The Customer Service Hall of Shame

By Barbara Bartlein

Businesses are struggling and profits are down. You would think that companies would be trying harder to increase customer loyalty through excellent customer service. Wrong. Customer service is worse than ever according to MSN Money. In a nationwide survey commissioned by MSN Money and conducted by Zogby International, the scores for the Hall of Shame companies are, on average, down from a year ago.

The company that was the bottom feeder in customer service was Time Warner’s AOL. Over 47% of people who had an opinion of AOL’s customer service said it was “poor.” “I don’t know what to attribute that to,” AOL spokeswoman Dori Salcido said. “I just do know that we continue to improve customer service.”

It is clear that Ms. Salcido never tried to terminate her AOL account or she would know what some of the complaining is about. It takes an hour or more of routing from one agent to another as they insist you owe for another year even though there is no contract. Several customers reported being sent to collections for bills they did not owe.

But AOL is not alone on the list. Most of the Hall of Shame companies are communication companies and banks that provide technical and complicated products. The Hall of Shame companies includes:

1. AOL
2. Comcast
3. Sprint
   
4. Nextel
5. Abercrombie & Fitch
6. Qwest
7. Capital One
8. Bank of America
9. Time Warner Cable
10. HSBC Finance
11. Cox Communication
    

Responses from the companies offered little explanation for their poor showings with executives citing sheer size as the issue. “I think we’re the victim of our own success, in that we’re growing so rapidly,” said Rick Germano, the senior vice president of national customer operations for Comcast. “People are choosing to get Internet and cable and telephone with us, and that’s where we’re playing catch-up on the customer-service front.”

The companies on the other end of the survey including Nordstrom, American Express, and Marriott had few marks for poor service. All three have a history of investing in customer service training to earn lifelong, loyal customers who cost less and pay more. They know that it is easier and more cost efficient to keep loyal customers than constantly replace them.

Smart businesses make customer service their primary focus especially when business is sluggish. This is when customer loyalty can make the difference between a slow and profitable year. Every person in the company should be trained on the following:

• Greeting customers promptly and courteously. A friendly, helpful attitude is a must. Acknowledge the customer immediately even if there is a wait. Most people will be patient as long as they are not treated as invisible.
  
  
• Making the first contact count. Answer questions, solve problems, and give information on the first contact. Customers become frustrated when they are routed to multiple people, have to contact different phone numbers, or the company representative simply can’t help them.
  
  
• Listening with understanding. Yes, I know you have heard it all before, that is why it is so hard to really listen. But, listening is the key to exceptional customer service. Give the customer a chance to vent and ask questions. This confirms your listening and keeps you focused.
  
  
• Helping customers with answers and action. If you don’t have the answer, personally contact someone who does. Show the customer that you will take action on their behalf. Few things are more frustrating than calling for service and never getting any help.
  
  
• Honoring commitments in a timely manner. Keep your promises. If you said you would get back to the customer, make sure you do it. If you say you are going to send something, follow through the same day.
  
  
• Not using the “P” word. No one really cares about your “policies” and “procedures.” Citing them sounds like an excuse, not an answer. Customers want service and they want it fast and efficient.
  
  
• Making it easy for people to do business with the company. It should be simple to contact you, get information, and buy. Update your Web site and take all forms of payment. Today’s customers expect to get information and shop online.
  
  
• Turning complainers into company advocates. There is no better opportunity to create a loyal fan than when you deal with the angry or complaining customer. Fix their problem and then give them something free for all their trouble. They will remember the extra effort.
  

Keep your company off the Hall of Shame list by focusing on the service you deliver. Focus everyone in the company on building customer loyalty for long term success.

Barbara Bartlein is The People Pro and President of Great Lakes Consulting Group. She offers keynotes, seminars and consulting to help you build your business and balance your life. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at barb@thepeoplepro.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com

Published Networking Today September 2008

Smile…It May Be the Boss Calling

By Nancy Friedman

The week of August 11th was National SMILE WEEK. Yes, I’m serious.

And there’s rarely a program I present that someone doesn’t ask me if smiling is really that important – either on the phone or in person. People actually ask me: "Nancy, can you really hear a smile?" Yes, Virginia, you can really hear a smile. And your caller can hear the lack of a smile as well.

So, this is a column about SMILING and the reasons for it. Now, if you happen to already be a smiler, you might want to pass this article on to someone who isn’t, or doesn’t know that you can hear a smile.

First, let’s take the word “smile” from Webster’s dictionary:

SMILE: To smile, be astonished; to have or take on a facial expression, showing pleasure, amusement, affection, friendliness, irony, etc….and characterized by an upward curving of the corners of the mouth and a sparking of the eyes

See!! It’s something most everyone can easily do.

And if it’s that easy...don’t you wonder why more people don’t do it? Haven’t you ever been in a store, or just been walking around, and see that people aren’t smiling. Even when you start talking with them?

A recent New York Times review by Roxana Popescu of the book A Brief History of the Smile written by Angus Trumble asks a very good question: "Why do English speaking people say CHEESE to make you smile, but Chinese speakers say Eggplant?" And Trumble continues, "The spontaneous smile of the little child is essentially truthful."

"Certainly we all know, not saying “please” and “thank you” is usually considered rude," says Friedman, "but the list of rude behavior is much longer than those offenses. I’m not sure why we constantly need to be reminded to smile," she continues, "but we do. You’d think it was common sense to smile when you’re with a customer." Ah, but common sense is not that common now, is it?

Will a smile help? Well, as my mother used to say, "it couldn’t hurt." Keep a mirror by your desk. That is yet another good reminder to keep a smile on your face when you’re talking with customers.

My husband and I are in airports a lot. We’ve made a conscience decision to keep a slight smile on our face when we walk through them. Why? Because when we look at the faces coming toward us... mouths turned downwards, looking worse than sad – almost mad...we decided we didn’t want to look like that. Sure, it may feel a little funny keeping that little smile on our face, but we both know we look better for it.

SMILE week reminded me of a story a skycap told me a few years ago. You’ll enjoy it.

Joe, our friendly skycap at the St. Louis airport told me this story. He was walking through the airport a while back and came upon a woman sitting hunched over on her luggage – mouth turned down as far as it could be turned down. She looked – in his words – terrible. He decided to go over and ask her if she was okay. "Excuse me, M’am," he said, "are you okay?" The woman looked up –mouth continuing to be turned down, and grumbled a mean "YES." "Well," he said, "Notify your face."

So remember, if someone comes up to you and asks, "Are you okay?" it probably means you don’t look very happy. Now say..."Cheese."

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the Web site at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published Networking Today September 2008

How Would Your Customers Rate Your Service?

