I am really beginning to have a problem with some of the “customer service” I’ve gotten lately,specifically with Sprint/Nextel.
they called me and “thanked” me for making a payment on my account,however I am “past due” and my service will be discontinued on Saturday.OK, I’m about .00 past due from last month.My payment was due on the 26th of September and this is the 10th of October.
Now,mind you, I have an account spending limit of 5,which my current balance is well under that (@ under).Now according to their site I have 1.66 left on my limit.This figure comes off their site.How do they figure that?
Anyway,the Customer Service Rep advised me that my phone would be shut off on Saturday due to my being past due for 14 days.Even the major phone companies like ATT and Bellsouth give you more time than that.
I asked the rep why I was being shut off.I was still well under my ASL and have every intention of paying the .00 but couldn’t understand their way of thinking.It seems that the ASL doesn’t really count for anything.If nothing else,it creates more problems.If you don’t pay your account in full by the due date,they will shut you off.
Now don’t get me wrong,I want to pay my bill.Right now,I’m out of work and don’t get much in unemployment so I have to budget my money.I pay part of my bill online every 2 weeks so I don’t get behind.The rep said that they would work out payment arrangements for me.They want me to pay the full balance of my account,.00,NOW.
My problem is that isn’t due until the 27th of October.
Are they hurting for money? When you pay your bill you are paying for service you haven’t used yet.To me,that’s kind of like paying your winter utility bills in July based on what they think you are going to use.Makes no sense.The worst part is the “customer service” rep don’t want to listen.
Overall,I like Sprint.I’ve been with them for 5 years and have had good phone service.The problems are always the same,though.I have been disconnected before for being .96 past due.Why?
After this episode I started doing some searching on the internet.I found that Sprint is well known for this and for poor customer service.I considered switching companies,but I’m afraid it will be the same thing no matter where I go.
After all of this rambling my point is,whatever happened to good customer service? Whatever happened to talking to the customer and explaining what is going on?What happened to making sure the customer is satisfied?It just doesn’t seem to matter to these large companies anymore.The bigger the companies get,the less they care.
I managed restaurants for about 17 years and was trained to take care of the customer and make sure they were satisfied.I’m not saying that I was the perfect manager,but I tried.
I really think that companies should take a step back and take a look at what is going on .They are in for a big surprise.
Customer Service and Promotional Giveaways Go Hand in Hand
When I purchased my last car three years ago, the salesman handed me a promotional keychain along with the key to my new minivan. The simple leather keychain was embossed with the name and phone number of the dealership. I put the new keychain onto my existing one and have carried it ever since. It was small as promotional giveaways go. But that little automotive promotional giveaway, plus the excellent customer service that I received at the dealership made an indelible impression on me.
In fact, the promotional giveaway only helped to solidify the relationship between me and my car dealership. I am certain the promotional keychain would have been far less meaningful if I hadn’t experienced such attentive customer service. I probably would have still attached it to my own keychain. I just don’t know that I’d have as positive a feeling from that reminder of my car-buying experience if I’d been treated poorly.
My relationship with my car dealership has continued to this day. Someone from the service department phones me regularly to remind me that it’s time for an oil change (good thing too, I’m not so attuned to the needs of my van) or simply to ask how the van has been running. They are courteous and caring, and even though I know that getting a sale is their ultimate motive, I still can’t help but appreciate true customer service. They never sound phony when they call. Instead they seem to be genuinely interested in my well-being and have never pressured me to buy something or spend more money that I can afford.
It could have been a keychain or a license-plate holder or a hitch cover. The type of automotive promotional giveaway wouldn’t have mattered. The point is that they recognized that a promotional giveaway is meaningless without good customer service.
Because of my positive experience with this dealership I will likely go to them again the next time I purchase another vehicle.
They may not have realized it, but the dealership’s practice of distributing automotive promotional giveaways along with providing excellent service doubled their chances of having me remember the name of that business. The positive feeling that I came away with after I signed the papers and drove home my new van may or may not have made me remember the name. But the genuine interest that they took in me paved the way for me to be receptive to the free gift. Once they handed me that keychain, the name of that business was burned into my brain. (Of course, those periodic telephone calls don’t hurt either.)
