The Experts Teach: Customer Care ManageTrainLearn Download free books at  ManageTrainLearn The Experts Teach Customer Care Download free eBooks at bookboon.com  The Experts Teach: Customer Care 1st edition © 2014 ManageTrainLearn & bookboon.com ISBN 978-87-403-0797-9 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Contents Contents Preface 1 What Makes a Customer? by Nelson Scott 2 Top 10 Worst Things to Say to Angry Customers by Jeff Mowatt 10 3 Customer Service – The Disney Way by Martin Haworth 13 4 Service With a Smile! by Bob Selden 15 5 The View from the Front Line by Jim Clemmer 18 360° thinking 6 From Ichiban to Kaizen by Erica Rowntree 7 Good Sticky vs Bad Sticky by Thomas Cox 20 23 8 More is Said than Done about Improving Customer Service by Jim Clemmer 360° thinking 25 360° thinking Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers Click on the ad to read more Download free eBooks at bookboon.com © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities Dis The Experts Teach: Customer Care Contents 9 How Powerful are Your Customers? by Bob Selden 27 10 The ABC of Superior Customer Service by Eric Garner 31 11 Customer Service v’s Customer Satisfaction – What’s the Difference? by Bob Selden 33 12 There Must Be 50 Ways to Leave Your Customer by George Torok 37 13 Service is the Key to Survival in Today’s Climate by Bob Selden 40 14 What Stops Dissatisfied Customers From Complaining? By Nelson Scott 43 15 Buying Trends – the Shift to Hassle-Free by Jeff Mowatt 45 16 Do You Know Who Your Customers Are? by Bob Selden 48 17 The Unbeatable Laws of Customer Service by David Diamond 51 18 Customer Satisfaction is a Reflection of Employee Satisfaction by Jim Clemmer 54 Increase your impact with MSM Executive Education For almost 60 years Maastricht School of Management has been enhancing the management capacity of professionals and organizations around the world through state-of-the-art management education Our broad range of Open Enrollment Executive Programs offers you a unique interactive, stimulating and multicultural learning experience Be prepared for tomorrow’s management challenges and apply today For more information, visit www.msm.nl or contact us at +31 43 38 70 808 or via admissions@msm.nl For more information, visit www.msm.nl or contact us at +31 43 38 70 808 the globally networked management school or via admissions@msm.nl Executive Education-170x115-B2.indd 18-08-11 15:13 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Contents 19 Customer Relationship Management – System or Attitude? by Bob Selden 57 20 America’s Favorite Retailers Have One Thing In Common – Great Customer Service by Gregory P Smith 63 21 The Icing on Your Customer Cake by Colin Crouch 66 22 Secrets from David Copperfield by George Torok 68 23 11 Ways to Get What You Want – Be a Clever Customer! by Martin Howarth 72 24 Company Policies Can Frustrate Customers and Drive Them to Competitors by Nelson Scott 75 25 Connecting With Customers by Paul Lemberg 77 GOT-THE-ENERGY-TO-LEAD.COM We believe that energy suppliers should be renewable, too We are therefore looking for enthusiastic new colleagues with plenty of ideas who want to join RWE in changing the world Visit us online to find out what we are offering and how we are working together to ensure the energy of the future Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Preface Preface Introduction to “The Experts Teach: Customer Care” In each of “The Experts Teach” series, we’ve gathered together some of the world’s best thinkers to share their ideas with you Their ideas offer new, refreshing, and insightful ways to look at old themes, allowing you to discover new perspectives, develop your understanding, and change the way you think Profile of Editor Eric Garner Eric Garner is an experienced management trainer with a knack for bringing the best out of individuals and teams Eric founded ManageTrainLearn in 1995 as a corporate training company in the UK specialising in the 20 skills that people need for professional and personal success today Since 2002, as part of KSA Training Ltd, ManageTrainLearn has been a major player in the e-learning market Eric has a simple mission: to turn ManageTrainLearn into the best company in the world for producing and delivering quality online management products Profile of ManageTrainLearn ManageTrainLearn is one of the top companies on the Internet for management training products, materials, and resources Products range from training course plans to online courses, manuals to teambuilder exercises, mobile management apps to one-page skill summaries and a whole lot more Whether you’re a manager, trainer, or learner, you’ll find just what you need at ManageTrainLearn to skyrocket your professional and personal success http://www.managetrainlearn.com Acknowledgements The authors of each article in this book have given permission for us to re-publish their work and bring them to a wider audience Unless it states to the contrary, the copyright of the article belongs to each author Each article concludes with a bio of the author and links to their website, if available We also publish their written reprint/republication permission with a link to the relevant web page, if available All such permissions are valid at time of publication If these permissions have been amended or changed without our knowledge, please email us at eric@managetrainlearn.com so that we can take appropriate corrective action Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care What Makes a Customer? by Nelson Scott 1 What Makes a Customer? by Nelson Scott Many of those who attend my seminars are resistant to the concept of customer service Educators, health care workers and many from both the public and private sectors feel they don’t need customer service training, because they don’t serve “customers.” Customer service is something they associate with retail businesses As customers themselves, they wish that those who work in these businesses were better trained to serve customers But, they don’t see the need for it in their own organization To address this resistance, I created a formula that defines what a customer is It demonstrates that no matter what business we are in, we are in the business of serving customers C = P + N (e + p) The customer (C) is a person (P) with a need (N) to be fulfilled By defining customer this way, the formula clarifies the relationship that exists between the person who requires a product or service and those who supply that service Based on this understanding, teachers have parents and students as their customers Nurses, dentists and doctors have patients Therapists, consultants and lawyers have clients Performers and athletes have fans Civil servants have citizens or taxpayers Hotels have guests, and transportation companies have passengers Some people only have contact with others who work for their organization For these people, co-workers are their customers They serve internal customers Most customers have two sets of needs (N) One is for a product or service (p) which is relatively easy to deliver, be it an item such as new furniture, a meal or the latest novel; or service such as learning to read, a few stitches after an accident or a business trip The second need (N) is more difficult to meet Most purchasing decisions have an emotional (e) component People need to feel good about their decision, whether it is the school in which they enroll their children or a new plasma TV This is where customer service comes into play Customers feel better about doing business with people who are polite, patient and respectful They want to feel valued and heard Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care What Makes a Customer? by Nelson Scott About the author © Nelson Scott All rights reserved A professional trainer, speaker, and consultant since 1995, Nelson Scott works with organizations that are committed to making the right hiring decisions, developing and retaining productive staff, and strengthening relationships with customers Learn more by visiting www.seaconsultingonline.com or e-mailing nmscott@telus.net Reprint notice You are welcome to download or reprint any of these articles I only ask that you include my copyright and byline at the end of each article If you add any of my articles to your website, please include a link to my website If you would like an article customized for your publication, please contact me http://www.seaconsultingonline.com/Articles/index.htm Article source http://www.seaconsultingonline.com/Articles/Service/service_16.htm Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Top 10 Worst Things to Say to Angry Customers by Jeff Mowatt 2 Top 10 Worst Things to Say to Angry Customers by Jeff Mowatt You may have great products but you can still have customer service problems caused by bad weather, equipment failures, or human error While you can’t control external events, you can control what you say to upset customers Certain phrases will serve to either diffuse or enflame After over 20 years of speaking at conferences and training teams on customer service, here are my top ten worst things to say to unhappy customers (from least offensive to worst), along with tips for regaining trust 10 “Want the good news or bad?” When customers hear bad news they tend to catastrophize They become so focused on the obstacles that they don’t see the bigger picture So when you have both good news and bad to deliver, begin with the good That way they begin with the proper perspective “Bear with us.” To customers, that phrase comes across as an order It also implies that your service is something to be tolerated When problems occur, it’s better to express appreciation than give orders Instead, say: “We appreciate your patience.” “We can’t…” Customers don’t want to hear what you can’t You need to move quickly to, “Here’s what we can do…” “It won’t be here until…” Similar to phrase #8, the wording here is negative Instead, word your message positively with, “It will be here as soon as…” “Yes, but…” The word ‘but’ negates whatever precedes it Responding to a customer with, “Yes, but…” means you’ve started an argument Instead, replace but with and as in, “Yes, and…” “Looks like shipping messed-up.” Blaming other employees, departments, or suppliers looks like deflecting responsibility You represent your company so take ownership on behalf of your entire team with words like, “Looks like we messed up.” Better yet state, “Your problem just became my problem I’m going to pursue this until it’s resolved and you tell me you’re satisfied.” 