Customer Complaints? Don’t Push Them Off

I recently came across an article that had the perspective that an answering service is a helpful way to diffuse customer complaints.  The article, Why An Answering Service is an Excellent Option to Diffuse Customer Dissatisfaction stated that having a 3rd party resource to handle complaints would be advantageous to customers calling outside of normal business hours or for the smaller businesses that may not have the resources.

Their premise is that customers would see how invested the company is in their customers that they are providing a resource for handling issues.

Please take a moment to read the article if you are so inclined.

My thoughts:

While I think the author was well intended, I strongly disagree that a third party is helpful in most situations.  Putting myself in the customer’s shoes, my immediate reaction is that I’m having to deal with an outside resource who will most likely not have the authority to fix my problem or offer a solution that is plausible.  Recently, many companies are using overseas resources to handle calls and complaints and customers have responded overwhelmingly that this is only adding to their frustration and irritation.

The best way to handle customer complaints is to plan for the resolution process internally.  The company itself, not a third party, should be listening to the customer and handling the issues.  The customer wants to know that they are being treated as a person, not a numbered consumer that will forever remain anonymous.  Internal resources must be properly trained on how to handle complaints, be genuinely empathetic, offer realistic and fair solutions, and follow up with the customer after the issue.  Depending on the size of the company, this may be assigned to a designated department, person, or be handled by the business owner themselves.

The only way to get around the impersonality of a third party is to be sure that they understand the way your business works inside and out.  They need to understand and have access to customer records or history to get a feel for the specific concern.  Above all else, they must be empowered to handle the complaint in a way that will more than satisfy the customer.  The customer will likely be already looking for a fight or frustrated by having to deal with an outside resource, but if handled correctly, it can be pulled off with the right resource.

In my personal experience, I’ve never found this to be the case.  I truly don’t mean to rant against this particular author or firm.  They may very well have excellent training and solutions for their customers.  I want to caution customer care teams and business leaders from taking the easy way out in regards to customer complaints.  They are an opportunity to make or break trust.  By all means, win that customer’s trust!

Okay, I’m off my soapbox.  How do you feel about having a third party, or an answering service, handle customer complaints?  Are there some areas you feel this would work?

Customer Service Training could be your Spring Focus!

April is finished and gone and now it’s the beginning of May.  Spring is the time when many of you decided it was time to take a fresh look at your customer mindset.  For some of you, that meant it was time to create a customer centered culture.  Some of you decided that it was time to really include your staff in the process.  Still others created a vision and want to share it with both your team and your customers.  Many of you set customer service training as your priority.

Transforming The Customer Experience means that I want to help you create an experience for your customer that is unlike anything else they’ve experienced.  It is my mission to help you develop your customer centric focus by making that process simple, sharing tools and strategies on how to do this, and having some fun along the way.

I spend my time listening to you, reading your emails, and working with some of you to inspire you to help you make decisions that will benefit not only your customers who do business with you, but on your bottom line and internal customers as well.  From what you’ve been sharing with me, it seems that we are all on the same track, but I’m always looking for ways to make a deeper impact in your business.

Ultimately, I want to be the trusted guide and resource for achieving your customer retention and satisfaction goals, providing training and tools for training your staff in service.  I have many ideas and tools that I’m working on, but I’ like to hear your ideas as well.  In the long run, no one knows your challenges better than yourself.  I understand that it can be difficult to know where to start and that it isn’t always easy.  So please tell me, what can I do or provide to help you?  Please share your ideas with me by replying to this email.  Really – I’d truly like to know and I am looking forward to hearing from you (even if it is just to say hello)!

Helping you focus on your customers,

Kristina

Transforming the Customer Experience
Kristina@KristinaEvey.com

Reaching out to your customers is hands down the best way to build customer loyalty and satisfaction.  They will even fall in love with you over it.

Now, this is a story of how an organization has engaged one if it’s customers, but isn’t your typical customer or organization.