Promotional giveaways alone will pique a potential customer’s interest. They may draw someone to patronize a business once. A promotional giveaway may even lead to a sale. But repeat business and loyal customers are made with the combination of thoughtful promotional giveaways and a true desire to provide attentive customer service. Whether it’s a car dealership, mortgage broker, financial planner, housecleaning service or dog walker, give me great service and a free gift and you’ll have a loyal customer for life.
Art Promos: For all your promotional needs, including automotive promotional giveaways.
Does Customer Service Have An Impact On Whether Or Not You Make Money On The Internet?
If you want to make money on the internet you must be willing to commit to the customer. Remember, it is the customer that has a say in whether or not they purchase anything from your site or visit it all together. By making the customer feel appreciated and supplying heavy customer service, you will be on the right track to make money on the internet.
The first part to strong customer service is building the relationship. You want to let the customer know you are there for them and willing to handle any and all of their needs. Offer your email so they have a way to contact you if they have any questions regarding your website, the product, or anything else. By showing you care, the customer will feel appreciated.
To build a relationship and provide quality customer service, you have to view the customer as a person. Too often people handle their customers as just another consumer. The problem with this is the consumer feels like just another customer mixed up in the crowd. Even if it is going out of your way to make ONE personalized email the customer will see that you took time out of your day for them.
Once you get into the business aspect of the relationship, customer service becomes crucial if you want to make money on the internet. It is vital that for EVERY sale you follow-up with the customer. This allows you to not only thank them, but also to maybe throw in some advertisements for other products you sell. This way you are taking time out of your day to acknowledge them as a person and benefiting yourself at the same time with free advertising.
Another way to make money on the internet through customer service is by throwing in free add-ons. It could be bumper stickers, a t-shirt, or anything related to your business. This adds to your company appeal and will make it a more pleasant experience, which will increase the odds of a customer return rate.
Everyone knows that incentives are intriguing and appealing to customers and workers. If you can offer incentives to customers, you have the possibility to make money on the internet as well. For instance, tell a customer that is purchasing an item that if they can refer 4 other customers, they will receive a full rebate for their purchase price. This will allow them to get a product free while getting you three more customers.
When it comes to making money on the internet, customer service is crucial. Since you typically don’t have the face-to-face contact when offering your products, you want to show the customer that you care about them. By taking the time to build relationships or follow-up with the customer, they will notice and appreciate the customer service. It is the extra work behind the scenes that will help you make money on the internet.
Shon Cary will show you how to make fast easy money online and can show you simple steps that will enable you to start earning 0 a month and more in no time.
customer service websites refered to in the video dialog… www.panasonic.ca www.panasonic.com.au www.pana3ccduser.com blog.richardsprague.com
“Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” Don’t worry; I’m not trying to take you to Sunday school under the pretense of a business article! However, in one form or another we have learned this rule for as long as we can remember. Many people try their best to apply this rule in their everyday lives. But, how many of us try to follow such a simple principle when it comes to business?
If you think about it, it could single handedly be the most important rule to follow in business. After unpleasant sales encounters, most customers are not most upset with the product or service that they purchased. Sure that may have been the root of the problem. But, most people understand that we don’t live in a perfect world and sometimes things don’t work!
The reason most people leave these situations upset is because of the way that they’ve been treated. They feel that they have spent the money for your product or service that for one reason or another did not perform properly. This upsets them, but what really angers them is that they feel that no one cares.
We’ve all had negative customer service experiences. Those of us in sales have most likely been on both sides of such exchanges.
When we’re in the salesperson role, we may be running ragged from an extremely busy day. We may have issues going on in our personal life. We might simply have gotten up in a bad mood that morning. There’s nothing innately wrong with any of those things. However, it is our job to find a way to put all of those things aside to help the people we’re paid to assist. This is why I feel that sales people should really be required to take Acting 101! Ideally, we would always be able to genuinely be interested in listening to our customers and helping them find the solutions that work best for them. But, we all know that that’s pretty much impossible everyday, absent a fairly large prescription of Prozac! Salespeople are just that, people. We’re not always going to be at the top of our game, but we must be able to “act” as if we are. Convincingly, act as if we are!
On the other hand, being that salespeople are people, we are constantly faced with these situations in which we are the customer. Undoubtedly, you have run into a few salespeople who have irritated you or who may not be quite as helpful as you’d like.