10 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care America’s Favorite Retailers Have One Thing In Common – Great Customer Service by Gregory P Smith About the author Greg Smith’s cutting-edge keynotes, consulting, and training programs have helped businesses reduce turnover, increase sales, hire better people and deliver better customer service As President of Chart Your Course International he has implemented professional development programs for hundreds of organizations globally He has authored nine informative books including Fired Up! Leading Your Organizational to Achieve Exceptional Results For more information, visit ChartCourse.com or call (770) 860-9464 Reprint information Editors and Publishers Permission to reprint is authorized as long as you follow the guidelines on this page: http://www.chartcourse.com/printing-and-publication-permission-guidelines/ Article source http://www.chartcourse.com/americas-favorite-retailers-have-one-thing-in-common-great-customerservice/ The Wake the only emission we want to leave behind QYURGGF 'PIKPGU /GFKWOURGGF 'PIKPGU 6WTDQEJCTIGTU 2TQRGNNGTU 2TQRWNUKQP 2CEMCIGU 2TKOG5GTX 6JG FGUKIP QH GEQHTKGPFN[ OCTKPG RQYGT CPF RTQRWNUKQP UQNWVKQPU KU ETWEKCN HQT /#0 &KGUGN 6WTDQ 2QYGT EQORGVGPEKGU CTG QHHGTGF YKVJ VJG YQTNFoU NCTIGUV GPIKPG RTQITCOOG s JCXKPI QWVRWVU URCPPKPI HTQO  VQ  M9 RGT GPIKPG )GV WR HTQPV (KPF QWV OQTG CV YYYOCPFKGUGNVWTDQEQO 65 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care The Icing on Your Customer Cake by Colin Crouch 21 The Icing on Your Customer Cake by Colin Crouch Whatever kind of customer service you offer – whether big or small, expensive or cheap, large-scale or small – it with style Style means doing things in your own special way – with confidence, charisma, and class Here are ways to put on your own style Put A Smile On Your Face And You’ll Put A Smile On Theirs Service with a smile is something of a cliché But if you want to make people love your service, then it with a sincere smile The word “sincere” comes from the Latin “sine cire” meaning without wax, ie not false A sincere smile makes people feel welcome, reassures them and leaves them with a pleasant glow Create Living Theatre Management guru Tom Peters says that delivering great service is like putting on a show And every new day is a golden opportunity to try something new Think of yourself as a performer, magician, stage-manager, creator of good feelings, daredevil, and bringer of delights Now who’d want to miss that show? Reinstate Pride In Service Ray Pahl of Kent University says that many service workers regard serving others as menial, second-class work with a low profile and little rewards It is not much different from servility If that’s the way your staff view service, then you need to re-educate them and turn service into a prized profession which they can be proud of Reverse Bad Practices One of the reasons why people don’t “customer-care” in some organizations is because the organization hasn’t shown them how They buy second-class materials, let defects go through, and are sloppy about answering the phone Put some style back into your service by aiming to be the very best at everything the customer gets Change Your Assumptions Old assumptions about staff can stand in the way of delivering customer service style If you believe that your front-line staff can’t make decisions by themselves, are only interested in their own jobs, and need someone else to tell them what to do, then you need to re-think your assumptions 66 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care The Icing on Your Customer Cake by Colin Crouch Get Closer To Your Customers When organizations focus on the customer’s needs rather than their own, he or she becomes a partner, an ally, a friend For example, South West Airlines businesses in the USA invite their customers to sit in on their recruitment panels when they take on staff And in the UK, the staff at cosmetic retailers Body Shop get half a day paid leave a month to go and work on local community projects in the areas where their customers live That’s getting close to your customers Keep Working At It Customer service doesn’t happen overnight You have to work at it and so does your team It may mean reversing bad attitudes such as “second-best is OK” Or updating management assumptions that say the staff can’t take decisions for the customer (They can!) But in time a class act is yours for the asking Work on these habits and you’ll quickly discover that not only will you bring a touch of magic to your customers’ lives, you’ll also add something special to your own About the author Colin Crouch is an article contributor at ManageTrainLearn, the site that will change the way you learn forever Download free samples of the biggest range of management and personal development materials anywhere and experience learning like you always dreamed possible; http://www.managetrainlearn.com Reprint notice You may reprint and re-publish all articles on ManageTrainLearn freely, for personal as well as business use, as long as you not change the substantive text, add this reprint notice, and include a link to http://www.managetrainlearn.com Article Source: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Management/3656/The-Icing-on-Your-Customer-Cake.html 67 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Secrets from David Copperfield by George Torok 22 Secrets from David Copperfield by George Torok David Cooperfield – live in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand! You might be fascinated to know what I discovered behind the curtain I was lucky enough to assist him with one segment of his show Of course I was sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal the magic behind that trick Watching a master at work