By John Boe

Rendering exceptional customer service is both a responsibility and a smart business decision. Unfortunately, far too many salespeople view customer service as an administrative burden that takes them away from making a sale. The truth is, providing quality customer service presents tremendous opportunities for cross-selling, up selling, and generating additional referrals.

Dick Cavett once said, "It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear." If your clients were given a customer satisfaction survey, how would they rate the level of service they are receiving from you? Customer feedback consistently points to the fact that the little things make a big difference. Quality customer service is typically defined in terms of attention to detail and responsiveness. Not surprisingly, the top two customer complaints with regards to customer expectations are unreturned phone calls and a failure to keep promises and commitments.

Successful salespeople place great value on developing lifetime relationships with their customers and always "go the extra mile" when providing service. In today's competitive marketplace, they are aware that their customers are aggressively prospected and their loyalty cannot be taken for granted.

Could you use a few more referrals? "Go the extra mile" when providing service and turn the customers you serve into advocates to help you promote your business. Your referrals and follow up on business are in direct proportion to the quality and quantity of service you render on a daily basis.

When a customer begins a relationship with you, he or she brings to the table specific expectations. These expectations are primarily based on their past experiences as well as their perceptions of you, your product, and your company. It's critically important to take the time to ask open-ended questions and clarify what your customer expects. If they have false or unrealistic expectations, be clear with them upfront on the process and work with them to manage outcomes and set reasonable timelines.

How can you be sure that you customers are satisfied with your service? Just ask them. When it comes to customer service, perception is reality. Service is not defined by what you think it is, but rather how your customers perceive its value. Knowing more about your customer's needs and expectations will allow you to customize the service you provide. If you don't already have a customer service feedback system in place, establish one to monitor how your customers perceive the service you provide.

When it comes to impressing your customers, it's the personal touch that really makes the difference. Stay in contact and keep good records. Take the time to jot down notes from meetings and phone calls making certain to record all relevant information. Maintain a written record of service. This is especially helpful when clients are reassigned. It's a good idea to setup a suspense system to track important contact dates such as client review calls and birthdays. Consider sending a personal note or an article of interest every six months.

Relationship building and follow up on service are critical components for promoting both customer retention and revenue growth. Salespeople that fail to implement an effective customer service program actually do a disservice to their customers and unknowingly, leave the backdoor open to their competitors. If you do it right, sales and service blend seamlessly and you will exceed your customers' expectations!

John Boe presents a variety of training and motivational programs for meetings and conventions. John brings over twenty years of experience as an award-winning sales trainer to the platform. His programs are unique, consistently well received, and get results. Visit www.johnboe.com for more information.

Published in Networking Today August 2008

Increase Customer Loyalty by Focusing on Service

By Barbara Bartlein

If you’re looking for great customer service, you may want to take a trip south to Georgia. Last July, Governor Sonny Perdue announced the state’s new Customer Service Improvement Initiative in which all state agencies have united in an effort to make Georgia the best-managed and most friendly state in the country. “We have a unique relationship with the citizens we serve,” said Governor Perdue. “As the true shareholders, the citizens are the real owners of this state. We all report to them. Citizens want their interactions with the state to be Fast, Friendly and Easy.”

The governor established four customer service standards:

• GREET your customers promptly and courteously.
• LISTEN and verify your understanding of the customer’s nee
• HELP customers with your answers and actions.
• HONOR your commitments in a timely manner.

Five key customer attributes were also identified: courtesy, helpfulness, accessibility, responsiveness, and knowledge. All state agencies were challenged to create and implement customer service programs to accomplish these goals.

Subsequently, Chancellor Erroll B. Davis, Jr., asked the 38,000 faculty and staff employed by Georgia’s 35 public colleges and universities to provide faster, friendlier, and more efficient service to the University System of Georgia customer, including more than 253,500 students.

“The campus-based customer service improvement plans that were launched in August began to create a culture that places more emphasis on customer service,” Chancellor Davis stated. “In line with the Governor’s goal of achieving the best-managed state government, we intend to provide a model of service unparalleled in public higher education.”

All the college campuses established customer service initiatives. They conducted additional training on the appropriate use of phone procedures and utilized “secret shoppers” to evaluate the service. They assessed the ease of college processes such as enrollment, registration, financial aid, and other offices that provide frontline service to college students. Many of the colleges and universities developed centralized enrollment and registration processes to make it easy to be a student. Facilities are also redesigning Web sites to make them user friendly and easy to navigate.

An employee recognition program for exceptional service was also established at the colleges. Referred to as the S.T.A.R. program, it recognizes those employees who demonstrate the four values of great customer service: Service, Teamwork, Attitude, and Responsibility. Regular reports, feedback, and meetings take place to reinforce the focus on great customer service at all locations.

Take a lesson from Georgia and establish a focus on exceptional customer service for your business to increase customer loyalty. Here are the components of a great customer service initiative:

• Promote communication. Every employee must understand that service to both internal and external customers is their key responsibility. Customers are not an interruption or a bother; they are who pay the pay-cheque. As a business, make sure you’re having regular communications with your customers by providing newsletters, follow up calls, holiday greeting cards, and email specials.
  
  
• Build employee loyalty. Loyalty builds from the top down. If you are loyal to your employees, they have a positive attitude about the job. Make sure that they are engaged and energetic. I have never seen great customer service from disgruntled employees.
  
  
• Provide training and education. This should include an understanding of the company values and the specific ways in which you want employees to interact with customers. Training in phone etiquette, how to respond to angry customers, and the importance of follow up are critical. Training must be on-going with at least yearly reminders to maintain quality service.
  
  
• Emphasize people over technology. The harder it is for a customer to speak to a human being, the less likely that you will see that customer again. People are worn out with telephone cues, overseas customer service staff, and long hold times. The money “saved” by not having an easily accessible customer service representative may actually represent a fortune of lost customers.
  

• Be flexible. Solve your customers’ complaints or problems quickly and efficiently. Excuses about policy, procedures, or computer glitches will lose more customers than closing the store. Resolve the problem on the first contact.
  

• Offer customer incentives. Give them a reason to want to come back. These can be reward cards, free gifts, discounts on special services, or birthday sales. I routinely offer a “warm weather discount” to anyone who books my services in a warm place.
  

• Know your customer’s names. I use to stop at the same deli almost three times a week for lunch. Each time the owner would ask my first name to call out when the sandwich was ready. After six months he was still asking my name, so I quit going. I have other people learn my name when I don’t even give them money. Impress your customers by learning their names and something about them.
  