Now, obviously, we will never be able to be perfect in all of our customer interactions. However, if we were to try and keep the good old “Golden Rule” in our consciousness at all times when dealing with customers, I think we’d find our jobs more enjoyable, our customers happier and yes, even our profits growing!
Dana Wallert is the owner of an online virtual assistance company. She has many years experience in sales and marketing, as well as office management. Find more about Dana and sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter at DW Office Solutions
Customer Service Tips ~ How To Look After Your Customers More Professionally
I’d like to offer you a few customer service tips in this article. Great customer service is more than just giving the customer what they want. It is also giving them what they need.
Great customer service involves taking the time to learn more about your customers and making sure that their goals are met, sometimes even to the detriment of your sales. Keep in mind that customers are buying your products because they want to get the highest value for their money. Customers buying in bulk orders may seem very attractive to you at first especially if you are selling perishable goods, but the limitations of your product or goods may not have been taken into account by your customer and the purchase may be to his detriment. For one, he may not be able to use all the products he has ordered before it deteriorates to a point wherein it is completely useless. The initial purchase may be to your advantage, but this will become a bad experience for your customer, and he will always associate it with you.
Because of this, you must be ready to redefine your concept of a good customer service tips to include taking the time to know if the sale is really to both your advantage. This will involve knowing some facts about your customer like what purpose he has for the purchase of your products, how long he expects to keep the product before using it and where he is supposed to keep the product. In doing this, you are showing your customer that you are also concerned about his welfare or the welfare of his own business. Sharing goals with your customers will also convince him not to change suppliers even though they are offering a lower price for the same product.
Moreover, you must also take the time to learn if what your customer intends to do with your product is attainable. If he wants to stock up about 500 pieces of your product for example and you know that there is a high probability that he will only be able to sell 300 pieces, you must tell him this fact. Your customer will appreciate the fact that you are concerned about him not experiencing a loss in the transaction. The trust that will be developed in this kind of relationship will be a great help to your business in the long run. Customers who feel that valued are more likely to refer new businesses to you.
Knowing how long he intends to store the product and where he intends to store them will also be a great help in making sure that both of you profit from this transaction. Certain products have limited storage life and specific storage conditions. Make sure that your customers’ plans are within this margin. Ask some questions regarding this to make sure that there will be no problems in the future.
As always, make sure that both of you will profit from the transaction. If you feel that your new customer will not be entirely satisfied, be forward enough to withdraw from the transaction. It is always better in the long run to have fewer customers than to have many unsatisfied ones. Unsatisfied customers costs more to maintain and are a source of bad press, so take the time to know that both of you will be satisfied with the business relationship.
With these customer service tips and more, you are sure to have more satisfied customers, more referrals and definitely a more profitable business. So take your customer service one step higher than just good customer service and watch your efforts sales skyrocket in the months to come.
Steven Taylor is a Marketing Consultant to http://www.Retronix.com – one of the most innovative and effective suppliers to the electronics & semiconductor industries. Services include BGA Rework and De-Bug Services.
Every business needs customers. If you can name a single business that does not deal with people at all, then I’d give you a million dollars for being the cleverest person on earth.
The success of your business usually depends on the number of customers you have. The more customers you have, the more your profits will be. It’s as simple as that. If that’s the case, then surely the most important thing to do is to gather customers as many customers as you can, right?
Mass Media Advertising to Attract Customers
But then, how do you attract customers? Attracting customers is a serious business, and some people even go so far as to hire other companies so that these companies can attract customers for them.
Enter the advertising companies. If you want your business to prosper, you’ll probably have to spend a bit of money in advertising. You’ll probably have to pay for billboards, for ads in the newspaper, for ads in the magazines, for ads in the radio, and even for ads in television.
However, which one of these is the most effective? Is it the television or the radio? Maybe the billboards are the most effective means of advertising?
The answer is – none of these!
Grapevine Advertising
Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t advertising through the traditional mass media that makes a business famous. I have to admit that it does help a lot in getting customers, but it is not nearly enough.
The best type of advertising is done through the grapevine. What’s the grapevine, you ask? Simple… rumors! Gossiping has been around since time immemorial. And there’s no doubt that “Ye Olde Tavern” became popular only when people started talking about it.
