October 2013 ~ Keys
to Great Customer Service
- Resources (links, books, articles, the
lighter side)
October
2013 ~ Keys to Great Customer Service
This month, we want to share some tips for good customer support. We
recently had some bad experiences and got to thinking about what makes the good
companies good. What would it take for those who are not good at customer
support to get better?
1. Listen to the customer
Assume the customer really is having the problem they describe to you.
Repeat back what you understand and verify that you are hearing it correctly.
2. Know that the customer is coming to you for help
If the customer knew everything, they wouldn’t need to contact you.
They are stuck and need your expert assistance. They expect that you are
competent to help them resolve whatever issue they are having.
3. Be respectful of the customer’s time
The customer is taking time out of their busy life to ask for help
with a problem that they can’t solve and that needs your help. If you
can walk them through simple problem diagnosis, do that. Check the basics
and verify that they have done the basics.
If this is a computer problem, verify whether the computer is plugged in,
turned on and operating properly. What operating system are they
using? How expert are they in understanding the language of
computers? Adjust your conversation to match their level of technical
understanding so that you can communicate with them. Again, listen to what
they are describing as the problem until you really "get it" then,
find a solution that really works for them.
4. You only have one customer
Your only customer is the one you are working with at
the time. Each person is unique and each problem is unique, even if you
think you have heard everything, each situation has something just a little bit
different from the last customer. Take the time to listen to this
customer and get their problem resolved.
5. Provide self-help materials
Some customers would rather do their own problem-solving. You can
provide tips, Frequently Asked Questions, self-help guides and articles on your
company’s website that allow customers to work through issues
themselves. Once these are developed, a fair number of customers will use
them instead of calling your support organization.
6. Be honest
If you don’t know the answer to a question, tell the customer you don't
know. Let them know that you will find out the answer and get back to them
as soon as possible. And, do it as quickly as possible.
7. Don’t promise more than you can deliver
Make sure your marketing and sales materials are realistic and honest about
what your product or service does or doesn’t do. Don’t set up false
expectations for customers who buy your product then find out that it doesn’t
do what is promised or that it fails to perform as promised.
8. Ask for feedback and use it
Ask for feedback on your support contacts with customers. Do regular
surveys. Ask customers about your product or service, what is working well
and what you can do better. Take time to review those results regularly
with staff and make changes in ways requested by customers.
Example: I managed an IT technical support group for a number of years. One of the things
that customers asked for in a survey was a note that an IT person had stopped by their
desk while they were gone. That was a simple request to implement.
We created a little postcard that could be left if the customer was not at their
desk. The customer then knew that someone had been there, and who to call
to get help. Over the years, we could see how the overall IT support
ratings improved as we made changes that customers asked for in annual
surveys. We eventually implemented a method whereby each customer could
make comments about each support service call. Those also provided good
feedback.
9. Hire good people and train them well
I once heard a consultant say that he believed some people are born with good
customer service skills and some are not. I have come to agree with that.
When hiring people for any job that deals directly with customers, it is critical that they
have a good customer attitude. If they don’t already have it, you
probably can’t train them to get it. Don’t bother. Hire people
who really want to help other people.
Example: One IT person who wanted to come into our organization had already gone
through the first round of interviews and when he got to me, the first question
I asked was, "Why do you want this job?" He lit up with a big
smile. "I want to help people," he said. That was the only question I
needed to ask. He made an excellent technician, moved from trainee into a
regular position very quickly and his customers loved him.
Even good
people need training to meet the changing demands of an industry, especially
fast-paced technology industries. Make sure you have a good training
program and give your good people the chance to be even better.
10. Set a good example
Leadership is about setting a good example. Give good service to your
customers, to your peers, to your employees and to your management. Show
your staff the benefits of good customer service and encourage them to teach you
new techniques as they discover them. Spend time in staff meetings talking
about what works and what new methods can be shared. Share success stories
and share failures so that all can learn from them.
An example of less than good customer
service:
Ancestry.com:
Ancestry.com is an online service that helps people to build and document their
family trees. Their service offers both paid subscription services at
several levels and a free account with limited services. The online
service itself is excellent in my opinion. Their customer support
organization, however, is far below what I would call "good."
