| |
| |
|
WebsiteAlways |
|
Profit from a Customer Service Recovery Program
A client recently said to me: "Most days things seem to run smoothly; but whenever we have a customer complaint, we seem to collapse. Where are we going wrong?" How you handle and solve customer concerns and complaints is a measure of your standing in the "excellent", "bad", or "mediocre" category of customer service. Many companies fit into the "mediocre" (average) category where indifference and defensiveness best describe their operation. Are you sure this is not you? Recently I returned from a business trip and was not pleased to find that two books I'd ordered three weeks before had not yet arrived, despite a promise from the book vendor that they would be delivered in five days. I was naturally upset and called the book vendor's long-distance number. While I firmly told the lady who answered the phone how unhappy I was about their failure to deliver, and how this had greatly inconvenienced my schedule, she interrupted me right in the middle with: "Just a minute sir,you'll have to talk to customer service" I said: "I'm sorry I thought you worked there' She said: "I do" I said: "Oh, I see, but you're not in customer service?' She said: "That's right" (How interesting!) I said: "Well, I guess you'd better put me through to customer service then" She said: "They've gone for the day" I heard indifference in her voice. Not wishing to deny her the opportunity to take charge of the situation, I said: "What should I do?" She said: "You'll have to call back tomorrow" (Isn't that special!) No customer service recovery here. Only indifference and buck-passing - the symptoms of a mediocre business that tolerates less than outstanding customer service. Do you think I still do business with those people? Certainly not. Not when their competitors are just dying to steal me away! Not when I have many other options! Contrast that mediocre service with the response from my Internet service provider, Netvision, in Wichita, Kansas. Some time ago, during their changeover of equipment, I was unable to access the Internet or my e-mail at the weekend for over an hour, which was unusual. When I eventually called the office on Monday to complain, the lady in charge, Melody, was most apologetic, explained about the equipment change, told me what she was going to do, got back to me in fifteen minutes (as she promised) with an update, and when all was fixed, she gave me her home number in case this ever happened at the week-end again. Wow! And the piece de resistance - on my next bill the monthly charge was waived! So, what was the difference here? The first company didn't have a customer service recovery program or policy, even though they probably think they have - and their brochures and publicity tell us they're the best! The second company, Netvision, walked the talk, knew why they were in business, knew that the customer has many choices, and they had a system for customer service recovery. How can you profit from a customer service recovery program? · Make a list of things that could, and do, go wrong; show how they should be handled, and how to prevent them from recurring. · Give your people the tools to do the job ?training, authority to take a decision, adequate equipment and materials, and information. · At staff meetings, get employees' input on what improvements you could make to procedures that affect their ability to perform. · Show appreciation and acknowledgment of the efforts and commitment of your people, especially when they handle difficult situations. · Call some of your customers who've had a problem and ask them how your company scored in service recovery! John Madden is an international speaker, trainer, and author of "Leap, Don't Sleep" (How to get different results by doing something different). He specializes in customer service, coaching skills for managers, stress management through humor, creative problem solving, and interpersonal skills. You can reach him at 1-800-689-6932 or 316-689-6932; email at john@LeapDontSleep.com; web site: http://www.LeapDontSleep.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Customer-Service - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Moments That Matter Many years ago, I was a first year apprentice assigned the task of pressure washing a set of condensing coils on the roof of a grocery store on Capital Hill in Seattle, an upscale part of town.It was a 90-degree day, in late August. Dealing with People - Words to Avoid You probably realise how the wrong tone of voice and negative body language can cause problems when dealing with other people, particularly customers and staff. However, using the wrong words can also cause problems. The Nine Principles of Customer Service for the Travel Industry© If you want to learn how to get your clients to do your selling for you through excpetional customer service, read on. Learn customer service secrets from tourism professionals, apply them to your business and prosper. Turning Customer Mistakes Into Raving Fans When you make a mistake with a customer, should you write them off as lost -- never to return again?Nope. There have been numerous studies which show that