Quality of Customer Service is Most Important
For those of you who are working in a customer service industry, the quality of that customer service itself is the most important aspect of the job. People respond positively to good customer service. IF you are a business owner then you know how the saying goes, it’s easier to keep a customer, as it is to get a new customer. In order to keep your customers and build up some form of clientele that feels loyal to your company. Therefore you must put in the time and effort to keep your customers and your level of customer service up to where it should be.
In most areas of customer service there will be some time on the phone. If your job requires you to place and receive phone calls, you must ensure that you are always polite and customers. This is a great time to strengthen the relationship between the owner and the customer. Customer’s respond better to a business owner who is approachable and interested in their lives then someone who seems bothered and rushed. However, there are those that can become annoyed when the customer service representative becomes too personal. For those people who are in the customer service area, they should attempt to find a happy medium between being too friendly and not friendly at all.
At times in the customer service industry you will come into contact with less than satisfied customers. These people may become angry and they may yell. Sometimes it is hard to contain yourself and you might want to argue back. However, when you are working as a customer service representative then you must be able to control yourself. You should never interrupt an irate customer. If they are getting angry with you then you should just let them vent. Let them have their say and once they are done you can begin explaining what you can do to help solve the problem. The key to customer service is to always be obliging and polite.
Texting My Ex? Communicating With Your Ex When You Want Them Back
“We just broke up… but should I keep texting my ex?”
Today, this is probably the most common question you can ask after getting dumped. In a world where you’ve kept in constant contact with your boyfriend or girlfriend, should you just stop all that communication because the relationship ends? What if you and your ex want to stay friends? When is it okay to text your ex… and what subjects should be off limits?
The answers to those questions depend upon whether or not you’re trying to get your ex back. If you still think you’ve got a shot at being together, maybe you’ve already tried a few things to get your ex interested in you again. Maybe you’ve been texting them, calling them, or emailing them about your feelings. Usually, this approach doesn’t pan out very well. Winning someone back through electronic communication is a very hard and lonely path to reconciliation, and one that seldom works.
Even if you could text your ex, what would you say? The same everyday conversation falls flat after being dumped. You’d only make small talk… and overall it would be pretty lame. In time, you’d be asking your ex what he or she was doing this past weekend, and they’d interpret it for what it really is: you prying for information. Because when you want your ex back, every single conversation gets analyzed. You look for false hope in every word your ex says, and you check his or her daily schedule for any hint that your ex has moved on. Text-messaging your exboyfriend or exgirlfriend only leads to problems, and makes you come off as needy or desperate.
Communicating with your ex when you want them back should be kept at a very bare minimum, if at all. Before you can get back together with someone who broke up with you, they’ll have to miss you first. Recapturing your ex’s interest is an important aspect of reversing your break up, and this just won’t happen through texting each other. There’s nothing interesting about “Hey, what’s up?” and “What are you doing right now?” every hour, on the hour. To get back a boyfriend or girlfriend, you need to turn off your cellphone and disappear for a while.
“But if I’m not texting my ex, won’t they think I forgot about them?”
Yes – and that’s a good thing. One of the best things you can do is make your ex start believing you’ve got better things to do rather than hang around on the phone all day with them. When your exboyfriend or exgirlfriend doesn’t see any new messages from you, he or she will start to wonder what you’re doing instead. By not chasing your ex you’re conveying the impression that you have a life of your own, and that you’re out doing other stuff that doesn’t involve thinking about or having to contact them. Sending your ex text messages every day will accomplish just the opposite.
When you’re ready to once again communicate, you’ll need to know what to say. Texting or calling your ex out of the clear blue sky without any kind of clue or plan is going to end in disaster… you need to map out a blueprint for successfully getting your ex to want you back. Just as you study for a test or exam, and just as you practice before a game or performance, you need to have some sort of plan in place for winning your ex’s heart. Trying to just “wing it” is always going to reduce the chances of getting a favorable response from your ex, whether you’re texting them or not.
Safety Culture – Six Basic Safety Program Elements
If you run a small business, sometimes it is hard to keep up with all the rules and regulations. However, there are some very basic elements that must be implemented into a management system. One example is Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Proposed ‘I2P2′ Rule.According to OSHA, the proposed rule will “require employers to develop and implement a program that minimizes worker exposure to safety and health hazards.”
No one really knows what the proposed rule will look like, but we can usually make a good guess. So, to help with some these Safety program elements, OSHA’s “Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines”, published on January 26, 1989 provides some limited guidance that you can follow.
In many of the voluntary programs, OSHA outlines five elements that will help you to create a successful management system. From my standpoint, although management and employee participation is complementary and forms the core of an effective safety and health program, I want to make sure that there is a clear and distinct difference between management of the operation and employee participation. It will be easier to implement a management system if you understand what OSHA is considering a model system and then expand on the model to fit the organization. The following are the core elements of an effective management system:
Management leadership
Employee participation
Hazard identification and assessment
Hazard prevention and control
Information and training
Evaluation of program effectiveness
An effective management system addresses work-related hazards, including those potential hazards that could result from a change in workplace conditions or practices. In addition, it addresses hazards that are not regulatory driven by nature. The best advice is to not wait for an inspection or a workplace injury to occur before workplace hazards are addressed. If you do not already have a plan in place, then you should immediately create a plan for identifying and correcting hazards, and then implement the elements of the plan. The key is to have employees participate in the development and implementation of the plan.
It is a good practice to implement and maintain a management system that provides systematic policies, procedures, and practices that are adequate to protect employees from safety hazards. In other words, an effective system identifies provisions for the systematic identification, evaluation, and prevention or control of workplace hazards, specific job hazards, and potential hazards that may arise from foreseeable conditions.
