CREATING A “WOW” FACTOR THROUGH CUSTOMER SERVICE

Presented by Bruce HodesCMI

711 South Boulevard, Suite 10Oak Park, IL 60302

Phone: (708) 383-7970, (800) 883-7995Email: bhodes@cmiteamwork.com Website: www.cmiteamwork.com

WELCOME TO:

OVERVIEW

This session presents my perspective about what makes customers loyal

and creates a wow.

CREATING WOW IS A MOVING TARGET

What is effective in one year, not in the next?

It is about establishing a “cult” of loyal customers.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Participants will learn the following:

• Exercises and data that help create awareness and enthusiasm regarding customer focus and service.

• Models and methods for groups to design, implement and monitor their own strategies for improving customer service.

BENEFITS

Benefits you can get from this talk:Create a service differentiationImprove focus of your service strategyHave a shot at getting “there”,

attaining your vision and growing your organization

ACTIONSActions we want you to take:Determine your service strategyTake real steps to improve your

customer serviceUse the tools offered to improve your

customer service

GROUND RULES

1. This is highly participative & an aerobics class

2. Be safe -- be aware of yourself & others

3. Ask a lot of questions

4. Be prepared to apply this material

5. Use it or lose it!

Discipline of Market Leaders

Operational excellenceProduct innovationCustomer intimacy

TENT POLE

Did the teams collaborate?

What was the customer service

strategy?

Where was high performance?

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer kept informed on task progress

Customer service strategy in place and

operating

Relationship with customer being

developed

Customer is overwhelmed with service

AUDIT FOR TEAMS

KANO MODEL OF CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS (Taken from the book Fourth Generation Management written by Brian L Joiner)

Must have: Characteristics or

features we take for granted, like clean linens and hot water in a hotel

room.

More is better:

In this category, we are disappointed if a need is poorly met but have increasing satisfaction (and perhaps even delight) the better that need is met.

Delighter:

These are the features or characteristics that surprise customers…in a good way.

VALUE OF THE KANO MODEL

1. It helps employees set priorities in their own work

2. It help people avoid the trap of thinking that “no complaints” equals customer satisfaction

Ways Bruce Has Seen Companies Create Wow

Conducting business over the web:

Credit CardsBillingCustomer Service informationE-mail marketingE-mail customer newslettersGreat website

Having very defined customer niches:

Finding specific segments of the marketplace in which you can dominate and leverage from a leadership position.

Knowing who is not a fit.

Customer gets a special relationship with, and access to the

owner/leaders in the organization:

Makes it saferAccessEmphasize local ownedYou have a friend/familyLeader directly involved in selling and

keeping major accounts.

Service –driven culture:

You always get a voice (no auto-attendant)Quick turnaround regarding customer problems

– always in the loopYou never get a voice mail Better internal training for better quality

products Profit-sharing/Retention bonus-internally; helps

keep everyone focused on keeping the customerVoice mail messages are detailed oriented –

How are yours

Truly being the knowledge-driven specialist.

Knowledge as a differentiation vs. price.

Education as a differentiation

Icon that truly stands for something

ParadesClient daysGood marketingUnder usedHas to be embraced by the culture

A real service guarantee with “teeth” in that we live by.

Makes it safer to buyHampton InnCMI

Clear Billing and invoice:

Striving to have the clearest and cleanest invoice in industry

No “surprise” chargesHow do you handle price increases

Being different – “We are not your typical company, and we are proud of it.”

A different kind of cultureSW AirlinesCentral StatesRitz CarltonSaturn

Immaculate facilities and image.

THE SURVEY QUESTIONS ARE?

How likely is it that you would recommend CMI to a friend or colleague?.

How likely is it that you will use us again and why?

(Taken from The One Number You Need to Grow - Harvard Business Review – December 2005)

Are we your favorite vendor? Why?

Lets identify where you are?

I did some mystery shopping.

Lets take the audit

Level 1

Bean Counting

Level 2

Posters, Pins and Plaques

Level 3

Tiger by the tail

Level 4

Bulls eye!

What do we do now?

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus

STEP ONE

Distinguish out the customer

It’s a special relationship

Customer is not always right, but is always the customer

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus

STEP TWO

Distinguish between task behavior and service

Service covers the product

Service is a differentiation

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus

STEP THREE

Define the service strategy

How do I make them Loyal?

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus

STEP FOUR Implement service strategy

If it’s not implemented, you have done nothing

Thinking about it gives you zip

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus

STEP FIVE

Build feedback loop

“Voice” of the customer needs to be shared & internalized

BUILD A STRATEGY

What can you take from this talk?

The Critical Question

IS YOURCOMPANYBUILT TO

LAST AND THRIVE VS DIE OR JUST SURVIVE?

DIFFERENTIATION

What is the Holy Grail in business?

Being the only game in town?

ORHow can you be a big fish in a

small pond?

DIFFERENTIATION

You can’t be all things to all people.

Why should people buy repeatedly from you? - That is the “Question”?

AND A FINAL REVIEW…Experiment!

Customer Service strategies need to be planned

Be flexible

Try new ideas that will make your organization indispensable to the people it serves

THEREFORE…

Pick your nichePick your customersCreate your cultureImplement, Implement, Implement

RECOMMENDED BOOKS Customer Service for Dummies

By Karen Leland and Keith Bailey

Raving FansBy Ken Blanchard

The Discipline of Market Leaders By Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema

CEO Tools: The Nuts-n-Bolts of Business for Every Manager’s SuccessBy Kraig Kramers

AND AS YOU LEAVE, REMEMBER…

“THERE IS VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW, AND ONE WHO

DOES NOT USE WHAT ONE KNOWS…”

USE THIS STUFF OR YOU WILL LOSE IT!

IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION

BibliographyEmail NewslettersQuestionsJust leave your business card

with Bruce!

THANK YOU!

If you have any questions,please see Bruce!

Or you can contact us by:Phone: (708) 383-7970 or (800) 883-7995

Email: bhodes@cmiteamwork.com Website: www.cmiteamwork.com