inspired me to more than just watch – to observe and learn I can reveal to you the secrets of David Copperfield that you can apply in your business There is no magic The first rule Reality You will not reach success – in any field because of magic Copperfield does not claim magical powers He proudly points out that it is illusion Masterful illusion The secret is in the mastery Brain power By 2020, wind could provide one-tenth of our planet’s electricity needs Already today, SKF’s innovative knowhow is crucial to running a large proportion of the world’s wind turbines Up to 25 % of the generating costs relate to maintenance These can be reduced dramatically thanks to our systems for on-line condition monitoring and automatic lubrication We help make it more economical to create cleaner, cheaper energy out of thin air By sharing our experience, expertise, and creativity, industries can boost performance beyond expectations Therefore we need the best employees who can meet this challenge! The Power of Knowledge Engineering Plug into The Power of Knowledge Engineering Visit us at www.skf.com/knowledge 68 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Secrets from David Copperfield by George Torok Illusion is more powerful than reality You might wonder – “how does he those amazing things?” And you might believe him to be embodied with special powers Why? Because you see what he wants you to see – through the skills of direction, suggestion and having the right things hidden from view How can you use these skills to create the right illusion for your customers? You can create the right illusions when you understand and apply the power of communications People believe what they want You can control what you want them to see but you cannot control what they believe You can, however, influence what they believe and feel If people want to believe in magic – they will If your customers want to believe in you – they will It is up to you to influence them to want to believe in you The audience is always right Your customers are always right Never argue with them Demonstrate that you understand their position and respect their feelings Then guide them in the direction you want to take them Occasionally the audience did not react the way he expected or a volunteer was slow to follow instructions Copperfield never pouted Instead he acknowledged the misunderstanding and adapted Preparation is everything Imagine the tremendous amount of rehearsal that goes into a David Copperfield production Scripting, movement, positioning, lighting, team coordination, key words, timing, coaching Now imagine the results if Copperfield stopped rehearsing Have you and your people stopped rehearsing your marketing and sales messages? Imagine your improved results after you rehearse Prepare for the unexpected Even with good preparation things happen First – smile Then continue to move the illusion in the direction you want Don’t show stress or any of the negative emotions, (anger, indignation, disgust) Your customers will react to any negative emotions they perceive in you Believe in people Copperfield’s team moved about the stage and audience in harmony – always in the right place at the right time They were personable, effective and efficient The team member who volunteered me, established rapport, qualified and instructed me When it was my turn – it all happened the way he predicted Surround yourself with a good team Then make them an excellent team with the right training, guidance and encouragement Then trust their intentions and respect their abilities Most of all – model the message and character you want them to follow 69 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Secrets from David Copperfield by George Torok Offer them Hope Copperfield’s illusions work – because the audience wants to believe in the possibility of magic Your customers buy from you because of their hopes Your staff works with you because of their hopes You run your business out of hope Understand how fundamental the power of hope is Offer possibilities Offer opportunities Offer hope Make it fun Copperfield showed that he enjoyed his work and his customers At one point he even spoofed his own illusion by redoing it in slow motion – revealing all the goofy things that we might have missed in real time You are the model for your staff and your customers Show that you are having fun Sure you need to be serious when required But occasionally let the child in you show through Be impish Flash that spark of passion Laugh – at yourself, with your staff, with your customers Never laugh at them If your staff are having fun – your customers will enjoy doing business with you more They will want to believe in your illusions – and they will tell others about you Be vulnerable Copperfield’s parents were in the audience He acknowledged them Then he told us how his father had wanted to be in show business – but did not pursue that dream because of his father’s (David’s grandfather) stubborn prejudice against a career in show business David revealed an inner pain Why? That shows that he is human like the rest of us Reveal a little of your inner secrets – a failure, an imperfection, an unfulfilled dream Don’t pretend to be perfect If you – we will hate you Instead be real – so those around you can see and believe that you are like them – human Don’t be seduced by the magic of technology I was surprised to see, that before the show started, the stage was empty