No matter if a safety program is in writing or not is less important than how effective it is implemented, managed, and practiced. It should be obvious that as the size of the workplace, the number of employees, or the complexity of an operation increases, the need for written guidance will increase. The program should help to make sure that there is clear communication to all employees with consistent application of policies and procedures.
Management Leadership
Management leadership from the top down is the most important part of any process. “Lip service”, is not going to work and does not demonstrate commitment. Management demonstrates this commitment by providing the motivating force and the needed resources by including at least the following:
· Establishing the roles and responsibilities for managers, supervisors, and employees at all levels of the organization and holding each level accountable for carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
· Providing managers, supervisors, and employees with the authority, access to relevant information, training, and resources needed to carry out their responsibilities.
· Identifying at least one manager, supervisor, or employee to receive and respond to reports about safety conditions and, where appropriate, to initiate corrective action.
Just to make it clear, demonstration means “do as I do” and not “do as I say.” This is an important concept, no matter what you are tying to accomplish, always “walk-the-walk, and talk-the-talk”. If you say that you are going to do something, do it!
Employee participation
Employee participation provides the means for employees to develop and/or express their commitment to themselves and/or their fellow employees. Therefore, in any successful system, employees should be provided an opportunity to participate in establishing, implementing, and evaluating the safety system. To fulfill and enhance employee participation, management should implement some form of the following elements:
Regularly communicating with all employees concerning safety matters.
Providing employees with access to information relevant to the safety system.
Providing ways for employees to become involved in hazard identification and assessment, prioritizing hazards, safety training, and management system evaluation.
Establishing procedures where employees can report work-related hazards promptly and ways they can make recommendations about appropriate solutions to control the hazards identified.
Providing prompt responses to reports and recommendations.
It is important to remember that under an effective safety system, management encourages and supports employees to report safety hazards and making recommendations about associated hazard, or participating in the corrective actions for hazard as noted.
Hazard Identification and Assessment
A practical hazard analysis of the work environment involves a variety of elements to identify existing hazards and conditions as well as areas subject to change that might create new hazards. Using management techniques coupled with employee participation and continually analyzing the work environment to anticipate and develop programs to help prevent harmful occurrences will help to identify hazards. The following elements are recommended to help identify existing and potential hazards:
Conducting a baseline workplace assessment, updating assessments periodically, and allowing employees to participate in the assessments.
Analyzing planned and/or new facilities, process materials, and equipment.
Developing routine job hazards analyses and training employees on the hazards noted.
Assessing risk factors of ergonomics applications to employee’s tasks.
Conducting regular site safety inspections so that new or previously missed hazards are identified and corrected.
Providing a reliable system for employees to notify management about conditions that appear hazardous and to receive timely and appropriate responses. This system utilizes employee insight and experience in safety and allows employee concerns to be addressed. And the most important, the employee should be encouraged to use this system without fear of reprisal.
Investigating injuries, “near misses,” and loss producing events so that their causes and means of prevention can be identified.
Analyzing injury trends to identify patterns with common causes so that they can be reviewed and prevented
Hazards that employees are exposed should systematically be identified and evaluated. This evaluation can be accomplished by assessing compliance with the following activities and reviewing safety information for example:
The establishment’s injury experience.
The OSHA 300 logs
Workers’ compensation claims (Employers First Report of Injury)
Nurse and/or first aid logs
Results of any medical screening/surveillance
Employee safety complaints and reports
Environmental and biological exposure data
Information from prior workplace safety inspections
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s)
Results of employee safety perception surveys
Safety manuals
Safety warnings provided by equipment manufacturers and chemical supplier
Information about safety provided by trade associations or professional safety organizations
Results of prior incidents and investigations
Evaluating new equipment, materials, and processes for hazards before they are introduced into the workplace
Assessing the severity of identified hazards and ranking those that cannot be corrected immediately according to their severity
It is also important to evaluate other regulatory requirements that may impose additional and specific requirements for hazard identification and assessment.
Hazard Prevention and Control
Effective planning and design of the workplace or job task can help to prevent hazards. Where it is not feasible to eliminate hazards, action plans should be implemented that can help to control unsafe conditions.
Elimination or control should be accomplished in a timely manner once a hazard or potential hazards are identified. The following are some suggested measures:
Using engineering techniques where feasible and appropriate
Establishing safe work practices and procedures that could be understood and followed by all affected employees
Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) when engineering controls are not feasible
Using administrative controls. For example, reducing the duration of exposure
Maintaining the facility and equipment to prevent equipment breakdowns
Planning and preparing for emergencies and conducting training including emergency drills, as needed, ensuring that proper responses to emergencies will be “second nature” for all employees involved
Establishing a medical surveillance program that includes handling first aid cases onsite and off-site at a nearby physician and/or emergency medical care to help reduce the risk of any injury that may occur
Once identified, an action plan should be developed to help solve the issues or can be used to come into compliance with applicable requirements. These plans can include setting priorities and deadlines and tracking progress in controlling hazards.
Information and Training
Training is an important part of any program to ensure that all employees understand the requirements of the safety programs and potential hazards of the operation. This training should address the roles and responsibilities of both the management and the employees. It will be most effective when combined with other training about performance requirements and/or job practices. The complexity depends on the size and the nature of the hazards and potential hazards present. The following information and training should be provided to all levels:
The nature of the hazards and how to recognize them
The means to control these hazards
The protective measures that can be used to prevent and/or minimize exposure to hazards
The provisions of applicable requirements
Anyone who has responsibilities for the information and training should be provided the level of training necessary to carry out their safety responsibilities.
The following provides a brief explanation for some specific-level training. You should review your operation and expand on the brief summary.
Employee Training
Employee training programs should be designed to ensure that all employees understand and are aware of the hazards that they may be exposed and the proper methods for avoiding such hazards.
