Service Untitled

Monday morning and an angry customer is walking into the office, and for your own self-preservation, you never want to trade insults, yell back, engage in sarcasm, or be intimidated. You must first understand an angry customer at the simplest level.

They’re not angry at you; it’s only because you are an employee and representative of the company, but since you’re there in front of them, you naturally become the target. That angry woman who reminds you so much of your mother wants her problem solved, and your job is not to get her to that particularly hostile  point we’ve all heard, ” Well it’s the principle,” because at this point even if you could work something out, she would still be dissatisfied.

So what do you do? Let’s start at the beginning as the angry customer walks in:

- Observe body language. You never want to be blindsided by someone’s temper. Are their arms crossed, shoulders hunched, restless, staring or acting rude? You need to always remember the person isn’t mad at you, so try to be as unpolitical as you can be. Introduce yourself, and be polite. Ask the person her name and address her by name. Try not to make her wait; look up from your paper work immediately  and never say “NEXT”.

- Listen to the customer. You must always let the customer tell her story. Do not interrupt her, and listen intently until she is finished speaking.  Show her that you have been paying attention by paraphrasing her problem and assuring her you understand and intend to help.

- Phrases to avoid. An angry customer doesn’t do well with such stock phrases as: ” I only work  here,” “It’s against our store policy,” or probably the most annoying of them all, ” I’m only following the rules.” Never come back with one of those answers, but again assure the person you will do your best to solve their problem. If the problem can not be solved at the time, make sure you confirm with the customer when you will have an answer, and make sure you follow through with a response at the agreed upon time. Check out the Big List of Things Not to Say for more tips.

- If I cannot help. If for any reason you feel that you can not mitigate the complaint, it is acceptable to refer the customer to your supervisor, but make sure you give the customer their name and their contact information. What you never want to do is just push the complaint on to the next person, and not have the customer’s complaint resolved.

Angry customers are always going to be around as are Monday mornings, but why not start the week off by helping your company keep its professional image and customers as well as you competently helping to resolve conflicts.

photo credit: subew

It’s hard to tell if you’re losing business because of the economy or doing something wrong. Competition is so keen now, what once may have just been mildly annoying is now the reason your competition has claimed some of your customers. Perhaps it is time to take a closer look at the management support, training and motivation of your workforce. I’ve compiled a short list of the most annoying habits of customer service personnel which is  almost guaranteed to have your customers running to your competition. Any of these sound familiar?

• Chewing gum. Can you think of anything more annoying than listening to someone chewing gum over the phone when they are talking to you? In person, I can’t seem to concentrate on what the representative is telling me because the movement of her jaw and the snapping sounds distract me too much.
• Phone texting. Does a customer service representative think that I don’t notice how he is texting someone while dealing with my problem? As I am signing my name and filling out a store form for my refund, the person behind the desk is sending his girlfriend flowers from his Iphone.
• Multiple phone transfers. I had a problem with a generator and called the toll-free number. Not only was I met by too many numbers to push for more extensions than I could count, but each time I had to repeat the story of my generator and why I wanted a refund due to a manufacturing error. Last I counted, I told the same story six times.
• Lying customer service representatives. Do they lie because they just don’t care or don’t know the answer? The last representative told me the refund would be in the mail the same day. Six weeks later I still did not receive the refund or an explanation.
• Key personnel missing. I look up the manager or key person who can help me with my customer problem, and leave numerous messages asking for a return call. He is always in meetings, traveling or having a family emergency.

• New person on the job. New customer service representatives should have a trainer if the new person is a rank amateur, and that would save me tapping my foot on the floor waiting for the representative to go back and forth trying to solve my problem. Now if there was a trainer next to the newbie, I could have been on my way, happier and the problem likely would have been rectified before I tapped a hole into the floor.

Basically, even if the customer doesn’t realize customer service means more than refunds, exchanges, or a polite greeting, doesn’t it come down to the little things that make the biggest differences?

photo credit: Dan Zen

In 2004, Missy and Keith paid $450,000 for their home, but by 2009, their home was only worth $275,000. Their mortgage was $400,000. Missy lost her job at a local nonprofit, and Keith’s sales job as a luxury boat salesman pretty much hit bottom. They were no longer able to keep making their high mortgage payments and applied to Bank of America for a loan modification. It took over five months with Bank of America for the modification, and when Missy and Keith finally received it, their payments went down to half of what the original amount was, but only temporarily. Just a few months later, the bank changed their mind. Keith and Missy tried, to no avail to speak with the bank about the reversal, but the bank refused to make any changes, and as every month passes by, Missy and Keith’s credit gets worse and worse.

The government is pushing lenders to lower mortgages so borrowers don’t have to lose their homes, but the biggest complaint from Missy and Keith and countless others is the unprecedented amount of paperwork, unexplained rejections, rude personnel, and unreturned phone  calls. Lenders aren’t approving applications as originally anticipated. Less than 4% of the nation’s applicants under the government foreclosure prevention program have received help. Bank of America is one of the leading institutions lagging behind.