Barbara Bartlein is The People Pro and President of Great Lakes Consulting Group. She offers keynotes, seminars and consulting to help you build your business and balance your life. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@thepeoplepro.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com

Published March 2008 Networking Today

Four Generations in the Marketplace: What This Means For You

By Susan A. Friedmann

Every company on the tradeshow floor has a few things in common. They all want to capture attendee interest, and lure them into the booth with the new, the exciting, the irresistible. They’re all facing similar challenges: short attention spans, myriad shows, and increased competition from every corner of the globe.
However, there’s one extra special way that savvy exhibitors can differentiate themselves from their competitors. The company that has the best understanding of their target audience – their wants, needs, problems, and challenges – has the ultimate advantage in the exhibiting forum. It is these companies that take the time to learn about their customers – and more importantly, their customer’s customers – that succeed on the show floor and beyond.

Since the marketplace changes so rapidly, this is crucial. For the first time in recent memory, there are four active generations engaged in the commercial sphere. This is a radical change, which means a lot to your customers – and of course, to you.

In previous years, buying power was concentrated within a narrow range of years: the vast majority of commercial behavior took place within a forty year span, beginning as one graduated high school and grinding to a halt upon entering retirement. In this environment, a mass market, one-size-fits-all visibility strategy worked fairly effectively.

Those days are gone. Today’s consumer can be a member of one of at least four generations, beginning with the pre-pubescent teens and extending right up to the infamous baby boomers. Companies are targeting themselves to six year olds and seventy six year olds: obviously each requires a different approach from them, and ultimately, from you.

It’s important to remember that not only are end customers member of these generations, but that attendees are divided among these four generations. If your marketing prowess has you experienced in marketing to one given group, it’s critical to take a step back and reassess your strategies. Techniques and strategies that will appeal to one group will quickly turn another group off. It’s essential that you know both who you’re trying to reach and what the best way is to connect with them.

Here’s a snapshot of each of the four groups and what you need to know to position yourself appropriately:

1. Millenials:

The youngest attendees on the show floor, Millenials were born after 1977. Incredibly media savvy and skeptical, Millenials take almost nothing on faith. You have to prove yourself to them – and you need to do it quickly. More than any other generation, Millenials expect an environment of instant, verifiable information.
This group responds well to short, focused presentations, heavy on the benefits, short on the sales fluff. Educational presentations, seminars, and speakers who offer real value will draw Millenials.

At the same time, brand loyalty is almost unheard of among this group. If you want to create a lasting relationship, it will be one where you constantly have to bring your game to the table. Proving and reproving yourself as the best choice for any given transaction is the name of the game.

2. Generation X:

Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1976. After a lifetime of being disappointed by media stars, public figures, and personal heroes, Gen Xers have learned to rely on no one but themselves. They expect to work hard for what they have – and they expect you to work hard for them.

Expect to spend more time developing a relationship with Gen Xers. You’re encountering a mindset that initially distrusts most things, but is willing to work with you to reach mutually agreeable points.
Personal connection is important to Gen Xers. They like to be recognized as individuals, and place great emphasis on forming connections with colleagues and peers. This is where your individual staffers really have to shine: if they don’t “click’ with the Gen X attendee, you’re going to lose the sale.

3. Baby Boomers:

What hasn’t already been written about the Baby Boomers? This self-obsessed generation has examined itself ad infinitum, and in the end declared itself pretty darn good. Idealistic and self-motivated, Boomers have a strong passion for career and individual advancement.
Appeal to Boomers with benefits-focused presentations that frame the material in terms of how it will improve individual lives. Boomers like to view things in context – where do your products and services fit into the larger picture? Present the Boomer with the answer to that question, and you’ll carry the day.

4. Traditionals:

Traditionals are slowly disappearing from the tradeshow floor. Many have entered retirement, or are seriously contemplating doing so. Born before the end of WWII, Traditionals value the success of the team over the individual. Self-sacrificing and hard working, Traditionals respond well to authoritarian figures who explain “The Best Way” or “The Ideal Solution” to any challenge.

One more generation has a definite presence on the show floor, even though you’re unlikely to see them wondering the aisles, just yet. They’re too busy enjoying recess and studying for fourth grade exams.

This is the burgeoning “Tween” market. Defined loosely as the years between 8 and 12, Tweens command incredible spending power in the nation. If you’re marketing your products/services to attendees who serve this market, it would be very smart to make yourself familiar with this dynamic, ever-changing segment. Keep in mind that while Tweens have a great deal of disposable income, at the end of the day it’s their parent’s money paying for the purchases. Close contact to your customers and by extension, their customers, will help you walk that fine line that can ultimately lead to profitability.

The wide range of ages and viewpoints in the marketplace today is unlike anything previously experienced. Savvy exhibitors make themselves familiar with the generations most interested in their products and services and do everything possible to present themselves appropriately.

Are you ready? Let’s hope so: none of the four generations outlined above, much less the Tween market, are known for their patience!

Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, internationally recognized expert working with companies to increase their profitability at tradeshows. Author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” and “Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market” (May 2007). www.thetradeshowcoach.com & www.richesinniches.com

Top Ten Customer Service Mistakes

By Nancy Friedman
Telephone Doctor usually gets asked: "What are the best customer service tips?" Recently, someone asked about the worst customer service mistakes. So, to make it even, we’ve compiled the ten worst customer service mistakes. Take note, and don’t let these happen to you!

1. Not Being Friendly Enough Without exception, not being friendly is the number one customer service mistake. Customers should be treated as welcomed guests when they call or visit your company. As we’ve all experienced, sometimes we’re treated as an annoyance or an interruption. The Telephone Doctor motto: "Be friendly before you know who it is" is one way to eliminate this mistake.

2. Poor Eye Contact Heads that twirl on a spindle when you’re working with a customer is a big mistake. Keep your eyes on the customer. It’s a sure sign the person you’re talking with isn’t holding your interest when you’re glancing all around. And they’ll notice it quickly. Obviously, Telephone Doctor understands making good eye contact on the phone is a bit difficult, albeit impossible. Therefore, when you’re on the phone you need to be completely focused on the call and the customer. Don’t type, unless it pertains to the call, don’t read something else, don’t do anything but listen to the caller.


3. Talking with Co-Workers and Ignoring or Not Acknowledging the Customer This customer service mistake unfortunately happens a lot. Seems as though it’s more important to continue talking with a co-worker than establishing immediate rapport with the customer. Drop the internal conversation as soon as you see the customer. Carrying on a conversation with someone in your office while you’re talking with a customer on the phone is a real no-no!

4. Being Rude No one thinks they’re rude; certainly not on purpose. However, the customer can perceive many things you do as rude. And as they say, "Perception is real."

