Service Untitled

Elizabeth’s online business is selling merchandise on eBay. She started her company a few years ago when she decided she no longer wanted to be a banker, and in the back room of her home and a two-car garage to warehouse merchandise, her business has grown by leaps and bounds. Elizabeth used to spend countless hours replying to customers and answering questions by email; so much time that she didn’t have time for her own family, so what did she do?

Elizabeth has become streamlined and innovative, but still strives to reply to customers, improve customer support, and reduce time. Her first strategy was to refer customers and contacts to a website, and there she  introduced  her knowledge base. Up went an obvious link stating, Frequently Asked Questions. She started with the very basic questions and answers customers would repeatedly ask her and has been adding more ever since.

Next came the forum that Elizabeth set up. With nearly a one-click installation, different categories were organized giving people the opportunity to discuss pre-sale questions, member questions, customer support, while creating a personal touch. Since Elizabeth has chosen at this time not to participate on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, her forum still gives her the opportunity to participate and answer questions or give suggestions. When Elizabeth is not able to participate on her forum, frequently there are other members who are more than happy to supply information to new members. She does use a moderator, but has rarely had to intervene. It’s interesting to add that her forum has a search function for customers and members to find related posts, which in turn brings more knowledge to readers, participants and interested prospects.

When the FAQ and forums are not enough to help her customers, Elizabeth also has a Help Desk. A customer logs in and sets up a user account. The software program has pre-written responses for repetitive questions. If a customer still needs further assistance, she can set up an online ticket, attach files, and credit card information, and feel confident all information has been sent confidentially and securely.

Consequently there are fewer emails now to answer and a lot more time to devote to her family. Customer service has improved, and Elizabeth’s thriving enterprise continues to expand.

photo credit: muddanudo

Customer focus should be at the heart of everything a company does to achieve customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Essentially there are five steps to recognizing and implementing a successful program:

1. First, we must identify who are our customers.
2. We must find out exactly what they want and what kind of services and products they want and be able to hone in on that service to meet their needs.
3. We must design our sales and service processes around the needs of the customers we have identified.
4. We must thoroughly train our employees and use whatever successful training and mentoring programs available to us.
5. We must consistently measure our service and delivery procedures and use our customers to provide the necessary feedback and improve and upgrade our processes.

From a practical point of view, the Envision 2010 Awards for Customer Excellence were awarded by Envision, a provider of workforce optimization solutions and creator of Click2Coach, a coaching team which works on performance improvement. The recipients of their 2010 Envision Excellence Awards brought some interesting information how companies can improve their customer-centricity to improve their quality and business performance or as Envision states “to think outside the box.” Winners were listed as Alaska Airlines, Delta Hotels, WestJet, and Partners Healthcare.

Delta Hotels customer service representatives trained via coach remote agents using technology to focus in on peer-to-peer coaching techniques. They have successfully worked on faster techniques to serve customers better. Delta Hotel now uses social networking on a daily basis to monitor questions and service issues.

WestJet, a Canadian airline organization has continued to work on their efficiency and effectiveness, and have relied on coaching with agent participation to improve customer service. Social media has helped the company accommodate more customer inquiries, and Twitter and Facebook helped customers during the rollover in the company’s reservation systems.

Alaska Airlines has implemented an at-home agent program where 50% of the agents are able to work from their own homes. This new innovative program has reduced the company’s real estate footprint by 32%. The work-at-home program has improved productivity, morale, and decreased absenteeism.

And finally Partners Healthcare has, according to Envision, used the coaching and developing of employee knowledge to improve the quality of interactions between employees and customers.

Can some of these suggestions work for your company?

photo credit: j.sauerzapfe

Practically everyone is online, and what they are saying about your business or services affect the perceptions of your brand. What used to be Mr. Jones telling Mr. Smith in the small town of Freehold, New Jersey about the baseball memorabilia in your store that no one else can find and folks coming to your small brick and mortar establishment from as far away as Brooklyn, New York has now changed into comments, posts, feedback, and everything about your brand and your customer service across the nation and overseas.