My 8 year old daughter recently took a test administered by our school district to see if she qualified for the “Gifted and Talented” program.  This is a program geared for those students who demonstrate a strong aptitude for math and science.  She regularly receives very high marks in both of these areas, but she is truly a child who excels in reading, writing, and the arts.  She writes and sings her own songs for the annual talent show and her drawings are unbelievably detailed.

My daughter recently was told that she didn’t pass the test and wouldn’t be accepted into the program.  She was really understanding of that concept, but the title “Gifted and Talented” was bothering her.  She truly felt that since she didn’t pass the test, the title told her and the rest of the other students that they were talented in any other areas. She decided to write a letter to the superintendent of the district asking him to consider changing the name of the program to something along the lines of “Advanced Math and Science Program.”  She felt this was more appropriate since, in her words, “everyone is gifted and talented in their own way.”

She sent the letter the other day and I was really hoping that she would at least get a form letter thanking her for her suggestion.  What she got far exceeded our expectations.

My daughter called me from school yesterday extremely excited.  The superintendent drove from his office 12 miles away to visit her at her elementary school.  He wanted to meet with her in person to discuss her letter and to thank her for the suggestion.  Needless to say, we were all thrilled with the dedication he showed to his students.

He didn’t make any promises about changing the name, but offered to start the conversation with the director of the program.

There was one comment that he made to her that stood out to me.  He told her “Since you took the time to hand write me a letter, I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to just email or call you.  I wanted to take the time to get to know you better and find out exactly what made you write the letter.”

He had me at “I wanted to take the time to get to know you better….”  Now, this may look like just a story about a 3rd grader in elementary school, but it’s really the story of a customer writing to a business owner or leader.

The customer took the time to write a letter regarding a concern and suggestion.  Many businesses never acknowledge or recognize the motivations for these letters, emails, or phone calls.  Customers contact us because they have a concern.  They are telling us that there is something about the way we do business that they may have a suggestion or issue with.  If you are smart, you’ll respond in kind. I would suggest that you reach out in a personal way whenever possible.  If a visit isn’t practical, the phone is a great way to accomplish the goal – making personal contact.

Remember, the customer owns your business.  They pay your bills and give you a paycheck. When they have a suggestion or concern, take the time to listen and respond appropriately.  Most don’t do this.  When you do, you’ll be building that loyalty and increasing engagement.  To really build engagement, follow the steps clearly outlined here…  Five Steps to More Loyal Customers.

Personality makes much more of an impact on customer satisfaction than most people realize.  While we all are focused on the best way to welcome customers into our businesses, the tones that we set, we often fail to capitalize on the main strength of the people we hire – their unique personalities.

Yesterday I was making a payment on some physical therapy I had to help me get through my last 1/2 marathon.  While I’m not in favor of human cloning, the woman who helped me yesterday would be the ideal customer relations representative that all companies wish they could clone.

Right off the bat, she greeted me in a very friendly, yet professional manner.  While we were discussing the medical insurance glitch that prompted my original phone call, she started asking questions about the progress of my therapy and training. She asked how long I had been running, how I liked it, and told me how envious she was because of her knee issues that prevented her from running.

She then answered my questions about the bill, assured me that she would personally contact the insurance carrier and provide them with the necessary information.

But here is the piece that really grabbed me.  Here are her exact words that she used to close the call…

“Well, it looks like we have everything taken care of now.  Please let me know when you get your statement from the insurance carrier.  If there are any discrepancies, I’d like to follow up on it myself.  Besides, I really enjoyed helping you today.  This was not just a billing conversation, but felt more like a chit chat with a friend.  Please ask for me next time you need any help.”

I’ve never had a billing clerk treat me so kindly.  I then let her know that I’m a consultant for customer service and satisfaction and that I was truly impressed with the way she handled my call.  She thanked me and let me know that I just made her day with the compliment.  Her last call was with a disgruntled patient who treated her very poorly and took all of his frustrations out on her.  She said while that is expected sometimes and part of her job, it get taxing over time and is hard to shake off for the next unsuspecting caller.