a customer who has had a problem and gotten it resolved in a timely manner and to their satisfaction is a more loyal customer than one who has never had a problem. How To Boost Your Bottom Line With Two Little Words I hate to sound like one of those cheesy get-rich-quick commercials, but this week I am going to let you in on a little secret that is so powerful that it will immediately change the way you do business.In fact, this little secret is so powerful that you will be amazed at its immediate effect on you, your employees, and your bottom line. Are You A Coward? I Was Over the last month, I have come to hate emails and answerphones; not because I get 100 emails every day but because emails and answerphones are fast becoming the tool of the coward. At Beyond Philosophy we worked with a client a while ago whose account managers and sales teams never used to speak to anyone! They just used to send emails. Outsourcing: The Unspoken Costs Outsourcing seems to be the new-new thing and approximately 50% of our major corporations are doing it. What are the costs? The benefits? And what skills need to be managed in order to make it work optimally?Let's get a clear understanding of what we mean by outsourcing: it's the shifting of easily codified jobs - such as help desk support, call centers, system maintenance, and programming jobs - to countries that can manage them more cheaply. Customer Service Tips for Mail Order Businesses Can we be too good to our customers? No way! Our customers are the backbone of our business! They're right no matter what! But I'm sorry to disagree with you. As small, honest and legitimate businesses - we have a tendency to place our product quality above money. Writing The Book On Great Customer Service Q: One of the big chain bookstores recently opened up near my small book store. Already I can see my business starting to decline. Clients?Do You Really Need Them? Running a successful business takes a lot of energy and there are so many areas that as a business owner you need to pay attention too.It's not enough to spend heaps of time, money and resources into getting buyers for your goods and services and then leaving those clients/customers to their own devices. 5 Ways Customer Service Managers are Implementing to Increase Customer Focus According to a Forum Corporation survey of commercial customers lost by 14 major service and manufacturing companies:15% found a better service/product15% found a cheaper service/product20% cited "lack of contact and individual attention from the company"50% said; "contact from old suppliers" personnel was poor in quality"These days, it seems that everyone from dog walkers to dotcoms is making "customer service" their mission. Department, discount and convenience stores have all transformed the workers who used to be known as "sales clerks" into "customer service associates"- in theory at least. Courting Customers - From First Date to Marriage Landing a new client is like courting a potential spouse. The first date is usually a make or break situation and if the door is still open, the work has just begun. Debt Elimination Scam May people these days have a problem with mounting debt. The average person is well below the bad credit limit and is in desperate need to fix it. Create Win-Win Deals With Your Competitors In the competitive world of the 20th century, we generally viewed competitors as the enemy. And a competitor was anyone who sold to the same target audience as us - even if they sold a different item. Sales Marketing: 10 High Impact Ways To Improve Your Customer Service If you want to last a long time in business and succeed, you must learn how to make your customers happy.You have to know who are your customers, what they want and keep in touch with them and their needs. Customer Service and The Human Experience Historically, customer service was delivered over the phone or in person. Customers didn't have many choices, and switching to competitors was cumbersome. One of the Secrets of a Great Customer Experience A few weeks ago we conducted our annual "Customer Experience Study Tour" in London England. This is where we take delegates to visit a number of leading Customer Experience companies for a behind-the-scenes look at how they approach the task of building a great Customer Experience. Doesnt Anybody Work Here? Nametags Impact Employee Communication Walmart was the first business to require all its employees to wear nametags. (There's a surprise!) Sam Walton created this initiative because he wanted his customers to "get to know the people they bought from. Customer Feedback: Everyone has an Opinion - USE IT! Have you ever been in a department store and known exactly what you were looking for but couldn't locate any staff to help you find it? Think of your website as your very own department store, and your contact numbers, email addresses, and FAQ's navigational buttons as your staff. Without these handy interaction tools, your purchaser will get frustrated and E-shop somewhere else. Ten Ways to Help You Improve Your Customer Service 1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis.
|
| Interesting articles | Home | site map | Link |
| © 2006 |