>>Customer
Service Articles
The Moment of Truth
Every customer contact is a Moment of Truth that
creates a Moment of Misery, a Moment of Mediocrity, or a
Moment of WOW. In the Moment of Truth you can create
customers for LIFE or you can initiate a slow and
painful demise of your company one customer at a time.
A Moment of Mediocrity is what most often occurs in
business to customer interactions and this is where the
customer's expectations were met - and those may even be
low expectations. Customers who experience a Moment of
Mediocrity, feel "satisfied" but will not
reward the company with loyalty. These customers are
only your customers because they haven't found a better
experience.
A Moment of Misery is created each time you fail to meet
the customer's expectations. Often, Moments of Misery
result in damaging and highly persuasive negative
word-of-mouth advertising and customer defection.
A Moment of WOW is created when you exceed the
customer's expectations. Service must be truly
outstanding and service providers have to go
"Beyond WOW" to create the Moment of WOW.
Moments of WOW create a profitable base of loyal
customers, which results in growth, increased profits,
and lasting value. (For hundreds of ideas on how to
create Moments of WOW, pick up my brand new book, Beyond
WOW by going to Beyond WOW.)
Two years ago I stayed in a luxury hotel in Miami with a
corner ocean view room. I paid $179 for a one-night stay
and my expectations for service were high. I experienced
a myriad of problems during my short stay and one
situation stands out. The morning of my departure I
called the Concierge to arrange transportation to the
airport. Here's a summary of this Moment of Truth:
Me, the Customer: "I need to be at Miami
International Airport by 5:00 pm for a 6:00pm flight.
Can you arrange transportation with Super Shuttle for
me? " Simple request - or so I thought.
Concierge: "Ma'am, you have to give at least a 24
hour notice for a shuttle to the airport. I cannot call
for you. You can take a taxi or we can arrange a car for
you for $99. "
Me, the "paying" customer:"Why do you
need a 24 hour notice for a routine ride to the airport?
Concierge: "It's our procedure. You can take a taxi
or I can arrange a car. Those are your choices."
Me, the customer/ the reason you have a job: "Okay,
can you just veer away from "procedure" and
see if the shuttle can pick me up eight hours from right
now?"
Concierge: "I can give you the number and you can
call."
I called Super Shuttle and the representative said,
"Sure, the royal blue van will meet you out front
at exactly 4:30." See how easy that was? Why
couldn't the Concierge just pick up the phone and check?
Here's what the Concierge should have said upon my
request for a shuttle: "Ms. Golden, typically Super
Shuttle requires a 24 hour advance notice, but I'll see
what I can do. If I cannot arrange transportation with
the shuttle, we can get you to the airport by taxi or
private car. Let me check on that and I'll call you
right back." This response would have made the
Moment of Truth a Moment of Mediocrity and perhaps I
would have considered another stay at the hotel. But my
moment was Misery and not only will I not return, but
like every customer, I'll spread negative word-of- mouth
advertising.
A Moment of Misery is created every time you:
*Tell a customer "No" without first telling
them what you can do
*Quote policy
*Fail to follow-up/follow through
*Make the customer tell and retell their story with
unnecessary transfers
*Respond to complaints with an accusatory or
interrogatory style
*Refuse to take responsibility for problems
*Fail to apologize to customers
*Tell a customer they are wrong - even when they are
wrong
*Cut a customer off
*You only get one Moment of Truth with customers. What
will it be?
Myra
Golden is an award-winning professional speaker and
principal of Myra Golden Seminars, LLC (www.myragolden.com)
a customer service training firm clients in food and
beverage, banking, healthcare, hospitality, and other
industries. Her client list includes McDonald’s,
Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin
Tires, Pirelli, and Procter & Gamble, among many
others.
In
addition,
Myra
is a published author of Beyond
WOW, producer of more than a dozen customer
service videos, editor of weekly customer service
newsletter, and is a repeated guest speaker at consumer
affairs conferences and annual company meetings
throughout North America
.
1. Be 1. Be assertive - not aggressive or passive. My
definition of assertion is simple: "Say what you
mean, mean what you say, and don't be mean when you say
it." Let this rule guide your conversations with
all customers and you will always be confident, cool,
and in control AND you'll always be professional.
2. Speak more slowly. You'll be amazed at how much more
clearly you can think and how much control and
confidence you experience when you consciously slow down
your rate of speech. Speak slowly and methodically when
your emotional triggers are launched and you'll maintain
poise during difficult conversations.
3. Wait 1-2 seconds before responding. Responding
immediately to difficult or tactical customers could
result in you saying something you'll later regret.
Before you respond, take a deep breath, wait at least 2
seconds, and think about the best response and the best
approach.
4. Take a time-out. When you sense that your buttons
have been pushed, take a break. You can tell the
customer you need to put him on hold while you review a
file, or whatever excuse sounds good at the time. The
point is to get away from the customer for a few seconds
so you can re-group.
5. Use positive self-talk. I'm going to sound like Dr.
Phil on this one, but I'm quite serious. Instead of
saying to yourself, "I don't get paid enough to put
up with this ____." Say something more positive
like "This guy really needs my help." Thinking
more positively helps you respond more positively and
professionally. Negative thoughts lead to negative
words, and it spirals into a very negative situation.