I was amazed that she had experienced such a poor call just previous to me calling her.  I never would have suspected that.  Her personality was the defining factor there.  It was in her nature to help and in her nature to connect with the people she was helping every day.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to pay attention to the personalities of the people you hire into your business.  You must hire the smile, then train the skill.  The “Nice” factor isn’t something that you can, or should, train for.  Hire the people who are helpers by nature.  They’ll engage with your customers far more successfully than those that may be more skilled or educated.

I’d love to know what personality traits you’ve found your successful or most engaging team members to have and how your customers have benefited because of them.

I had a very important Customer Engagement Moment reinforced this morning.  We have two 9 month old Golden Retriever puppies that needed to be boarded while my family and I were gone last week on Spring Break.  This was our first time leaving them overnight and with this boarding kennel.

The owner of the kennel is a wonderful woman. Within 15 seconds of meeting her and seeing her with my dogs, I knew she was the best one to leave them with.  Her love of animals is self evident. She loves to share knowledge and information that will help with any training or behavior challenges.

Stay with me here, the point is coming. Now, while I know I tend to be a bit longwinded, I can’t hold a candle to this woman.   When she shares her knowledge, she also is the type that doesn’t leave a pause for a polite interruption to move things along.  I knew this going into the transaction and was prepared.  I soaked up all of the training tips she could pass along.

A funny thing happened toward the end of our conversation today.  She suddenly stopped and said…

“I’m so glad that you don’t mind me sharing so much with you and letting me talk.  I don’t see many humans during the day and it does me good to have conversations with folks who walk on only two legs.  I’ve had inquiries from folks who call and just want to find out how much I charge and if I have room on the days they need.  When I can sense that they want to be short and to the point, I politely inform them that I don’t think I’m the best person for them to board their dogs with.

I suppose some folks think I’m crazy for turning away some business for that reason, but it goes against my nature and if I can’t relate to the people, I don’t think I would be able to relate well to their dogs.”

I simply smiled and told her that I think she’s doing a good thing for herself and her customers by being clear who her ideal customer is.

That’s the point of this letter to you today.  Be clear about who your ideal customer is. Understand that you won’t be able to be all things to all customers.  If you try, you are guaranteed to fail.  By focusing on a clear niche or group, you’ll be able to identify and build a rapport with them that is much deeper and sustainable.

Many companies and businesses have made the mistake of trying to do all things for every potential customer.  They’ve either failed or not been nearly as successful as they might have been because they didn’t clearly understand who their customers were and how they could help best help them.

Please also discuss this point and train your teams on who your ideal customers are and how to relate to them.  Your team will feel much more ownership with their responsibilities and invested in your business.

There is nothing wrong with sending some customer elsewhere.  In fact, you’ll be respected because not only are you looking out for your own welfare, but that of those potential customers as well.  They may even turn out to be a referral source for your in the long run.  I’ve seen it happen.

Please be sure to let me know what questions you have about this point.  It’s one that always brings about a lively discussion.  I enjoy the discussion and I’m always happy to help and learn.

In between business meetings today, I decided to make a quick stop into a well known national chain of high end cosmetics.  I typically am a brand loyal girl, but was wondering if I was up for a change today.

I drifted away from the makeup counter that I typically shop at and started looking at the counters and aisles of other brands.  I noticed that there were a few women in black capes that worked for the store, but none approached me.  That was the beginning of my experiment.  I’m pretty good at looking “lost” when I need some help, so I put on the “lost” face, but still no one came to my aid.  Four minutes passed.  Because I had another client meeting, I had to get the ball rolling myself.

I approached a staff member myself and asked her a bit about the new brand and quickly told her what what my goals were.  She basically just shrugged and replied “Yeah, it’s a pretty good brand.  It should help you out.”  She didn’t ask any further questions and didn’t offer any other input.

Because the name of the new brand is very well known and I like the colors in the palette, I decided to proceed and purchase the products.  I waited patiently in line and for the two cashiers at the counter to work their magic.  I was next in line eager to checkout.  The moment one of the cashiers was done with their customer, she immediately grabbed some paperwork next to her register and began scanning codes in.  The lady behind me said “It appears as if we are invisible today.” in a joking voice.  By that point, I was really ready to just put my product down and leave.