The question is, how do you get people to talk about your business? For one thing, you’ve got to have the best merchandise for miles around. However, that’s a bit unrealistic, don’t you think?
There’s only one best baker, there’s only one best lawyer, and there’s only one best painter. And if people valued only quality, then only the “Bests” in the world would have food on their tables, and the rest of us… well… we’ll probably be eating salt.
Good Customer Service is Good Business Practice
The truth is, you can attract customers by simply being nice to them. The best businesses always pair “quality goods” with “quality service”. This is actually where customer service comes in. When a customer enters the doors of your humble business establishment, he will be faced with either a customer service agent or a regular employee acting in the stead of a customer service agent.
If the customer has some questions, some problems, or some complaints, he’ll have to go straight to your customer service agent. There, his problems will be resolved and his questions will be answered. It depends upon your agent whether your customer will go home smiling or frowning.
Now, this is the crucial part. If the person is satisfied, chances are, he’ll tell all his friends and family that he went to this nice little establishment with a super friendly staff. If the customer was somehow dissatisfied with your customer service agent, then he’ll probably spew venomous comments about your establishment and advise people not to go there because they might meet the apathetic, rude, ill-mannered customer service agent. And so it goes… the customer’s friends, family, and even his acquaintances would steer clear of your place.
Just remember, bad publicity is never good. That kind of stuff works only in showbiz. If you want your business to be successful, make sure that your customer service is excellent. Just remember, once you satisfy your customers, they’ll start filling your purse.
Steven Taylor is a Marketing Consultant to http://www.Retronix.com – one of the most innovative and effective electronics services suppliers to the electronics & semiconductor industries. Services include BGA Rework.
I interviewed Becky Rhone-Nowlan about Customer Service dynamics.
The following is Part 2 of the interview:
MagicBecky Messmer: May I take it from an on-line perspective?
Mooie Infinity: Yes indeed.
MagicBecky Messmer: I talk about this in my book, “Secrets of the Second Fortune.” When you begin the process of creating your on-line business you look for a problem to solve right?
Mooie Infinity: Right.
MagicBecky Messmer: So you start researching and getting into your prospects head, thinking how they think, figuring out how they feel. Your next step is to create your product and start communicating with them.
So you expend all this energy and time making a connection with them. Are you not at this point working on *serving* your customers needs?
Mooie Infinity: Yes.
MagicBecky Messmer: At this point you are doing customer service. That’s the very interesting distinction that people don’t seem to get.
Mooie Infinity: Customer Service is a genuine attention to the needs of the customer.
Mooie Infinity: Customer Service is a genuine attention to the needs of the customer.
MagicBecky Messmer: Problem resolution on the other hand- is solving (or resolving) a very specific problem they are having.
MagicBecky Messmer: Yes, Mooie! I love that statement, Genuine attention to the needs of your customer.
Mooie Infinity: Yes you can use that somehow–it has a certain ring to it.
MagicBecky Messmer: Sounds like the title to an article.
Mooie Infinity: I want to address the lack of communication skills.
MagicBecky Messmer: So, back to what I was saying.
Mooie Infinity: People need to altruistically learn how to communicate.
MagicBecky Messmer: After someone plunks down there money, most people on-line want to automate the rest of it. So they are basically automating their customers right out of their business which does one thing. It alienates the customer which ruins all the time and energy the business owner has spent in connecting with them in the first place.
Mooie Infinity: Yes.
MagicBecky Messmer: I agree about the communication.
Mooie Infinity: Communication is key, and largely overlooked.
MagicBecky Messmer: Yes it is but then that goes back to the whole taking responsibility issue.
Have you listened to how we as adults communicate with each other and our children?
Mooie Infinity: Yes, we all can fall prey to negative communication.
Also–people tend to allow their emotional hot buttons to be pushed as opposed to learning the art of detachment in talking to others.
MagicBecky Messmer: Glad you brought that up Mooie. This is one of my favorite parts of service.
Mooie Infinity: As I said in Ho’oponopono and Stellar CS (a bonus to your forthcoming electronic book). Love is all you need.
MagicBecky Messmer: We are emotional creatures. We have 2 sides of our brain, the emotional side and the thinking side.
