For Customer Service

The Abcs Of Customer Recovery
Friday, October 31, 2008

Writen by Myra Golden

This week I present 26 little ideas to help you respond to complaints and difficult customers with much more ease….the ABC's of Customer Recovery.

A ct as if every lost customer's sales come out of your paycheck.

Believe the best of customers. Don't make the mistake of assuming most customers are out to simply get something for nothing. The truth is, less than 1% of customers contact companies with ulterior motives in mind.

C ommunicate with diplomacy and tact when you final answer is "no" and when explaining company policy.

D on't tell a customer she is wrong. Telling a customer they are wrong never makes them want to agree with you. It only pushes them more forcefully into their original position.

E mpathize with unhappy customers and allow this empathy to season your responses.

F ind a way to say "yes" to customers. Instead of saying "no" or telling the customer what you can't do, think critically about what you actually can do.

G ive a token item such a coupon as a concrete form of apology.

H ave a sense of urgency. Demonstrate with your words and speed of response that getting to the bottom of the problem is just as important to you as it is to your customer.

I nvolve customers in the problem resolution process. Sometimes it's very helpful to simply ask, "How do you see us resolving this?"

Jot down the customer's name and details of the problem they are describing so you don't have to ask the customer to repeat information.

K eep customers apprised of your timetable and progress toward resolving their problems.

L isten with the intent to truly understand your customer, not with the intent to interrupt, reply, or correct.

M onitor your customer service calls to ensure your tone is friendly, helpful and willing.

N egotiate resolutions that balance both the interests of your company and your customer.

Open the door with unhappy customers with open-ended questions. Make your questions demonstrate a sincere interest in better understanding the customer's problem or experience.

P ut yourself in the customer's shoes. How would you feel if the exact same problem happened to you?

Q uickly apologize. Apologize both when the company is at fault and even when the customer is responsible for the error. An apology goes a long way in creating calm, diffusing anger and regaining goodwill.

R ecognize that the issue is not the issue. The way the issue is handled becomes the real issue.

S ay "no" diplomatically and without causing resentment. The best way to do this is to start out by telling the customer what you can do.

T hank customers for their feedback.

U p-Service your customers by suggesting products or services that enhance the value of their current purchase.

View the customer as the reason for your work---not as an interruption to your work.

W OW customers.

Ex amine the root cause of problems and work to eliminating problems at the root.

Y ou are the company to each customer. Never underestimate your power to influence the customer's future buying decisions.

Zero in on the customer's needs and wants.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Finding Out Why A Potential Customer Is Calling On You
Thursday, October 30, 2008

Writen by Michael Losier

Our challenge as the business owner/sales person answering the telephone, is to build rapport with the caller, quickly and easily.

In most cases, the caller has been told something about you and your product or service. It is your job to find out exactly what they are calling about without asking that question directly. Most businesses have a number of products or services that they offer. Talking about all of your products and services to the caller may be a waste of time, if they have only one particular interest they are inquiring about. How can you find out why they are specifically calling?

Here is a question you can ask that will give you a clear indication of what product a caller is interested in, or what problem a caller wants you to solve with your service.

"What was it about the brochure (or business card, ad, promotional material, etc.) that attracted your attention?" or "What was it that Betty (the person who referred you to the caller) said that made you decide to call?"

The person's answer to this question will reveal what their problem or need is. Your job here is to listen. Listen 80% of the time and ask good questions the other 20% of the time.

Once you have heard why the person is calling, you can then direct your attention to solving their problem. This will maximize your time with them and increase you chances of a successful sale.

Practice this with a colleague and see and feel how natural this question can be for you.

Michael Losier, a Law of Attraction Trainer and author, supports people in understanding and practicing the Art of Deliberate Attraction, so they can have more of what they want and less of what they don't. Michael has been applying the principles of Law of Attraction for many years and enjoys a wonderful and rewarding life in the city of Victoria, BC, Canada. He facilitates a number of in-person Law of Attraction seminars as well as Teleseminars to a worldwide audience.

For more articles by Michael Losier, Teleclass information or to purchase the book, Law of Attraction, The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't, visit http://www.LawOfAttractionBook.com.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Tweak Your Customer Or Tweak Your System
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Writen by Ron Kaufman

The Disneyland Hotel recently tarnished Mickey's reputation with an influential customer from Seattle. Mark stayed at a hotel inside the park with his family for three days. He attended a legal seminar while his family enjoyed Disney rides, ate Disney meals and spent at Disney plenty! His seminar ended at noon on the third day, but hotel checkout was 11:00 am.