Management Training
Management must be trained to understand the key role they play in safety and to enable them to carry out their job duties effectively as follows:
Analyzing of the work under their supervision to anticipate and identify potential hazards
Maintaining physical protection in their work areas
Reinforcing employee training on the nature of potential hazards associated with their work and on protective measures. The reinforcement is done through continual performance feedback and, as necessary, through enforcement of safe work practices
Understanding their roles and responsibilities
Note that some compliance standards impose additional, more specific requirements for information, training, and education. Make sure that you read specific training requirements.
Evaluation of Program Effectiveness
The management system should be evaluated to ensure that it is effective and appropriate to specific workplace conditions. The system should be revised in a timely manner to correct any deficiencies as identified by any program evaluation. It is important that system elements be reviewed at least annually to evaluate their success in meeting the goals and objectives so that deficiencies can be identified and the program and/or the objectives can be revised when they do not meet the goal of an effective safety process.
The key to developing a management system is to provide visible top management involvement in implementing and sustaining the management system so that all employees understand that management’s commitment is serious.
Resources: OSHA’s “Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines”, published on January 26, 1989
“Developing an Effective Safety Culture: A Leadership Approach” by James Roughton
15 Tips to Making More Telephone Appointments, More Often
So we all hate having to make telephone appointments, it’s a pretty thankless task at the best of times, but if you learn your craft well, at least you will be out there getting appointments and making things happen. Just remember, if you sell a product worth say 5000 pounds, and it takes you 100 rejections to get that sale, then each of those rejections is worth £50.00. If you were paid £50.00 just for getting a NO each time, you’d be on that phone day and night wouldn’t you?
These tips are just a few of the many hundreds I could write from my 17 years experience of cold calling and appointment making. Nothing happens without a sale.
The tips.
1. Be absolutely clear why you are making the call, establish in advance what it is you want to happen, structure the questions around that outcome, remember – sell the appointment, not the product!
2. Basic politeness, not false, if you enjoy people, it shows, try to enjoy yourself, you are a specialist in one of life’s most noble professions. be courteous, no matter what’s going on at the other end, you are the professional, prove it.
3. Keep good records! So many telephone marketers lose the plot because they just can’t remember where they are up to with their list, I have done this myself, re-calling a client I only just spoke to with the same sales pitch! It’s worth saving yourself this embarrassment just for the sake of paying attention and making a few notes in a system, not just a pad you might lose.
4. If you call an automated system, press zero, it is usually a default for reception, if that doesn’t work and you are forced to listen to the whole menu of options, make a note of the option number for the next call so you will save time.
5. Tape the phone to your hand! Well that’s just metaphorically speaking. The point is, just start phoning and keep at it, just promise you will do a chunk of an hour to start, no matter what, it is so easy to do anything but make the calls you know matter.
6. Always address your prospects by their title, i.e. Mr Jones, using first names on a cold call can appear to be over-familiar, I have been caught out a couple of times and learned very early its title first, until rapport is built between you.
7. Listen, Listen, Listen! So many sales people miss this one, on the phone doing their script and not listening carefully to the response. Missing vital info and buying signals. Try repeating each word your prospect is saying in your head very shortly after they have said it. It is a good discipline to make sure you are using your ears and mouth in the right order.
8. Stay off the radar. Simply getting more chances to be put through to a prospect by not alerting the gatekeeper to who you are. If the prospect is not there, just quickly say you’ll call later thanks, and off you go. I wouldn’t usually leave a message until at least a good number of attempts to get through.
9. Be persistent. Try varying your call patterns, call later, call early, call on a Friday afternoon, don’t buy in to the myth that there are times of the day not worth calling, making appointments is like fishing. I have often abandoned a fishing location, only to see another angler come in exactly the same place and get a full net! Technique and belief are what matters.
10. Get it out quickly. Prospects hate a drawling delivery, say it quick and keep it sharp, not too quick, but just at a good pace, get to the point early, ask for what you want.
11. When speaking avoid filler words like er, erm, y’know, they are diluting your delivery and make you sound clumsy. Just be aware of what you are saying and ‘kill the fill’ You will get more appointments.
12. If not now when? Both if your prospect is not available, or if your prospect has said there is a chance of an appointment, just not yet. Why is now not a good time? When will be better? Can we pencil that in the diary?
13. Have your diary at the ready, with a good idea of how many appointments you are going to make. If your diary is not even open in your drawer, you are just programming yourself to believe you aren’t going to make any meetings. Have a positive expectation of the appointments, how many, and when you are going to schedule them.
14. As Henry Ford Said: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right either way.” Think positive, take rejection and learn – It’s not personal, enjoy it, it’s made you stronger! Develop a formidable mental attitude, read motivational books.
15. When you close on an appointment, confirm the details carefully, get the date right, confirm by email, offer that if the prospect wishes to make any changes, they can feel free to. It will demonstrate you are a professional, and not make the prospect feel trapped and closed on.
8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture
“Every company’s greatest assets are its customers,
because without customers there is no company,”
–Erwin Frand
During our recent weakened economy, many businesses have seen declining revenues and declining budgets. Declining budgets often lead to reduced staff levels and diminished services. To me, this does not make sense. I believe that it is during the down times, when service should be at the forefront and retention of loyal customers even more of a focus.
When price wars fail to drive revenues, businesses often look to service to give them a competitive advantage. Many big business marketers are returning to a “service sells” mentality, however, many sell great customer service and few deliver. The problem is that few marketers have ever truly served a customer.
Throughout my years in business, I have had the opportunity to interact and develop a customer service philosophy. It is inherent that when you are in a service-based business, there will be times when your customer is compelled to offer you their feedback. It is what you do with this feedback that will shape the future and their impression of your business.
