Maximize Customer Satisfaction Blog

Fostering a Customer Service Culture

Companies that provide superior customer service usually make that priority a part of their daily existence. Everyone in the company knows that the customer comes first, starting from the CEO to the staff on the front lines. This is called creating a customer service culture, which permeates into everything the company says and does. It is embedded in the corporate mission statement and in every staff meeting and training session.

Consider these ways to foster a customer service culture in your own business that puts the customer first and foremost every single day.

Building a Customer Service Culture

To be effective, a customer service culture must be:

• Intentional – The culture must be created, beginning with the corporate mission statement.
• Consistent – Customer service must be emphasized regularly through daily tasks, staff meetings and training sessions.
• Measured – Standards for customer service must be set in place that are easy to understand, follow and objectively assess.

These three characteristics show that a successful customer service culture begins at the top and trickles down. If upper management does not make the customer the priority, the rest of management and staff will not either.

Creating a Culture

A customer service culture is first created in a mission statement. This statement should include the fact that the customer is the top priority of the business, and the statement should be posted in a prominent location for all the staff to see. Whenever a new issue arises, the corporate mission must be referred to when coming up with a solution to the issue. This keeps customer service at the forefront in everything a company does.

Maintaining a Culture

Once the mission is in place, the procedures that follow must back up the customer service culture. This includes ongoing training sessions to teach employees how to provide superior customer service.

Keep in mind that employees may only be able to process basic customer service techniques at the beginning, especially when they are first learning their job. As they become more experienced working with customers, they may benefit from specific training, such as dealing with angry customers or learning how to get customer feedback.

Measuring a Culture

Specific, measurable standards allow management to assess the level of customer service within the company periodically. Measurements should include face-to-face meetings, phone calls and electronic contact. Standards should be precise and measurable, such as the number of phone calls it takes to satisfy a customer's concerns or how long a customer has to wait for service.

Establishing a customer service culture provides training, measurability and accountability to all employees. When it is clear that the entire company puts customers first, superior service is sure to follow.

- Meredith Estep

Educating Customers about Your Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you sell cars or computer networks, your customers deserve to know as much as possible about the products you provide. A company that offers high quality products or services does itself a disservice by not alerting their customers to the many benefits in working with their company.

Education walks a fine line, however, between boring customers with technical information and simply telling them what they need to know.  Consider these helpful hints to show you how to educate your customers about your company with the purpose of improving your customer service and increasing your sales.

Products and Services

Your customers need to know about the products and services you have available. We are not talking about a laundry list of goods with the purpose of selling them as many as possible. 

Instead, customers want to make their lives easier, and if you have a product or service that will meet this goal, they deserve to know about it. This process, known as cross-selling in some industries, is less about profit and more about customer retention and satisfaction. It requires listening to your customer's needs and attempting to meet those needs in the most cost-effective way possible. When you customer is happy, the profits will grow quite naturally.

Uniqueness of Your Company

What sets your company apart from the rest? Do you have longer hours for your help desk or free shipping on particular purchases? Do your products come with a longer warranty?

Your customers want to know they are getting a bargain when they work with you, so let them know about the unique features they receive when they purchase your goods and services. Do not be afraid to toot your own horn – as long as it is done for the benefit of the customer. When customers know they are getting a good deal, they will keep coming back to your business for more.

The Details of Your Products

Whether you sell cars or technology, your customer deserves to be thoroughly educated about their purchase. Make sure they understand all the key features of the product you are selling, as well as the benefits of those features to them specifically. You will not sell a large-ticket item by glossing over the description of the product. Customers will not usually be willing to write the big checks until they know a product inside and out. Plan to spend the time and energy educating your customer about all those fine details before you can close the sale.

Your customer deserves to know everything they can about your company and the products or services you offer. When you are up front with your customer in regards to information, they will be more likely to trust you with their business over the long term.

- Meredith Estep

Communication 101: How to Talk to Your Customers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customer service reps spend most of their day communicating with customers.  However, an employee who is never trained in proper communication techniques may make the same mistakes over and over again.

Customers want their concerns to be heard, questions answered and products and services explained thoroughly. There are a few easy tricks to improve communication with your customer so they will continue to bring their business to you.