The internet invites ordinary users to express their opinions about your brand, your product, and the services you provide. Check out Twitter, Facebook, Digg, and LinkedIn, just to name a few. Read what people say, and know that you no longer have a choice not to participate since the ‘computer word of mouth’ has become a powerful friend or enemy – depending on how you are building online relationships.

Online Reputation Management (ORM) claims to help you with your “digital footprint.” It is designed to improve your online reputation, improve your brand image, increase customers, and combat negative feedback. Using Google, Yahoo, and Bing which are the most popular consumer websites, ORM claims to find the problem, evaluate the problem, and then strive to repair your online image. As an example, a local hairdresser has a stellar reputation in the area for her expertise in color, that is until one of her clients left her shop and felt her new red hair shade wasn’t nearly as red as it should have been. Unfortunately for the hairdresser, the unhappy client was a high-profile blogger, and before long the adverse effects on the hairdresser’s brand image began to cost her customers.

The ORM quickly began to monitor what was being said on Twitter and responded quickly with an apology and an invitation for the client to return to the salon for the color correction. Even though the client never said a word to the hairdresser that she was dissatisfied with the hair shade, the polite customer service response was to apologize and invite the customer back. Never make the customer look bad in front of anyone.

Treating customers right, selling quality services or merchandise, and great customer service preserves and strengthens a company’s online reputation, and isn’t that what works best?

photo credit: dnfisher

There’s no one immune from receiving lousy customer service. I cringe at rudeness, robotic phone systems, and general incompetence, but I have learned the business world still marches on, and great customer service does exist. Companies that have figured out exemplary customer service aren’t just about direct business to customer interactions, but instead have made CEOs approachable while creating innovative procedures and actions to benefit customers, and have pulled away from the mediocrity most of us try to avoid. Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

1. A certain amount of automation is enough. There always has to be a way to opt out of the robotic phone answering systems. Aren’t there days when we just need to speak with a human?
2. Be prompt answering me when I have a problem with your company. Email is very convenient, but if I am annoyed by a product or service, I really want an answer before 24 hours. That’s why I have to use the phone, but if I get caught up in a robotic system with no way out, I get even more frustrated.
3. I am the customer, and you keep the records because I pay you. When I call with a question about a product that you know I already own or a service you provide, I don’t want to have to remember passwords. I forget them as quickly as I create them. I expect you to know the identification number on the equipment I lease from you. Why do I have to climb around dark cabinets to repeat it? You should have my customer account number already.
4. Work with me, and develop my trust. If you want me to spend a lot of money, I need to have fostered a relationship with you first. For instance, buying a home is the most expensive purchase I will ever make, and it’s not just about writing a contract to buy a home. I want all the information you can show me to make me feel this is the right decision to make. For instance, tell me about the schools in the area, tell me about taxes and industry in the area; tell me everything about this new community I need to know.
5. Be enthusiastic about your product. I want you to make me feel you believe in the product or your company, and you’re just not answering the phone or talking to me because you are just treading water waiting for payday.
6. Provide guidance and assistance for me when I ask you, but don’t hover over me. I find salespeople following me around in a store to be really annoying, especially if I tell them up front that I am just browsing. If I need help, then I want to know someone is nearby. It’s a fine line, but I think sales people should know the difference.
7. Sometimes I need online support. I really appreciate when I can find a telephone number predominantly displayed on a website. When I purchase a product or service online, and the phone number is convenient, it makes me think the company is completely transparent, and they want me to call if I have a question or problem.
8. Train your employees to be part of the company culture. I know it costs more money to train employees, but when I see employees living the philosophy of great customer service as if they were born with the talent, I am inspired and grateful to be doing business with such a stellar company.
9. Be aware of your competition, and ask my opinion. If your competition does it better, maybe it’s time for a change. Ask your customers how you can deliver a better product, be more innovative, or provide better service. We know because your competition is knocking at our doors every day.