Based on my own experiences, when responding to customer queries, the support
staff often
fail to understand the problem and offer standard answers that do not
address the customer’s issue. To be fair, there are some good people who do try to
understand and resolve issues. They are not the norm in the support
department. Of the many
contacts I have had myself with Ancestry's support organization, I have to say that
90% of the time, I have been more frustrated by their answer than I was by the
original problem. In recent months, they have had regular and ongoing
periods where the online service is failing or not available. Many
apologies have been offered publicly on their Message Boards and Facebook
page for the continuing performance issues.
Sometimes, they put a banner across the top of a web page saying that the service
is experiencing issues. This is an improvement since previously, there was no
acknowledgement when the site was having problems, and the support staff denied
it or told customers that it was the customer's computer at fault. Many customers
have noticed and loudly vocalized that when Ancestry offers a special "free
weekend" — where lots of people get services for free that are usually
only available by paid subscription — the entire site becomes so overloaded that it
fails for paying customers, leading to more frustration. Bottom Line:
Ancestry.com has a great product and needs some serious attention to better customer service.
Some specific suggestions how Ancestry.com could improve.
Some examples of great customer service:
Verizon Wireless:
About 10 years ago, I had moved into a new house. Since my other cell
phone service did not work within a mile radius of my new house, I decided
it was time for a change. When I went to the nearby mall one weekend to
see who had cell phone services in my area, the only crowded kiosk was the Verizon
one. I went back during the week when it was less busy and was able to
talk with one of the sales reps. I asked what they offered that others did
not. He explained it in ways that I understood and didn’t push me to make a
decision right then. I talked with their customer service people.
Every person since then that I have talked with at Verizon has been helpful and
resolved whatever issue or question that I had. I have always had good experiences with them.
Microcenter Computers
& Electronics: When it was time to buy a new computer, I
visited several local retailers. The closest Microcenter store was about
20 miles away from me, so they were not my first stop. When I went there,
I interviewed their technical support folks first. I asked about their
installation policies and return policies, and asked about their customer
service processes. Once I was satisfied, I talked to a salesman. I
had previously looked at several possible computer models that might fit my
needs, as I had done with the closer local retailers I visited. The
Microcenter salesman took the time to ask how I planned to use my computer, what
about those possible models I thought was important, etc. Those
questions were not asked by the other retailers - they just pointed me to what
they had in the store. I bought my new computer from
Microcenter, after the salesman agreed that I knew what my needs were and that
the computer I was considering was the right fit. Recently, I had to return
the computer for service after a parts failure under warranty. The technician kept me informed at every step along the way
about the progress as new parts had to be ordered, so there was a delay in
getting my computer back. Each person that I
dealt with listened to my questions or issues and made sure that my needs were satisfied. I
have highly recommended Microcenter to several other people who have also had an
excellent experience with them. Now, Microcenter is my first choice for
computer-related products, in spite of the distance.
TrendMicro: Many
years ago, there was a small local company, TouchStone
Software, who had a product
called PC-cillin, a virus detection program. Some years after I had met
the owners, I was working on a contract project. I copied some files onto a diskette and gave it to a co-worker. When
the co-worker put the diskette into their computer, they immediately got a message that
there was virus on it. The computer I was using had not flagged the virus,
even though it supposedly had anti-virus software installed. At that time, I
did not have anti-virus software running on my home computer. I was so
impressed with what PC-cillin caught that I bought a copy of it for my home use
immediately. Eventually, TrendMicro bought the PC-cillin product and
integrated it into what is now called TrendMicro Internet Security and related
products. Many times over the years, I contacted PC-cillin or TrendMicro
support people to ask questions for friends who thought they might have a
virus. Every question was answered quickly and competently, sometimes,
with very detailed instructions. When my son’s computer got a brand new
virus, they helped me figure out how to clean it. Even as the industry has
changed over the past 20 years, I still use TrendMicro’s products and so does
my family. I have recommended them many, many times to others.
Toyota of Olympia:
I had an odd and intermittent problem with my car. After several visits to
the dealer to try to isolate what the problem really was, my service manager
said that it could be one of several different parts going bad — each one was
fairly expensive to fix. He then made an unusual suggestion: his personal
car used some of the same parts that mine did and he offered to exchange a part
with me so we could see if that was also bad in his car. We did that
exchange for a couple weeks, then switched back. My problem never
reappeared, even with my old part back. I used that dealer for my car for
9 years until I moved out of the area and received excellent service every time
I went there.