Maintaining Eye Contact

No one likes to talk to another person who does not look directly at the speaker. This is particularly true of customers. When you maintain eye contact with the customer, it shows that you are listening intently at what they are saying. It also helps you to focus on their words and process the information so you can assist more efficiently. The only time you should not be worried about eye contact is when you are taking notes about the customer’s concern.

Active Listening

Listening goes well beyond simply nodding your head and saying, "uh huh," periodically. Active listening requires getting involved in what the customer is saying to you, taking notes and asking clarifying questions when necessary. It also includes paraphrasing a customer's concern back to them to ensure you understand the situation accurately. The only way you can truly meet a customer's needs is by identifying precisely what those needs are. Active listening will help you along the way.

Remain Positive

No one likes to be told "no" to anything, especially your customer. While there may be requests you cannot answer the way your customer wants, there is probably something you can do. Tell them what you can or will do, rather than what you are unable to do. Even if they are not completely satisfied with your response, they will be less likely to get frustrated with the process.

Avoid Accusing

When your sentences begin with "you," your customer may feel as though they are being accused of something. They might become defensive, which will make it that much harder to meet expectations. Instead of saying, "You did not install the software," or "You are speaking too softly," try using, "I need to install this software," or "I am having trouble hearing you."  It will sound much more positive to the customer.

Avoid Technical Jargon

It is easy to fall into technical jargon when communicating with customers because those are the words or phrases you use every day. However, your customer may not be familiar with those terms, and may get frustrated when they are unable to understand what you are communicating.  Use everyday language when explaining something technical to your customer, without talking down.

Effective communication with customers is the first step in high quality customer service. By using these simple techniques, your exchanges with your customers are much more likely to be professional, pleasant and conflict-free.

- Meredith Estep

Customer Privacy: How to Protect It

Customers are concerned about privacy today – and for good reason. The incidence of identity theft is on the rise, and many victims have found themselves in financial ruin as a result of these unscrupulous online thieves.

Transactions of all types are now being completed on the Internet, without any humans seemingly involved in the process. Retail merchandise is ordered online from stores we never see, and we have to assume sensitive information like credit card numbers are being safeguarded by that virtual business.

If your company is concerned about providing the highest level of service to its customers, the first step must be providing peace of mind about the safeguarding of your customers' private information.

Tips for Privacy Protection

• Begin with an audit. By completing an internal audit, you can find out what customer information is being collected and how it is currently being used. Is there some information you are taking that you do not really need? By collecting the facts about your current procedures, you will be in better shape to create new policies that will more effectively protect your customers.

• Develop a privacy policy and procedures to support it. Once the information is collected, you can then begin the process of creating a privacy policy that will be consistent across the board. Write procedures that support this policy, ensuring they are easy for everyone in your company to understand and implement. Train your employees thoroughly on your privacy policy so they are prepared to carry out the procedures and educate your customers on precisely what your privacy policy is.

• Ask permission from your customers. Customer information should never be shared with any other entities without your customer's explicit permission to do so. Make sure your customers know exactly what information you collect on them and how it is used. Allow them the option of prohibiting both the collection of such information or the distribution of it when they are uncomfortable. This gives your customer the confidence they need to do business with you.

• Enforce the policies. All of your employees should know the policies and procedures and enforce them without fail. Teach your employees how to explain policies to your customers when the procedures get in the way of completing customer requests. Security should never be breached, even for the sake of customer service, but your staff should have options to offer customers in those situations.

Privacy protection has become an integral part of customer service today. Make the protection of your customers' private information a priority for you entire company by putting the proper procedures in place and ensuring that your entire company has a thorough understanding of them.

- Meredith Estep

Ten Characteristics of Bad Customer Service

 

In customer service, it only takes one negative incident to lose a client for life. In this article, we will take a look at ten common characteristics of bad customer service with the purpose of showing alternatives that would serve customers much more efficiently and positively.

1. Failing to greet customers when they walk in the door.
A customer that is not acknowledged upon entering your business will not feel like the valuable commodity that they are.

