I am taking a page from my personal life and turning it into a coaching session. Hope you pick up some pointers or take the opportunity to share your tips and techniques, or even vent, by posting a comment.
Take care of the customer and they'll take care of you.
The customer is always right, even when they're wrong.
Good service is good business.
What ever happened to customer service? Is it just me, or does it seem like people and companies aren't trying very hard any more? Have companies and people become apathetic, or have our expectations become too great?
Why are some companies still managing to 'WOW' us with their customer service and some failing miserably?
Here's what started me reflecting on customer service:
In late April I purchased a small flat screen TV and right out of the box it didn't work. Took it back to the store and they replaced it immediately. Saturday night, I turned on my "new" set for the first time in months and guess what . . . no TV. No Starz, no HBO, no Fox News.
After reading both the manufacturer's warranty and the extended service policy I purchased, I realized the set was still in the manufacturer's 90 day warranty period so I had to deal with the manufacturer for the repair.
Sunday, I make the first call to the manufacturer. Their call center is open on a Sunday. That's a positive start. Customer service should be convenient to the customer. I am informed that I need to take the tv to their authorized service facility about 30 to 40 minutes from my house.
On Monday I call to verify the repair shop's location and business hours only to discover that the shop has gone out of business. Not a good sign that the manufacturer's customer service department didn't know this. It is a credibility buster when a customer has to tell you something important about your business that you should already know.
I make another call to the manufacturer and am told that they will have to send me a box for me to ship the tv out to a repair center in California, and it may take eight weeks just to get the box sent to my house. Seriously. Eight weeks. For an empty box. Then they have two weeks from when they receive the tv to determine whether or not it can be repaired. If they need to order parts, that could take a week or two, and if the parts are on back order . . . there is no telling when back ordered parts will be in.
I tried to get them to allow me to send them the broken tv and in return they could send me a new one. No go. At this writing I am waiting for the infamous box to arrive. I'll be lucky to have my tv back by Thanksgiving.
Here's the point that you need to remember when dealing with your customers so that you don't make the same mistake: The manufacturer had an opportunity to have me tell everyone what a great company they are and how happy I am with their product, but they missed the opportunity. All they needed to do was get me a new tv or expedite the repair, which I asked them to do. I would have been very pleased with this and I would be happy about their service and product because they stood behind it CHEERFULLY! After poor service and two dud tvs, I certainly am not going to recommend their product to anyone. In fact, I am going to not recommend the product.
Here's a few things to think about:
To build loyalty with today's consumers, mediocre service is not good enough. You have to provide extraordinary service in order to be thought of as only providing average service.
With so many firms doing such a great job of customer service, they have raised the bar for the rest of us. Consumer's expectations are high. We are performing for a tough crowd!
If You Don't Take Care of Your Customers, Someone Else Will
If you don't have systems in place to make certain that the customer's experience was positive, you will will never know what you are doing wrong and where you are falling short. That's what viral marketing is all about. You need to survey your customers to find out how you and your company is doing.
The best customer service policy is one that applies the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated.
Start building your customer service policies with this principle and you are on your way to delivering a winning experience for both you and the customer. It's hard to go wrong if you apply the Golden Rule to those you come into contact with. You must apply the Golden Rule CHEERFULLY. The more cheer, the more 'WOW'.
HERE'S HOW TO HANDLE THE ANGRIEST OF CUSTOMERS
During my career in home building, I was often called out to the field to resolve a customer related issue. Sometimes the customer showed up at the office (things were usually pretty serious by then) or I received a phone call.
If you've been in business more than six months, I would venture to guess that by now you've had the opportunity to experience at least one very difficult customer. Some of them may be customers that you would never want to build for or sell a home to ever again. If you've been in business for a while you'd probably agree that some of our best and most loyal customers start out being difficult customers until we turn things around and prove to them that we are a people and company of integrity and aren't going to give them less than what we promised.
In life, don't expect everyone to like you. It's unrealistic. Some people are going to be difficult to deal with, unreasonable, and down right hateful no matter how hard you try or how great of a job you do. Those are the customers that you refer to your competitors to see if they can help the customer get what they want. This may sound like a mean thing to do to your competitor, and you may be laughing, but your competitor just might be able to relate to your customer in a way you can't, and if you handle it right you'll end up looking like a true professional to both the customer and the competitor.
1. Remember that the customer is always right, even when he/she isn't.
I'm not saying that you cave in to the customer. I'm saying that you must allow the customer to tell you why he is angry or upset, and then work toward an understanding and meeting of the minds.
2. Don't get defensive.
It's likely that you understand your business better than your customer. You'll get your chance. Let him completely vent (download) and tell you how he thinks you or your company screwed up without interrupting him. You might also learn something that you need to know about your company or how to better handle something the next time. Accept his displeasure for what it is: an opportunity for both of you to grow.