Nordstrom: Nordstrom’s
customer service is legendary. I got my first Nordstrom charge card when I walked
by a store on a lunch break from a nearby seminar. The sign in front of
the store said, "We can give you a credit card in 10 minutes." I
saw the challenge and knew their reputation, so asked if that was really true
since I had just 10 minutes to get back to my seminar. I left the store
with a new card in my pocket and was back to my seminar on time. I have
always had good experience at Nordstrom’s - in the store and their online
website.
America’s Tire
Company: Recently when I went for an oil change, I was reminded
that it was time to rotate my tires. The tires on my car had been
purchased in Washington before I moved back to California. When I went
online to make an appointment to have the tires rotated, I could not locate my
paperwork right away for the free lifetime rotation so put a note on my
appointment asking if I needed to bring my paperwork with me for the appointment
the next day. I later found the paperwork from my original purchase; it
was where I looked first - just underneath a CD in my glove compartment. A
few hours after making the appointment, I got a call from one of the technicians
at the local America’s Tire store that he had looked up my records in
Washington, found my
purchase and had it all entered into the local store’s computer so I was all
set for my appointment. Sure enough, when I arrived, it was all set and
finished very quickly. I have been buying tires from America’s Tire
Company for many years and that was just one example of their good customer
service.
These are just a few examples. When I shop for products and services, I want and expect good service, as do
many other people.
As in the example of shopping for a new computer, sometimes good service
is the most important deciding factor for me in whether to use one company over
another.
Books
- Disclosure: We get a small
commission for purchases made via links to Amazon.
- Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service. Ken Blanchard, Sheldon, Bowles, Harvey McKay. William Morrow, 1993. ISBN-13:
978-0688123161
- Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results. Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen. Hyperion, 2000.
ISBN-10:
0786866020 ISBN-13: 978-0786866021
- Super Service: Seven Keys to Delivering Great Customer Service...Even When You Don't Feel Like It!...Even When They Don't Deserve It!, Completely Revised and Expanded.
Jeff Gee, Val Gee. McGraw-Hill, 2009. ISBN-13:
978-0071625791
- The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence: The Handbook For Becoming the "Nordstrom" of Your Industry.
Robert Spector, Patrick McCarthy. Wiley, 2012. ISBN-13:
978-1118076675
- Wired and Dangerous: How Your Customers Have Changed and What to Do About It.
Chip Bell, John Patterson. Berrett-Koehler Publisher, 2011. ISBN-13:
978-1605099750
- Dangerous Customer Service: How You Can Turn Your Team Into An Innovation Force.
Various authors. A&C Black, 2012. ISBN-13:
978-1408125021
- 1-800-Courtesy: Connecting With a Winning Telephone Image. Terry
Wildemann.
Aegis Pub Group; (December 1998) ISBN: 1890154075
- The Big Book of Customer Service Training Games. Peggy Carlaw,
Vasudha K. Deming. McGraw-Hill, 1998. ISBN-13: 978-0070779747
- Customer Service Training 101: Quick And Easy Techniques That Get Great
Results. Renee Evenson. AMACOM/American Management
Association, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0814472903
- Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the
Customer's Expectation. Lisa Ford, David McNair, Bill Perry.
Adams Media Corporation, 2001. ISBN-13: 978-1580624589
- Superior Customer Service: How to Keep Customers Racing Back to Your
Business--Time Tested Examples from Leading Companies. Dan W.
Blacharski. Atlantic Publishing Company, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0910627528
- Customer Service For Dummies. Karen Leland, Keith Bailey.
For Dummies, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0471768692
- Income Without a Job: Living Well Without a Paycheck. Michael
Jay Anthony, Barbara J. Taylor. Lulu.com,
2008 ISBN-13:
978-0-557-00377-8. Website: www.income-without-a-job.com.
Tap into your own creativity and use your full potential. Learn
how to see opportunities that others miss.
Related newsletter article:
June 2007 - Good Customer Service Tips
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
― Bill Gates
It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money.
It is the customer who pays the wages.― Henry Ford
Spend a lot of time talking to customers face to face. You’d be amazed
how many companies don’t listen to their customers.― Ross
Perot
Loyal customers - they don’t just come back, they don’t simply
recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you.
― Chip Bell, Founder Chip Bell Group
If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about
that. Word of mouth is very powerful. ― Jeff Bezos,
CEO Amazon.com
If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell
6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell
6,000 friends ― Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com
Thank your customer for complaining and mean it. Most will never bother to complain.
They'll just walk away. ― Marilyn Suttle
There is only one boss ― The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.
― Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart
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