2. Hanging up on an angry customer.
No one likes being yelled at, but disgruntled customers sometimes need time to vent before dealing with their concerns in a rational manner. If the customer becomes abusive, get a manager. Never hang up on a customer.

3. Eating in front of customers.
No one wants to watch someone eat their lunch - or even a mid-morning donut. Leave the food for the break room and keep your mouth clear for talking to your customers.

4. Putting a call on hold without asking first.
It is a simple courtesy to ask before putting someone on hold.  In addition, you are less likely to have the customer hang up in frustration when the elevator music starts to blare.

5. Avoiding eye contact with a customer.
When you are talking to someone, you want to know that other person is listening to what you say. Customer service representatives who do not make eye contact look rude at best, and downright shifty or dishonest to others. 

6. Socializing with other employees when customers are present.
Customers do not care to hear about your plans for Friday night. Unless you are asking a question about your customer's business specifically, stop all personal conversations until there are no customers in the vicinity.

7. Forgetting to use common courtesies.
"Please" and "thank you" are mainstays in customer service. Unfortunately, they are not used nearly as often as they should be. Common niceties exude professionalism, as well as courtesy, and should be used without fail.

8. Yelling at a customer.
Let the customer vent and then deal with their complaint in a calm, rational manner.

9. Using technical jargon when talking to customers.
You do not need to talk down to your customers, but it is helpful to use language they understand when explaining company policies and procedures. Leave the technical jargon for your coworkers.

10. Complaining about the company to customers.
There are no exceptions to this rule.  There is never an appropriate time to bad-mouth your own company to a customer.  This could potentially cost your company money or even lose the customer altogether.

Bad customer service is prevalent today, but it is not hard to overcome. By studying the bad, you can replace it with stellar service that will boost your customer base and your profits.

- Meredith Estep

Where Can You Improve Customer Service?

Regardless of how stellar your customer service is right now, there is probably room for improvement. To raise the bar on your customer service, you will first need to find a standard for evaluating your current service methods.

However, evaluating service according to your own standards is just one piece in the puzzle. It is also beneficial to compare your customer service to the service of your competitors to see how you match up.

Consider these tips to help you measure the level of your customer service, allowing you to improve in the areas that will provide the greatest impact on your customers.

Setting a Company Standard

Your customer service standard begins with your company mission statement to ensure your entire operation is functioning with the same priorities in mind. Most companies want to provide service that leaves their customers satisfied and coming back for more. Specific standards might include greeting customers as soon as they walk in the door, learning customers' names and offering additional products or services when appropriate.

Once your standard is set, it should be followed from the top of the company hierarchy on down without fail. You can check up on your staff periodically by sending mystery shoppers to interact with employees and provide feedback on the experience.

Getting Customer Feedback

Another way to evaluate your customer service is to ask your customers what they think. This can be as simple as asking a customer when they walk into your business if they are happy with the service they receive. You might also supply customer feedback cards with specific questions about characteristics of your service, to provide more specific feedback.

It is also important to log customer complaints and referrals, since each of these provide valuable information about the level of your service. Collect the data from your customers regularly, and share the information with your staff so they know how they are rating in the service department.

Comparing to Others

It is also a good idea to compare your customer service with that of your competitors so you know if your service is providing the competitive edge it should. You can do this by sending an employee into the competitor's place of business to purchase a product or ask questions about their service. You can also talk to the management in other businesses to find out what they do to raise the customer service bar.

It is helpful to talk to businesses outside your immediate industry as well. These companies might provide even more valuable information, since you are not considered a direct competitor for their customer base.

Learning how to accurately evaluate your customer service is the first step in identifying areas of improvement. When your staff sees you spending time on setting customer service standards and evaluating your service level periodically, they will understand that customer service is a top priority in your company.

-Meredith Estep

Five Ways to Motivate Customer Service Representatives

Customer service is no easy task.  Managing clients who are difficult, demanding or simply cranky can weigh heavily on even the best in the customer service field. It is important to motivate your customer service representatives to aspire to the best job they can do - and continue at that pinnacle level over the long term.

Take advantage of these tips to help you keep your customer service staff at the top of their game, regardless of how challenging the game might become.