On the second night Mark asked for a late check-out until 1:00 or 2:00 pm the following day. Staff at the front desk refused to give him an answer. They said it was too late and he would have to ask again at 7:00 am.

Mark was in the lobby promptly at 7:00 am. But when he asked for a short check-out extension, the front office manager flatly refused. He said, 'If I give you a late check out, others will want one, too.'

Mark appealed for just two hours to complete his seminar and get his family with small children safely packed and out of the room. The manager replied, 'If you leave late, you'll mess up the schedule for our cleaners.'

Ouch! So much for customer service when leaving the House of the Mouse. Too bad the front office manager didn't know that last impressions are lasting impressions.

In contrast...

Raffles Hotel now has a policy of flexible check-in and check-out so their valued guests may enjoy a full 24-hour stay, no matter what time they check in, or out. Now that's convenient. That's hospitality. That's impeccable value and service.

'Raffles 24' is now available in all Raffles hotels and resorts. No wonder they are among the fastest-growing and most-admired brands in the world.

Note: Implementing this policy requires more communication between various teams and departments. But what are your staff and systems really for? Scheduling cleaners or taking care of customers?

Key Learning Point
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of your staff and system is to serve your customers better. When customers make requests outside normal procedures, your job is to tweak the system, not the customer.

Action Steps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When customers ask for service outside your normal procedures, you have a choice: either teach your customers to follow procedures (through advance advice and information) or adapt your procedures to please your customers (through innovation and continuous improvement).

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Service 101
Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Writen by Jackie Barnes

There are thousands of books, courses, and articles written to improve basic customer service skills. Today is one of those days I was reminded why.

Here's a few tips.

Make the 1st words out of your mouth, "I am sorry." This is not a legal plea of culpability. It is an expression of regret over the negative experience had by someone else.

Never pass up a perfectly good opportunity to keep your mouth shut. God gave you 2 ears & 1 mouth for a reason. Listen. As Covey says, seek first to understand THEN to be understood.

Watch your body language. Unfold those crossed arms. Make eye contact. Open yourself up literally & figuratively. Now is not the time to multitask. Studies show that if you give a complainant your undivided attention, you will spend less time in the long run with a more successful outcome than had you tried to finish your paperwork & answer an email while dealing with the problem.

Take notes on the issue. This speaks volumes. The issue is important enough for you to write down. An additional benefit is the need to get to your office where you have pen & paper which helps escort an irate customer away from the traffic flow of others.

Outline a plan of action. Follow the plan & follow up with the person to demonstrate success BEFORE they follow up with you.

And finally, as a mouse might reflect upon their relationship with Tigger Charles the cat, never, ever, make someone mad who has the power to eat you alive. This translates to a preventative approach to customer service- don't hack 'em off in the 1st place. Apart from humans, the whole animal kingdom lives by this concept. Certainly those of us with opposing thumbs can manage to grasp this fact.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

How To Get More Customers Just By Knowing Their Voice
Monday, October 27, 2008

Writen by Kenneth Ajoku

How to get more customers just by knowing their voice

"Do you know your customers voice?"

In this article you will learn the importance of knowing your customers voice and the positive impact that it has when conducting business.

Whether you greet your customers personally or on the phone it's always a good idea to know them by their voice.

If you don't know their voice, simply ask them politely who they are and get used to their voice. Try and notice some key aspects to help you remember. Such as; the way they may pronounce certain words, their accent, their voice tone, their voice pitch etc.

Don't you just love it when people recognise your voice? And say "hey Ken, or hi Susan, how you doing today?"

Learn to recognise your customer's voice and greet them by name, especially when they are on the phone.

This is a very powerful communicational marketing tool that you can use with your customers time and time again.

However, this technique does come with a warning. Only use this form of interaction if you are 100% sure of your customer's voice. Do not guess as this will have an adverse affect, It could leave your customer feeling a little bit distant from you and your business.

So if you have customers, who are regulars and you do know their voice, refer to them by name and make them feel special.

Try this it really is effective and works well.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Email Marketing Manners 101 Clearing Your Inbox By Forwarding Email Messages To Someone Else
Sunday, October 26, 2008

Writen by Joan Pasay

This week I received an email message entitled to Stephen. Since my name isn't Stephen, and I am not even a guy, it got my attention. Seems that a well-meaning customer service rep at a company I deal with decided that the way to answer my help request was to pawn me off on someone else.

I understand that one person at a company can't do everything but what are you really saying when:

*You receive an external help request from someone who deals with your company and you

*Deal with it by sending an internal message to another employee who can take care of the issue and

*Carbon copy the internal message to the customer who sent you the help request

Does that mean you are off the hook?