No props or equipment to clutter up the message and distract our eyes from Copperfield Yes technology was used – as tools to support and enhance the illusion The technology was never allowed to become the show Clearly, Copperfield was the creator of the illusions Who or what is sending your messages to your customers? Do your customers mistake the technology as the center stage? Does the technology harm the relationship with your customers? Use the tools to support your message And insure that you and your people are the center stage 70 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Secrets from David Copperfield by George Torok You don’t need a cape Remember Mandrake the Magician? David Copperfield looked nothing like him In fact he was rather casually dressed Curious, I thought Then I realized that you don’t need a cape, top hat or magic wand to create illusions And maybe this was David’s most important message to his audience We all are capable of creating the illusions we want, if we learn the fundamentals, focus our efforts and invest in ourselves and our people About the author © George Torok offers training programs in Presentation skills, Creative Problem Solving and Personal Marketing He delivers high-energy keynotes and practical seminars You can reach him at 905-335-1995 or www.Torok.com Reprint notice You have permission to reprint these presentation articles for free – on the condition that you print the full bio shown – with contact information If you publish in hard copy then please send us copies of the issue in which you use George Torok’s article If you publish online then please include the website as an active link in the bio http://www.torok.com/articles/presentation.html Article Source: http://www.torok.com/articles/customerservice/SecretsFromDavidCopperfield.html 71 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care 11 Ways to Get What You Want – Be a Clever Customer! by Martin Howarth 23 11 Ways to Get What You Want – Be a Clever Customer! by Martin Howarth There is so much about ‘customer service’ in the media these days and, well, yes, maybe things aren’t what they were But you can more, much more as a customer, to get the best results for yourself It’s in your hands… We all want great service, whether we are buying our weekly groceries from a store, or want a billing hitch resolved at our local utilities provider Whether it’s getting our car fixed, or a great meal in a restaurant So we can holler and complain about how poor customer service and satisfaction has become – or we can something about it ourselves, when we have those one-to-one opportunities with a real person Be positive and confident Busy sales staff are under pressure and they like to deal with people who are clear and know what they want – then they can get on with their next customer! So perk up, your homework and have everything ready and clear Smile – a little! By adopting a positive demeanour, making eye contact and being friendly, you will be one in twenty who is Don’t try it too much, or that will irritate too, but just nice, friendly and a little smiley will work wonders! Don’t Use Their Name This will vary culturally In the UK, sales people don’t like to be called by their name at all So be careful – if you know it fits wherever you live and shop, then fine – but observe and notice what is going to work and stick to it Ask for help Use the words ‘I wonder if you can help me’ and then be clear about what you want This links in with their emotions – (‘someone needs me’!) – which is very powerful relationship-building for you 72 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care 11 Ways to Get What You Want – Be a Clever Customer! by Martin Howarth Match! As you give clear information about what you need from them, make positive and supportive movements and sounds that encourage them onwards This builds rapport and makes a relationship much more likely to happen Because people like to help, the feedback indicates that is what they are doing and…they will like you – one more step forwards in getting what you want Ask Something Else When they are answering your questions, ask them, once or twice, a little more about what they have told you This shows that you have been listening and value their information This powerfully builds the bond even more between you! Open and Closed By asking some open (what, how, why, where, when, which) and some closed questions (those which only need a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’), you will vary the pressure they feel under Being able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, as well as giving you lots of information, means that they get a few breaks and don’t feel quite so ‘interrogated’ Say Thank You At the end of their answers, whether you have reached a satisfactory conclusion or not, thank them for their help – make them feel valued Invest It’s great to invest time in spending a little time in ‘chat’ mode with your sales person If they have time – you have to judge from their manner, whether they are in the mood to spend time with you It varies from person to person, time of day and location But it’s worth being aware of Part Well At the very end of the transaction, make sure that you add a smiley ‘thank you’ to the mix Selling stuff all day is tough in itself, without all the extra clutter that sales people have to for their organisation So by ‘making their day’ you will be creating a relationship which