Hire Wisely

When hiring for a customer service position, look for applicants that have a passion for serving others, a willingness to learn, and a desire to be part of a team. If you hire wisely at the beginning, you will have an easier job managing the representatives in the long term. These professionals will be willing to put forth the effort and will respond positively to the motivational techniques you throw at them.

Create a Standard

It is important to set standards within your organization that provide your employees with a clear idea of their job description.  This rubric also provides you with the necessary means to accurately assess their performance.

Standards offer accurate expectations for customers and staff alike. In order to ensure that your standards have value, create ones that are precise, easy to understand, and easy to objectively measure.

Continue Training

Ongoing training offers additional skills your employees can call upon as they become more comfortable with their positions. It can prepare them to move up the company hierarchy, and it can definitely motivate them to improve their job performance.

Whether you provide brief training sessions during staff meetings or send your employees to corporate training events, ongoing training is essential to a highly motivated, skilled customer service staff.

Build a Team

Employees like to feel as though they are part of a team that is all working together toward a single goal. To ensure your employees are motivated to do their job well, remind them that their performance affects the rest of the team. By the same token, allow them to provide input and share concerns, since they may see things on the front line that management may not witness. 

Offer Rewards

Finally, reward employees for a job well done. Certainly, they receive their weekly paycheck, but letting them know that their efforts have been specifically noticed by management will inspire them to a higher performance level.

Acknowledge employees who go the extra mile for customers through recognition at a staff meeting or in a monetary reward presented in front of the rest of the staff.

Keeping a customer service staff requires ongoing attention and effort, but the rewards are far reaching. When your employees are providing the highest quality of service possible, your company will reap the benefits in a larger customer base and higher profits.

-Meredith Estep

Tips for Rewarding Loyal Customers

It costs significantly more to attract new customers than it does to maintain current ones. While you want to bring in new clients to help grow your business, you do not want your loyal following to fall out of favor because they feel underappreciated or even ignored. Thankfully, there are four ways to let your loyal customers know how much you appreciate their business.

Get to Know Them

Regular customers like to be recognized. They like to be called by their names, and they like to see staff members take the time to come over and talk to them when they enter the business.  Regular customers love it when customer service representatives remember their favorite products or services, and they love to be introduced to related products that might enhance the convenience or value of their business. 

Of course, getting to know the regulars takes a little time and effort, but the return for your company can be great. Those customers who feel appreciated and cared for will probably stay with your business over the long haul.

Give Them Extras

If you are debuting brand new products, hold a preview evening for select customers. Offer them free samples of new products or coupons for initial purchases of those products. Give them the inside scoop of the latest and greatest in store for your company. Mostly, provide them with service that goes way above and beyond what the average customer might expect. Loyal customers deserve to be treated like royalty, so get the red carpet ready when they walk through the door.

Provide Incentives

Customer rewards programs began years ago in the airline industry, and today they are still going strong in just about every customer service industry. You can offer a free product or service after the purchase of ten, or offer a free item with multiple purchases. Allow your customers to accumulate "points" with every purchase that can be used to get a reduced price or free product.

By providing future discounts, you incent your customers to stay with you over the long term. To track purchases, give your customers a punch card or a plastic swipe card that keeps a record of points with each purchase.

Reward Referrals

Even with the many options in advertising thanks to today's technologies, one of the best ways to build your business is still through word of mouth. To make sure those recommendations get passed from your loyal customers to new ones, offer rewards for every referral given. When your current customer sends someone new to your business, reward that customer with a coupon off their next purchase or a free item. Some companies also keep small gift cards in stock for other businesses to send customers as a thank you for referrals. 

Keeping customers happy is an important component in a healthy business. Current customers want to feel important and cared for by everyone on your staff. When your loyal customers feel appreciated, they are more likely to return to you and send others your way time and time again.

-Meredith Estep

Why the “Little Things” in Customer Service Really Do Matter

If you operate a service business, it will not be the polished silver, the marble pillars, or the stunning paintings that your customers remember.  Customers appreciate more than just an "exterior" element to their complete experience.  Instead, it will be the little things that made their visit a top-notch memorable experience. 