5. Poor Product Knowledge When working with a customer, if you’re not familiar with the products and services you offer, you’ll be making a big mistake. Take the time to learn about your company. Know what’s going on. If you’re temporary, or are new with the company, it’s not enough to use that as an excuse. Customers don’t care if you’re new, working on a temporary assignment or if it’s not your department. All they want is help and information. Ask to be trained. Ask for more information from your company.

Telling a customer, "I’m new" or "I’m just a temp" only adds fuel to the fire. You can explain that you will find someone to help them as you are "not familiar" with the situation. That at least shows you’re going to help them.

6. Leaving a Customer Without Telling Them Where You’re Going and Why It’s a very good idea to explain to your customer in person or on the phone what you’re going to be doing for them. It helps them a lot, and gives them a lot of patience. If you need to go "in the back" to get something it’s easy to say, "Mr. Jones, the Widget you’re looking for is in the stock room. Let me go get it for you. I’ll be a few moments." The same procedure should apply on the phone. Never tell the caller, "Hold on." Let the caller know where you are going and approximately how long you think you’ll be. This will make working with the customer easier for both you and them.

7. Blaming Others It’s not the person you blame that will look bad…it’s you. Don’t blame (or knock) the company, its policy, or any member of the staff. Customers don’t want to hear about whose fault it is, they just want the situation fixed. Take full responsibility of the situation on hand.

8. Not Double Checking When a customer wants something and it’s not available it’s how you reject them that’s more important than the fact that you are rejecting them. The process of double-checking should become habit forming. It should be a standard operating procedure. It feels so good when you tell someone, "The last time I checked we were out of stock, but let me DOUBLE CHECK for you to be sure." I personally can think of dozens of times when I asked the person to double check after they told me they were out of things, and what do you know...someone had reordered and the person didn’t know about it. It’s a big mistake to not double check.

9. One Word Answers We’re taught in school that three words make a sentence. Don’t answer with one word. Even yes, no, and okay are perceived as rude and uncaring. A Telephone Doctor reminder – use complete sentences for your customer.

10. Head Shaking. When a customer asks you for something, give them a verbal answer. Shaking your head up and down or back and forth is NOT an appropriate answer. They can’t hear your head rattle.

Fixing these customer service mistakes will enhance your ability to work better with customers. Remember, it's the SLD’s (subtle little differences) that make the big difference. Good luck!

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the Web site at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Things Your Customers Never Want to Hear

By Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor

Customer service plays such an important role in business today. No one will ever argue that.

What they will argue about though, is how companies treat customers — and how their staff communicates with them. Believe me, some of the horror stories that I hear — let alone what happens to me personally — are beyond anyone’s imagination!

Over the years, Telephone Doctor has created a list of things that your customers never ever want to hear. We’ve put them into our best-selling DVD program, "Five Forbidden Phrases."

These phrases (along with many others I'm sure) are guaranteed to turn customers off and rush them to the competition. And yet, customers hear these words day after day, time and again.

Here’s a sneak preview of one of them — the worst one:

"I don’t know."

That’s it. Looks harmless, doesn’t it? Yet, it drives customers up the wall and will drive them away from your company. To ask a simple question about your company or product and get a bland, "I don’t know" is inexcusable. I know what you’re thinking; "I’m new and I really don’t know. What do I say instead?"

Being new does not give you carte blanche to be bland. Use our positive alternatives instead. "I don’t know" sounds like "I don’t care" and rejection to the customer. Positive alternatives are readily available and in this case, it’s a simple one.

Let’s say you’ve been asked something about a product and you have no idea what the customer is talking about. The problem is someone has asked you something you don’t have the answer to. It will happen to everyone at one time or another. It’s not an age thing; we simply blank out or lose the information.

The key is to stop before you answer. Think. Then pick up the Telephone Doctor’s positive alternative:

"Gee, Mr. Customer, that’s a very good question, let me check and find out for you."

You can find out. There’s very little about your company that you aren’t able to find for someone. It may not be right away; but we also have found that most questions don’t need an answer as soon as we ask it.

So, be sure to also ask "and, Mr. Customer, when did you need that information?"

I did have one lady come up to me and tell me she always tells the customer "I don’t know, but I’ll find out." You can use that, but those of us in the training area know that "BUT" is the big eraser word. It erases everything you say afterwards. Besides, at Telephone Doctor, we prefer to start our sentences in the positive, rather than the negative. Simply put, Telephone Doctor is a language of positive statements at the top of the conversation.

So... "I don’t know" is now a forbidden phase if you’ve read this article. Catch yourself when you say it and use the Telephone Doctor’s positive alternative.

---

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, December, 2006

The Seven Lingering Effects of Bad Customer Service

By Nancy Friedman

As background for the Telephone Doctor’s book, Customer Service Nightmares: 100 Tales of the Worst Experiences Possible and How They Could Have Been Fixed, we invited consumers to submit their terrible tales of customer service.

In reviewing the many hundreds of responses, we found seven specific reactions to bad service by upset consumers. These applied to every type of incident and setting and in every field imaginable. Make no mistake about it, the effects are lingering and damaging. We refer to these as The Seven Lingering Effects of Bad Customer Service.

Result #1: They’re Grateful for the Chance to Vent

In the Customer Service Nightmares series, we read letters and emails and listened to voice mail messages from hundreds of customers.

Over and over again, those who responded thanked us for the opportunity to tell us how they were mistreated. They wanted to tell their stories to someone who would listen. They were pleased for the opportunity to get even. They seemed to regard this exercise as a form of non-violent revenge!

In summary, they regarded this as the means to report their offenses in what we call "the Telephone Doctor Customer Service Court of Appeals."

Result #2: The New Joke Syndrome

Not too long ago, people would tell each other jokes, such as "Did you hear the one about the traveling salesman and the farmer’s daughter?" or "Did you hear the one about the blonde who…?"

Now, many joke tellers are venting their frustrations with their last bad customer service experience telling "jokes" to anyone who’ll listen.

Woe to businesses, government agencies, and associations that offend their customers with poor service. These organizations become the butt of today’s new era of jokes! They laugh at you, not with you.

Result #3: The Memory of an Elephant – Customers Don’t Forget

Lots of people in the responses we received quote the extended time elapsed since the experience. For instance, we hear, "This happened three years ago." Or "Let me tell you what happened five years ago." One woman recounted a dealing with a local bank from 20 years ago – a bank that was absorbed by a bigger bank and no longer exists. But she’s still angry!

If businesses are counting on customers to forget rudeness or ineptitude, don’t “bank” on it!

Result #4: You’re Not Going to Believe This

Over and over, parties who responded to the invitation to share their customer service nightmares used the phrase, "You’re not going to believe this" or "I can’t believe how they treated me!"

Those abused by poor customer service just can never seem to accept the fact that it happened. They remain shocked and continue to agonize!

