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Acting on the Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service - 11/19/24


In last week’s tip, we shared 5 Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service.  This week, let’s address what “taking action” looks like on those key principles.  If last week was about what to do and WHY, this week is about the HOW. Engage with Interest: To engage with interest, proactively Read more

Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service - 11/12/24


It’s hard to know every procedure, every policy, every technique possible to handle every situation correctly.  After all, maybe our procedures are standard, but our customers are not.  Maybe our policies stay pretty consistent, but our customers’ needs and issues, their attitudes and actions can change from customer to Read more

From a Simple Question to an Exceptional Experience - 11/5/24


Phyllis loves her job.  It’s not just because she loves being a customer service representative, not just because she really likes her co-workers, and not just because she enjoys her company.  It’s because she really appreciates her customers, as well. A customer had ordered a register book off the company Read more

Fix One Problem without Creating Another - 10/29/24


If you’ve ever had an issue with your dishwasher, this will sound familiar.  I’ve dealt with so many dishwashers over the years, and they always seem to have some kind of an issue.  Maybe it’s because of the mix of water and technology, but for whatever reason, these never Read more

Delight Your Customers - 10/22/24


Buddy the Bug Man was different.  His company was new, and the only reason why Janet tried him out was that the service she had used for years just wasn’t working.  Whether it was mosquitoes in the yard, ants in the kitchen, or cockroaches flying through on their way Read more

A More Complete Definition of Responsiveness - 10/15/24


I was purchasing something recently that was being custom-developed.  At one point, the company’s employee and I had a good 20 e-mails going back and forth - 10 from each of us.  Unfortunately, I broke my own rule, and I did not pick up the phone after 2 or Read more

Have a Game Plan to Address Their Anxiety - 10/8/24


It seems like we all get deliveries - whether it is UPS, USPS, FedEx, Amazon, the local courier, or all the above.  We order.  They deliver.  Or do they? It’s times like these, when we’re expecting that package, that item that we’re looking forward to or need urgently or are Read more

How Persistence Saved the Day - 10/1/24


Sherrie saw the customer walk into her store holding his cell phone, and Sherrie immediately knew that was William.  She had spoken to William on the phone about an hour ago, he said he would be at Sherrie’s cell phone store in less than an hour, and there he Read more

Notice the Little Changes - 9/24/24


“My, how times have changed.” Yes, times have changed.  As a matter of fact, one of the biggest reasons why an organization’s customer service deteriorates is that times have changed…customers have changed…and the company has not… If we think about customer service delivery today v. decades ago, changes in technology alone Read more

Don’t Hurry…Be Quick - 9/17/24


No, this is not a take off on the Bobby McFerrin song:  Don’t Worry Be Happy. It’s actually a take off on the John Wooden quote:  Be quick, but don’t hurry. When I read Wooden’s book with this title, I liked the concept, and not just because John Wooden was a Read more

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How to Increase Customer Loyalty Without Becoming Disney or Zappos

Posted on December 14, 2011 in Business Advice, World of Customer Service 1 Comment

A recent study highlighted in the Sacramento Bee (Good Customer Service is Key to Capturing Holiday Shoppers) addressed the impact of customer service on customer loyalty (or disloyalty). Results included:

· 29% stopped shopping at retail stores because of a bad shopping experience

· 71% avoid certain brick-and-mortar retail stores due to unhelpful/unfriendly employees

· 41% stop patronizing a business because of long lines or long wait time.

So it’s about the experience, the people, the processes.

But what’s even more interesting about the results is this conclusion – to improve retention, simply address the reasons why people leave.

While many organizations focus on creating the “WOW” experience or transforming your employees into Disney “Cast Members” or creating a Zappos culture, what is more tangible and provides more bang for the buck is finding out why customers leave.

So research. Interview former customers, or ask current ones why they’d leave. Know why they’d go, eliminate those loss reasons, and watch sales grow.

To become great at customer loyalty, increase your knowledge of why they’d leave…and act on it.

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Listen to our latest podcast episode of “Stepping Up Service” on The MESH Network at http://themesh.tv/stepping-up-service/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


Beat Your Competitor with Customer Service

Posted on August 9, 2011 in Business Advice, World of Customer Service Please leave a comment

Why does the Apple iPad have such a huge share of the tablet market? Why does Google dominate search? Why does Disney dominate discussion of the great family vacation locations?

There’s something they do so much better than others. They beat the competition continuously because they have some competitive advantage. Maybe they’re an innovator, maybe they’re fast, or maybe their customer experience cannot be matched.

Yes, customer service and the overall customer experience can be your differentiator.

To be a differentiator, your customer has to have a perceptibly better experience with you than at your competitors. They have to believe that the knowledge of your staff, the attitudes of employees, the speed of service, the ease of navigating your facility or your website far outshines your competitors.

Maybe your organization anticipates customer needs better than others, and you proactively make suggestions. It could be that you reach out to customers when they’re not onsite with you, and when you do so you’re not just pushing something to sell, but you’re offering some advice or something else of value. You’re developing a relationship.

One key to differentiating is to know how you stack up against your competitors. So be a customer. Shop your competitors. Gauge their employees’ knowledge and attitudes, their speed, their ease of navigation, whether they’re purely reactive or they’re proactive as well.

Know where you stand versus competitors, and then ramp up your customer service to beat your competitor.

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


An Ice Cream Cone and a Princess – Lessons from Disney

Posted on January 20, 2011 in Business Advice Please leave a comment

The little girl was with her family at Disney World for the first time. She had just sat down to have her ice cream cone, and was wearing a princess outfit which was bought just for this special trip.

As she started to eat, the ice cream fell off the top of her cone onto her dress, and then onto the floor. As the tears started to well-up, the mother took her daughter to the restroom to get cleaned up.

When they went back to their table, they noticed two “cast members” standing at the table, and the other family members were there as well. The ice cream had already been cleaned up by the employees, and they asked if she was the girl whose ice cream had fallen. When she replied “yes,” one of the employees said “please come with me,” and the employee took the little girl’s hand, walked with the mother and child to the counter, and greeted the employee making the cone saying “This princess had an ice cream cone, and it fell. Can you please give her whatever she’d like?”

“I would be happy to,” replied the other employee, and the girl was thrilled to get a new cone.

There are LOTS of lessons to be learned here. First, the employees spotted the issue because they were looking for opportunities to engage and help customers. They proactively addressed the other family members. They immediately cleaned up the mess without having to be asked. They were patient in waiting for the child to return. They clarified what had happened. They used respectful phrases in addressing the customer. They quickly provided an alternative product, communicating well with co-workers.

I know…it was just an ice cream cone.

But think about your company. Where are there issues, whether caused by your organization or the customer themselves? How do you deal with these issues?

Are you looking to help customers? Are you proactive in engaging customers? Do you address issues without having to be asked by the customer? Are you patient with them? Do you clarify the issue instead of making assumptions? Are you respectful in how you address customers, particularly in these situations? Do you quickly remedy issues, working as a team for the customer?

Ask yourself these questions, and then learn a little lesson from a Disney Princess.

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


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