Mooie Infinity: Yes–creative and rational, spiritual and practical.
MagicBecky Messmer: When you are upset, the emotional side takes over. That is why its so important for someone doing problem resolution (or CS) to learn how to let a customer rant while supporting them in their right to be upset.
Once they get done ranting their brain equalizes itself out and they can then *hear* what I or any CS person has to say.
When a customer is really angry, you could say, I am going to give you a million dollars and they wouldn’t hear you.
Mooie Infinity: Are CS people trained in communication?
MagicBecky Messmer: Whether they are trained in communication, depends on the company.
Where I worked we took CS classes all the time- including one called Communication 101.
Mooie Infinity: You could write an ebook about that very problem: Lack of communication skills and the solution for CS workers.
MagicBecky Messmer: I did want to speak on one more issue if that’s ok.
Mooie Infinity: oh please, do.
MagicBecky Messmer: The idea that customer service is not a revenue producing activity.
Mooie Infinity: Ah, yes.
MagicBecky Messmer: Many believe that because it doesn’t immediately put a check in your bank account that it doesn’t make you money and therefore not such an important part of business.
Mooie Infinity: How wrong “they” are.
Everyone in an organization needs to be CS minded
MagicBecky Messmer: My thoughts on the matter are if you don’t take care of your customer they won’t stick around.
Mooie Infinity: Every one must be a CS person in any organization.
MagicBecky Messmer: Everyone in an organization should be treated like a customer, whether they are internal customer or an external customer.
Mooie Infinity: Now there’s a good point! As an employee, I recently wrote to the Vice President of my hospital about a very serious problem–and got absolutely no response.
A few weeks later I sent the letter back, saying I expected the nursing staff to be empowered and not blown off.
MagicBecky Messmer: Are you not HIS customer?
Mooie Infinity: I am. And that’s why I sent it back, and got an answer then.
MagicBecky Messmer: But see that’s another reason why CS is not done correctly in many cases. Everything trickles down from the top. If the people at the top don’t value service, then who is teaching the employees?
Mooie Infinity: Good point.
MagicBecky Messmer: It all works together. If a marketer on-line doesn’t think customer service is important, how well do you think his or her staff is going to take care of the customer?
Mooie Infinity: I believe whole organizations could learn from this, from several hundred or more to the lone marketer, like us.
MagicBecky Messmer: I agree, because it is such an integral part of business.
MagicBecky Messmer: Whether it be a huge corporation or a small online business, the one thing everyone seems to forget is the reason we are *in* business is for the customer. Is that not who we create products and services for?
Mooie Infinity: Yes.
MagicBecky Messmer: So let’s not forget them in the equation.
Mooie Infinity: Building relationships and trust, loyalty– Fans!!!
MagicBecky Messmer: Trust me they will remember it and thank you for it by spending with you again and again. As I like to say, A customer will never remember what you do for them but They will ALWAYS remember how you made them feel.
Mooie Infinity: True. That’s what I always remember, as a customer.
MagicBecky Messmer: Me too!
Mooie Infinity: Thank you Becky! This has been enlightening.
MagicBecky Messmer: And of course that goes right back to your idea about love your customers.
Mooie Infinity: Love is all you need. MagicBecky Messmer: My pleasure Mooie. You got me to talk a lot.
Shhh– It’s a secret.
It’s the Secret of the Second Fortune!
Mooie Infinity: Yes it is.
MagicBecky Messmer: Definitely. How to tap into your customer’s heart.
Mooie Infinity: Our conversation today will help people see the mportance of nurturing Customer Service in their businesses.
Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called “Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny.” Click here to find out how to order the e-book: http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com Check Out Kate’s Blog: http://www.nursehealers.typepad.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Wiener’s Circle in Chicago is known for their abrasive service. The Cheeseburger Show headed there with a hidden camera. See more at www.cheeseburgershow.com Video Rating: 4 / 5
Apparently customer service training extends beyond saying have a nice day. Funny really because in England you don’t even here these simple words muttered to you. There is a definite lack of good quality customer service in the UK. In every single business you come across there seems to be a lack of interest in presenting a good image of customer service to potential clients. Perhaps it is an English thing. But when you do find that rare gem – a place that knows how to treat its customers then as a customer I will reward them with my unerring loyalty. And I have what any business wants – money! But it needn’t be this way. Customer service is not difficult and it can be taught to anyone. Here’s what customer service training will teach your staff.