Am I the only person who thinks this is super rude?

Am I the only person who thinks that a customer might be:

1. A bit confused when they get an email from someone they don't recognize?

2. A bit confused when they get an email clearly addressed to another person?

I think the customer would feel pawned off and not appreciated.

Even worse, they just might delete the message because it is addressed to someone else (thinking it is Spam).

My story does not end there. My issue has not been resolved! Do I email the customer service email again, or do I email 'Stephen', the guy that I think is taking care of my issue because I was cc'd on an internal email conversation?

Maybe it would have been better if the customer service rep had emailed me and told me the issue was being taken care, and she would leave the request open until the issue had been solved.

I don't like getting emails that clearly indicate I have been pawned off.

I also don't like getting called Stephen.

And I really don't like being clueless as to the status of my issue.

Customers don't need to know who is taking care of what in your company. They need a response that indicates you care about their issue and it will be resolved. Next time you think it is appropriate to simply 'clean out your inbox' by pawning off an external help request to someone else in your company, think about how the customer will feel when they get a strange email addressed to someone else.

Using Email requires manners and a little thinking about how the recipient will feel when they get your message. If email manners are an issue for you than admit it, and use the telephone.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Stellar Customer Service In 10 Simple Steps
Saturday, October 25, 2008

Writen by Debbie LaChusa

If you're like me, you've had plenty of experience with BAD customer service. Just think about the last time you had a bad experience with a product or a service.

Perhaps the product or service did not live up to the sales pitch. Maybe the company was unresponsive to your calls or emails. Maybe they did not do what they said they were going to do. Or they gave you the run-around when you called to report a problem or ask a question.

If you think about it, all of these negative experiences boil down to one thing, a lack of customer service. And a lack of customer service usually stems from a lack of customer focus. It seems many businesses have simply lost sight of who they are really in business to serve.

Instead of the old saying, "the customer is always right," many businesses seem almost bothered by customers these days. In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret from my early ad agency days. We used to have a saying, "this business would be great, if it wasn't for the clients."

How ridiculous is that?! We wouldn't have had a job if it weren't for the clients (I'm older and wiser now!). Yes, sometimes clients can be difficult, but they are the reason we are in business. Our job is to serve them. If they are upset, we should welcome the opportunity to find out why, and use that information to improve our product or service.

Yes, sometimes you'll run into some yahoo who is being totally unreasonable and you just have to deal with it. But very often, client complaints uncover a problem or something we can improve upon.

So make it a point to really listen to your customers. Make a commitment to treat all your customers well. After all, giving great customer services is one of the best and cheapest marketing tools available. When you treat your customers well, or even better, when you deliver beyond their expectations, you will be rewarded.

Those happy clients are the same clients who will happily refer you. The opposite is also true. If you disappoint a client, or don't deliver what you promise, or you just plain treat them badly, they will likely tell everyone they know how horrible you are. In fact, those disgruntled clients are more likely to talk about you than your happy clients. Unfortunately, that's just the way it usually works.

The good news is, it's not hard to give great customer service. You simply have to be aware and make it a priority. Following are 10 tips to help you offer stellar customer service.

(1) Be accessible

Your customers should be able to get a hold of you, or someone in your company, if they have a question or if they need service. Provide multiple ways for your customers to get in contact with you, such as email, phone, mail or fax.

(2) Respond in a timely manner

Make it your policy to return all phone calls or emails within 24 hours. And, if you cannot commit to that, then determine what timeframe you can manage and let your customers know upfront they can expect to hear back from you within that amount of time.

(3) Listen to your customers

Often when a customer calls or writes to complain, they just want to be heard. In fact, sometimes, just listening is all you need to do. Take the time to listen to what your customers have to say before you start responding or defending your product or service. They may just have a point.

(4) Treat your customers with respect

Even if the customer on the other end of the phone is acting irrationally, or being rude, don't lower yourself to their level by reciprocating. Treat everyone with respect and you will be respected in return. Plus, you never know when someone's just having a bad day, and they happen to be taking it out on you (we've all done it).

(5) Don't argue with your customers

You can never win an argument with a customer. Because if you do win, you've more than likely alienated the customer and you've lost their business. We all know the customer isn't really always right, but instead of focusing on what went wrong and defending yourself, focus on how you can solve the problem or fix the situation.

(6) Honor your commitments

If you say you will answer emails, then answer them. If you offer a guarantee, then honor it. Nothing spoils a customer relationship faster than being promised something and not getting it.

I got a nice email last week from a client that made me realize just how important this is. Here's what he wrote:

"Many thanks for your prompt and comprehensive reply. Your personal interest, caring and enthusiasm is clearly apparent. Most company owners invite you to respond and promise to reply personally, they seldom do so ..."