Upon reflection, most all of my interactions with displeased customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a disappointing customer experience. Why is that? Because, product is not personal, customer service is. Briefly, I would like to share with you eight critical steps to establish a customer service culture.
1. Customers are the reason for work, not an interruption of work
This sounds really obvious doesn’t it? How many times have you gone into a business only to wait while someone is on the telephone or busy doing some “non-service” task? Employees often lose sight of the importance of the customer and get consumed in lesser day to day tasks. Sure, there are tasks that need to be accomplished, but you cannot afford to sacrifice service to get them done. Good customer service must be a priority for you and your team. Without your customers, you have no company!
2. Train, train, and continue to train.
o Cross train your entire staff to be able to assist a customer regardless of their department. When a customer becomes upset they want their problem solved not to be shuffled between employees that are not empowered or enable to assist them.
o Offer continuous customer service training for your staff and once they are providing good service, continue to train them.
o Utilize role play situations to assist your staff in recognizing and experiencing both easy and difficult service opportunities. If an employee has a level of comfort with a difficult situation, they will be able to better handle it.
3. Empower your staff to serve
o Establish a system of resources for your staff to serve the customer. Allow them latitude to take the necessary action to provide exceptional service and resolve any issues should a customer become disgruntled. Create a structured system to allow your staff to serve customers.
o Establish a discretionary budget that an employee may access to recover a customer before you lose them. I recently learned that a major hotel chain has a monetary fund available per year and per employee enabling them to go above and beyond to ensure exceptional service. This empowers the employee to right a wrong or create a “memorable” customer experience. I am not advocating large sums of money, but with regards to customer service, a small gesture can go a long way.
o Ask your staff what tools would enable them to provide better service. You would not send a fireman into a burning building without the proper equipment. Failing to empower and enable your staff with the necessary tools to serve you customer leaves you with few options other than poor service.
4. Make service personal
o Greet repeat customers by name, if possible.
o Offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Creating service that is personal will not only retain customers, but help diffuse difficult situations should they arise.
o Thank your customers for their patronage. It really does make a difference.
5. It is ok to say “Yes”, even when you should say “No”
o Support your staff when they make customer service decisions. In my business, it is my policy that an employee can act without concern for repercussion, as long as they are meeting a customer’s need. I have found this creates a greater willingness to serve the customer.
o Often times you could say “no” to a customer, however, “no” can have huge implications on your business. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to potentially lose 10 customers as result of this interaction?”
6. Offer a solution
o Shift from the problem to the process for resolution.
o Offer a choice between several options.
o Put yourself in their place.
o Involve the customer in determining the solution.
o Clearly explain any limitations that exist.
7. Recognize your staff members for outstanding service
o Implement a customer service awards program that recognizes employees for exceptional customer service. Maybe you have tried these without success and do not believe that they work. I would tend to agree if the program were like most I have seen. Try something different; break the mold. One of my most successful clients offers spa treatments for his female employees if a customer goes out of their way to recognize them for great service. Another client provides his employees with a “day off with pay” incentive for every five unsolicited, positive customer comments that he receives. These are just a few examples that are “outside the box.” Be creative and generate a little excitement in your staff for customer service.
o Take the time to acknowledge employees at staff meetings. People want to leave their mark and feel that they matter. Taking the time to recognize them in front of their peers can make a real difference.
8. Ask your customers what they think of your service
The best way to find out if you are satisfying customers is to ask them. Formal efforts could include customer surveys, questionnaires, interviews or comment/suggestion cards. Informally, get out and talk with your customers and your staff. Ask them how they feel about service you are providing. Ideally, use a combination of both methods.
You may be thinking, “Why should I go ask for trouble? Who knows what I might hear if I ask?” That is the point. As you will see in the statistics below, most customers will not voice their disappointment with your service levels. They will simply leave and never return. If you do not ask about the quality of your service, you might make the wrong assumptions and feel that you can reduce service levels because you get few complaints and lead your organization into areas that turn off your customers or cause problems that you never intended.
On the other hand, asking your customers about their satisfaction sends a message to them that you care about your business and about them. While you might hear some criticisms, you might also learn what you are doing right and see what you should modify.
In addition to the information, you will benefit from the interaction. Every interaction is a customer service opportunity. Make the most of each and every one.
Most of us continue doing business with people and businesses who give good service. We might not say anything, but we reward good service providers by continuing to do business with them. If the service is outstanding, we will probably tell our friends and colleagues about it. Likewise, when we receive poor service most of us vote, not with our voice, but with our feet–we just leave.
In the 1980′s the White House Office of Consumer Affairs commissioned a report called the TARP study. The report revealed the following facts about unhappy customers:
96% of dissatisfied customers do not complain directly.
90% will not return.
One unhappy customer will tell nine others.
13% will tell at least 20 other people
Superior customer service is one of the most difficult deliverables facing the business world today. Selling service is the easy part, delivering on that promise offers a tremendous challenge. So I ask you, what can you do to improve the service you provide? Implement these eight steps and begin to excel at providing a superior customer culture today!
©Anthony Mullins – Elite Coaching Alliance 2005
Defining Your Service Culture
Organizations go to great lengths to differentiate themselves from one another, usually at much expense. In reality, it is often their service culture that has one of the biggest impacts on customers and helps a customer decide whether or not to do business with the organization.
What is a service culture in an organization?
The answer to this question is that it culture is different for each organization. No two organizations operate in the same manner, have the same focus, or provide management that accomplishes the same results. Among other things, a culture includes values, beliefs, norms, rituals, and practices of a group or organization. Any policy, procedure, action, or inaction on the part of an organization, and its employees contribute to the service culture. Most importantly, each employee plays a key role in communicating the culture to its customers. This may include such things as personal appearance, the way employees interact with customers, and service provider’s knowledge, skill and attitude level. Culture also encompasses an organization’s products and services, and the physical appearance of the organization’s facility, equipment, or any other aspect of the organization with which the customer comes into contact.