Result #5: No Return, No Deposit

In only a very few cases did a complaining customer indicate that he went back to shop at an offending store.

This customer (and his father before him) had been buying a certain brand of battery for years that had proven a true value. When the clerk wouldn’t honor his $5 coupon on a $50 purchase for the $49.99 battery, the customer said he couldn’t buy at that store again, to which the clerk said "good riddance."

On the way out of the store, the customer realized he wanted the battery, refused to be rebuffed by the rude, inept sales person, and went to see the manager who worked out a satisfactory compromise.

The other respondents, though, emphatically told us they’d never go back after their aggravation. No return means no deposit (of future sales).

Result #6: FREE Advertising – The Kind You Don’t Want

Most of those who recounted their customer service nightmares assured us they’d told their family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else who’d listen about the bad service incident. They seemed enthusiastic in denouncing the offending organization and urged everyone not to patronize them!

Result #7: Hell Hath No Fury Like a Customer Scorned

All effects of bad customer service can be summed up with this phrase!

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, July 2006.

Customers for Life!

By John Boe

The most successful companies place great value on developing lifetime relationships with their customers. In today's competitive marketplace, they're aware that their customers are aggressively prospected and their loyalty cannot be taken for granted. Customer focused companies recognize that relationship building and follow up on service are critical components for promoting both customer retention and revenue growth.

First Build a Relationship

Today we have access to innovative tools such as the Internet, cell phones, faxes, and voice mail all designed to enhance our ability to communicate. Nevertheless, even with all of these technological tools at our disposal, the alarming number of dissatisfied customers, lost sales, and failed relationships all reflect the fact that none of us are as effective at communicating as we would like to believe.

Temperament understanding helps to foster effective communication. Research in the field of human psychology indicates people are born into one of four primary behavioral styles; aggressive, expressive, passive, or analytical. Each of these four temperament styles requires a unique approach and communication strategy. For example, if you are working with the impatient, aggressive style, they want a quick fix and a bottom line solution.

Under pressure they can be ill-tempered and quick to anger. Give them options so you don't threaten their need for control. Don't waste their time with chitchat, stick to business. While at the other extreme, the stress-prone analytical style requires more information and is interested in every detail. Their cautious and analytical nature makes them susceptible to buyer's remorse. Be sensitive to their need for reassurance and guarantees. Once you learn how to identify each of the four primary behavioral styles you will be able to work more effectively with all of your customers.

Communicate Effectively

Recognize the importance of nonverbal communication and learn to “listen with your eyes.” It might surprise you to know that research indicates over 70 percent of our communication is perceived nonverbally. In fact, studies show that body language has a much greater impact and reliability than the spoken word.

Create a favorable first impression and build rapport quickly by using open body language. In addition to smiling and making good eye contact, you should show the palms of your hands, keep your arms unfolded, and your legs uncrossed. You can develop harmony by “matching and mirroring” your customer's body language gestures. Matching and mirroring is unconscious mimicry. It's a way of subconsciously telling another that you like them and agree with them.

Improve Your Active Listening Skills

To develop and encourage conversation, use open-ended questions to probe the meaning behind your prospect's statements.

Occasionally repeat your prospect's words verbatim. By restating his or her key words or phrases you not only clarify communication, but also build rapport. Keep your attention focused on what your customer is saying and avoid the temptation to interrupt, argue, or dominate the conversation.

Little Things Make a Big Difference

Rendering quality customer service is both a responsibility and an opportunity. Often salespeople view customer service as an administrative burden that takes them away from making a sale. The truth is that customer service provides opportunities for cross-selling, up selling, and generating quality referrals.

Customers describe quality customer service in terms of attention to detail and responsiveness. Customer satisfaction surveys consistently point to the fact that the little things make a big difference. Not surprisingly, the top two customer complaints with regards to customer service are unreturned phone calls and a failure to keep promises and commitments. Make an effort to see yourself through your customers' eyes. True customer service is meeting and surpassing your customers' expectations.

Successful salespeople “go the extra mile” when providing service and turn the customers they serve into advocates to help them promote their business. Your referrals and follow up on business are in direct proportion to the quality and quantity of service you render on a daily basis. Want more referrals? Improve your service!

Five powerful customer service tips:

1. Under-promise and over-deliver. Develop a reputation for reliability; never make a promise that you can't keep. Your word is your bond.
   
   
2. Pay attention to the small things. Get in the habit of returning phone calls, emails, and other correspondence quickly. Follow up, follow up, follow up.
   |
   
3. Stay in contact and keep good records. Take the time to jot down notes from meetings and phone calls making certain to record all relevant information. Maintain a written record of service. This is especially helpful when clients are reassigned to a new sales rep. Setup a suspense system to track important contact dates such as client review calls and birthdays. Consider sending a personal note or an article of interest every six months.
   
   
4. Give your customers a promotional gift. Consider sending them a letter opener, coffee mug, or a calendar with your picture and contact information.
   
   
5. Establish a feedback system to monitor how your customers perceive the quality and quantity of the service you provide. Service is not defined by what you think it is, but rather how your customers perceive its value. When it comes to customer service, perception is reality.
   

Progressive companies emphasize commitment to customer service from the top down by establishing training standards and continuously monitoring customer satisfaction. Companies that fail to implement an effective customer service program actually do a disservice to their customers and unknowingly, leave the backdoor open to their competitors. If you do it right, sales and service blend seamlessly and you will exceed your customers' expectations!

John Boe presents a variety of training and motivational programs for meetings and conventions. John brings over twenty years of experience as an award-winning sales trainer to the platform. His programs are unique, consistently well received, and get results. Visit www.johnboe.com for more information.

Published in Networking Today, June 2006.

10 Things Your Customers Won’t Tell You (But We Will!)

By Nancy Friedman

Most business owners know that customers will take their business elsewhere if they’re not treated as they’d like to be. But how does a business owner find out what the customer really likes or dislikes?

Your customers have told us what they are unlikely to tell you directly. Here are TEN things only a friend will tell you. (By the way, that would be us!)

Dear Telephone Doctor:

I’m not a person to be confrontational and cause a scene. However, there are several things that bother me when I call or walk into an establishment. If you pass this on to management, it couldn’t hurt and probably would help. Thank you.

Dear Owner/Manager:

• Nobody greeted me when I walked into your store. No one said, "Hello," no one asked if they could help me, and no one said goodbye when I walked out. Well, at least I wasn’t any trouble.
  
  
• Your sales staff looked tired. Yeah, they did. Otherwise why wouldn’t they greet me with a big smile and some enthusiasm? It didn’t look like they even wanted me in the place.
  