Customer service training programmes are often designed to meet you particular requirements. Typical programmes include, call centre development, complaints handling and influencing skills, telephone skills, developing a customer focussed approach, general face-to-face customer service and visitor experience development. This is a fairly comprehensive list but it is also important to remember that customer service training can be bespoke to your specific needs.
Call centre development will improve the level of service you offer to your clients. There is nothing worse than phoning a company for support and being on the end of a call with someone that really does not value your needs as a customer. There has also been a great deal of criticism in the UK about companies that have outsourced their call centres to India. Typical problems include a lack of understanding about the local knowledge of the people they are paid to help.
People have rung up these help lines to ask when the local branch of a bank will be open and have been advised that the closest bank is 100 miles away. This is because that is what had turned up on the computer in India. Being aware of these kind problems and knowing how to deal with them can be addressed with customer service training.
Being able to handle customer complaints is one of the hardest and at the same time most crucial parts of running a business. Ideally your business would only ever cause the client to be happy. Sadly this is not always the case and even the most savvy of businesses experience some form of customer dissatisfaction at some point. The great thing is that ninety percent of the complaints that are received from a dissatisfied client can be amended simply through communication.
Most complaints you receive are due to lack of communication. Fortunately a training course can provide you with techniques to improve the effectiveness of communication in the case of complaints. It can be taught to anyone and will have a really positive effect on your clients and as a result could have a positive effect on employee motivation.
If your business relies on talking to people on the phone – as most do – then improving the level of skill that your staff has on the phone would be vital. Many people will benefit from knowing the role of customer service in telephone interactions. Effective use of the telephone is essentially based on attitude and a course will help educate your staff on the essential techniques such as transferring calls, receiving transferred calls, putting calls on hold, taking messages, making promises and owning completion of them and building rapport with customers.
Shaun Parker is an expert on sales training and customer service training. He shares his experience to help you.
www.vendorclientvideo.com Produced by Scofield Editorial, Inc. Casting Agency Artistic Enterprises Casting Director: Michelle Moore Video Store Customer: David Meek Video Store Clerk: Nick Krcek Restaurant Customer (Male): Andy Guerdan Restaurant Customer (Female): Andrea Gregory Server: Landon Mitchell Chef: Ron Pinkney Hair Stylist: Chris Cones Salon Patron: Anna Martinez Additional Crew: Lighting Director: Luke Amos Camera Assist/Best Boy/Boom Op: Benjamin Dewhurst Location Audio/Mix: Ben Ericsen Special Thanks to: Earshot Audio Post Mass Ave Video Marco’s Restaurant & Lounge Secrets Nail & Hair Salon Video Rating: 4 / 5
3 Customer Service Ideas to Earn Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty
Customer service has never been worse than it is in today’s business environment. With companies trimming their budgets as much as possible, there isn’t the time or money to spend on customer service skills. If it can be automated, it gets automated no matter how inconvenient it is for the customer.
How many times have you been ready for the now familiar message “please listen carefully for our options have changed” only to find yourself screaming at the phone after one too many option levels? Hey – it works for the business – it keeps their operating overhead down – they don’t have to staff as many people as they used to because the call tree does the job on auto-pilot. No late or sick employee to worry about. No customers complaining about your phone receptionist cutting them off or having a bad attitude.
When you stop to think about all the conveniences we have lost over the years, it’s pretty astounding. Doesn’t it seem like we’re doing more with all the automation that was supposed to make our lives easier? No more secretaries; we have a computer. No more gas jockey; we can do it ourselves and we even get to watch TV while we’re pumping. Nobody to answer your call or tell you when they will; you can leave a message.
I don’t know about you but all this convenience can be very frustrating for me. I can’t ever sit back and let somebody else do the task because I’m expected to use self-serve. I remember the days when service people were expected to be extremely helpful. We have begun to expect poor service and we are no longer surprised when it occurs.
This is the perfect time for small businesses to step up and offer that which cannot be offered by the big companies. Convenience is such a big selling point, how about offering customer service as a convenience for your customers? Many small businesses are run by owners that are too busy running the business to implement good customer service on the Internet. In fact, customer issues may be rare and infrequently occurring, but as the business grows good customer service becomes a necessity. The business owner will eventually find it difficult and overwhelming in the long run.