Service culture is comprised of many facets with each impacting customers and helping to determine the success or failure of customer service initiatives. Too often, organizations over-promise and under-deliver because their cultural and internal systems (infrastructure) do not have the ability to support customer service initiatives. For example, assume that the management of an organization has their marketing department develop a slick piece of literature describing all the benefits of a new product or service provided by a new corporate partner organization. They then establish a special 800 number for responses, but fail to hire additional staff or adequately train current employees to handle the customer calls. The project is likely doomed to fail.
The Role of Service Philosophy and Mission
Generally, an organization’s approach to business, or philosophy, is driven from the top of the organization. Upper management, including members of the board of directors, when appropriate, set the vision or tone and direction of the organization. Without a clearly planned and communicated vision, the service ethic ends at the highest levels. This is often a stumbling block where many organizations falter due to indecision or dissension at upper echelons.
Leadership, real and perceived, is crucial to customer service success. Members of upper management in successful organizations make themselves clearly visible to frontline employees and are in tune with customer needs and expectations.
When members of management stay locked away in the boardroom or are perceived as spending their time in their office or on the golf course, employee devotion to good service is tested. As the old adage goes “action speaks louder than words.” While it is wonderful when organizations go to the trouble of developing and hanging a nicely framed formal mission or philosophy statement on a wall, if it is not a functional way of life for employees, it serves little purpose.
Employee Roles and Expectations
There are many additional tasks and responsibilities assigned to frontline customer service providers. Depending on the job description for a position and size and type of the organization and industry involved, these roles and expectations may be similar from one organization to another, yet performed in a variety of different ways. Such roles and expectations are normally included in a job description and ultimately in performance goals that are established when an employee is hired. These roles and expectations are subsequently updated as necessary during tenure on the job. In the case of performance goals, an employee is typically measured against the measures established with/for them during a performance period and the employee is subsequently either rewarded or not, depending on their performance results and organizational policy.
The key to successfully using a job description which outlines expectations and roles for each position is that they must be periodically examined and realistically updated to include actual responsibilities. This is because jobs often change rapidly in today’s changing business environment and new task assignments are given verbally but not committed to writing. It is hard for employees to be measured against goals and expectations if there is no consistency. Also, when a new employee must be hired, those involved in the hiring process (e.g. supervisors and Human Resources personnel) need a realistic picture of typical responsibilities.
Creating the Best Possible Service Culture
Two of the keys to building a successful organization through a positive service culture are an organization’s employees and its management philosophy.
Employees
To deliver effective customer service, an organization needs to seriously commit to and invest in its frontline staff. This means paying attention to the following factors:
- Recruit and hire the best possible applicants;
- Pay a competitive or above competitive rate;
- Create a work environment that helps motivate employees;
- Provide adequate training and tools for them to do their job;
- Empower employees to make decisions commensurate with their experience, education and position level;
- Provide state of the art equipment and support to employees;
- Supervise and coach for success.
Management
For supervisors and management to be effective in supporting a positive service culture, they must:
- Be knowledgeable of the organization and its products and services, and of the industry, as well as, of the competition;
- Have good communication skills;
- Treat each employee fairly and with respect;
- Allow employees to take responsibility and to exercise limited decision-making related to their job and customers;
- Provide frequent and ongoing coaching and support to employees (praise as well as constructive feedback);
- Act as an employee advocate.
Conclusion
There are so many things that can influence a customer’s decision use an organization’s products and services that managers do not have control over. Culture is not one of those things. By being proactive and applying some sound customer service and management strategies, any organization can increase its holdings in today’s global business environment.
We Got It Wrong: Never Under Promise & Over Deliver
You know how it is, you believe something for so long, everyone agrees with you, all the books tell you it’s true and then suddenly you have a blinding revelation – we’ve all been duped! You know like my gorilla mates were? (If you’re not sure about my gorilla mates then you really need to read the book – we’ve got a great offer on at the moment!)
And you feel such a chump – how did I ever fall for that – the logic just isn’t there – I must have been a fool. Let me explain.
“Under Promise & Over Deliver”
You know the old saying “Under Promise & Over Deliver”? – well, here’s the idea behind it.
Buyers these days are ever more ready to complain when something isn’t to their liking (yes, even in the UK!) Customers are prepared to walk if you don’t deliver when you said you would. Clients are mobile and promiscuous and will change supplier if they can get better service.
So in order to meet these demands, for the last 20 years or so, we’ve all been applying the mantra “Under Promise & Over Deliver” – for example, tell them the job that’ll take 10 days will take 12 and then wow them when you deliver ahead of schedule.
Now, in theory this sounds great – your client can’t fail to be impressed at your over delivery! Or can they?
Big Mistake
Now, think about it for a little longer. Mr client comes along and you promise to deliver the project by 2pm on Tuesday, even though you know you can get it finished by Friday. Hey, that gives you the weekend to reflect, Monday morning to add the polish and you can deliver it on Monday afternoon. A great under-promised and over-delivered job! But what actually happens?
The client is delighted – you delivered a day early. But then Mr Client has a few fleeting thoughts; did this mean it wasn’t such a complicated project as you’d said? Or could you have actually got it finished by Friday? Perhaps you’ve over charged him?
Because he’s happy you did what you said and within the time scale, he pushes his doubts to the back of his mind.
However, the client now learns to “expect” (that’s his job) the service you created in your fantastic under promised way. So, he gives you another project. You give him a timescale and price, again under-promising so you can confidently over deliver with a big smile on your face. The client remembers his thoughts from the last project and asks you to “try a bit harder” on the timescale. You do, because hey, you like the guy. He was really grateful last time.
