The Customer-Driven Organisation

Objectives

Learn the skills needed to succeed in the challenging area of Customer Service

Develop and Apply specific Skills, Attitudes, Behaviours, and Thinking Patterns to win customer satisfaction and loyalty

Contents1. Fostering Positive Attitudes

2. Recognising and Dealing with Customer Turnoffs

3. Dealing with dissatisfied customers

4. Exceeding Customer Expectations

5. Using Behaviours that win Customer Loyalty

6. Get others to give great service

7. Apply winning Telephone, E-mail, and Web site Techniques

8. Using Written Messages

9. Understanding the one-to-one Customer Future

1. Fostering Positive Attitudes We must begin by recognising what a

“customer” is What is a “Customer”?

Anyone with whom we exchange value

we have a lot of names for customers - often varying by the nature of the business (e.g.: clients, patients, passengers, users, subscribers, readers, viewers, purchasers, guests, etc.)

We must strive to create “Customer Partnerships”

• Make the most of social exchanges

1. Fostering Positive Attitudes

Get and help customersAdvertising is less effective at getting

and keeping customers than positive word-of-mouth (e.g.: A good movie recommended by a friend)

Calculate the costs of the Lost Customer

• (see next slide)

Costs of the Lost Customer

Lost customer

It is very costly to replace/regain customers

Upset customers tell other people

It can also mean lost jobs

1. Fostering Positive Attitudes

The ultimate goal of Customer Service is to create Customer Loyalty

Your number-one tasks, regardless of your job title, organisational position, experience, or seniority, will always be to attract, satisfy, and preserve loyal customers.

2. Recognising and Dealing with Customer Turnoffs

Involve the Customer in Defining Value

Be aware that everyone has Pet Peeves about service

2. Recognising and Dealing with Customer Turnoffs

Recognise that the little things mean everythingLittle things can account for huge

Competitive Advantages Identify 3 categories of Customer

Turnoffs:1. Value Turnoffs

• Quality of product/service

2. Recognising and Dealing with Customer Turnoffs

2. System Turnoffs• Any process, procedure, or policy used to

“deliver” the product or service• (e.g.: company location or layout, parking

facilities, policies regarding guarantees and returns, delivery or pick-up services, etc.)

3. People Turnoffs• Are almost always communication problems

• (e.g.: failure to greet/smile to customers, inaccurate information given, talking to another employee or allowing telephone interruptions while ignoring a customer, being rude, high-pressure sales tactics, poor appearance, etc.)

2. Recognising and Dealing with Customer Turnoffs

Employees at all levels of the organisation can and often do create People Turnoffs

3. Dealing with dissatisfied customers

Customer Complaints may actually lead to Repeat Business

Maintain a healthy Customer Retention AttitudeThe being “right” or “wrong” issue is

not the issue; Rater, what matters is wanting to solve the customer’s problem

3. Dealing with dissatisfied customers

Develop your Recovery Skills 1. Feel their Pain

• Treat them with respect and empathy• Listen to their concerns and take them seriously• Understand their problem and the reason they

are upset• Share their sense of urgency, get their problem

handled quickly• Prevent further inconvenience

2. Do all you can to resolve the problem

3. Dealing with dissatisfied customers

3. Go beyond the Call of Duty Offer to pick-up or deliver goods to be replaced or

repaired Give a gift Reimburse for costs of returning merchandise such

as parking fees, etc.

Follow up to see what the problem was handled

Customer Complaints are opportunities for building Customer Loyalty.

4. Exceeding Customer Expectations

Stay close to your Customers Innovate with the customer constantly in

mind Remember that people’s wants, needs, and

expectations change over time Reacting to customer change is good, but be

Proactive in anticipating changing customer needs

Surprising customers with unexpected, positive experiences will do more than anything else to create customer loyalty.

- Retailing pioneer Marshall Field

4. Exceeding Customer Expectations

Customers have CORE Expectations of Products, Services, and the Customer Experience There are different expectations from

different businesses• (e.g.: Discount Store --> less staff and fancy

displays)

When a customer finds his or her expectations exceeded, the likelihood of becoming a repeat customer increases sharply

4. Exceeding Customer Expectations

Learn to anticipate Customer Expectations Fish For Feedback Be receptive to customer complaints and

Input• Make it “easy” for people to complain• Remember that at least 63% of unhappy

customers do not complain, but rather defect to another source of products of services