Yes, it took me some time to respond to his email. But I promise email support to all clients who purchase my 10stepmarketing System and therefore it is important to honor that commitment. If I ever get to the point I can no longer respond due to the volume of requests or other time commitments, I will stop offering this service, not just stop responding.

(7) Do what you say

If you say you're going to call someone on Tuesday, call them on Tuesday. It's as simple as that. If you want your customers to trust and believe you, you have to follow through and do what you say.

(8) Focus on making customer relationships, not sales

The long-term success of your business rests on your ability to make long-term customer relationships. If you sacrifice relationships to make short-term sales, your business will be short-lived.

(9) Be honest

Don't exaggerate the results your product or service will provide. Don't promise things you cannot deliver just to make a sale. I see hype all over the web these days; everything is a quick fix or a silver bullet. It suckers people into buying the product, and then the product doesn't deliver. Think that customer is ever going to make another purchase from that business? Not likely. Be honest and direct about what your products and services can deliver.

(10) Admit when you make a mistake

No one's perfect. We all make mistakes; it's part of learning. So when you do make a mistake, don't try to cover it up or deny it. Just admit it and if necessary, do something to make the situation right. Your customers will appreciate it and they'll be more likely to stay customers.

So how does your customer service measure up? Are you practicing these 10 steps and offering stellar customer service? If not, I challenge you to take your service up a notch. Approach it like Ken Blanchard and instead of just being satisfied with happy customers, create "Raving Fans" (a great little book if you haven't read it).

Commit to putting these 10 tips into practice. Get to know your customers. Make them the focus of your business. It's one of the keys to marketing success and best of all, it doesn't cost very much!

(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Hot Buttered Customer Service
Friday, October 24, 2008

Writen by Don Doman

"Sixteen squirts."

I didn't know what my wife was talking about. I was busy counting out money for my popcorn at the AMC refreshment stand. "He put sixteen squirts of butter in your popcorn," she answered my confused expression.

I looked over as the movie attendant filled my small bag of popcorn with more popcorn and then squirted in more butter. I had asked for "lots of butter." I don't usually get it. This time, I got it.

I received the bag and carried it like a bag of gold dust. It was almost that heavy. The bag was warm and a wonderful smell drifted up to my face.

I entered the darkened theatre and walked down the aisle lifting the bag to my mouth so my tongue could pick up the fluffy popped kernels as I looked for a seat. I felt like an anteater at a buttered ant buffet.

I sat down and began my meal.

Food for the gods. Ambrosia. Richness you can only dream about. Each flavorful handful made its way to my mouth. Ecstasy. It was as if each individual piece had been hand-buttered. Perfection only lasts for so long, however . . . even in a movie theatre. As I got down a few inches, I had to shake off the excess butter. When I reached the half-way point, I had to squeeze out the butter so that I could make it to my lips without dripping all over my shirt. I made it to the three-quarter point and my hot buttered popcorn had turned to fondue. I wanted to continue, but I had to stop. Manfully I thought of drinking it, but reason entered the picture. I put a wad of napkins inside and folded over the top of the bag. I sat it down beside my seat. The buttered popcorn was on my mind for the rest of the movie.

I thought about the popcorn, the young man who applied the rich buttery coating and their relationship to customer service. It's not often we get what we ask for. Our wishes and desires are granted so rarely that we are unprepared for it when we find it. That's why when we receive great customer service - someone actually listening to what we're saying and requesting, and then delivering it - we're completely surprised and gratified.

After the movie I picked up my bag and took it out into the hallway. I opened it up and looked down into the glowing golden soup. The napkins had wicked up some of the liquid. I threw them away. The bottom two inches of the bag, which amazingly enough wasn't leaking, was more butter than popcorn. I reverently folded up the bag and reached down inside the garbage container and placed it on the bottom. I didn't want to spill a drop.

Sometimes customer service means just giving a few more squirts of butter.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Angry Customers What Do They Really Want And How To Give It To Them
Thursday, October 23, 2008

Writen by Robert Bacal

You probably see hostile customers every day. You know, the ones that treat you like a personal dumping ground for everything that has ever gone wrong in their lives? They may be sarcastic, or abusive. They may swear at you, threaten, attempt to intimidate. They are difficult to deal with, and an encounter with one of these people can ruin your day.

Although you may be provoked, it isn't a good idea to respond in kind. Doing so will usually inflame the situation, and can, in fact put you at risk. Yelling back, or trading insults can result in only negative consequences for you.