And so, the next time Mr Client asks you to do something he expects it to be done as fast and efficient and for the same price as before – now he won’t be impressed by your over-delivery – this is just his expectation.
And sadly, when you deliver on time and in budget, Mr Client wonders why it took so long. He wonders if he pushed a little harder he could get your price down or your timescale shortened. And he pushes, and he pushes…
You’ve taught your client that you can do it faster than you’ve told him. The doubts are there. He wonders if you’ve lied to him! The shame of it!
And what happens if something goes wrong – if you can’t deliver in the real timescale – or the price escalates? Or someone lets you down, or the goalposts change?
The Issues
Now, the issues are a little more wide ranging than the example above.
Some of our clients are even saying that these days in order to get a chance of winning work they have to make big promises (and then work out how to deliver on them 
Quite often the client needs to do her bit to make the project run well – and she’ll have her own clients and other things to do!
Increasingly, you’re not working on a project in isolation, there may be other suppliers in the equation
This can all lead to dissatisfaction for everyone involved.
So, What’s The Answer
Well, taking everything into account, you still need to make promises to your customers, but the answer is in the details. The answer lies in understanding what’s important to the client and working with the client to make sure that you can deliver on that. Then over deliver on something you have complete control over.
In our course “Coaches Can!” we talk about the difference between control and influence.
So before I let you into our secret, I’d just like to clarify the difference between Control & Influence. To me, misunderstanding the difference between that which you can control and that which you can merely influence is the biggest reason for client disappointment and feelings of failure.
Control VS Influence (Outcomes and Intentions)
That which is beyond your immediate and complete manipulation is not, whether we like it or not, within our control. So what is within our control?
* Our Emotions and Motivation (although not all of us accept this)
* Our Response To Outside Influences (although not all of us accept this either)
* The Direction We Take In Life
* Every Action We Take
* The Way We Communicate
* What We Say and Do and Promise
* What We Choose To Believe or Ignore
* Inanimate Objects & Tools We Use
Everything else that is outside of us (especially other animals/humans) we can only influence. Here are some examples of things you can only influence…
* Whether Someone Likes You
* Whether People Will Buy
* What Other People Find Important
* Whether People Believe You
* Convincing Someone of Something
* Getting Someone to Do Something (even if you’re a hypnotist)
Sure, you can exert enough influence that it seems like control. If someone held a gun to your head, they could probably influence you to do a lot of things. But despite that, they couldn’t get you to think different things or feel differently about something because they still only have influence.
Finally, there are some things we have no direct control or influence over… such as the weather, space, time, where we start out in life, but there’s no benefit dwelling on the things we cannot do – because it’s more empowering to focus on what we can do.
The Solution
You cannot control how your clients feel, but you can influence this. You need to concentrate on explaining the value, rather than the cost. Understanding their real requirements, rather than the standard trotted out time and budget ones. You need to work out what you are in control of and what you can merely influence. And then you need to Over Promise & Deliver on the Promise on those things that are in your control.
Simple
Speak Soon,
How to Train Staff in Great Customer Service
In the current economic recession, organizations may be tempted to cut back on training their staff in customer service. But consumers are becoming more demanding, and whilst prices are being slashed to get them in the door to buy, it is customer service that can be the real difference. This article provides valuable tips and advice on how to train your staff in great customer service.
People want more than just a transaction. They want to have a good experience. And no matter how good the product or service or how competitively priced it is, organizations really are missing a trick if they don’t provide excellent customer service to close the deal, to win repeat business and to build customer loyalty. We all know how long it can get to get new customers, and the sad truth is that poor service can lose them very quickly indeed. Losing customers in this way is sheer negligence.
So what IS great customer service? We’ve all experienced it, although it seems to be the exception rather than the norm. It’s providing what the customer needs, but more importantly it’s about leaving them with a good experience. It’s about how they FEEL, not just what they buy. Customers tend to want four things:
To feel welcome
To feel valued
To be understood
To have their needs met
Where to Start
Actually first things first. People buy people, not just products and services. Every great salesperson will tell you that. And if they are going to serve customers, you need to recruit the right people in the first place. People who can put themselves in the customers’ shoes. People who can demonstrate core skills of listening, building rapport and empathy. Positive, energetic and enthusiastic people with a ‘can do attitude’. Then the training can begin:
First comes the induction process, where new hires learn all about the company and its values, as well as its products and structure. They learn who their customers are and who does what in the company, so that they know who to go to for help or to resolve a customer complaint. They are introduced to a ‘buddy’, who can show them the ropes
Product knowledge is key. Staff need to understand the features and benefits of a range of products so that they can help customers to buy what’s right for their needs. If you have a Training Department, great. If not, then think really carefully about who has the skills to pass their product knowledge on, because not everyone can train others effectively
Communication skills development is critical. It isn’t enough to have product knowledge; staff need to know the basics such as how to greet the customer (with a smile, even if on the phone, and using their name where possible). First impressions make a huge impact. Be sure to establish and communicate clear and measurable standards for this e.g. answer the phone within three rings; answer correspondence within 48 hours; show the customer to a table within a minute of arrival; take the customer to the supermarket aisle to find the product they’re looking for; offer a hot drink as they arrive at the hair salon etc. Effective questioning and active listening skills can be learned, so that staff can find out what it is the customer actually needs, rather than what they think they want. Help them to pay attention to body language as well as the spoken word. And positive language training helps too. Rather than talking about what the company can’t do, control the conversation and identify what it CAN do. And don’t confuse the customer with jargon; check their level of understanding so that you can pitch your language accordingly. Practice building rapport by mirroring and matching communication styles to build relationships.