At that moment, the next cashier was done, smiled, looked at me, and said “I’d be happy to help you now.”  That blew me away.  She engaged me in conversation and told me that she had just purchased the same eyeshadows and was sure I would like them. (I tried to let the fact that she had 6 inch false eyelashes not sway the compliment.)

She then offered some samples of some skin care products to me and I readily accepted them.  She asked if I had “my frequent flyer card” with me.  “If not, I’d be happy to look it up in our system and give you credit that way.”

I left with a smile on my face.  This last interaction that I had was long and engaging enough to make me forget about the neglected feeling I had a the beginning of my shopping experience.  I wonder if I would have had the same feeling had she merely been more pleasant than the others, but kept the interaction to the necessities and not offered samples or help with the card.

The first woman who helped me only offered enough customer service to satisfy my most basic inquiry.  The last woman offered enough customer service to actively engage me to the point that I plan on returning again. If so, why hadn’t the others picked up on that as well.  I also wondered if any of her customer service was taught or encouraged by the manager or leadership of the store.  Your thoughts?

Have you made your customers laugh today?  Did you know that you can keep customers coming back by using humor in your business dealings?

We all know that humor is good for the soul.  We tend to hang out with the people that make us feel good and make us laugh.  Humor puts us in a positive mood, gives us a fresh perspective, and helps us treat others well.

Now, take this to the next level and connect the dots to your business.  Would this be a fantastic way to keep customers coming back to you?  Simply make them feel good and use some humor.

In this article in Inc.Com I think the author does a great job highlighting the use of humor.  I especially like the point about humor creating alignment.  Everyone has had similar experiences as a customer, in a family, in a sport, somewhere.  When you can bring two or more people together using humor relating to an experience, it creates an atmosphere of familiarity and comfort, both of which are crucial for a successful business relationship.

Granted, you must be careful when using humor.  I have learned that not everyone appreciates my somewhat sarcastic humor.  But, when I give presentations and consult, people give me the feedback that they appreciate the humor that I use to engage them and hold their interest.

When first starting a new relationship with a customer, relate your humor to the existing situation or light humor in general.  Once you see how your customer reacts, take their reaction as a guide for continued progress.  That might seem that it was an unnecessary comment, but occasionally we as business leaders tend to feel too comfortable too quickly and unintentionally offend or put off our potential customer.  Remember to do everything you can to make your customer feel as comfortable as quickly as possible.

How has humor served you well in your business?  Have you ever run into a situation where it may not have been the best choice?

Customer service often requires proper handling of mistakes.

We all make mistakes.  Admit it, you do.  Your company does as well.  And, although we all have those customers who are inconsolable when we makes mistakes, you’ll find that most customers are fairly understanding of the mistake when you handle it properly and make it better than right.

Take it a step further ….

Put yourself in the shoes of your customer who had the misfortune of bearing the brunt of your last mistake.  You’ve  apologized profusely, perhaps even gave a free product or service, sent a gift certificate, or done something as a token of good faith that you are deeply sorry.  (By the way, if you don’t do any of these things when you make mistakes, you may as well stop reading now…. the rest of this will seem completely foreign).

So, in your customer’s shoes, you receive a phone call or email from your company.  It goes something like this…

Hello Kristina,

I wanted to follow up with you since our last conversation about the package being sent to the wrong location.  It’s important that you understand how seriously we take these issues and want to do everything that we can to make doing business with us a pleasurable experience.

As a result of our mistake, we’ve closely examined our processes of order entry and shipping methods.  We discovered two areas where we needed additional training and focus.  We’ve put steps into place to prevent a recurrence of these issue and we hope that you’ll give us another opportunity to show you our dedication to providing a superior product and service.

Again, please accept my apologies for this happening in the first place.  I appreciate your patience in working through this issue to improve our internal processes.

Best regards,

Kristina

Now, I don’t know about you, but if I received a letter or phone calls along these lines, I’d be giving this company a second chance.  It is clear to me that they didn’t take this situation lightly and have made a few changes based on my input or as a result of the mistake they made with me.

