Customer Service:

It's Not Just a Department, It's An Experience - January 2010

 

Welcome to the January issue of "Customer Service: It's Not Just a Department; It's an Experience." Happy New Year! Now that we've put the holiday season behind us, we can get back to business. And for many of us, that "business" is taking care of our customers and clients, because remember, we're all in the customer service business!

I'm sure that some of you did quite a bit of shopping over the past month or so, whether it was on-line, over the phone, or by visiting a brick and mortar store. How was the service you received from these businesses? Were you pleasantly surprised, or were you terribly disappointed? We'd love to hear your shopping stories, good or bad. There's a lesson to be learned from them either way!

The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect and plan. We'll help you do that with our article, "What Are Your New Year's Resolutions?" We'll also explore a department that seems to be popping up in many companies these days, the Business Prevention Department! This is a must read article!

Welcome to our new subscribers and new clients. Our goal is to help you improve the service you are providing to your existing customers as well as prospective customers, increase customer retention and generate additional revenue through cross-selling, up-selling and referrals.

Let's make 2010 "The Year of The Customer!" Your customers will be glad you did.


In This Issue:

What Are Your New Year's Resolutions?   |   Does Your Company Have a Business Prevention Department?   |   In the News



What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Customer service nuggets.....

The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.

It's the little things that make the big things possible. Only close attention to the fine details of any operation makes the operation first class.

The only thing important to the customer is what's important to the customer.

I'm not talking about, "I'm going to lose fifteen pounds" or "I'm going to quit smoking". I'm talking about your Customer Service Resolutions! Those could be just as important to your business as the others are to you as an individual. That is if you're interested in keeping your customers!

The new year is a great time to reflect on the past year and to review your customer service strategies going forward to ensure they are customer-centric.

Here are some customer service resolutions you might want to make this year:

  • I will make my customers feel good that they chose to do business with my company rather than my competition.
  • I will learn and use my customer's name instead of calling them "Sir" and "Ma'am".
  • I will make it easy for my customers to do business with me.
  • I will ask my customers how I can better serve them, and then implement some of their suggestions.
  • I will thank my customers for allowing me the opportunity to serve them.
  • I will be genuinely interested in my customers.
  • I will be open to receiving complaints from my customers because I know there's a lesson to be learned.
  • I will take better care of my employees which will inspire them to provide better service to our customers.

What are some of your customer service resolutions? We'd love to hear them. Send us your list and we'll share some of them in an upcoming newsletter.






Does Your Company Have a Business Prevention Department?

Now, you might be asking yourself, why would any company have that kind of department? Yet, if you think about it long enough, like maybe for ten seconds, I'll bet you can think of several companies that SEEM like they actually have that kind of department!

Here are some signs that you might be dealing with such a company:

  • You call them and leave a message but they don't call you back......ever.
  • You ask them to send you something and you never receive it.
  • They answer their phone and sound bothered that you are calling them.
  • You go into their store and you can't find an employee to help you.
  • You go to the cash register to pay for your purchase and the person behind the counter is too busy sending a text message on their cell phone to notice that you're even standing there.
  • The employees of the company complain about their bosses, co-workers, policies or other customers.

If you encounter such a company, my advice to you is to pass them by. There are probably many other companies that offer similar products and services as this company. Reward those companies with your business, as long as they don't have a Business Prevention Department too!

If you suspect it's YOUR company that has a Business Prevention Department, it's time to eliminate that department, and fast! If you need help doing so, call us. We can help.




Workforce Development Group in the News

I was interviewed by Beverly Fortune from the Long Island Press for her Fortune 52 column. Check out the article that appeared in the 12/16/09 edition.

Click here to view the article!

On 1/25/10, the Long Island Press will host their Fortune 52 Extraordinary Networking Event at the New Hyde Park Inn. To register, send an e-mail to bfortune@lipress.com.

Hope to see you there.

 




In Conclusion...

Thanks for taking the time to read this edition of "Customer Service: It's Not Just a Department; It's an Experience". It is our hope that you not only get the customer or client, but that you also hold onto them! If you have clients, colleagues or friends who wants to hold on to their customers too, do them a favor and forward them this newsletter.

Until next time, take good care of your customers, or someone else will! See you next year!

Sincerely,
Randi Busse

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631-598-5598

 

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