At some point in their lives everyone has some experience with bad customer service. Whether it is an impatient flight attendant, an inattentive waiter or a computer generated voice that keeps repeating, “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand you.” The downside for a business is that one negative experience can shape long-term perceptions of customers who share that perception with friends, family, and colleagues through social networks at the speed of light. .
For customers, the odds of experiencing good customer experience shouldn’t be as unlikely as winning the lottery – it should be expected and routinely delivered. However, I know from personal experience that it’s not always an easy aspect of business operations to manage. Only a few firms get it right. Many large companies have implemented automated voice attendants when their customers would be better served with live operators. This unfortunate trend inevitably leads to customer service experiences characterized by impersonal conversations and frustrated customers.
When it comes to customer loyalty and retention nothing is more important than customer service. Therefore, I decided to team up with LaVon Dennistoun, former Vice President of Customer Operations at Integra Telecom, now Vice Chairperson of the Minneapolis Chapter of SCORE, to help small business owners set their company apart through superior customer service. Here is LaVon’s advice:
In order to win in today’s fiercely competitive economy it is absolutely critical to create a customer service program that transcends standards and puts the personal element back into customer relations. If small businesses spend the time and the money to create a customer service program that knocks their customer’s socks off it will prove to be worth every penny.
Customer Service Begins With Employees
Customer-facing employees can only deliver great customer service if it is woven into the fabric of the company culture, reinforced in job descriptions, taught in training and development programs, and measured through performance evaluations and customer feedback. Building a strong culture of customer service that leaves customers talking in positive ways is one of the most powerful strategies small and midsized companies can use to beat competitors in industries where big businesses seemingly dominate.
In order to create a customer service program worth talking about, it is critical that a business identifies and develops the values and goals for the program, trains their customer service representatives well and then implements tools to measure the success of the program. Hiring and training employees with the right skills, personal characteristics, and experience is an essential step in building a foundation for the future of your business. It’s the first, and quite possibly, the most critical step. This is especially true for a customer service program.
When hiring customer service employees with previous experience it’s important to remember that while the knowledge and skills required may not be new, your company is. Make sure your customer service employees have the knowledge required to resolve issues, find pertinent information when customers need it, and are empowered to solve as many problems as they can without checking with a higher authority.
If you develop a comprehensive customer service training program, the transition for new employees and your customers will be a smooth one. If employees do not receive adequate training and motivational incentives, or feel they are not being treated well, outstanding customer service will be very difficult to achieve. This last part is worth emphasizing: Only employees who are treated with respect will treat their customers that way.
Try seeing it their way
All things being equal, the company who offers the best customer experience will retain those customers. The question is how to audit the current customer experience. The key is to try and get inside your customers’ heads to find out their real quality needs and wants. After you discover the good and the bad, share it with your employees.
An effective and sustainable customer service plan can only be created after you’ve received feedback from your customers. No one’s opinion matters more than those of your customers. Obtaining honest feedback can be done by surveying customers directly or through an independent, third-party firm. The best time to measure customer service levels is within two weeks of setting up a new account or service. While it may seem too soon to gauge the long-term success of the relationship, it’s never too early to start measuring how well you are doing relative to customer satisfaction.
Obtaining customer feedback further along into the relationship is just as critical. It is a good idea to follow up with a survey annually to see how well you’re meeting the needs of your clients. You should also make sure your customers are thoroughly trained and educated about your products and services. Help your customers understand how your products and/or services work. Walk them through all service options. Share information on how to read your invoices. And, when customers need attention, especially when a problem arises, give them your immediate attention.
No matter what your business is, make sure your customers have the option of connecting with a live, local voice. It will go a long ways towards demonstrating your commitment to exceptional customer service and can actually have a dramatically positive impact on your business’s bottom line.
Anyone who thinks they will save money by automating as much of their customer service function as possible should reconsider. This single area is so neglected by so many organizations, that those companies that employ people to answer phones really stand out.
Inspect What You Expect
Once you have your customer service program has been in place, it’s a good idea to evaluate it periodically. There are several questions that should be asked about your program that reveal its strengths and weaknesses. How accessible are your customer service representatives to customers? How quickly are customer’s calls answered? Are issues resolved on the first call? If not, when? How promptly do you deliver your products/services after they are ordered? How many errors are made in the process? How quickly do your customers receive invoices for your products/services? How adept are you at resolving customer service issues? These are some of the key questions your customer service measurement system should answer.
Of course, there are other ways to determine the success of your program beyond quantitative measures. One way is to appoint a dedicated customer service representative to make scheduled visits or phone calls throughout the year, not to sell them anything, but simply to build a relationship and gather feedback.
Customer Service 101
A well designed and executed customer service program can set your company apart from the competition. Why not invest in making your program the best in the industry? You may be surprised to learn that customers are willing to pay more for great service, especially after receiving less than satisfactory service from previous vendors. A customer-centric program is a priceless component of all successful businesses. No company can afford to operate without one.
If you would like to contact LaVon, you can do so by emailing her at lavden@comcast.net or visiting her LinkedIn page.
After reading LaVon’s advice, what can your company do to differentiate your business from all of your competitors? What ideas do you have that you can share with our readers?
If you would like to contact me, you can do so by emailing me at mike.clough@bestbizpractices.org or visiting my LinkedIn page.
Posted by: Mike Clough