  
• I bought a lot. I couldn’t believe no one said, "Thank you." No one told me to enjoy my purchase. I did get a luke warm "Have a nice day." But it was said so perfunctorily, it didn’t mean anything to me.
  
  
• When I phoned for some information, my call was treated as an annoyance. I sensed very little desire to be of any real help. Know what I did then? I called a few more places until I found one who sounded as though they wanted me to come visit them right now.
  
  
• Whoever answered your phone never identified themselves. I happen to like to know who I’m talking with and when I don’t, it hurts any trust I might give your company.
  
  
• During the phone call, your staff’s voice sounded aggressive and challenging. I didn’t feel very welcomed.
  
  
• By the way, all your employees were talking and laughing amongst themselves and ignored me until I was ready to pay for my merchandise.
  
  
• There was no management around. Remember the old saying "when the boss is away, the mice will play." Guess what? They do!
  
  
• When I told your staff about my problem, which was important to me, no one sympathized with me. It was “business as usual” for them.
  
  
• Everyone looked angry. No one was smiling. Remember, sometimes it’s the things you “don’t do” that make me want to go elsewhere. Thanks for listening.
  

Signed, Your customer

We all know these are basic common sense topics, but we also know that basic common sense isn't too common.

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.


Published in Networking Today, August 2005.

Are You Guilty?

By Nancy Friedman

What's your definition of customer service? What unprofessional behavior irritates you the most when, as a consumer, you are interacting with another company?

Sometimes, customer service that is perceived as rude is not intentional and often is the result of absent-mindedness or carelessness on behalf of an employee. Either way, bad customer service can translate into lower sales and lost business.

Based on our own Telephone Doctor surveys, we've compiled fifteen customer service NO NO’s. They are listed below, along with Telephone Doctor's guidelines (in parentheses) on how to do it right. Believe me, there are plenty more. These are at the top of the list.

If your company's customer service managers and front-line employees are guilty of any of these, it's time for some action. Otherwise, you may have an image problem that could sabotage your effort to produce and market great products.

1. Your team members are having a bad day and their foul mood carries over in conversations with customers. (Everyone has bad days, but customer service employees need to keep theirs to themselves.)
   
   
2. Your team members hang up on angry customers. (Ironclad rule: Never hang up on anyone. When we hang up, we label ourselves as rude.)
   
   
3. Phone calls or voice mail messages aren't returned, despite leaving your phone number. (Call customers back as soon as you can, or have calls returned on your behalf.)
   
   
4. Your team members put callers on hold without asking them first, as a courtesy. (Ask customers politely if you can put them on hold; very few will complain or say "No way!")
   
   
5. Your team members put callers on a speakerphone without asking them first if it's okay. (It's the nice thing to do, as a courtesy.)
   
   
6. Your team members eat, drink, or chew gum while talking with customers on the phone or face-to-face. (A telephone mouthpiece is like a microphone; noises can easily be picked up. Employees need to eat their meals away from the phone and away from the customer. And save that stick of gum for break time.)
   
   
7. You have call waiting on your business lines and your team members frequently interrupt existing calls to take new calls. (One interruption in a call might be excusable; beyond that, you are crossing the "rude" threshold. Do your best to be prepared with enough staff for peak calling times.)
   
   
8. Your team members refuse or forget to use the words "please," "thank you," or "you're welcome." (Please use these words generously, thank you.)
   
   
9. Your team members hold side conversations with friends or each other while talking to customers. Or they make personal calls on cell phones. (Don't do either of these.)
   
   
10. Your team members seem incapable of offering more than one-word answers. (One-word answers come across as rude and uncaring.)
    
    
11. Your team members do provide more than one-word answers, but a lot of the words are grounded in company or industry jargon that many customers don't understand. (If you sell tech products, for example, don't casually drop in abbreviations such as API’s, ISV’s, SMTP or TCP/IP.)
    
    
12. Your team members request that customers call them back when the employees aren't so busy. (Customers should never be told to call back. Request the customer's number instead.)
    
    
13. Your team members rush customers, forcing them off the phone or out the door at the earliest opportunity. (Rushing threatens customers – take your time.)
    
    
14. Your team members obnoxiously bellow, "What's this in reference to?" effectively humbling customers and belittling their requests. (Screening techniques can be used with a little more warmth and finesse. If a caller has mistakenly come your way, do your best to point him or her in the right direction.)
    
    
15. Your team members freely admit to customers that they hate their jobs. (This simply makes the entire company look bad. And don't think such a moment of candor or lapse in judgment won't get back to the boss.)
    

In defense of customer service workers, customers can be rude, too. And customer service jobs can often be thankless, with little motivation or incentive to do the job right.

But the problem here is that life for customer service employees may not be fair. Customers can be rude and get away with it. Employees cannot – if they want to help their companies to succeed and keep their jobs as well.

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, May 2005.

What's Your Service Mentality IQ?

By Nancy Friedman

Most of us in the customer service arena are very good. And the reason is simple...we always carry a certain amount of a service mentality with us to do the job well.

People often ask me: "Nancy, what is the KEY to good customer service?" My answer is simple. There is no one key. There are many keys...and they all need to be on your customer service key ring.

So, come along with us and learn the 7 service mentalities that will raise the bar for you and your company. See how many of these attributes you own.

Empathy: Some call it sympathy. Whichever you call it, it needs to be there. When someone has a problem, we need to empathize with them and show we understand the frustration they're going through. What we don't want to do, however, is tell a customer, "I know exactly how you feel." Because you aren't able to know exactly how anyone else feels. But you can empathize, and that's why empathy is KEY for a service mentality.

Here's a better way to explain it. I had my wallet stolen a while back, at Disneyland no less. Everything was in it...and the money was the least of my problems. Credit cards, check book, social security card, drivers license...all of it GONE.

Over the years, I have learned to be a "good" customer, so I called the first credit card company and told them of my plight. I said, "Hi, my name is Nancy Friedman and I'm at Disney and my wallet was stolen. Everything's gone." And I told her what was in the wallet. She said without skipping a beat, "NAME?" I said, "It's still Nancy Friedman." Where was her empathy, her sympathy? It wasn't there! All I needed to hear was a simple, "Gee, that's got to be so frustrating. Let me get the ball rolling to help you."

Enthusiasm: We need enthusiasm whenever we help a customer. They need to know you are truly excited to help. (Of course, we need to do this without going over the top and giggling our way through the conversation.) Enthusiastic customer service people get the job done faster, simpler, and with a touch of class. How much enthusiasm do you show in your job?

Responsibility: This is one of the most important keys to a great service mentality. Be responsible for your job, your position, and the company. Being responsible means it is your job.

