Service Untitled

Customer experiences ultimately make the difference between customers walking through the door of your business or that of your competition. It doesn’t happen by chance because all functions in an organization need to be aligned in order for the process to run perfectly. We want those customers to become fans; think Pittsburgh Steelers and Greenbay Packers Superbowl – the ultimate in “wow” experience. Alright admittedly that seems over the top, but nevertheless a work in progress requires an immense amount of work and dedication to finally realize your goals.

Positive customer experience begins with the right promises. What are customer expectations in your particular organization? How does operations, staff, and products all fit together in order to make great experiences happen?

Even small things done really well can help to create that ultimate experience. Perhaps you may consider the following suggestions:

• Send your customers reminders by text, phone, or mail about store promotions, sales, new products, and special events. Do something just a little differently even if it is  just offering cheese and crackers, small promotional gifts, or an additional discount to the first 25 customers who participate or come into your store.
• Have gift cards available for customers. They are an easy and convenient way to shop.
• Have a loyalty club where customers can earn points for rewards. Make it easy for customers, and don’t have too many exceptions. Nothing ruins the experience more than a long list of what “does not qualify” on a redemption loyalty card.
• Remind customers about warranty renewals. Be consistent, and show you are paying attention to your customers. Is it time for servicing of their product? It’s a great way to stay in touch.
• Have customers create their own wish list and keep it on file. Just think of all the significant others who could actually purchase a gft for someone and know that is what the person really wanted.
• Be a knowledge base for customers. Know your product, and know your product well. Answer questions, know who or where to go to in case of an unknown contingency. Be that “go to” person for your customer.
• Teach employees to recognize and respond to customers attitudes and behaviors.

Great experiences fly. The word will get out, and the customers will come.

photo credit: Karen Roe

Just a quick post today to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday. Please enjoy some time with your family and friends.

As always, thank you for reading, sending in post ideas, linking to Service Untitled, commenting, and more. We’ve had a great 2010 and we’re looking forward to an even better 2011. And of course, we wish the same to you, your family, and your business.

Thanks again and happy holidays,
The Team at Service Untitled

photo credit: Paigey Pics

Cheryl’s post yesterday marked an important milestone for Service Untitled – our 1,000th post. I started Service Untitled all the way back in April 2006 (you can see the full archives here) and since then, the blog has grown into a leading blog on customer service and the customer service experience. We’ve published a lot of posts that I am very proud of, including a number of terrific interviews, book reviews, and more.

As I’ve gotten busier, Service Untitled has still grown in other ways. We’ve added other writers, including staff writer Cheryl Hanna (who happens to be my mom as well as a great writer), regular contributors Chip Bell and John Patterson, and a variety of other guest authors. These people have contributed advice and expertise that I may not have from my own experiences through the companies I’ve been involved with as an employee or consultant. One of the main reasons I started Service Untitled was to learn and it’s been a great experience so far. I’ve learned a lot about customer service and have talked to a lot of very interesting people.

We’re looking forward to the next 1,000 posts. Thanks for reading.

Service Untitled has been named one of the “20 Blogs Business Management Students Will Love” by the folks at Rasmussen College. Being number six on a list of 20 blogs that also includes the likes of Church of the Customer, the excellent Harvard Business Review blogs, and a number of other awesome blogs is a huge honor.

Thanks to Rasmussen College for the recognition!

Customer Service Week is celebrated from October 4 to October 8, recognizing the importance of customer service and honoring the people who provide the best examples of great service. The International Customer Association began Customer Service Week in 1988, and in 1992 Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event.

Celebrations range from information sharing, inspirational stories, coffee and cake breaks to huge celebratory dinners, but all hold the service and support of those working on the front lines in great esteem.

Kathy Garcia of  The Job Training Center speaks about this year’s theme which is  ‘A brand new experience.’ Branding used to be just associated with a company logo or a business card, but that was 20 years ago. Today Garcia describes it as the experience customer service provides.

Branding is how businesses live and breathe. With the popularity of the internet, consumers are much better educated and have become savvy decision makers. Branding becomes the impact a company has on their customers’ lives through their services or their products. Instead of a business stating, “We want you as a customer,” the customer or client says instead, “We need you.”

How do you develop that positive perception others have on you? That’s when we come full circle with the best of the best in customer service by raising awareness, using it, and helping to educate and understand a company’s target group or market, but it’s hard work. A company can’t be everything to everyone, and each company needs to find their own particular niche. As an example, Wal-Mart caters to low prices, Microsoft is known for technology, and Mercedes-Benz is known for luxury.

Once companies have decided on their central focus, they work on building brand equity. Compare it to your house. If your home is worth $200,000 and your mortgage is $100,000, your equity in your home is $100,000. The same can be said in business, except brand equity is relatively intangible, but nevertheless that perceived value is what will make you a success as long as you supply good service, good value, and an overall great experience.

P.S. In honor of Customer Service Week, our friends Lori Jo Vest and Marilyn Suttle (who contributed to Service Untitled back in May) are launching the “Who’s Your Gladys?” video series of customer service “quick tips.” The quick video-clips are ideal for staff meeting openers, weekly mini-courses, or tools for reinforcing an already great customer service culture. Their book called “Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan,” is on store shelves and online resellers. Visit the video launch page for special offers at www.whosyourgladys.tv.

photo credit: BinaryApe

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

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

The best way to become customer-centric is to prioritize the value of your customer. It’s not just about what you sell, your marketing strategies or even the value of your products or services. To be profitable and successful, the focus goes beyond the obvious, and filters down to the manufacturers, the product designs, how the merchandise is supplied, and eventually down to the cost of manufacturing.

There’s a plethora of “buzz” words out here to describe true customer engagement; some prefer the use of customer-centric, customer experience management, customer profitability or even customer value, but the bottom line, no matter what your description, is to place the customer needs in front.

Some companies believe that customer-centric only applies to service industries and only for those service representatives who directly have contact with consumers. Some companies are even convinced that high scores on customer service surveys are true evaluators of a customer-centric organization, but that is not necessarily true. Actually a successful customer-centric organization has figured out how to prioritize cost and quality to a customer, but also works with every other aspect of the seemingly endless process of manufacturing and delivery to assure the maximum service to someone with the least amount of disappointment.

Let’s use the example of Zappos since few of us can argue that this customer-centric organization doesn’t present an exemplary experience for their customers. This high volume organization uses customer service agents who have had extensive training and can inform, delight, and deliver that “wow” experience both online or by telephone. The price of their merchandise meets the competition, and customers know they are receiving value, and the latest trends, all of which are carefully monitored. Customers can track the quick and reliable delivery. In today’s world of social media and especially Twitter, delivery woes can play havoc on a branded image. Even the condition how merchandise arrives makes a profound influence on customer satisfaction, which again filters down to the high standards of the distribution chain of Zappos.

At Zappos the customer is always the focal point, and their technology creates convenient online ordering, and there are few contingencies to preclude any customer from returning, for free, merchandise that doesn’t fulfill their expectation. Combine that with a social web of team members who filter complaints, questions, and compliments, the company provides a stellar example of prioritizing the value of their customers.

photo credit: Torley