Under HAMP, which is Making Homes Affordable with loan modifications, there is a three month trial before the lesser loan becomes permanent, and stories like what happened to Missy and Keith are becoming more common. Under the new rules beginning June 1, 2010, the government is taking another step to make banks more accountable to the never ending complaints of the troubled homeowners by making it mandatory for mortgage companies to collect borrower’s official documents as part of the initial process. That will at least eliminate the excuse about losing paperwork. Now what can the government do about rude bank representatives?

The banks don’t really want to foreclose on all of these homes, and there are millions of home owners who would rather qualify for the modification than walk away. Perhaps it is time for the banks to hire more personnel, train representatives to be more efficient as well as  teaching employees some basic principles of customer service.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

A complaint letter, as unpleasant as it might be to write, is generally more effective than a phone call or an email. The point is that in order to achieve the desired result whether you want a refund, replacement or travel miles is to clearly define the purpose of your complaint and be polite, sincere and valid.

I’ve put together five important suggestions that will help:

1. Always keep your letter short, and concise. Rarely should any complaint letter be more than one page in length. Use dates, locations (where you purchased the product), and include all relevant descriptions and information. It’s preferable to type your letter, and for heaven sakes, use spell check. Start your letter on a positive note so that your reader is still confident that you want to remain a customer.
2. Always exhibit politeness. You should not be sarcastic, threatening or write as if you are angry. You could even begin with a friendly line such as, ” I’ve been a customer of ABC for the past ten years.”
3. Make sure your facts are properly documented and true. State your complaint, and indicate what you would like done to rectify the problem whether it be a replacement item, a store credit, refund, etc. If you are complaining to an airline for a valid reason, discount coupons,  and additional mileage commonly accompany the company’s apology.
4. Attach copies of all documentation. Do not send originals. Have exact dates and times, and in your letter make sure you indicate what actions you will pursue if the situation is not rectified.
5. Make sure you remind the company of good relations and good customer service and how you want to help them maintain a good reputation.

Keep a copy of your letter, and if you aren’t satisfied with the reply or you haven’t received what you thought you deserved, write another letter, but make this one stronger. If that doesn’t work, go to the next higher-up; something to be said about friendly persistence.

photo credit: Alyssa L. Miller

I recently read a charming, modern day parable geared to help employees handle the stress of the chaotic customer service challenges. The book works on suggestions to eliminate stress and help the employee build a framework for an improved attitude with what the author refers to as Aha!s.

Author Barbara Burke told me she based her suggestions of short periods of meditation and conditioning the mind in a positive way from basic Buddhist philosophy although each person can discover the book’s universal wisdom message through their own particular lens.

The Napkin, The Melon & The Monkey: How to Be Happy and Successful at Work and in Life by Simply Challenging Your Mind follows the path of central character Olivia whose life as a customer service representative for a local power company is out of control with stress related over- eating binges, short tempered reactions to angry customers, and a strained relationship with her children and husband. She did not realize that, although our first reaction when being verbally assaulted by an angry customer would be to get defensive, or rather slip into the “fight or flight” mode, an emotional balance can be recaptured by emotionally detaching for a few moments enabling us to find inner peace.

It was another character, Isabel, who softly led Olivia toward that quiet path to eliminate knee jerk reactions to the everyday facets of stress and to be able to step back and observe what is and become more productive.

The acronym SODA – Stop, Observe, Decide, and Act is the author’s solution to help employees realize that the anger of a dissatisfied consumer isn’t personal; it’s the frustration of the situation. Olivia was eventually able to temper her anxieties when irate customers called and step back, listen, consider the situation objectively and calmly, and then respond in a positive manner.

Barbara Burke fashioned the whimsical idea of this book from Steve Denning’s popular story – telling approach and how it is easier to tell a story with a single protagonist whose accounts have universal appeal.

In the book, we are guided through the three main symbols along Olivia’s path to handling the daily stresses of life; both personally and professionally. At the end of the book, we are treated to a list of Olivia’s List of Aha!s reminding all of us of such basic guidelines easily incorporated into our own lives. Using such Aha!s as ” The less I talk, the more I learn,” or “There is no such thing as a difficult situation” employs easily applied tenets to help manage even the most challenging interactions professionally as well as personally.

The book has been translated into German; the title appearing when translated back into English – When Chocolate Does Not Work Anymore.

The author is offering a free downloadable  “Leader’s Guide” with the purchase of the book. The kit contains a PowerPoint presentation and instruction of facilitating a team meeting. The topic is “What’s Your Favorite Aha!”. The kit will be ready in early February. To be notified, send Barbara a request at: bb (at) barbaraburke (dot) com.

Bottomline: A quick and easy read which reminds all of us we have a lot more control of our reactions. The book reminds us to stop a moment and put our lives into a more peaceful place in order to be more productive and efficient both professionally and personally.

Pros: It is well-written and has an interesting story line applicable to anyone in the current, stressful marketplace. The book includes some basic reminders which are universally appealing and applicable.