I want to be loyal to you if you deliver innovative products at competitive prices and deliver services to me with respect and proficiency.

photo credit: Orin Zebest

None of us want to lose customers, and enough surveys have proven to us that customers don’t mind spending a little more, purchasing again and again, and spreading the word if customer service exceeds our expectations. Of course, we need a way to find out more about our customers to develop that loyalty and advocacy, and therefore we need to construct a comprehensive, relevant, and accurate profile for each of our buyers.

Nowadays we call it Customer Relationship Management, which is a general term to describe a system that helps us track a customer’s purchase history, concerns, inquiries, product requirements, contact details, and even credit terms used in the past. When a customer calls, it is a powerful tool to be able to quickly scan a buyer’s past history and speak with a customer already knowing their relevant details; what they have purchased in the past. When you know that Mrs. Cobblestone already owns three pairs of Manolo Blatnik designer shoes, and a new Jeweled Satin Pump has arrived in your store, wouldn’t it be an excellent way to inspire customer confidence and make that person feel closer to your business? Who doesn’t like feeling like a partner when it is all about catering to your needs? What shoe enthusiast doesn’t appreciate a “heads up” on a fabulous new product?

Customer Relationship Management isn’t necessarily all about software either. Admittedly it is a business strategy to help generate new business and business leads so that we can turn these people into customers, but we want to keep them as customers. We do need to be careful though. Whereas the CRM system is geared to help us track customers for the ultimate purpose of zooming in on those who most likely will be the most profitable in the future, we will also see which customers aren’t spending much. Are they worth more time for us to cultivate, or do we leave them in the dust in favor of the customers who provide us with the most business?

Many of us lack the organizational skills to keep all of this data, but for small businesses, most of us can do without CRM software. We can keep track of our customers; we can email newsletters, send out hand written thank-you notes, and send out birthday greetings. We can even include the “not so often buyers” in our mailings and our marketing plans. As our business grows, a CRM system most likely will become more important.

The CRM software is readily available, and it isn’t just about making customer information handy. Good systems can help with day-to-day reports, watch sales trends, marketing, keep track of complaints, and track profit and loss which can improve customer relationships while increasing satisfaction and good-will.

photo credit: Torley

Real estate sales is an ever-changing profession; think technology, economy, and contract law. Even our sales approaches have changed; the terms bank owned property or short sale never existed until the economic change, and mortgage company dilemmas hit us like a ton of bricks. Even though the changes have been monumental, the need for housing still exists, and although a lot more complicated now, the buyers and sellers still demand the best customer service that can be provided.

The first step in providing stellar customer service in the real estate market of today is to know your business. Any Realtor worth their gold-plated identification tag needs to attend seminars, webinars, read business journals, and trade magazines. Realtors need to check out inventory, know the changes in mortgage procedures, and beware of the ever-changing economy and its application to the real estate industry.

Then comes the job of cultivating business associates, competition, and that sphere of influence we hear about every week at staff meetings. Find a niche, and serve them well. Go that extra mile. A few months ago I met a social worker who helps patients going through drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Five years prior she told me she had been in a similar situation and had ruined her credit, but wanted so badly to buy a little condominium of her own. She had saved money, but had no idea how to go about purchasing a home, and no real estate agents ever called her back. We worked together for months to help her reestablish some credit, and her mother was willing to cosign a small loan. Joan now enjoys watching the boats go buy in her own cozy West Palm Beach condo.

From Joan other associates and friends called me for their real estate needs, and from there my business has expanded into higher end listings and sales, but I never turn down those who need help; it’s satisfying, rewarding and eventually lucrative.

And finally I find that to deliver excellent customer service, we need to be acutely aware of our competition. A few unscrupulous agents still exist, but for the most part, it is an honorable profession. Some of my colleagues are inspirational; they spend their extra time with volunteer passions of their choice. Charities range from childhood illnesses, cancer research and animal welfare. It’s all included in customer service; think of someone else’s need before you think of your own.

photo credit: Gold Beach Real Estate

More and more of us are doing our shopping online, and because of that our customer support options have changed. The three main choices of using telephone support, live chats, or email options will depend upon the nature of the business, but each one presents distinct advantages for a company or service. Which one works best for you?