If you have answered the call on behalf of your company, you have indeed accepted 100% responsibility for the call. "I wasn't here," "I don't know anything about that," "It's not my department," or all those other lines are not in the responsibility key of customer service.

Take responsibility for the call. You answered it. It's yours! This is important in face-to-face situations as well. It's the old "don't point...go show."

Resiliency: This key is a little trickier to use. To be resilient, we need to have a mentality to bounce back from unfortunate events, setbacks, or other negative incidents. It's really an attitude adjustment. One situation with a customer may be more difficult than the other...and when you get to the next customer...your resiliency needs to kick in and bounce you right back to where it was before that negative event. Be resilient!

Ownership: A cousin of responsibility. So many times we hear and see people in the customer service arena who don't want to take ownership of the problem. When you own the problem, you'll handle it far better than if you don't want anything to do with it. And don't forget...never take those barbs from the customer personally. They're not attacking YOU. They're attacking the problem. You're just the lightening rod, not the target. So own the customer you're working with – on the phone or in person! Take ownership! Be proud!

Balance: This is the fine line between “he customer is always right” and knowing what to do about the problem. At Telephone Doctor, we don't believe the customer necessarily is always right. We do, however, know customers always think they're right. And that is the perception we need to deal with at the time.

Many times the customer is in error...had the wrong date, the wrong receipt, the wrong information, or whatever. And yet, they're hell bent on proving that they are right. So you see, they think they're right. We often times know they are not. And that's the secret key...not letting on that we know they're wrong.

It's the balance in the key ring of success. Balance is the art of creating a “win-win” situation. Once you have the key of balance, you'll be able to handle situations to make everyone happy.

Adaptability: Most of us learn at a very early age that everything doesn't happen the way we want it to all the time. So often we need to adapt to a certain situation. Learning how to adapt to all these situations can make you a top customer service individual. It's related to your attitude. Why do some folks adapt very easily and some are not able to adapt at all? It's mainly because of attitude. It shapes how they handle a situation and react to it.

How'd you do? If you have some of these “secret” ingredients of customer service, you're well on your way to success. And even if you're missing one or two, here's your opportunity to learn more about them.

Good luck to you! And may your service mentality be with you today and always.

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, April 2005.

Managing Client Crises

By Andrew Sobel

I recently interviewed a client of mine on the topic of client crises, in preparation for a program I was designing for her organization. "Do you have all night?" she asked, laughing, "They're continuous!"

Every professional who works with clients faces periodic crises or "rough patches" in his or her relationships – it's inevitable. Because of the complex nature of human interaction, not every client is going to be deliriously happy with you and your work, all of the time. I face these speed bumps myself, regularly, and I have to admit they make the perfectionist in me very uncomfortable (I think, naively, "If you're always trying to do your best, shouldn't things always be perfectly smooth?).

Let's look at different types of client crises, and some principles for dealing with them.

The first distinction you need to make is whether it's YOUR crisis or the CLIENT'S crisis.

Examples of a crisis that's yours:

• You've overcommitted yourself and are having trouble meeting client expectations.
  
  
• You're tired, bored, sick, depressed, or otherwise unmotivated to engage with your clients and your work.
  
  
• Your clients are making fairly normal demands on you, but for various reasons you feel that it's too much and you're tired of being "imposed upon."
  
  
• You are having a crisis in your personal or family life. If the crisis is yours, then you may not even need to involve your client in solving it, except perhaps from a logistical standpoint; e.g., you need a breather or an extension.
  

This is an important distinction. When you are out-of-balance or stressed, it's easy to feel that clients are being unreasonable or just plain wrong.

If it's your crisis rather than the client's crisis, the solutions may include:

• Taking time off to rest and regain your perspective. Are you working on weekends? Give yourself a full two-day weekend without checking email or doing client work. Better: Occasionally take a three- or four-day weekend.
  
  
• Venting to someone you trust.
  
  
• Working on improving your schedule three or four months out. If things are out of control now, you probably can't do much about it in the short term. But you certainly can influence next quarter, today, with some more disciplined planning.
  
  
• Getting an extension from one of your clients. Chances are you are working on something, for someone, which can wait an extra week or two.
  

Crises that directly involve your client or are precipitated by your client can come in many shapes and forms. Sometimes, it has to do with direct dissatisfaction with the work product.

Here are some recent examples of this, cited by my own clients:

• A litigation attorney gets an unfavourable ruling in a trial.
  
  
• An investment banker is unable to find a buyer for a division that his client wants to sell.
  
  
• A consultant recommends a reorganization, and implementing it turns out to be much more difficult than anyone expected.
  
  
• Software does not work as promised, and the client experiences constant outages or systems failures. On other occasions, the crisis may be subtler or may involve complex interpersonal dynamics.
  

Here are some real examples:

• You are working with an executive whose boss is your client. You are critical of that executive's performance – as it relates to his role in your project – and your client, unexpectedly, severely chastises his subordinate. The subordinate, with whom you have to work to get the project done, is now livid and hostile toward you.
  
  
• Your client is arrogant, overly demanding, and hard to work with. Slowly, over time, your face time diminishes because you find him so difficult, and communications become stilted. The client begins to think you no longer care about his business. He starts bad-mouthing you out in the marketplace.
  
  
• You give your client blunt, honest advice, advising her not to take certain courses of action. Over time, she drifts away from you, and begins relying on other, competing professionals who are more agreeable to her direction. You feel like you're getting punished for your honestly and independence.
  

Every situation is a little different, and I'm not going to even try to suggest the specific solutions to these crises in this article. In fact, very often THERE ARE NO SOLUTIONS to these crises-the solution lies in the way you go about addressing the client's concern.

Here are some general principals that can guide us:

1. Responding rapidly. If a client is unhappy, deal with it immediately. Don't make an appointment in three weeks to discuss it. Your willingness to drop what you're doing to immediately and speedily discuss your client's concerns – by demonstrating that you care and will listen – will by itself improve the situation. Sometimes, the client simply needs to hear, "What you think is very important to me and I want to (take the next flight/drive two hours/use up my Sunday morning/etc.) to meet with you and discuss this."
   
   
2. Listening without being defensive. When someone is upset, he wants you to listen and empathize without passing judgment on what he has said. The worst thing you can do is start to listen and then slowly begin to counter what your client is saying; e.g., "Well, you're right that we were not very inclusive of Bill but after all he did a terrible job so it's not unexpected that we'd react that way, it's only normal...." Listen deeply, and thank your client for sharing his thoughts with you.
   
   
3. Saying you're sorry. Even if you think the blame is equally spread, apologizing can help to defuse the situation and begin a new dialog. It's hard to keep kicking someone when they apologize to you.
   