Let's face it. You don't have time to waste arguing and yelling...you have too much to do. But you do need to deal with hostile customers. You need to get the situation under control, deal with it and get on with your work.

There are a number of techniques you can use to do this, but here we will help you understand what is going on when hostile customers direct their anger at you. Understanding angry people helps us become less reactive, and less prone to losing our own temper.

It Ain't Personal

The first thing to remember about angry customers is that while their behaviour is directed at you (and it can be personally insulting), the real source of the anger is elsewhere. The angry person is not usually angry at you as a person. He or she is usually angry at you as an employee of an organization that is perceived as cold, unfeeling, and unhelpful. Since it is difficult to yell or abuse an entire organization, the angry customer will direct anger towards you.

What Does The Angry Person Want?

One of the half-truths about hostile customers is that they want their problem solved. This isn't the whole story. When people are initially denied something from an organization, they get to a place where the problem becomes secondary. Yes, they want the problems solved, but after a point, they get so angry that they are unwilling to work positively to get what they started out wanting. Even if you could work something out with them, they would still be angry.

It is important to realize that very angry people want an opportunity to vent their anger, and they want to be heard and acknowledged. If you don't acknowledge their anger, and move too quickly to try to solve the problem, you will likely make them angrier and more abusive.

What To Do?

There are specific things you can do to take control of potential hostile situations so that they don't escalate into major time-consuming conflicts.

First, you need to observe customers as they approach, and prepare yourself for the possibility that they may show hostile behaviours.

People who are irritated or upset will show tell-tale signs even before they open their mouths. They will send non-verbal clues which may include hunched shoulders, clenched fists, red face, fidgeting and restlessness, staring or avoidance of eye contact, rapid movement, etc.

You need to look for these signs so that any outbursts do not surprise you. Many hostile situations get out of hand because the employee reacts too quickly to hostile behaviour, because he or she did not expect it.

If you see a hostile person approach, prepare yourself mentally by reminding yourself that you CAN control the situation, and that you need to keep yourself under control. If you get angry yourself you are likely to contribute to the deterioration of the situation.

Second, when you are in contact with a hostile customer, you must strive to present yourself in as un-bureaucratic a way as possible. Remember we talked about customer anger being really aimed at the organization? If the customer perceives you as an object, a piece of the bureaucracy, s/he will tend to be more abusive. However, if the customer sees you as a human being who is doing the best you can, it is more likely that he or she will show less aggressive behaviour. angry and difficult customers

Specifics:

Let's get more specific. How do you do this?

1) Speak in a friendly manner. Do not speak in a monotone or in a way that implies that you are uninterested.

2) When possible use the customer's name as soon as possible, and also introduce yourself if that fits the situation.

3) Greet the person properly. Don't look up from your paper work and say "Yes?", or "Next". That makes you look like part of a machine. Try "Good morning, Mr. Smith".

4) Listen carefully. Show the customer you are listening by paraphrasing what was said back to the customer. This shows your interest and concern. A common error made by people is that they don't allow the customer to finish.

5) Don't use the "P" word. The P word is "POLICY". Many times an employee will explain that it is against "our policy to do" what the client wants. This infuriates many people. Even if the request is against your policy, find other words to say it. Rather than simply quoting policy, explain the purpose of the policy (eg. "Sir, we need to make sure that you are dealt with fairly and others are too.")

6) Never say "I only work here" or "I'm only following rules". Again this makes you into a non-person. It may be true that you don't make the rules, but try saying it this way: "Sir, the regulations are made by [whoever]. Perhaps you might want to talk to [so and so] and indicate that you feel the regulations are unfair. Would you like the phone number?"

Conclusion

Every hostile situation is different, and not all solutions will work all the time. The general principles we have talked about here are to be prepared by observing customers early in the process, and make sure that you come across as a real person.

(c) 2005, Robert Bacal, Bacal & Associates. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) all links are made live, and this copyright notice and indication of authorship are included.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Call Centers
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Writen by Damian Sofsian

The Call Center industry provides a large percent of employment in the United States. There are many classifications of Call Centers and these mainly depend on the kind of service they provide.

A call center is a centralized office that answers incoming telephone calls from customers for the purposes of product support and complaint. These call centers also make outgoing telephone calls to customers that is more commonly known as telemarketing. An office may also respond to letters, faxes, e-mails and similar written correspondence.

The typical call center is usually set-up in a large room or an entire floor of a building, with workstations that include a computer, a telephone set hooked into a large telecom switch and one or more supervisor stations. The call center may be linked to a network of other call centers or a corporation's computer networks, including main frames, microcomputers and LANs. The growing voice and data pathways into the center are linked through a new technology called computer telephony integration (CTI)

Businesses invest in a call center to interact with their customers. These include utility companies, mail order catalogue firms and customer care and support for hardware and software. The use of call centers is not limited to this since they can also be used for internal functions of the business like sales support and help desks.

