as we’re working with people, there will always be the need to apologize. Apologizing is like a “room freshener” for your company’s culture: You may not realize you need it until there’s a big stink! An effective apology is honest, genuinely offered and presented sincerely.

Whether you’re speaking for yourself as a company manager or speaking for the company to the media, an effective apology can even impact your company’s bottom line. A heartfelt “I’m sorry” can mean the difference between smoothing ruffled feathers and a big, hairy lawsuit!

So, how to apologize? I suggest some basic rules of thumb:

Own your actions. If you made an unpopular decision, admit it. If you’re the guy that cut out the free coffee in the break room, don’t hide behind budget cuts, even if it’s true. Just say, “I’m the person who made that decision.” Don’t try to justify your actions with, “Well, if that other guy hadn’t….” Or if you had just….” If you were part of a team that made an unpopular decision, admit it and, if asked, explain why. Most people’s respect level goes up for a person who owns his actions, even if they disagree with them.

Own your impact. People want to be heard – sometimes even more than wanting to be right. They want the apologist to acknowledge that their words/actions/behavior/decisions caused the apologee pain or problems. That’s why insincere phrases like “I regret;” I’m sorry YOU feel that way;” and “It’s unfortunate the event occurred” rarely help and sometimes even aggravate the situation. Acknowledging your role in the negative outcome makes your apology effective.

Own the solution. Be the first to look for and offer a solution. If the reason for the disconnect is behavioral, suggest a different way you might have handled it. If it’s a two-party conflict, discuss ways both parties could approach it if a situation occurs in the future. You might want to offer the person the opportunity to contribute positive solutions for change. Allow them to participate in the solution part of the process. Of course, do what you can to prevent the problem from happening again. Learn how to turn “no way” into know-how solutions.

Own the connection. If at all possible, offer peace and connection with the person you are apologizing to. Even if you are letting someone go and follow a prescribed script, giving a concerned and empathic look can mean the difference between their acceptance of the situation and bad PR on the street.

We won’t be able to fix every problem with an “I’m sorry.” But we can make progress toward a more harmonious work environment. Love doesn’t mean “never having to say you’re sorry.” Indeed, saying “I’m sorry” may create a more friendly and peaceful workplace. What are your thoughts?

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