Train people in the end to end process, not just the bit that they are responsible for. Explain the why and how as well as the what. Show them how to do things right first time. Every time. And supervise them closely until they have demonstrated competence
Training in service recovery or complaint handling is vital. When things go wrong, think of it as a golden opportunity to win the customer. Customers realise that mistakes happen, but it’s the way that companies deal with them that can really make or break the relationship. Even if the customer is aggressive, don’t be defensive, as that will make things worse. The first step is to offer a sincere apology, as that will usually take the heat out of the situation, even if you’re not at fault. Apologising for the impact of what has gone wrong is showing real empathy. Then find a way to fix it. See what you can do to offer service beyond the norm. Take ownership and follow through until the issue is resolved to the customer’s satisfaction. If you say you will do something, do it, then let the customer know you did it. And go one stage further; follow up later to make sure that everything’s OK. Remember that you want them to be singing your praises to everyone they know, and turning a complaining customer into a delighted one really is achievable, with just a little effort
Encourage everyone to look for opportunities to go the extra mile each and every time
Beat the recession. Let great customer service be the norm in your organization.
The History of CRM — Moving Beyond the Customer Database
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of those magnificent concepts
that swept the business world in the 1990′s with the promise of forever changing
the way businesses small and large interacted with their customer bases. In the
short term, however, it proved to be an unwieldy process that was better in
theory than in practice for a variety of reasons. First among these was that it
was simply so difficult and expensive to track and keep the high volume of
records needed accurately and constantly update them.
In the last several years, however, newer software systems and advanced
tracking features have vastly improved CRM capabilities and the real promise of
CRM is becoming a reality. As the price of newer, more customizable Internet
solutions have hit the marketplace; competition has driven the prices down so
that even relatively small businesses are reaping the benefits of some custom
CRM programs.
In the beginning…
The 1980′s saw the emergence of database marketing, which was simply a catch
phrase to define the practice of setting up customer service groups to speak
individually to all of a company’s customers.
In the case of larger, key clients it was a valuable tool for keeping the
lines of communication open and tailoring service to the clients needs. In the
case of smaller clients, however, it tended to provide repetitive, survey-like
information that cluttered databases and didn’t provide much insight. As
companies began tracking database information, they realized that the bare bones
were all that was needed in most cases: what they buy regularly, what they
spend, what they do.
Advances in the 1990′s
In the 1990′s companies began to improve on Customer Relationship Management
by making it more of a two-way street. Instead of simply gathering data for
their own use, they began giving back to their customers not only in terms of
the obvious goal of improved customer service, but in incentives, gifts and
other perks for customer loyalty.
This was the beginning of the now familiar frequent flyer programs, bonus
points on credit cards and a host of other resources that are based on CRM
tracking of customer activity and spending patterns. CRM was now being used as a
way to increase sales passively as well as through active improvement of
customer service.
True CRM comes of age
Real Customer Relationship Management as it’s thought of today really began
in earnest in the early years of this century. As software companies began
releasing newer, more advanced solutions that were customizable across
industries, it became feasible to really use the information in a dynamic way.
Instead of feeding information into a static database for future reference,
CRM became a way to continuously update understanding of customer needs and
behavior. Branching of information, sub-folders, and custom tailored features
enabled companies to break down information into smaller subsets so that they
could evaluate not only concrete statistics, but information on the motivation
and reactions of customers.
The Internet provided a huge boon to the development of these huge databases
by enabling offsite information storage. Where before companies had difficulty
supporting the enormous amounts of information, the Internet provided new
possibilities and CRM took off as providers began moving toward Internet
solutions.
With the increased fluidity of these programs came a less rigid relationship
between sales, customer service and marketing. CRM enabled the development of
new strategies for more cooperative work between these different divisions
through shared information and understanding, leading to increased customer
satisfaction from order to end product.
Today, CRM is still utilized most frequently by companies that rely heavily
on two distinct features: customer service or technology. The three sectors of
business that rely most heavily on CRM — and use it to great advantage — are
financial services, a variety of high tech corporations and the
telecommunications industry.
The financial services industry in particular tracks the level of client
satisfaction and what customers are looking for in terms of changes and
personalized features. They also track changes in investment habits and spending
patterns as the economy shifts. Software specific to the industry can give
financial service providers truly impressive feedback in these areas.
Who’s in the CRM game?
About 50% of the CRM market is currently divided between five major players
in the industry: PeopleSoft, Oracle, SAP, Siebel and relative newcomer
Telemation, based on Linux and developed by an old standard, Database Solutions,
Inc.
The other half of the market falls to a variety of other players, although
Microsoft’s new emergence in the CRM market may cause a shift soon. Whether
Microsoft can capture a share of the market remains to be seen. However, their
brand-name familiarity may give them an edge with small businesses considering a
first-time CRM package.
PeopleSoft was founded in the mid-1980′s by Ken Morris and Dave
Duffield as a client-server based human resources application. In 1998,
PeopleSoft had evolved into a purely Internet based system, PeopleSoft 8.
There’s no client software to maintain and it supports over 150 applications.
PeopleSoft 8 is the brainchild of over 2,000 dedicated developers and $500
million in research and development.
PeopleSoft branched out from their original human resources platform in the
1990′s and now supports everything from customer service to supply chain
management. Its user-friendly system required minimal training is relatively
inexpensive to deploy. .
One of PeopleSoft’s major contributions to CRM was their detailed analytic
program that identifies and ranks the importance of customers based on numerous
criteria, including amount of purchase, cost of supplying them, and frequency of
service.
Oracle built a solid base of high-end customers in the late 1980′s,
then burst into national attention around 1990 when, under Tom Siebel, the
company aggressively marketed a small-to-medium business CRM solution.
Unfortunately they couldn’t follow up themselves on the incredible sales they
garnered and ran into a few years of real problems.