In the UK, call centers have been built in economically depressed areas because of the cheap land and labor. The community benefits from the employment grants and the standard of living they have dramatically uplifted. In recent years, India and the Philippines have been a good alternative in outsourcing call centers. There are an abundant number of college graduates in these countries who can speak English and serve customers in North America. This has led to many media reports of poor telephone connections and operators with insufficient local knowledge to aide in the customer's complaint.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Customer Value Propositions
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Writen by Andy Mann

'Customer value proposition' has become one of the most talked about jargon in the corporate world. Yet most companies fail to figure out what is exactly customer value proposition and what it constitutes. A product or service may provide superior value but if the supplier doesn't demonstrate that claim than it will just be taken as marketing puffery.

Some managers believe that customer value proposition is a form of spin their marketing departments develop for advertising and promotion. This limited view often neglects the very real contribution of value propositions to superior business performance.

What managers usually do when they asked to list the value propositions –

List all benefits

Most managers usually list all the benefits the product delivers to the customer. This approach requires least amount of customer and competitor research and the list is based on how the management perceives the product or service. Secondly the managers usually end up listing the advantages which can be derived from the product but the customers not at all value those benefits.

Positive Differentiation

The managers end up listing the features in which the product is offering superior value compare to the competitor product. The biggest drawback is that the superior feature either may be valued low by the customers, for example car companies provides accessories incentives to customer but the customer rank of those feature is very low in their car selection process.

What should managers focus on

Resonating Focus

The resonating focus approach acknowledges that the managers who make business decisions have increasing level of responsibility and limited time so they want to do business with partners who understand the critical issues in business and delivers an ever evolving customer proposition. It is about integrating the system with an understanding of customer purchase usage and his priorities. This approach can only deliver superior customer value proposition resulting in sustainable competitive advantage.

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Improve Customer Service By Using An Answering Service
Saturday, October 4, 2008

Writen by Margaret Phillips

People that are trying to contact businesses, often complain about not being able to talk to a real person. Automated answering systems seem like a great system to use when running a business, but to consumers it is impersonal and inconvenient. That's why many companies are changing tactics and deciding to employ answering services to meet their communication needs. These services directly handle incoming calls and they have real people handling the calls. These services are not limited to only telephone messages either.

Companies can have an inbound call center that can perform a variety of functions depending on the company's needs. An answering service is most commonly used to answer phone calls and take messages. This is appealing to many callers who are not comfortable speaking to a machine.

The services can be likened to outsourcing secretarial services. The answering service can handle many of the duties that a secretary performs, for example, the answering service can provide email services as well. Some companies use an inbound call center to manage and answer emails, which can become very cumbersome if not attended to on a regular basis.

Another feature offered by answering services is live web chat support. Website users can get immediate and live support by using the service without it being a disturbance and burden to the company's own employees. The hours of operation are usually flexible. A business could even use an answering service to provide live support twenty-four hours a day.

An answering service could also be used to accept orders for sales. Customers speak directly to a representative who processes the order. People may think that calling would take a little longer than just placing an order online, but this is not always the case. And many people are still not comfortable shopping online. Speaking directly to a person gives the buyer the opportunity to specify the order quickly without having to navigate through complex online ordering forms. In addition to taking orders, the answering service can also generate incoming leads. The call center can be used as a transaction center that generates sales through incoming calls.

An answering service is ideal to use as an inbound call center that function as a hub for customer service and technical support. Many answering services provide companies with customer service representatives who are trained to meet the business' unique needs. The inbound call center can also assist customers with questions and concerns outside the company's regular hours of operation. Technical support is another valuable service provided by a call center. Businesses can offer technical support around the clock for its clientele.

An answering service can be used to process applications and schedule appointments. These tasks can also lead to more sales. Each call has the potential for a sale since the caller probably has an interested in the company's products or services. If the person is calling, something sparked his interest. This interest may be lost if the person does not get the immediate feedback that can only come from a live person. Many sales are lost to answering machines.

Whether you own a small business or a large corporation, an answering service could be the right option for you. Customers are usually very pleased to speak to a person who can give them the personal service they desire. An incoming call center can be a valuable tool for a company.