will be valuable to you for years to come And For Exceptional Cases Make sure that you are aware of their name, and write and tell their boss – better, their head office This may or may not you any financial benefit, but hey, it sure will make you feel great that you have ‘made someone’s day’ by telling the rest of their organisation about them! 73 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care 11 Ways to Get What You Want – Be a Clever Customer! by Martin Howarth Being smart as a customer can get you benefits that you never expected Being an awkward, ‘clever’ or downright obnoxious customer will never help you By using these tips, you will receive more than you might expect, not every time maybe, but sometimes – and that has got to be a win About the author: Copyright 2006 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com Reprint notice: Note to editors Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value, unchanged and with the live link – thank you http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com/articles.html Original article: http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com/11_ways_to_get_what_you_want_be_a_clever_ customer.html DO YOU WANT TO KNOW: What your staff really want? The top issues troubling them? How to retain your top staff FIND OUT NOW FOR FREE How to make staff assessments work for you & them, painlessly? Get your free trial Because happy staff get more done 74 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Company Policies Can Frustrate Customers and Drive Them to Competitors by Nelson Scott 24 Company Policies Can Frustrate Customers and Drive Them to Competitors by Nelson Scott This is not about the money Never was The amount involved would not even buy a cup of tea and a bagel at Tim Hortons What this is about is how company policies and procedures impact the service customers receive It is about rules that inhibit or even prevent staff from meeting customers’ needs and solving their problems With a few minutes to spare, I decided it would be a good time to quickly slip into the self-service area of the Staples in South Edmonton Common to copy a few pages I approached the service desk with $5.00 in hand and announced that I had made eleven copies When the associate handed me a receipt and $2.65 in change, I felt overcharged She agreed, acknowledging that she had charged me 20 cents per copy, not cents But, she could not anything about it She was unable to open her cash register to recover my money She noted her error on my receipt and directed me to cashier #5 She even phoned that cashier to say I was on my way I waited as cashier #5 finished with another customer When it was my turn, she said she also lacked the authority to issue a $1.65 refund I would have to go to another service area, which was currently vacant, and wait for someone “with a key” to come and make the refund I glanced at my watch I was to meet someone within minutes, but I did as instructed I waited No one came When I could wait no longer, I left This experience caused me to reflect on the rules businesses set for their employees Most seem to be written to protect the business from customers and their own staff Policies force everyone to perform at the level of the least skilled employee While I have never read this in any policy, it seems that many prohibit thinking and bar common sense from the workplace Few are written to make it easy for customers Seminar participants regularly tell me that when they have a problem, they want it solved quickly They don’t want to be sent from department to department in search of a solution 75 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Company Policies Can Frustrate Customers and Drive Them to Competitors by Nelson Scott Ritz Carlton Hotels is one company that understands this One customer-friendly policy requires that the first staff member who hears it owns the problem until it is resolved There is no coincident that 90 per cent of Ritz Carlton guests return Policies that protect the company from customers can frustrate customers and drive them into the arms of competitors Certainly, this experience influenced me to make recent purchases of office supplies and equipment elsewhere What about your organization? Do policies and procedures make it easy for customers to business with you? About the author © Nelson Scott All rights reserved A professional trainer, speaker, and consultant since 1995, Nelson Scott works with organizations that are committed to making the right hiring decisions, developing and retaining productive staff, and strengthening relationships with customers Learn more by visiting www.seaconsultingonline.com or e-mailing nmscott@telus.net Reprint notice You are welcome to download or reprint any of these articles I only ask that you include my copyright and byline at the end of each article If you add any of my articles to your website, please include a link to my website If you would like an article customized for your publication, please contact me http://www.seaconsultingonline.com/Articles/index.htm Article source http://www.seaconsultingonline.com/Articles/Service/service_03.htm 76 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Connecting With Customers by Paul Lemberg 25 Connecting With Customers by Paul Lemberg Why exactly clients buy from you? What is the full value of your product/service to your clients? Learn why these are a must know for you to bring in continual