Oracle landed on its feet after a restructuring and their own refocusing on
customer needs and by the mid-1990′s the company was once again a leader in CRM
technologies. They continue to be one of the leaders in the enterprise
marketplace with the Oracle Customer Data Management System.
Telemation’s CRM solution is flexible and user-friendly, with a
toolkit that makes changing features and settings relatively easy. The system
also provides a quick learning environment that newcomers will appreciate. Its
uniqueness lies in that, although compatible with Windows, it was developed as a
Linux program. Will Linux be the wave of the future? We don’t know, but if it
is, Telemation’s ahead of the game.
The last few years…
In 2002, Oracle released their Global CRM in 90 Days package that promised
quick implementation of CRM throughout company offices. Offered with the package
was a set fee service for set-up and training for core business needs. .
Also in 2002 (a stellar year for CRM), SAP America’s mySAP began using a
“middleware” hub that was capable of connecting SAP systems to externals and
front and back office systems for a unified operation that links partners,
employees, process and technologies in a closed-loop function.
Siebel
consistently based its business primarily on enterprise size businesses willing
to invest millions in CRM systems, which worked for them to the tune of $2.1
billion in 2001. However, in 2002 and 2003 revenues slipped as several smaller
CRM firms joined the fray as ASP’s (Application Service Providers). These
companies, including UpShot, NetSuite and SalesNet, offered businesses CRM-style
tracking and data management without the high cost of traditional CRM start-up.
In October of 2003, Siebel launched CRM OnDemand in collaboration with IBM.
Their entry into the hosted, monthly CRM solution niche hit the marketplace with
gale force. To some of the monthly ASP’s it was a call to arms, to others it was
a sign of Siebel’s increasing confusion over brand identity and increasing loss
of market share. In a stroke of genius, Siebel acquired UpShot a few months
later to get them started and smooth their transition into the ASP market. It
was a successful move.
With Microsoft now in the game, it’s too soon to tell
what the results will be, but it seems likely that they may get some share of
small businesses that tend to buy based on familiarity and usability. ASP’s will
continue to grow in popularity as well, especially with mid-sized businesses, so
companies like NetSuite, SalesNet and Siebel’s OnDemand will thrive. CRM on the
web has come of age!
This article on the “The History of CRM” reprinted with
permission.
Copyright © 2004-2005 Evaluseek Publishing.
How to Set Up an Efficient Shipping and Receiving Center
Despite the explosive growth of electronic communication, the volume of hard mail continues to rise – driven by consumers and businesses for the handling and processing of their mail. Managing a chain of communication efficiently and cost-effectively – especially in a large corporation – is critical for building customer relationships, reducing corporate waste, and capitalizing on market opportunity.
Done well, an efficient shipping and receiving center can affect any business bottom line and can be a significant cost center. However, leading corporations that are the expert in their own industries often don’t know where to begin when it comes to designing a world-class shipping and receiving, or mail center operations. As many enterprises weigh their options in attaining this goal, they turn to outsourcing as the most cost effective and efficient alternative.
According to mailstream leader Pitney Bowes, companies often choose to outsource their mail operations for two reasons: expense control and risk management. For many corporations, the cost for postage and overnight express carrier fees in a mid-size firm can surpass $7-8 million annually, with the costs rising exponentially for larger corporations. Minimizing risk means finding the best workers, staying current with regulatory changes, and using the best technology to gain savings and maximize efficiency. In some companies, mail center managers may compete with other departments within the same organization for qualified staff and budget dollars.
Outsourcing addresses these issues by supplying staff, management, technology and programs to assist corporations in meeting key objectives. Through consolidating jobs or tasks, improvement management, and introducing leading-edge technology, companies can achieve savings and speed up their processing. Other core functions that must be addressed include the day-to-day business procedures, hiring and training staff, implementing and maintaining networks, planning design layout, and implementing tracking tools.
An outsource company can address these issues, beginning by evaluating a company’s mail center, determining and introducing new strategies, evaluating progress, and developing a vision for what it means to possess a world-class shipping and receiving service. Leveraging the expertise of an outsource mail management system enables corporations to achieve higher standards in mail operations.
Physical Design and Layout
Some shipping and receiving centers have been designed by default – perhaps enlarged over time in response to enterprise growth, but rarely re-engineered with a focus on overall efficiency of performance. A professional outsource company works with corporations to determine if their mail operations area is fit for this purpose, and recommend changes that need to be made for long-range success. It’s vital that the movement of materials to, within, and between all facilities meets the same standards of inbound and outbound products. Considering factors such as width of hallways and floor plans assist companies in designing distribution runs for pickup and delivery that maximize turnaround of interoffice mail traveling within the same company building and to other company buildings.
Mail Flow
Managing the flow of mail is another key factor to developing an efficient shipping and receiving mail center. A productive mail center is able to differentiate between urgent and trivial mail using advanced processing techniques, and imaging and electronic message management. Timely and accurate movement of mail has a direct effect on order processing fulfillment, approval processes, cash flow, and overall communications efficiency. Automated systems assist corporations in retooling inefficient processes, which result in the high-quality management of correspondence mail and highly productive mail operation.
A heightened awareness of worldwide mail security has prompted the U.S. and major mailers and shippers to take decisive action to protect the integrity of the mail. A professional outsource company knows that making mail safe starts with close attention to process. Many companies have found it necessary to scrutinize mail and document security, as well as re-engineer their operations to improve safety. While these efforts help to increase security, it also results in an improvement in quality and efficiency of mail operations.
Creating a world-class shipping and receiving mail center requires in-depth knowledge and experience in the areas of administration, human resource, technology, logistics, and procedures that contribute to the overall mail center operation. Leveraging the knowledge of a professional outsource company, companies can make a confident investment which will reap value and business benefits far into the future.