Guest Blogger – Jennifer V. Miller Many companies aspire to customer service greatness, but few achieve it. Why? One reason is that it’s not part of the company’s culture. Oh, sure, it’s on banners in the break room and the company hired that fun inspirational speaker for “Customer Service Week.” But it’s not really [Read More]
January 27, 2010
Who Comes First – the Physical Customer or the Phone Customer?
Suppose you were to walk into a dry-cleaner and the clerk is on the phone with another customer. You put your clothes on the counter and all visual cues about your stance and demeanor indicate that you are in a hurry. What would you want the clerk to do if you were the customer physically [Read More]
January 21, 2010
Good Customer Service Can Grow Your Business, Even in a Down Economy
When I’m first approached to coach a client or give a presentation on customer service, people often ask me what difference good customer service can make on their bottom line. I’m quick to point out that by delivering excellent customer service, they will likely start to see a higher return on investment by means of [Read More]
January 20, 2010
Give the People What They Want!
How many products are there out in the world for us to use and consume? Trillions, if not more. How many companies actually ask you what you think of their products? Just a fraction of those trillions. How many companies actually consider and act on the feedback they receive? The number decreases dramatically. The point [Read More]
January 14, 2010
Fix Your Competitors’ Mistakes and You’ll Earn Their Customers
I was just reading a blog post on the subject of recent health and fitness club closures. The blog stated that most of the time, if the health club had a surety bond, the members would receive a refund for the unused portion of their membership term. If the club did not have a surety [Read More]
January 12, 2010
Keep the CRM Techonology Personal for Highest Customer Loyalty
I recently did a podcast with Blake Landau from Customer Management IQ. The topic was CRM software in call centers. The conversation really focused on the fact that many CRM software programs are very effective at managing the technical aspects of how customers do business with us. The programs have improved customer satisfaction levels for [Read More]
January 7, 2010
Would Your Business Thrive if You Only Served 70% of Your Customers?
A recent article in the Associate Press stated that the IRS is aiming to only serve 7 out of 10 of it’s customers by phone. So, for the unfortunate 30% of people calling in with questions, they will never receive the help they are looking for. The IRS states that they have simplified the web [Read More]
January 6, 2010
The MOST Important Customer Service Skill – SMILE
It’s interesting that I get a standard response when I ask people what they appreciate the most about doing business in person. The response usually is “They smile at me right away.” A smile is a universally understood gesture that knows no limitations. It is understood in all languages and cultures. There is no room [Read More]
January 4, 2010
New Year = New Customer Service Skills & Culture!
Happy New Year! Now that 2009 is a year to remember and 2010 is upon us, my question to you is – What are you going to do differently to engage your customers in 2010? The smart and successful businesses that kept themselves in the black last year realized that customer service skills and training [Read More]