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

How To Lose A Customer In Ten Easy Steps
Friday, October 3, 2008

Writen by Terry Wisner

Certainly, we've all observed the scene unfold: A salesperson behaving in a fashion that indicates he or she desperately wants to lose their customer. You know, that behavior that reminds you of a hungry bear stalking spawning salmon. Unfortunately, every one of us has experienced this wonderful feeling of disrespect. Having performed at many levels in the sales process, I have no idea why sales people act this way, but the fact is they do.

Throughout the years, I have had the opportunity to deliver my "Selling Skills" workshops to thousands of sales people. Often, I ask half of the participants to brainstorm the attributes of "Good" sales people, and the other half to brainstorm the same for "Bad" salespeople. As you might guess, the majority of the descriptions on one list are the exact opposite of those items on the other list. Participants can always create more examples of negative traits for sales folks. When asked why the list of negative characteristics is longer, participants always say they better remember their negative experiences (they can't forget it.) Therefore, I feel a sense of obligation to share the following traits of ineffective sales practices to make everyone aware of them. This way (and I have no idea why you would want to) you can easily lose customer after customer. Study these traits carefully, and you too can be recognized as… well let's just say, a not so good salesman or saleswoman.

1-Focus only on your quota not their needs. This is a really good one and one that is easy to do. Simply tell them what they need to buy without asking any questions. After all, you need to get your numbers up, and that's all that's important. You can see how this could upset a customer or client.

2-Dump all the data (aka features and benefits) you have on the customer. Tell them all the reasons you can possibly think of as to why they need your product or service. This step is especially successful when you use technical data and industry or company acronyms. Try to impress them with how much you know…that will turn them off for sure.

3-Talk down to them, particularly women. This technique is effective with everybody, but it's very effective for men to use on women. If you are trying to sell to a person, just talk to them like they are as "dumb as a box of rocks." Not only can this show how much you know, it will put them in their place and quite likely will force them out of the showroom, store, or for sure away from your "service" desk.

4-Show them you don't care. If, by chance, you do slip up and ask an open or closed question, it is easy to recover. When the customer begins to describe their needs and wants, simply do one or more of the following; •Don't make eye contact
•Cross your arms and look at the floor
•Act distracted, look outside, or better yet talk to somebody else
•Never write down a thing- that always makes them think you're listening
•And of course answer a phone or one that always works- make a phone call Remember, non-verbal communication tells more then the spoken word.

5-Maintain preconceived notions and assumptions. After all, you can usually tell a "dead-beat" as soon as they drive in the lot or walk in the door. You can almost always know who's going to buy and who's not going to buy. This ability may take a new salesperson several months to learn, but it is very effective in turning away potential customers. Incidentally, this ability is best learned from experienced sales people that have work many different sales jobs over the years.

6-Minimize customer concerns. Of course they have concerns, but the sure way to turn them off is to act like their concerns are petty and they should be embarrassed to even bring them up. This one also works best if you roll your eyes in disbelief when they express a concern. If that doesn't get them to leave, try going back to dumping all the data you have, that should do it. Brushing off customers concerns and proceeding with your "sales pitch" can leave your customer believing you don't care about them.

7-Criticize the competition. Shooting down the competition not only shows how much you know about your product and the passion you have for losing customers, but it also gives you the opportunity to embarrass them again. You can be sure that they or one of their friends or family have purchased the product or service you are condemning. You can really hit a nerve with this one.

8-Evoke the 20/80 rule. Many sales experts maintain that the sales person should talk only 20% of the time in the sales interaction. That kind of behavior will never chase a customer away to procure elsewhere. Although it may be difficult for some of you, try to talk at least 80%, and listen only 20% of the time. However, I will just bet, you have seen some professional "customer losers" that talk nearly 100% of the time. That reminds me of the old saying, "I have never heard of a salesperson that listened their way out of a sale."

9-Poor hygiene can also turn away those annoying customers. Of course overall sloppiness and that disheveled, "I just rolled out of bed" look can give them the impression that you not only don't care about them, but you don't even care about yourself. Now let's get a little more personal about a couple of things. First, bad breath, it nearly always turns people off. So be sure to only brush at the end of your work day. Note: it is also very effective to have alcohol on your breath, but don't drink it, just swish it around a bit then spit it out. Secondly, body odor. This one can really be helpful in forcing customers to say no thanks and RUN out the door. Note: This is very successful when combined with not honoring a person's "space." Get as close to them as possible.

10-Never stop closing the sale. Go to close as quickly as possible then keep closing as you walk them out the door. This is best if used even before they try to express any concerns. Once they are out the door, forget about them and never follow-up with a customer. That may give them the thought that you really do care. All good sales people recognize that customers want their salesperson to really care about them and their business.