The most popular method of customer support is by telephone. From the moment a customer speaks to a “real” person, a friendly voice can be reassuring. Almost everyone feels comfortable speaking on the phone, and what I like best is that a phone conversation can provide immediate gratification when something has gone wrong, or a promised service is delayed. There is something about receiving help immediately that makes a customer feel appreciated. When a customer knows someone on the other end is listening, and a customer service representative performs his skills well, the angriest customer can be calmed down, and by the very virtue of the outcome can still remain a loyal customer. There are no internet skills required for telephone support.

Many of us are becoming more familiar with live chat support. For the most part the waiting time for a representative to greet a customer is very short, and representatives can handle multiple conversations at once. An organization doesn’t need expensive telephone lines or sophisticated equipment, and chat support has an advantage for global industries. It is a free service for customers, and a representative can listen and ask questions easily. If the customer representative is unable to help the customer, it is very easy, and convenient to transfer the call without any interruption. Live chat support can be useful to the organization for training since conversations are easily recorded. There are no language barriers or foreign accent confusion and frustration.

The least expensive form of customer support is through emails. There are no expensive telephone lines needed, and email is free for all customers. It is ideal for global industries and does not need 24/7 coverage. Email support is excellent as long as the problem doesn’t need to be solved immediately. Customer representatives are able to relay specific directions and explanations not always available to customers using phone support. Complaints, requests, and questions can easily be routed to other departments for specialized help or advice if needed. Supervisors can review conversations and use them as part of customer service training. There is no confusion or frustration with foreign accents.

It’s common for organizations to employ all three methods, and personally I think the more avenues a consumer has to choose from, the more significant an impact to the quality of customer service can be realized. Explore each one, and determine which or all will work best for you.

photo credit: smemon87

I was just at Petco to buy dog food, and the cashier asked me if I wanted to join their customer loyalty program. All it took was my phone number and email address, and I would earn money back on all of my purchases. Since I am the companion to a few dogs and two horses, it’s a win, win for me. Why does Petco do it? They know I am choosing Petco over the grocery store for my dog supplies now, and with the money back program, horse supplies are less expensive, easier to find in the store, and more convenient to shop.

Customer loyalty programs are showing up everywhere. It used to be only big companies like Starbucks or Best Buy who offered the programs, but if you have a company that provides excellent customer service experiences, these loyalty programs can keep existing customers, build loyalty, and increase new customers even in a recession. In addition these programs can provide a great measuring tool. In other words, the loyalty program shows customers how deeply respected they are, while at the same time, the company is able to track, and identify customer habits such as spending, behaviors, and trends.

Small businesses should not get scared that implementing a customer loyalty program could be too expensive. If it costs five times as much to find a new customer when you lose an old one, then reward programs are indeed worth every penny spent. So how do you go about having one? Here are a few examples:

• Membership programs provides special incentives. (Costco)
• Rewards programs gives you gifts, perks, or cash back depending on how many points you have “earned” by the amount of business you do.
• Community programs offer charity sponsorships, demonstrations, and emergency charity drives.

Before you embark on these new programs, make sure you have instituted the basics which will ensure success of your loyalty program. Customers need a reason to be loyal, and that begins with integrity. All program benefits should be disclosed prominently on your website so members know if there are any restrictions. The quickest way to lose a customer and have that loyalty card wind up in someone’s junk drawer is to have too many exceptions, which should relate to clear customer communication. It’s so easy to communicate with someone once you have their email address, and doing it through newsletters, and promotional updates provide an interesting and upbeat way to stay in touch with all of your loyal customers. Make sure the redemption options are kept relevant and attractive, and when one of your loyalty customers calls or emails your company, make sure that your employees are able to respond and act accordingly. Empower all of your employees with knowledge and the ability to resolve issues immediately.

photo credit: Adam Jones, Ph.D.