Customer Service:
It's Not Just a Department, It's An Experience - June 2009
Welcome to the June issue of "Customer Service: It's Not Just a Department; It's an Experience." As if the economy isn't bad enough for business, spring was a complete washout. Just ask any irrigation company, ice cream store and countless other seasonal, weather-impacted businesses and they'll tell you all about it. The good news is it can't rain forever and the sun will shine again. The question is, will your customers still be there when it does??
In this month's newsletter, we'll discuss why it's all about the customer, especially when you're the customer. I'll share some customer service horror stories and ask you to share yours too. And I'll tell you some exciting news that will allow you to provide training to your employees on how to improve customer service and increase customer retention and it won't cost you anything! Have I got your attention yet?? Keep reading for details.
Welcome to our new subscribers and new clients. Here's wishing that all of your customers remain loyal to your company.
In This Issue:
It's All About the Customer | Show Me the Money! | Voting with Your Feet
It's All About the Customer
And if you think it's not, go back and read the title of this article again!
When YOU are the customer, who is it all about? You, of course! That's why it's no different for YOUR customers. They want what they want, when they want it, how they want it, and at a price they want it for. If you aren't ready, willing and able to give it to them, they'll find another company that will.
So how do you make it all about the customer?
For starters, make it easy for them to reach you, to talk to you and to do business with you. If they call you on the phone and are put on hold with the message, "Your call is very important to us, please hold on", what message is that giving to your customer? Have a real, live person promptly answering your phone. And make sure that the employee knows how to answer the phone. Do they sound friendly and professional? Or do they sound annoyed because they were just interrupted by the ringing phone?
Use your customer's name. And give them yours. There's no better way to build rapport and personalize the interaction than by using your customer's name. Dale Carnegie said, "There's nothing sweeter than the sound of thine own name". People feel special and therefore will pay attention when they hear you say their name.
Ask your customers questions. Don't assume you know what they want. They rely on us to provide solutions to their problems. If we don't have all the facts, how can we make the right recommendation to them?
Do what you say you're going to do. If you say you're going to call someone back by 3:00PM, do it. Even if you don't have the information you promised your customer, call them by 3:00PM and let them know you are still working on their issue. If you promised your customer delivery by Thursday, have the product there by Tuesday! And if you know it won't be there by Thursday, be proactive by calling in advance to let them know.
Thank your customers. Every time. Remember, they have a choice as to who they do business with. And if you don't value their business and appreciate them, they will find someone who will!
Make it all about the customer and the customer will reward you with their business. They'll feel good about doing business with you. And they'll tell others about you and your company and the service you provided. And that my friend is the best way to grow YOUR business, by referrals, from the people who are already doing business with you.
After all, it is all about the customer. Because without them, we don't have a business.
Show Me the Money!
Ok, I will. How does a grant (translated = free money) for $50,000 to be spent on training your employees sound? Pretty good, I'll bet. I thought so. Keep reading to find out how you can take advantage of this free money to upgrade the skills of your employees.
New York State Department of Labor just announced a training grant that is funded by the A.R.R.A. (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). It will provide up to $50,000 in funding to qualified companies.
The major advantages of this new grant over what has previously been available (STEP Grant) is that you can get $50K in funding for consulting and training but, there is NO PAY INCREASE REQUIRED and you can spend up to $3k per employee (STEP was limited to $2k). Also, this Grant is 100% funded by NYS not 75% as was STEP for companies over 100 people. This is the best grant opportunity we have seen in several years and encourage you to take advantage of it.
We will guide you through the application and all administrative tasks. The grant will provide funding for consulting, training and coaching for Customer Service skills, as well as in areas such as Supply Chain Management, ERP/MRP, Quality, Lean/Lean Office, Project Management, Strategic Planning, ISO and more.
I encourage you to take advantage of this grant and will work with you to assure we identify and support all of your training requirements.
I've got all the details and resources that you need to get funding to provide the training. The deadline to apply for the grant is July 20th. Don't miss out on free money. Call me today so we can get started. An offer like this doesn't come around every day.
I voted with my feet. Have you ever done that?
When's the last time you went into a business with cold, hard cash in your hand but you couldn't get anyone to help you?
It happened to me last week. I was with a friend and we went to a local steakhouse for dinner (translated - not fast food, so not inexpensive).
We walked through the bar to the hostess stand to be seated. There was no one at the stand. Looking around the dining room, we saw no restaurant employees anywhere. After we had been waiting for five minutes, a waiter came from the kitchen to serve diners at one of only four occupied tables in the entire restaurant. He looked at us, and then marched right back into the kitchen without saying a word to us! "Are we invisible?" we wondered.
After another few minutes, said waiter came back out of the kitchen and approached the hostess stand. He asked us if we wanted a table (what do YOU think we wanted?). He showed us to a table, told us we'd be getting bread and water shortly and asked us if we'd like to order a drink while looking at the menu.
Both my friend and I said we'd wait to order drinks. After about ten minutes, the waiter hadn't come back to our table. I saw him walking toward our table. I stopped him and said that we'd like to place our order. He said, "You'll have to wait. I'm in the middle of something" and he proceeded to walk towards the bar. He said they were short-staffed that night. I asked him if he were the only waiter in the restaurant and he said that he was. He then left us and went to the bar.
My friend and I took one look at each other and decided that we didn't want to spend our hard earned money at a restaurant that didn't seem to want our business.
We got up and left the table and walked out of the restaurant. What would you have done?
I can imagine the restaurant owner wondering why sales were down that night and racking his brain to figure out how to get more customers. Imagine his surprise if he found out that his problem wasn't getting customers INTO his restaurant; it was KEEPING them in his restaurant!
So tell me, have you walked?
If so, we'd like to hear your stories. Send a brief summary of your experience and then look for it in a future newsletter.
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 month!
Sincerely,
Randi Busse
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