Using one or more of these behaviors will help you lose your customer. As I said before, I don't know why anyone would want to lose a customer, but we have all seen and experienced sales people acting in the manner outlined above. Getting people in the door is tough these days, why turn them off and send them away? Why exhibit any of these behaviors? If you have reason to believe you may occasionally be guilty of conducting yourself in one or more of the manners described above, then you need to learn more about selling skills. Next, you should plan to change and commit to changing your existing behaviors. Only then can you begin to see a true change in both your actions and in the number of customers you "lose".

Copyright© 2004-2005 Terry Wisner

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

The Physics Of Customer Service
Thursday, October 2, 2008

Writen by Niall Roche

That probably sounds a little too technical doesn't it? Does it even make sense? How can physics relate to customer service? It's very, very simple.

Every single customer service action can and will lead to a customer reaction.

Whenever you deal with a customer service issue, big or small, there will be an outcome. That outcome can be hugely satisfying for both you and your customer or it can be a total nightmare that ends in legal action. The choice is entirely yours. You have TOTAL control over the outcome.

We can forget at times that unless we put positive energy into an experience then it's very difficult to get a positive result from that same experience. What I mean is this. If you're snappy, sarcastic and arrogant with customers then you're creating a lot of negative energy in that customers experience with you. How can you possibly expect a positive reaction from the customer? Do you expect positive feedback or good word-of-mouth advertising? Absolutely impossible!

If you treat your customer like a human being, speak to them on their own terms and with empathy, compassion and understanding then what would you expect the outcome to be? Of course the customer will think your company is the greatest thing since sliced bread. They'll become a repeat customer AND tell their friends. Your word-of-mouth advertising will be strong and spread rapidly. In short you've taken a step towards building a successful business.

The shocking truth is that most companies do not understand this basic rule of customer service. They allow their staff to be rude to customers and then stand there scratching their heads wondering why people don't buy from them any more. They hire people managers who treat the employees badly. The employees then treat customers badly. Again the business owner/manager/director stands there scratching their head wondering why they've just gone out of business.

Every negative customer service action will have a negative reaction

Every positive customer service action will have a positive reaction.

It really is that simple. Put this into practice in your business today.

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Loyal Customers Will Persevere
Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Writen by Rick Stephens

Being in business for yourself is tough. It gets really hard when you come to realize that you need to make a significant change to the way you do business and this change will impact the customer. Perhaps the change is an increase in price, or a change to the way you extend terms, or maybe your product line has to be updated.

When this happens, owners will formulate what I refer to as SID, Self Induced Doubt. They become afraid to make the needed decision to improve their business practice for fear of loosing their customers.

Loyal customers (and you do have loyal customers, right?) may show some resistance, but that is a natural response by everyone when it comes to change. Astute owners will recognize that loyal customers have chosen them as their company of choice, and hopefully you have nurtured that relationship and demonstrated that you truly care for them as customers. Loyal customers will understand that change is necessary to stay competitive, to continue providing top quality products or services, and to ultimately stay in business.

The trick to successfully transitioning in these instances is to position the change as a benefit to the customer. Give them notice of the change and offer assurance that the change is a good thing for them. Your loyal customers will stand by you, your satisfied customers will complain, but stay, and your unhappy customers may leave. So, am I saying that some customers will leave? Possibly, but those that do were probably problem customers anyway, late with payments, asking for unreasonable service, etc. If they leave, perhaps it will be a good thing. Your company will be stronger for it.

Don't be afraid to change. Without change there is no improvement, there is no progression, there is no growth.

To Your Success -

Hospital in Tennessee Thailand Hotels

posted by Alexis WATERS @ 1:00 AM, ,

Previous Posts

• You Made A Mistake Now I Am Your Biggest Fan
• Waitress At Marks Amp Spencer Saves Customers Life...
• The Language We Speak Here Is Quotcustomer Service...
• Loyal Customers Take Commitment
• How Memorable Is Your Company
• 3 Common Customer Objections What They Mean And Ho...
• Your Voice Print
• Marketing Relationships Customer Service 8 Ways Yo...
• Practicing Leading Edge Marketing A Guide To Recog...
• What You Need To Know About Crm

Archives

• May 2008
• June 2008
• July 2008
• August 2008
• September 2008
• October 2008
• November 2008
• December 2008
• January 2009
• February 2009
• March 2009
• Current Posts

Links

© 2006 For Customer Service

รถยนต์ ซ่อมรถยนต์ เกมสแข่งรถ + รถมือสอง ซ่อมรถยนต์ เกมส์แข่งรถ + ข่าว ข่าวการเมือง ใข่าวราชสำนัก ข่าวบันเทิง + ้hospital medical