What are the little things that add to large results?  Here are just a few ideas. 

• Take Responsibility for Mistakes - Everyone makes mistakes, and training your customer service team to quickly apologize for mistakes and rectify them is one of the most important "little things" you can do to make your service shine.
• Minimize Your Customer's Efforts - If you need your customer to complete a task, make it as easy as possible. For example, if they need to send documents, ask them if faxing or emailing would be easiest for them, and then provide them with the appropriate information.
• Remember Names - Customers like to be greeted by name. It makes them feel important and lets them know you value their business. A little step in memorizing names of important customers is a big step in retaining customer loyalty.
• Smile - Customers do not like to feel like they are interrupting or being a bother. Make sure that you and your service staff always acknowledge customers with a smile and eye contact. Let them know that their needs are the most important thing at this very moment.
• Anticipate Customer Likes - Returning customers get that "wow" feeling when you remember their likes and needs. If you have a returning client appointment, set out a hot cup of their favorite tea or other beverage as they arrive. Do they like chocolate? Provide a fine brand of chocolate on their pillow. Anticipate the likes of your clients and customers, and they will be wowed by that little show of appreciation.
• Go Above the Call of Service - Do something for your customers and clients beyond your job description. Order them lunch delivery if they are on a long troubleshooting call. Offer to resolve an issue that is outside of their contract deliverables with you. This extra-mile service always gets big appreciation and return patronage. You may even get to sign a larger contract with them if they see how well you can resolve their problems.
• Give a Gift - A small gift is another small token that gets big returns for your business. It may be a gift certificate or a bottle of wine for a returning customer. Perhaps even hard to find tickets to a popular event. The little gifts you give are always worth the expense if you gain additional customer loyalty and referrals.

These are just a few simple examples of the little things you can do to improve customer relations.  By paying attention to the details, the little things you add to your service experience will result in big returns.

- Meredith Estep

How Are We Doing? Getting Customer Feedback

Even businesses focused on providing top notch customer service may not understand how their customers truly feel.  Most customers come and go without providing much input about your product or service. The most common feedback either comes from customers who were completely delighted with your business or (more likely) completely unsatisfied. What about the majority in between?  Consider these ideas for collecting constructive customer feedback.

Comment Cards

These cards are often found in retail venues, located near the cashier or customer service desk. Customers who want to offer feedback can simply pick one up in the store. Many cards ask basic questions like, "Are you satisfied with our service?" or "Is there anything we could be doing differently?" 

Sometimes customers fill out comment cards only when they are unhappy with the service they received. To ensure customers continue to provide feedback in this manner, reward those who take the time to provide feedback with a coupon or store discount on their next purchase.

Surveys

Surveys can be mailed to customers or handed to them directly after a purchase is complete. While many do not take the time to fill out customer surveys, there are enough willing participants to give businesses a relatively accurate assessment of the services they provide. You are more likely to get surveys returned if you keep them quick and simple and provide incentives for completion. To sweeten the pot, offer a reward for those that follow through, such as a discount off their next purchase or their name in a drawing for a grand prize.

Focus Groups

If you want more detailed feedback about your company, a focus group might be the solution. These groups usually consist of eight to 10 customers who are willing to spend an hour of their time answering questions about your products and service. Prepare for these sessions by determining what information you want to get out of your customers and writing questions that are most likely to get you this information. Record the focus group session so you can remember all of the information shared. You can then use the information learned in your focus group to hone goods and service to better meet your customer's needs.

Simply Ask

This may seem overly simple, but many companies fail to ask their customers what they like or dislike about the service they receive. Establish a relationship with your customers by talking to them when they come into your business and taking the time to listen to what they have to say. Ask them if they are happy with your service and if there is anything they would like to see changed. You may find that those brief exchanges provide a wealth of information about how you can improve your customer service.

Learning what your customers think about your business is the first step in improving customer service. Whether you choose a written survey or a casual conversation, asking your customers for feedback establishes a positive relationship between the two of you. When your customers know you actually care about what they have to say, they will be more likely to continue a business relationship with you.

- Meredith Estep