The post sales process is just as important as the initial sales process when it comes to customer loyalty. A poorly treated customer will not have a reason to do business with you again even when you roll out new products and services. Here’s three ideas for you to implement that will not take excessive time or money but will increase customer satisfaction and customer loyalty:
1. Follow-Up Personally with an Irate Customer
Running a business is like having a new adventure every day. You can never be surprised when the unexpected happens, only be ready to deal with it. When things go terribly wrong for your customer, have someone follow-up with a phone call. You may be surprised to learn that Internet shoppers think of online businesses with a bit of celebrity stars in their eyes. It is totally unexpected that an online business would call them to apologize for any inconvenience and make sure the issue was resolved to their satisfaction. I’ve done it – it works like a charm every time.
2. Use Words and Phrases Guaranteed to Calm Any Customer
Customers enjoy the speed of the purchase and the anticipation of the immediate download shopping on the Internet for digital products. Things can go bump in the night at any point in the purchase process, even getting to the download page. Make it easy for your customer to report the issue by having at least one method guaranteed to get results within four hours. And then be sure you always include “we apologize for the inconvenience”, “please reopen this ticket if further assistance is needed”, “thank you for notifying us of this problem”, “please”, “thank you”, “we’re so sorry for the delay”, etc. This type of acknowledgement lets the customer know that you care. Isn’t that really what we want?
3. Give the Customer Value for Their Inconvenience
New people are coming to the Internet every day so you should expect and plan for the “this is my first time” issues. One way you can do that is to provide your customer with more information than is required to resolve the issue. For example, solving the issue and telling your customer how to prevent a similar issue in the future will assist them in using the Internet and they will greatly appreciate the extra time and effort your business took to assist them.
Combine all three of the above ideas and you will provide customer service few have seen on the Internet, let alone in many offline businesses today.
For all of the things that the Americans have got wrong (fast food, voting in George W. Bush, racial intolerance and scary religious sects) they have one thing that beats us British hands down. That is the level of customer service that you receive in every single client facing business in the United States. Whether it be in a restaurant, in a retail outlet or in an office situation the Americans always treat you well. It really puts the surly kid behind the counter in Tesco to shame. Sadly in the UK it has got so bad that we don’t even complain anymore.
The British people have such low expectations from the people that they hand over their money to that there are thousands of businesses that get away with terrible service and still turn a massive profit. It wouldn’t happen in America because the people are more likely to vote with their feet. However it has to be said that the companies that do value the levels of customer service that they offer and make strides to offer a good level of customer service are invariably rewarded with an increased number of customers that are loyal.
Service with a smile does not cost more and the benefits are incredible so if you want to improve the level of service you offer and subsequently increase the number of customers that use your business then get your staff trained in customer service.
It is a common misconception that people believe that people are either good at working with customers or they are not. Although on the face of it some people are naturally better at conversing with customers it is definitely a skill that can be improved with training and everyone is capable if improving their customer service skills. Customer services training takes a practical approach and will improve anyone’s level of customer skills regardless of how quiet they are. All of the skills that you need to converse well with clients can be taught and as a result customer services training can be an extremely beneficial type of training to send your staff on.
Meeting the needs of your clients is the single most important aspect of business and those businesses that manage to do this effectively invariably have more customers, retain their customers and ultimately make more money. Training is at the core of making this a success and training providers are well versed in teaching your staff how to meet the needs of the customer. Most of these training providers will deliver training that is specific to the needs of the organisation. This means that instead of delivering a stale course that deals with customer service in a generic manner they offer training that is directly focussed to the needs of your team. This can be an incredibly effective method of training as it will directly address your needs and the results of this can be impressive.
Another common misconception is that the training will be boring. The reality is that customer service training is a very upbeat and realistic training schedule that aims to cut out the management speak and teach real, tangible skills. The atmosphere at these events is usually really good with trainers making the training as enjoyable as possible. The atmosphere encourages active styles of learning so that your staff are not going to be sat behind a desk all day.
Shaun Parker is an expert on sales training and customer service training. He shares his experience to help you.