6. Show your power before you use it. Often, a subtle
suggestion of your "power" is far more
effective than the outright use of your power. As a
customer service professional you may have the power to
terminate a phone call. You could say to your customer:
"If you don't stop yelling, I will terminate this
call." But, believe it or not, you are far more
"powerful" if you say, "I want to help
you, but when you yell and cut me off, you make it
difficult for me to work with you." The latter
statement demonstrates your power and your message most
definitely gets across. The former statement uses up all
of your ammunition and won't usually diffuse an irate
customer.
These incredibly simple tips will position you to keep
your cool when customers get hot!
Myra
Golden is an award-winning professional speaker and
principal of Myra Golden Seminars, LLC (www.myragolden.com)
a customer service training firm clients in food and
beverage, banking, healthcare, hospitality, and other
industries. Her client list includes McDonald’s,
Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin
Tires, Pirelli, and Procter & Gamble, among many
others.
In
addition,
Myra
is a published author of Beyond
WOW, producer of more than a dozen customer
service videos, editor of weekly customer service
newsletter, and is a repeated guest speaker at consumer
affairs conferences and annual company meetings
throughout North America
.
Copyright 2006 Craig Binkley
Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that
question, take a moment and think about the last few
times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now
that you have really thought about it, is your answer
any different?
Why is it that when we actually DO receive excellent
customer service that it makes such an impression on us
that we usually choose to go back? Why - because the
occurrences are so few and far between!!!
As a home business owner, it is imperative to my
business that customer service is ALWAYS a top priority.
Remember the saying: “If you don’t take care of your
customer, somebody else will”. I’m sure you have
read or heard it somewhere before.....and how true it
is.
Here are a few ways to improve customer service at your
business:
1) SMILE - Sounds too simple, right? As a customer,
would you prefer to be serviced by a smiling face, or a
scowl that would befit a guard dog?
2) LISTEN - Always be slow to speak and quick to listen.
Let customers express themselves without you trying to
do it for them. Nobody likes being interrupted.
3) DON’T BE TOO PUSHY - Yeah, I know - the bottom line
is sales, right?
There is a fine line between suggesting
products/services and pushing them down a customer’s
throat. If you are too pushy, your customer will
probably walk away and take their business elsewhere.
4) PHONE ETTIQUETTE - Whether you are answering or
initiating a call, always remember who the customer is.
Be polite. Try “Yes sir/ma’am” instead of
“yeah” and “nope”. If you don’t have an answer
for your customer - offer to do some research to find
what they are inquiring about.
5) THANK YOU - ALWAYS thank your customers. Even if you
could not help them or they decided not to purchase from
you. Leave them with a positive impression of your
business before they leave.
6) TRAINING - Train your employees. Don’t let an
untrained employee ruin your track record of excellent
customer service. Train your employees on-the-job for as
long as necessary to teach them good customer service.
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also
to them likewise” Luke 6:31
In conclusion: Customer service may be THE most
important aspect of your business plan. I know of many
people who are willing to pay a little more for a
product or service in order receive excellent customer
care. Price, advertising, and location are all vital to
a business---- but whatever you do, don’t overlook the
all-important “Good Customer Service”.
Article
Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Craig Binkley - husband, father
and home business owner. Visit his Work From Home
Directory at www.workfromhomehelper.com
for legitimate work from home opportunities and ideas.
Copyright 2006 Craig Binkley
Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that
question, take a moment and think about the last few
times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now
that you have really thought about it, is your answer
any different?
Why is it that when we actually DO receive excellent
customer service that it makes such an impression on us
that we usually choose to go back? Why - because the
occurrences are so few and far between!!!
As a home business owner, it is imperative to my
business that customer service is ALWAYS a top priority.
Remember the saying: “If you don’t take care of your
customer, somebody else will”. I’m sure you have
read or heard it somewhere before.....and how true it
is.
Here are a few ways to improve customer service at your
business:
1) SMILE - Sounds too simple, right? As a customer,
would you prefer to be serviced by a smiling face, or a
scowl that would befit a guard dog?
2) LISTEN - Always be slow to speak and quick to listen.
Let customers express themselves without you trying to
do it for them. Nobody likes being interrupted.
3) DON’T BE TOO PUSHY - Yeah, I know - the bottom line
is sales, right?
There is a fine line between suggesting
products/services and pushing them down a customer’s
throat. If you are too pushy, your customer will
probably walk away and take their business elsewhere.
4) PHONE ETTIQUETTE - Whether you are answering or
initiating a call, always remember who the customer is.
Be polite. Try “Yes sir/ma’am” instead of
“yeah” and “nope”. If you don’t have an answer
for your customer - offer to do some research to find
what they are inquiring about.
5) THANK YOU - ALWAYS thank your customers. Even if you
could not help them or they decided not to purchase from
you. Leave them with a positive impression of your
business before they leave.
6) TRAINING - Train your employees. Don’t let an
untrained employee ruin your track record of excellent
customer service. Train your employees on-the-job for as
long as necessary to teach them good customer service.
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also
to them likewise” Luke 6:31
In conclusion: Customer service may be THE most
important aspect of your business plan. I know of many
people who are willing to pay a little more for a
product or service in order receive excellent customer
care. Price, advertising, and location are all vital to
a business---- but whatever you do, don’t overlook the
all-important “Good Customer Service”.
Article
Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Craig Binkley - husband, father
and home business owner. Visit his Work From Home
Directory at www.workfromhomehelper.com
for legitimate work from home opportunities and ideas.
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