Side note: This does not mean that you should allow a customer to verbally abuse you. If the customer starts spewing foul language or is acting as though he is going to punch your lights out, you MUST put your hand up to signal that the conversation is over and firmly say: "Mr.Buyer, I am here to get clarity on the situation so that I may properly address and resolve your concerns. I am willing to listen to your concerns but only if you can discuss them calmly so that I can fully understand and address each issue. If you would like to come back later when you have had a chance to calm down I will be happy to address each issue one by one at that time."
3. Listen to the customer's side of things, and when he appears to be through ask him if their are any other concerns that he has.
Now is the time to get any other issues out in the open. If he adds more concerns or issues to the list, at the end of each download, ask him if there is anything else that he has a concern about.
4. Thank him for bringing these items to your attention.
This is a very good strategy for several reasons:
- If this isn't what he expected you to do, this may take him by surprise, which gives you the advantage and ability to start rebuilding his trust and regain his confidence.
- Shows that you are interested in him and want to know about problems with your company
- Serves to calm him and assure him that you are not afraid to be confronted with problems and can deal with them
- Indicates that both you and your company are professionals and want to be aware of what's going on
After you have thanked him, you should add something positive that indicates that you and your company want to do a good job or provide good service, something sincere that will build trust, integrity, and respect between you, your company, and the customer.
e.g. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Mr. Buyer. Our commitment to do what we say we will is one of the things that our home buyers most frequently mention and rate very highly when they complete their post-closing survey."
5. Use the customer's name frequently in your conversation.
If you are not personally on a first name basis with this customer, I recommend that as a sign of respect you refer to him as Mr. Buyer and only use his first name if he offers it to you. This is a business setting and not a social one. Keep it professional and you'll earn his respect while showing him respect.
6. Restate his concerns to make certain you are clear on his issues.
This keeps both of you on track and makes certain that you fully understand the problem as he sees it.
7. Get the facts before you act!
If there is someone else involved in the process, such as a mortgage company or a builder's superintendent, you will need to hear that person's side of the story, so until you have all of the information you need to make a good decision about what needs to happen, tell the customer that you are going to look into the matter and that you will call him back at a specific, stated time. Ask if that is a good time for him. If not, find an agreeable time to call him back. PUT THAT TIME ON YOUR CALENDAR! Verify his contact number.
8. Call him at the appointed time even if you haven't solved his problem.
If you do not have the answers by the time you stated --- you must STILL call him at the appointed time. Do not be late calling him back. Being on time is very critical to a successful outcome. Tell him that you are still working on resolving his concern and why you are unable to resolve the situation. (Still need to speak with someone, checking availability, schedule, etc.) Do not let anyone else make this call for you. This is critical to your credibility and to further convey that you are indeed trying to resolve the concern.
9. Create an Action Plan
After you've gathered the facts, you'll need to come up with an equitable solution agreeable to both parties and a time line to make it happen. When giving time lines, pad the time frame. Better to resolve something sooner than expected than later than promised. If you are going to miss the deadline you agreed to, call him back PERSONALLY in advance of the deadline to deliver the bad news. This is going to make him doubt your credibility again but not to call will make the situation worse. Pad the deadline! Once again, if a call is made to deliver the message of a delay, it needs to come from you.
If you or your company is in the wrong, the cost of owning up to it and making it right will do more to advertise your services than anything else you do.
If the customer is wrong, and he may very well be, if it is something of minor cost you may need to suck it up and take care of the issue if only for goodwill. Look for a compromise. If he is wrong, remember to help him save face. When you do, you'll end up looking like the bigger person in the end .
10. If the customer hands you a problem, you own it until you get it resolved.
This way, the ball is never dropped. If you involve someone else in getting the problem handled, it is your responsibility to follow up with that person to make certain the situation gets resolved, and it is your responsibility to follow up with the customer to make certain that the concern is resolved to his satisfaction.
Customer complaints are opportunities to let your customers know that they have made a good business or buying decision and that they can confidently reccomend your company and services to their friends. It's all in how you handle it.
For the second day I have come into the office to discover that the Internet is down. This is serious. I feel like I am on a deserted island and living my 
oftware. They sound like a concert hall and have incredible HD graphics and you really need to see the great things that they can do. 
was when I upgraded from one 5 ¼" floppy disc drive to two. Whoo hoo! I think I threw a keg party.
Clearly I have a serious addiction to technology and need help. They say that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Is there a group for this? When the Internet comes back up I think I'll go on-line and see where they hold their meetings. 
those wireless pc cards so that I get back on the Internet and have it on the go in the car. While I'm there I'm going to pick up Lojack for my computers. Wonder what they have in that's new?