waves of new clients I just got off the phone with a friend of mine Business is up he said, but he didn’t know why I asked him a few questions, but the more we spoke about it the more concerned I became “What you mean, you don’t know why they’re buying?” “We never know why they buy,” he told me “Never?” “Nope They just do.” My friend thinks he knows what is great about his product They believe they understand it’s applications, they just don’t understand what drives sales 77 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Connecting With Customers by Paul Lemberg And there’s something else – it has to with pricing and profits Since they don’t really know why customers buy from them, it follows that they don’t understand the full value customers get from their products So they don’t know what to charge! They discount to make sales – since they don’t fully understand the customer’s pain points – and that means – they always leave lots of money on the table When times are tough – and many people are feeling squeezed these days – there is tendency to panic Who wouldn’t? The economy, the financial markets, and now – terrorism I read where a group of psychiatrists saying the country was on the brink of a nervous breakdown! That’s certainly not what I want for my customers! Is that what you want for yours? I think this question can be a profitable one What you want for your customers? I started thinking about this and came up with a few others for you to ask yourself Why you want to serve your customers? What you love about your particular customers? Are they perfect customers? If not, who would be? Describe them Case Studies and the Value Proposition So I began thinking about my friend’s sales problem – which brought me to thinking about a favorite topic of mine – the value proposition Not in the sense of your USP, but in the sense of – what is the value of your product (or service) to your customer? In other words, what is your product worth? How much – in money terms – does your customer save or earn when they use whatever it is you sell? Can you quantify that? If you can’t, well – you need to It will make it much easier to sell But it’s too complicated – we can’t really say what they get from it No wonder you have trouble selling when times get tough If you knew what it was worth, and it was worth more than you were selling it for, you’d have customers lining up pounding on your door for it You have to go out and case studies Exactly why did they buy Exactly what is the application Exactly how much more did they earn because of it and how did they earn it Or, exactly how much did they save because of it and how did they save it Get five or six of those and you’ll be able to build a returnon-investment case for any prospect, and damn the economy Which brings me to one last thing – the holy trinity of repeat sales 78 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com The Experts Teach: Customer Care Connecting With Customers by Paul Lemberg Up-sell, Re-sell and Cross-sell What is your best possible source of revenue right now, bar none? Your existing customers, right? Of course – they always are Which means you should have a regular program to stay in contact What are you doing about repeat customer sales? When was the last time you contacted each customer, and made them an offer of some kind? What – you’re waiting for them to call you? Conclusion: You’ve got to contact your customers Under any pretext, for any reason Why? To solidify and maintain your relationships, and reconfirm why you want to business with them To understand your value from their perspective And lastlyFree Web Content, to make sure they are being served properly and to sell them everything they need © Copyright Paul Lemberg All rights reserved About the author Paul Lemberg is the president of Quantum Growth Coaching, the world’s only fully systemized business coaching program guaranteed to help entrepreneurs rapidly create More Profits and More Life(tm) To get your copy of our free special report with detailed steps on how to grow your business at least 40% faster, even when you aren’t sure what to next, let Paul help you find your business development strategy Reprint notice Any article may be reprinted and distributed with no charge in your ezine, on your website, or in your print newsletter provided You include the article in its entirety, unchanged (website links should be in clickable hyperlinked format) Byline, author’s statement of copyright and signature must remain intact You notify Articles Factory of intent to publish and send a courtesy copy or link Article source should be indicated as: Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com http://www.articlesfactory.com/terms.html Article source http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/business/connecting-with-customers.html 79 Download free eBooks at bookboon.com ... ensure the energy of the future Download free eBooks at bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Preface Preface Introduction to The Experts Teach: Customer Care ... bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Customer Service – The Disney Way by Martin Haworth 3 Customer Service – The Disney Way by Martin Haworth The customer service... bookboon.com Click on the ad to read more The Experts Teach: Customer Care Service With a Smile! by Bob Selden The idea behind the Red Coats service is that these people will be out with the customers answering