the art of intentional customer service atlantic hr conference speaker: paula morand october 2, 2008
TRANSCRIPT
The Art of Intentional Customer Service
Atlantic HR Conference Speaker: Paula Morand October 2, 2008
You can’t promise your customers
sunny weather, but you can promise to hold an umbrella
over them when it rains.
Anonymous
Who is your Customer?
Customer Service
• Answering questions• Solving problems• Untangling Corporate Logjams• Fixing what’s broken and finding what’s
lost.• Soothing the irate and reassuring the timid• Pulling a rabbit out of your hat.
To the Customer YOU are the Company.
Customer relations is an integral part of your job – not an extension of it.
William B. Martin
What Customers Expect
Start with asking yourself these questions.
1. What do my customers want from me and from my company?2. How do support areas work to serve my customers?3. What are the details – little things – that make a big difference in my customer’s satisfaction.
If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a job!
Key Service Skills
• Customer’s evaluate service quality on 5 factors.
The RATER Factors
• Reliability• Assurance• Tangibles• Empathy• Responsiveness
The RELIABILITY Factor
The ability to provide what was promised, dependably and accurately.
The Service Promise
1. Organizational Commitments
2. Common Expectations
3. Personal Promises
The ASSURANCE Factor
• The knowledge and courtesy you show to customers, and your ability to convey trust, competence and confidence.
Consistent, high quality service boils down to two equally
important things – caring and competence.
Service Wisdom
How do we reassure our Customers?
• Product Knowledge• Company Knowledge• Listening Skills• Problem Solving Skills• Extra Points for Style
The TANGIBLE Factor
The physical facilities and equipment, and your own (and other’s) appearance.
From the customer’s point of view, if they can see it, walk on it, hold it, hear it, step in it, smell it, carry it, step over it, touch it, use it, even taste it, if they can feel it or sense it, it’s customer service.
Super America Training Program
First impressions are the most lasting
The EMPATHY Factor
The degree of caring and individual attention you show your customers.
Empathy vs
Sympathy
Sympathy Identifying with and even taking on another person’s emotions.
Empathy Acknowledging and affirming
another’s emotional state.
The RESPONSIVENESS Factor
The willingness to help customers promptly.
Customer expectations of service organizations are loud and clear; look good, be responsive, be reassuring through courtesy and competence, be empathetic but most of all, be reliable. Do what you said you would do. Keep the service promise.
Dr. Leonard Berry
Researcher, Texas A&M University
Research shows that the most frustrating aspect of waiting is not knowing how long the wait will be.
Managing Customer Expectations
• Failing to meet a customer expectation has the same impact as breaking any other promise.
Don’t fix the blame. Fix the problem.
- Japanese saying
Getting Results
The Satisfaction Equation
Show that you CARE
and
Mean it!
What is Your
MISSION?
6 STEPS to delivering Superior Customer Service
is through
CARING
COURTEOUS - courtesy and gracious good manners. Webster’s Dictionary
“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers it shows he is a citizen of the world"-
Francis Bacon
Perhaps the best reason to be honest with your customers is that it
allows you to be honest with yourself.
LOVING
POLITE HONEST KIND
CIVILCONSIDERATE MANNERLY
POLISHED THOUGHTFUL
Ways to be Courteous
♥ Smile ♥ Eye Contact♥ Listen & Watch ♥ Empathetic♥ Be Aware ♥ Appropriate ♥ Language ♥ Body Language♥ Clarify ♥ Stay Calm♥ Validate♥ Restate
Handling Customer Complaints
WAYS TO MAKE the CUSTOMER RIGHT
1.Clarify the problem2.Validate their feelings.3.Look for teaching opportunities.4.Believe your customers.
Handling Customer Complaints
• Customers respect HONESTY• Instead of saying NO – ask questions.• Give TRUST and you will get it double in
return.
COURTEOUS
ATTENTIVE
What are you noticing?
……. And what are you missing?
In face to face situations at least 70 percent of what is
communicated is done without speaking a word.
How you feel about yourself in your job is as important to your personal self-esteem as the way you feel about yourself as a parent, a spouse or a friend.
Dealing with Irate Customers
Stay Calm
Safety first
Validate feelings
Vent and Release
Collaborate on the Solution
COURTEOUS
ATTITUDE
RELIABLE
Building TRUST
• Practice frequent communication• Stick with the truth• Develop Openness• Show warmth• Show confidence• KEEP YOUR PROMISES
Service Recovery and Building Trust
• Apologize – Acknowledge the problem.• Listen, Empathize and ask Open
Questions• Fix the problem, quickly and fairly• Offer Atonement “I want to make it up to
you”• Follow-up• Remember : Keep your promises
Loyalty BuildersListening is a Skill – Use it!
Barriers to Good Listening
► Noise ► Interruptions► Daydreaming ► Technology► Stereotypes► Attitude► Trigger Words and phrases
Loyalty Builders
• Background Questions• Probing Questions• Confirmation
Questions
Ask Intelligent Questions
COURTEOUS
ATTENTIVE
RELIABLE
INTENTIONAL
How can you involve your customer in solving their problem?
When the customer feels vulnerable, trust is imperative. Leonard L. Berry
Service Expert
Leveraging Your Service
• Understand the rules of your organization
• Manage your stress
Loyalty Opportunities
• Make the Commitment to CARE
• Be a FANTASTIC Fixer• Work in a spirit of
PARTNERSHIP• Politeness goes far and
costs nothing.
Superior Customer Service is in the DETAILS.
• Everything counts• Never stop learning • Ask your customers• Ask your co-workers
Consumers are statistics. Customers are people.
Stanley Marcus
Megatrends
COURTEOUS
ATTENTIVE
RELIABLE
INTENTIONAL
NEGATIVE-FREE
No job is important enough to lie for, no paycheck big enough to compensate for feeling bad about the treatment of another human being.
10 Stress Reducers
1. Breathe
2. Smile 3. Laugh4. Let it Out5. Take a one minute
vacation
6. Relax7. Do desk aerobics8. Organize9. Talk Positive10. Take a health break 11. Work/Life Balance
COURTEOUS
ATTENTIVE
RELIABLE
INTENTIONAL
NEGATIVE-FREE
GRATITUDE
Thank you…Thank you… Thank you….and Thank-You!!!! Fozzie Bear
Three ways to say Thank-You1.Verbally
2. In Writing 3. With a gift
The Five Forgotten Thank You’sThank your Co-workersThank your bossThank people in other departmentsThank your vendors or outside customers
Thank Yourself.
Gratitude is not only the greatest virtue but the mother of all the rest.
Putting It All Together
Return to your Mission
Commit to CARING
Collaboration and Partnership
Stay Calm
The Results
In a 100 person outfit,
taking into account normal vacations, holidays etc…
that would mean
24,000 new courteous acts
per year.