gaining the customer satisfaction edge

Gaining the Customer Satisfaction Edge

Lesson Goals:

• Realize the relationship between customer service and customer satisfaction

• Identify qualities of excellent customer service• Learn how to handle difficult customers• Enhance communication skills


Is 99.9% Good Enough?

• 5,516,200 cases of flat soft drinks• 2 million lost documents• 811,000 faulty rolls of film• 12 babies given to wrong parents• 1,312 calls misplaced per second


Service Statistics• Only 37% of brands received good or excellent customer

experience index scores in 2012. 64% of brands got a

rating of “OK,” “poor,” or “very poor” from their customers.

• Poor customer experiences result in an estimated $83

billion loss by US enterprises each year because of

defections and abandoned purchases.

• 89% of consumers began doing business with a competitor

following a poor customer experience.

• Customer power has grown, as 73%of firms trust recommendations from friends and family, while only 19 % trust direct mail


Service Statistics• Over 60% of customer service managers select customer satisfaction as the key metric for

determining the success of their support organization. Secondary priorities include first call resolution,

average handle time, and wait time.

• 86% of consumers will pay more for a better customer experience.

• Only 26% of companies have a well-developed strategy in place for improving customer experience.

• $289 – Average annual value of each customer relationship lost to a competitor or abandoned.

• US consumers prefer to resolve their customers service issues using the telephone (90%) face to

face (75%), company website or email (67%), online chat (47%), text message (22%), social

networking site (22%).


Why Customers / Clients Stop Doing Business

• 1% die• 3% move away• 5% other reasons• 9% competition• 14% don’t like the product or service• 68% indifferent attitude of sales people

Around 95% of the customers that leave will not tell you when or why, they just leave.


Customers Evaluate Service Quality on Five Points

• ReliabilityReliability• AssuranceAssurance• TangiblesTangibles• EmpathyEmpathy• ResponsivenessResponsiveness


ReliabilityReliability

• Perform and live up to promises• Dependable• Accurate


AssuranceAssurance

• Trust and confidence in you• Possess required skills and knowledge to

perform the job well• Answer questions• Product knowledge• Listening skills


TangiblesTangibles

• Quality in what can be seen or felt• Physical facility• Equipment• Staff• Letters


EmpathyEmpathy

• Caring and individualized• Available when customers need help


ResponsivenessResponsiveness

• Willingness to assist customers• Prompt service• Resolve problems quickly


Barriers to Effective Listening

• Listening with “half an ear”• Acting as the judge and the jury• Tuning in and tuning out• Turning off ideas you don’t agree

with• Jumping to conclusions• Emotional and physical health


Ten Tips for Effective Listening

1.Stop talking!2.Put the customer at ease3.Pay attention to nonverbal

language4.Listen for what is not said5.Know exactly what the other person is saying


Ten Tips for Effective Listening

6. Be aware of “tune out” words7. Concentrate on “hidden” emotional meanings8. Be patient9. Hold your temper!10. Empathize with the Customer


Telephone Reminders

• Greet the caller pleasantly and promptly

• Identify yourself and your department to the caller

• Use the caller’s name• Every call is an important one• Stress what you can do, not what you

cannot do.


More Telephone Reminders

• Take the time to be helpful• Say, “please,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome”• Keep all your promises; return calls promptly• Treat all callers as customers• Treat all customers as friends


More Telephone Reminders

• When leaving messages, always leave your first and last name and your telephone number

• Do not leave a caller on hold for more than 20 seconds without coming back on the line

• Always ask “Is there anything else I can do for you?” before you say goodbye


When a Customer is Angry

• Don’t argue• Listen carefully• Apologize and use

reflective communication skills• Show empathy


Service Related Phrases


“You’re right.”

“I agree with you that…”

“I respect that...”

“I understand...”

“I respect that...”

“I respect you for...”“I appreciate that...”

When a Customer is Angry

• Thank the customer• Make restitution• Do what you promise• Follow up• Give them something


Rewards for Excellent Customer Service

• Increased customer loyalty• Positive word-of-mouth

promotion• Happier customers• More productive and happier employees• Smoother working operations• Increased intangible competitive advantage


gaining the customer satisfaction edge

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