Learn to Exceed Customer Expectations

5. Using Behaviours that win Customer Loyalty

Behaviour is what people do It is conveyed to others via both verbal

& non-verbal means Any behaviours can, and often will,

communicate meaning to the customer Individual and organisational

behaviours are conveyed to customers via little things

5. Using Behaviours that win Customer Loyalty

Use Individual Behaviours: Greet Customers like Guests Break the ice Complement Freely and Sincerely Call People by Name Use Eye Contact Listen well Say Please and Thank You Reassure the Customer’s Decision to do business with

you Smile Maintain a Positive Attitude about Selling

5. Using Behaviours that win Customer Loyalty

Recognise Organisational Behaviours that convey the company’s culture:The Company’s Appearance and

GroomingThe Appearance of the Work AreaCorrespond RegularlyGet the Customer Doing SomethingStay close after the sale

6. Get others to give great service

As future managers you will need to get your employees to give great service

Recognise that customers like organisations that communicate well

Spend time to instruct and motivate employees Use Praise and Constructive Criticism

Provide Continuous Training for employees

6. Get others to give great service

Conduct ongoing System Reviews Recruit, Develop, and Retain excellent

employees Adopt a TQM (Total Quality

Management) philosophyTQM focuses on customer service,

employee empowerment, and product quality

7. Apply winning Telephone, E-mail, and Web site Techniques

Recognise the frustrations of Unresponsive Telephone use

Know the Benefits and Drawbacks of Electronic Communication:The Web and E-mail provide for many

possible benefitsTwo significant Drawbacks are:

• Many people have never learned the basics of telephone courtesy and effectiveness

• You cannot see the person you are dealing with

7. Apply winning Telephone, E-mail, and Web site Techniques

TIPS for better Telephone Usage:Tip 1 - Check your phone use attitudesTip 2 - Contact your own companyTip 3 - Answer promptly and be prepared to

handle callsTip 4 - Avoid unnecessary Call ScreeningTip 5 - Use Courtesy TitlesTip 6 - Thank people for callingTip 7 - Keep your conversation businesslike

7. Apply winning Telephone, E-mail, and Web site Techniques

TIPS for better Telephone Usage (cont’d):Tip 8 - Speak Clearly and DistinctlyTip 9 - Speak Naturally and ComfortablyTip 10 - Do not allow “Dead Air”Tip 11 - Take Messages cheerfully and

accuratelyTip 12 - SMILETip 13 - Be sure the conversation is finished

before you hang up

7. Apply winning Telephone, E-mail, and Web site Techniques

TIPS for better Telephone Usage (cont’d):Tip 14 -Make your Greeting Message efficientTip 15 - Learn to use your phone’s featuresTip 16 - Keep a constant flow of information Tip 17 - Plan your outgoing calls for e-mail or

efficiency Tip 18 - Don’t let the telephone interrupt an

important live conversationTip 19 - Keep callers on track

7. Apply winning Telephone, E-mail, and Web site Techniques

TIPS for better Telephone Usage (cont’d):TIP 20 - Handle the upset caller with tact and

skill Tip 21 - Bring the conversation to a pleasant but

efficient closeTip 22 - Always ask: “Is this a convenient time

to talk?”Tip 23 - Work Consistently to improve your

Electronic Communication

7. Apply winning Telephone, E-mail, and Web site Techniques

Telephone and e-mail usage is increasingly important to modern businesses

People who have poor experience with you, over the phone or Net, are highly unlikely to become loyal customers

8. Using Written Messages

Written messages are an often overlooked tool for creating customer satisfaction and loyalty

Goodwill notes or messages are those you send even though you don’t have to. Their power arises from customer’s surprise at receiving them

8. Using Written Messages

TIPS for Creating “Goodwill Messages”:Just do it!Be Original

• Write Appreciation Messages• Write Congratulations or Recognition

messages

Use Sales Follow-Up lettersWrite Goodwill Messages to your

employees as well!

9. Understanding the one-to-one Customer Future

Understand the Technology Shifts for the new future E-Commerce

• e.g.: E-Bay

Customer Service on the Internet• e.g.: Salesforce.com

Recognise Social and Economic Shifts for the new future (e.g.: Baby-boomers, E-Bay, Social-Networking)

9. Understanding the one-to-one Customer Future Use the New Media for a one-to-one future Gain Customer Share not Market Share Use Contact Management Systems (CMS) Tap into the Electronic Future

Internet Shopping Virtual Reality (VR) Shopping

• e.g.: Real Estate Homes

Interactive TVÀ la Carte items

• e.g.: Movies/Music

Blogs, Podcasts, etc.