Cons: SODA is a great concept, however the book falls short of customer service strategies.

Interested: You can purchase the book (published by Hay House) for about $15 from Amazon.com. The book comes out on February 1, 2010, but can be pre-ordered today.

We’ve seen a lot of businesses failing. Of course, the economy puts a severe strain on economics, but how many businesses are really sabotaging themselves? So many companies seem to fall short of providing the basics and then complain when customers don’t flock towards them. Perhaps if we turn the tables around, although  bit tongue in cheek, there’s nothing like a bit of humor to help us realize potential foibles.

Here are the top ten reasons not to give excellent customer service:

1. Treat your loyal and repeat customers badly. Use dishonest business practices.
2. Do not have reasonable customer service policies. Don’t answer your phone. Have impatient and rude representatives. Allow employees to insult and yell at customers when customers get frustrated. Tell the consumer it is their fault. Never respond to inquiries.
3. Never update your website. Make it hard to navigate, keep it boring, and confuse and lose your target audience.
4. Just consider your clients as one-time sales. Always under estimate the value of your customer or client. Never worry about them referring your services or business to a friend. Who needs them?
5. Overcharge for products and service.
6. Offer inferior products and service.
7. Do not update customers on delivery delays. On back orders or advance orders, you have probably been paid for the merchandise, so no big deal if their merchandise doesn’t get there on time. It will get there eventually. Don’t bother to update customers.
8. Lie. Misrepresent if you have to by embellishment.
9. Do not try to attract new business. Customers need you. Work on “bad” word of mouth.
10. Don’t follow the law. You’ll be out of business if you get sued.

photo credit: Alyssa L. Miller

There’s going to be a time in one’s real estate career that someone is going to be unhappy. The important key here is not to react instantly and be able to listen to the exact nature of the complaint, because it very well may help us in the future.

Initially, you will need to listen to the entire story without trying to come up with an instant resolution. The complaint may require extensive research or the solution to the complaint may simply lie in better future communication. When someone makes a complaint it is really a two-fold subject.

- The customer wants to feel someone is listening.
- The complaint can help the agent from making the same mistake again.

It is important when listening not to get defensive. You never want to blame the client, even if it is their fault. Thank the person for giving you the opportunity to identify the problem and work on rectifying it. Chances are you will keep that person as a future client or at least reap the benefits of a referral. The purpose is to please and satisfy the client. If it wasn’t important, chances are the customer would not be complaining, so one must always recognize the validity of any complaint. Every complaint should be handled as a learning experience.

Always have a resolution for the complaint. If one person thought it was important enough to call and complain, one might have to consider there might be others who have not taken the time or even bothered to call you. These may have been future clients, so it is always very important to take each complaint seriously.

photo credit: iluvrhinestones

A friend of mine purchased a pair of shoes from a popular discount shoe store in our local area. Whenever she buys a pair of shoes, she never takes the shoe boxe home with her because she makes a mad rush to her closet and hides the purchases from her husband (he always complains she buys too many pairs of shoes).

The shoes were so uncomfortable; she had numerous blisters on her toes, so she went back to the store to return the shoes. The customer service representative would not honor her return, even though she had the receipt; he told her it was store policy “no box – no return.” Of course, she tried to explain her situation and even showed the customer service agent her blistered feet, but the representative insisted the customer did not follow the rules pertaining to returns. The customer got loud because she was frustrated; the service representative ignored her outburst, and so the customer walked out obviously never to return.

The unfortunate part of the above scenario is it sent the customer packing, and we all know that in today’s market and economy, merchants have to be flexible and literally bend over backwards to satisfy customers; thus the importance of good customer service.

How could this entire situation been avoided and the customer’s anger diffused?

If the customer came into the store, she still thought something could be done which meant she still thought of herself as a customer, and the customer service representative’s job is to keep her as a customer. Here are some suggestions that might have changed the outcome of this situation:

• It is important to hear the person out and thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention. Let her know you will be researching the problem and you will get back to her. Do not offer a solution immediately since you do not really have a solution yet. (It would be time to research if exceptions have ever been made to allow returns under special circumstances when customer did not have the original packaging.)
• Call back the customer because it is important to preserve the relationship and keep her as a customer. Thank her for giving you the opportunity to help her and apologize for her dissatisfaction, even if she is wrong. (In this case she didn’t keep the box in case she needed to return the shoes.)
• Look at each complaint as special since each customer can amount to more business and be prepared to modify standardized procedures when exceptions present themselves as practical and realistic. (In this case, the proof of the blisters on the customer’s feet provided the real reason she wanted to return the shoes.)
• Explain to the customer what can be done to rectify the situation. In this particular case, at checkout the clerk did tell the customer no returns with out the original box, but the customer service representative needed to  resist telling the customer she was wrong. Consumers do not want to be scolded; they want their problems solved.

When there is such keen competition out there, exceptional customer service is going to make a huge difference, especially in the small, local market.

photo credit: michale