   
4. Offering amends. If in fact you have done something egregious or have failed in some way, it can help to offer some amends. A client of mine told me how one of his clients recently went into a rage over an invoice that he received. He felt it was totally unjustified. In reality, some good, honest work had been done and the invoice was appropriate. But my client had done a very poor job of communicating just how complicated this small piece of work was going to be. My client immediately offered his client a substantial fee credit toward their next engagement. The angry executive was delighted over this, and the incident was over almost immediately. In fact, the relationship was strengthened.
   
   
5. Avoiding excuses. This goes along with not being defensive. It's natural to want to explain to the client all the reasons why you are not at fault. Once you have defused the anger or other upset emotions, you may very well be able to have this discussion. But don't lead with excuses.
   
   
6. Anticipating the crisis. If you speak frequently to your client and have lots of open communication, you will be able to head off many crises. If there is an atmosphere of openness between you, there's a greater likelihood that your client's concerns will surface when they are baby concerns rather than when they grow into monsters.
   
   
7. Getting it out into the open. When negative emotions are kept in the dark, they fester and grow. When you get them out into the light of day, they shrink and often disappear. Go for transparency with your clients. If you know there is a sticky issue they are upset about, try to confront it openly and get it out on the table.
   

The best illustration of this idea is a wonderful poem by William Blake (1757-1827), called "The Poison Tree." Read this insightful poem by one of the great English romantic poets:

A Poison Tree
By William Blake

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe;
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I water'd it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with my smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veil'd the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree

In the end, I think these are pretty good principles to follow not just with clients but also in our dealings with family and friends.

Andrew Sobel is the leading authority on client relationships and the skills and strategies required to earn enduring client and customer loyalty. He is coauthor of Clients for Life: How Great Professionals Development Breakthrough Relationships (Simon & Schuster). He can be reached at (505) 982-0211 or by e-mail at andrew@andrewsobel.com www.andrewsobel.com

Published in Networking Today, December 2004.

Improving Listening Skills

By Nancy Friedman

Pretend you’re a real estate agent, showing a five million dollar home to a nationally known sports star. This sports star and his beautiful actress wife really like the house. If the sale is made...the commission will allow you to buy a new luxury car and pay off a lot of bills.

As the sale is about to be closed, the athlete’s cell phone rings and his smile turns to a frown. He has just been traded and will be leaving town. He relays the message to his wife who breaks down and cries. Question: how old is the real estate person?

Give up? It’s not a trick. You might want to re-read the scenario. It says pretend YOU are a real estate sales person – so how old are you?

OK, it was a trick. But no trickier than listening to your customers whether you’re on the phone or in person. Listening is an art – not a science. And while we usually can “hear” customers, Telephone Doctor often wonders if we’re really “listening” to them.

You might think listening is easy. After all, doesn't everybody listen?

Listening isn’t the same as hearing. Think about a commercial for a product you have no interest in – it’s easy to tune that information out, isn’t it?

Hearing is one thing, but listening and mentally absorbing the thoughts is another thing. That's why we say listening is an art – not a science. While it’s easy to “hear” what the customer says, great customer service begins with great listening skills.

Here are six steps to becoming a better listener. And if you think you’re already a pretty good listener, pass this along to someone who could also benefit from improved listening skills.

TIP #1 – DECIDE TO BE A BETTER LISTENER

In school, you’re taught to read, write, do math, and dozens of other topics. I don’t know about you, but in all my schooling, I don’t ever recall having a course on listening. And yet, as we all know, listening is an important, some would say even a crucial skill. The first step is all about you – your personal commitment to being a better listener.

You need to decide to be a better listener. So make that decision now. You’re going to be a better listener and you're going to work at it. And here's how...

TIP # 2 – WELCOME THE CUSTOMER

Be obviously friendly. By being obviously friendly and welcoming the customer, it immediately sets the stage to let the customer know that you’re interested and actively listening. One effective way to show you're listening is to tell the customer: "You've come to the right place."

TIP #3 – CONCENTRATE

Your mind processes information much faster than the normal rate of speech and because of that ability, your mind half-listens and does other things, too. Your brain tends to solve other problems, to think about what you’re going to say next, other calls you need to make, lunch plans, or a host of other activities.

The mind needs to be disciplined to pay full attention to your customer and to listen closely. Even when you try to listen closely, little things can distract you, like a regional accent, or someone who speaks too rapidly, or when the customer’s discussing a topic you don’t find interesting. It’s easy to be distracted by things happening around you. But don't let that happen. Concentrate.

TIP #4 – KEEP AN OPEN MIND

We'd go a long way toward curing the problem of poor listening habits by not interrupting our customers. By carefully listening and letting the customer finish his conversation, you hear him out completely. AVOID JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS. That's an important step in the direction of keeping an open mind and solving the real problem.

This is a good time to talk about the difference between a "fact" and "assumption." A statement of fact is normally made after an observation. An assumption can be made any time – before, during, or after an observation (or with no observation at all).

We want to operate as closely as we can with facts rather than assumptions. And a good listener tries to stay objective and not be judgmental. Try not to let personal impressions modify what you hear. Keep an open mind.

TIP #5 – GIVE FEEDBACK THAT YOU’RE LISTENING

Often, when the person on the other end of the line doesn't give you feedback, you think you've been disconnected. Remember, with the phone there are no visual signals. Too much silence on the phone, or even in person, gives the impression you're not listening.

Even when you're thinking, or looking for something, you need to send feedback – a variety of short replies acknowledging the customer. Give her a spoken signal that you're receiving the message. Phrases like "bear with me while I look that up" or "let's see what the notes say..." are examples. And notice, too, I said a variety of replies...not one word like okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

TIP #6 – TAKE NOTES WHILE YOU LISTEN AND REVIEW NOTES WITH THE CUSTOMER

I know this is basic, but it’s so important. There needs to be paper and a pen or pencil by every phone. Write down key words as people talk – the customer’s name, what he needs, and any follow-up items. Please don’t take a chance on forgetting when it’s so easy to write things down. Make up your own abbreviation system as a memory jogger. And if your customer gives you lots of extra information, eliminate the unnecessary bits that can be safely discarded. Whether you’re taking a telephone message or helping a customer, repeat and paraphrase the message back to the customer to be sure you’ve got it correct. It lets the customer know you’ve really listened.

Mistakes happen. We’re only human. However, many mistakes are avoidable. If we could get 250,000 people to make one less mistake, a mistake that costs their company just $40, that would be a savings of $10 million dollars. And it’s such a simple thing to do.

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a popular keynote speaker at conferences and corporate meetings. She can be reached at (314) 291-1012 or check out the Telephone Doctor Web site at www.telephonedoctor.com.


Published in Networking Today, September 2004.