How does your company handle mistakes?  How well do you follow up with your customers to let them know you’ve made some changes as a result?  If you aren’t sure about these answers, now may be the perfect time to start thinking about it.

Customer service, customer satisfaction, loyalty programs, customer centric, CRM …. these and countless other terms are more than familiar to business just like yours, both large and small.

If you are reading this post, you are also more than likely aware of the fact that it costs up to 20 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain your current customers.  But knowing this fact and keeping this fact in the forefront of your operations are two entirely different things.

Acquiring new customers is essential for any business.  But how much attention do you pay them once you get them?  How much tracking of customer trends do you do?  Do you share customer information between departments?  Do you operate internally as separate silos of information, or do you practice the “It Takes a Village…” mantra to take care of your customers?

Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty dramatically improve when customers feel that they are truly being cared for at a personal and company level.  You can accomplish this in many different methods.  The first and foremost is simply…. be nice to your customers during your interactions.  Take this then to next level by sharing information internally that is appropriate.

Example… Joe Smith normally orders casual polo shirts from your company.  All of a sudden a new order for dress shirts is sent in by Joe Smith.  If you are like 95% of your competition, you process the order smoothly and the Joe is satisfied.

But, if you are really on the ball with paying attention to your customers as a company, someone in your order processing position noticed this and sent the info along to the customer relations manager.  That manager then had a conversation with inside sales to determine if there have been any conversations around Joe’s company  and any new areas of focus.

Either the customer relations manager or the inside sales team would then impress Joe by calling him to let him know that his order was received and, by the way, is he venturing into new markets?  Is this a one time order into a new shirt or is this a new product offering?  Would he like the link to other dress shirts or a catalog sent to him?  What are his customers asking of him that you may be able to help him provide? Is there anything that your company can do to help him with these types of orders that will make life easier for him? Is there any feedback that he can provide you that will help you improve the way you deliver products to him?  If you have one, do you log this information in your CRM program to track these answers and adjust accordingly?

Asking these types of questions, using your CRM software and/or soft skills will actively engage this customer and exponentially increase his customer loyalty.  How could it not? Hardly anyone pays attention to their customers like this and when they do, they are seriously rewarded.

By spending just a little bit of time with your existing customer base, you’ll be doing more than any of your advertising dollars could ever accomplish.  There is an article in Inc magazine that ties in some of these points with the concept I’ve just described.  Please leave a comment as to what you think of this concept and/or the article and ways that your business has succeeded or could use some focus on existing customers.

In a recent article posted on CRM Daily, the discussion of online ease of use versus “in person” assistance comes into play.

The discussion surrounding the way that the internet had become such a huge part of our everyday lives leads us to ask – at what point can ease of use override the need for a real person to assist us?  This particular article revolved around online banking and it’s growth, posing the question as to if the local bank branches that so many of us use may eventually close.

Speaking from personal experience, I utilize the web and many online services more than most people that I know.  I buy clothes, medicine, photos, pet supplies, vitamins, movies, books, cosmetics and numerous other products online.  I also do most of my banking, bill paying, and other financial services online.  This allows me to spend more time with my family and doing the things I enjoy.

BUT, the minute I run into a problem, there is no way that I’m satisfied with resolving the issue online.  I need to talk to a real person, either on the phone or in person.  The relevance of that article in CRM Daily was especially true for me this week.  I ran into some issues trying to consolidate my access codes for my personal and business accounts online.  I went into the local branch of my bank and spent 40 minutes with the branch manager.  He not only consolidated all of my accounts into one login code, he saw that my account activity would benefit by being in a different account grouping, set me up for automatic bill pay for my business credit card, and then proceeded to inform me that I had a sizeable cash payout coming to me from that credit card if I cashed in the reward points.  I think it’s a pretty safe bet that I would not have figured out any of that out on my own online.

Bottom line, customer satisfaction is driven by the convenience factor.  Customer loyalty is driven by the relationship factor.  Relationships are nurtured by that human touch.  While it is possible to develop a personal tone online, the face to face interaction will always be needed at some point.  The trick is to find the balance and provide customers the portal they personally desire.

Besides, what online banking portal is going to offer you a lollipop?