Showing posts with label Customer Service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Customer Service. Show all posts

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Feel Good factor

 


 Have you noticed that person walking along the street, head down and looking totally dejected? Have you noticed the person in the next cube….really in essence unnoticeable?


 We all go around in our day to day lives and don’t think about the quiet or unhappy person or even the unnoticeable.






If more people looked up from their lives for just a few minutes these people would no longer be unnoticed. A smile or a greeting of some sort would make all the difference to a lot of people.




 The holiday season is fast approaching and for whatever reason this is a depressing time for some people.
I remember my Mother always talking to strangers (she still does). At holiday time she could be heard singing carols in stores and smiling at people and wishing them Happy Christmas. I used to get embarrassed, but looking back I realize that is brightened a lot of people’s moods.



It would be nice if everyone would say hello or smile to just 1 person a day. Just think of the effect that would have.
The same principle works with unhappy customers. It’s hard to be mad at someone when they are visibly smiling at you. Make the effort and you will be surprised at how you can calm a customer who is dissatisfied. This, plus doing all you can to correct the problem. Your customer will thank you, they will recommend you to friends and family because you took the time and showed interest in resolving their problem. It may not be exactly the outcome they had hoped for but an outcome in their favor none the less. This in turn will increase your businesses reputation in the eyes of the consumer and that will increase your profits.

Greet people warmly, give eye contact and smile

People often go back to their favorite restaurants because the host greets them with a sincere smile, looks at them directly, and welcomes them with warmth.









Be a good listener
That means making eye contact and responding with verbal cues to show you hear what the speaker says. Verbal cues include these phrases: tell me more; what happened first, what happened next, that must have been difficult, and so on. Using them makes people feel actively listened to.




Dig deeper

When you engage in a conversation, don't leave it too quickly. If your customer/client/patient mentions her vacation, pick up on the cue and dig deeper. Ask where she went, what she did, what was the highlight, if she would go back.

Show an interest in others

In response to our high tech environment filled with e-mail and fax broadcasts, we need high touch more than ever. That's what you create when you show an interest in the lives of your customers/clients/patients every chance you get.

Express empathy

Everyone is entitled to be listened to, even when in the wrong.

Great Customer Service should be expected and received.
Great Customer Service is a business essential for a company to be successful.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Does Customer Service affect ME?

Does Customer Service –

Good or Bad REALLY Affect ME?

As a consumer, have you ever left a store or talked to a sales person on the phone or attended a Doctor’s Office and come out saying “I will never go back there again?”

As a company, have you thought “Why are we struggling to keep our customers?”

Then yes, customer service affects you. It affects everyone, no matter what station in life you are from. It is something you cannot avoid.

Good Customer Service is attainable if you are committed to it.

Good Customer Service is a Business Essential.

Companies need to appreciate the customer. They do, after all, keep your business alive. The customer has choices and you want that choice to be YOU!

Word of Mouth is a great marketing tool that needs to be harnessed, especially in this Digital Marketing world we now find ourselves in. You can no longer rely on the fact you have a product or service that the customer needs – so do a lot of other companies.

Why would you want to be part of the pack? As a company don’t you strive to be the best?

You should strive for the “WOW” factor – WOW what great customer service; WOW this is a great company – if your customer does not leave saying  “WOW”, your goal has not been achieved.

WOW- Wickedly, Outstanding, Whiz-Bang Service

Repeat business does rely on customer satisfaction. To use a movie quote: “If you build it he will come”.

 If you want to retain your customers, increase your profits, and be known as the best, you have to concentrate on the Customer and not the Sale. They might not purchase anything on that visit, but with the best customer service they WILL return and purchase something the next time. Cultivate what you have and you will be rewarded.

It takes just 7 seconds for a customer to make a decision on the kind of company you are, whether you are the company they want to do business with. First impressions are important.

Companies are notorious for believing they have good customer service. How much time do you spend with your staff? Your first line employee will tell your customer what type of company you are by their actions. This group is one of your most important assets. They need your time, they need to feel appreciated. If you feel good about your staff, they will feel good about themselves and the Good Customer Service comes into effect.

Do you have an employee reward program in place?

The saying “the customer is always right” was not supposed to be a blanket statement. It has been taken too literally. The customer is not always right, but the customer expects and deserves to be listened to and their dissatisfaction addressed with respect and concern and a favorable outcome achieved.

Every company has the power to be the best; every company is capable of having the “WOW” factor.