CSM CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT | FREE Web Class – 7 Ways to Keep Your Customers 12/9/09 – 12PM EST / 9AM PST
November 30, 2009
During this web training session, Dr. Kasper will identify seven actions you can put into place that will immediately boost your customer retention. No need to form a committee or hold a board meeting to allocate money – these are real live tips you can put to use immediately and cost virtually nothing to deploy! He will also be taking a limited number of questions after the conclusion of the presentation.
While there is no cost to attend this web training session, you are required to register in advance as space is very limited. Just go to www.Service-Quality.com or www.ServiceQuality.US and click on the registration graphic.
If we may be of any service, prior to or after the web training session, we’re just a short call away at 800-432-2456, Option 3. We’re also available via email at support@servicequality.us
CSM CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT | FREE Customer Loyalty Clinic Scheduled 12/9/09 11AM EST / 8AM PST
November 30, 2009
If you need answers, and you need them fast, this is a great, free, forum for you. At each clinic you’ll be be in a one-on-one consultation with the best “Dr.” in the field of service, Dr. Jeff Kasper.
He will present two cases of general interest to the group, including solutions you can put to work immediately. Then, for the remainder of the “consult” he’ll take questions from the audience, as time allows.
You won’t want to miss a minute of this valuable presentation, plus a chance to have your specific questions answered for absolutely no cost to you!
Please note, this program is presented “live” from wherever in the world Dr. Kasper may be. This program is currently available only in English.
For more information, or to sign-up, go to www.Service-Quality.com or www.ServiceQuality.US
MYSTERY SHOPPING | I Knew They Were A Mystery Shopper!
November 30, 2009
A long time ago, when I was on the “other side” of the mystery shopper’s report, I had an employee who didn’t score so well. To be truthful, she failed miserably. Her reasoning? “I knew they were a mystery shopper, so I blew them off.” I sat there dumbfounded. The only thing I could say was, “So this was one chance to show senior managers, not to mention your boss, how good you are?” I recommended that she consider other opportunities that were in the job market if she didn’t want to adjust her attitude.
Personally, I strongly discouraged any employee from trying to determine who was or was not a mystery shopper. I took the tactic of treating each and every customer as though they were a shopper. Hit all the marks, every time.
The research proved it. Our customer satisfaction went through the roof. Our sales went through the roof! Least importantly our mystery shopper scores went up too!
MYSTERY SHOPPING | How Often Should I Schedule Mystery Shops?
November 30, 2009
One of the most asked questions by new and existing clients is, “How many times a (month, week, quarter, year, etc.) should I be shopping my business?”
There’s no one right answer for everyone. As a minimum guideline, we strongly recommend at least twice each month. Of course, it depends on your business flow. A large retail store should be shopped multiple times each week, as their employees interact with thousands of customers each day. On the other end of the spectrum, a wholesale plumbing supply store may only need to be shopped a couple of times a quarter.
Thinking of it in terms of lost opportunity / revenue / profits — how much are you willing to risk when an employee lets a customer leave without everything they need that you offer. If you consider that your employees are missing only 10% of the potential opportunity, and that’s a very optimistic number as most businesses find out it’s more like 95% — are you comfortable with that number?
Mystery shopping is really like taking a picture of an employee in action. Some photos are excellent the first time. Others need to be re-shot so that everyone has their eyes open.
CSM CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT | Do the Basics Flawlessly
November 29, 2009
A lot of people have some pretty nasty things to say about their health care provider or HMO. I would like to share what I would consider to be a true “turnaround effort.” Recently, I had a doctor’s appointment for an ongoing and troubling ailment with my shoulder. I dreaded the wait and anticipated seeing several people, repeating my story each time, getting x-rays, etc. I figured the whole event would kill half a day’s work, which I didn’t feel that I could afford.
When I called that morning, I was greeted by a very pleasant woman who informed me that she would transfer me to the appointment desk. I heard a recording for a couple of minutes and then was greeted by another pleasant voice who inquired about my preferences for time and then efficiently scheduled me within my request. She was very clear in telling me who I would be seeing, what time, and the location.
I arrived at the hospital on time, registered, and took a seat in the waiting area. I thought to myself, okay, here comes the first step in a series of long delays. Almost immediately, I was greeted by a nurse who led me to a small area down the hall where she took my vital signs, and then verified my ailment. Then, she directed me into a separate waiting area and informed me that it would be just a few minutes while they prepared a room for me. I sat down and thought, “okay, here come the delays.”
Within two minutes I was called into an examination room and told that the doctor would be with me in a moment. “Sure!” I thought, and again I was wrong. In less than a minute, a physician, came in and began the examination. After asking me some questions, he made his diagnosis and prescribed a x-ray for me.
“Okay,” I thought, “here comes the wait” (it’s now been only 15 minutes since I arrived). I walked over to the x-ray department and was instantly greeted by a woman at the counter who asked how she could help me today. She even asked how to pronounce my last name (she did, really!), and then commented that it was a “pretty name.” I sat down and before I even finished compressing the pad in the chair, a young man greeted me and said that he was going to perform the x-rays.
He was extremely courteous and competent, and even expressed concern and empathy for my shoulder as he made me move into seemingly unnatural positions for the best “shots.” When he finished, he asked me to wait (in the x-ray room) for just a couple of minutes in order to verify that the x-rays had turned out properly. He said that he wouldn’t want me to have to come back in again because of a bad x-ray. I appreciated his concern and advice and only had to wait a couple of minutes.
I was out within 30 minutes from start to finish!
You may say, “no big deal.” The medical center didn’t really do any thing dramatically great, it’s just that they were consistently good each step of the way, all through the customer cycle. They managed the entire process at or better than my expectations. Sure, you can say that my expectations were pretty low. That’s correct, however, being in the service business, I’m also a fairly critical client. The staff was consistently pleasant, showed empathy, competence, and communicated with me like one of them…. a human being. Each person in the process knew the next step and told me what it was. If you take the mystery and surprise element out of things, people are much happier. The experience felt very personalized and it didn’t cost them an extra dime to do it. Any time you have a relatively routine and mundane-type of activity that your customers have to go through, and can take the edge off that with a little personalization, your customers will notice the difference. If you think about it, I’ll bet you can take that step in your business.
EMPLOYEE TRAINING | Being New is No Excuse
November 24, 2009
I’m sick and tired of dealing with “new” employees who don’t know their job. At a local restaurant I frequent, when something goes wrong, I tell them. I was at the counter paying my bill when the “hostess” asked very politely, “and how was everything this evening?” I said It was very good, except…” I won’t go into the details, however, I will tell you it was a small issue involving an unexplainable charge for fifty cents. She then looked at me with total blankness, obviously not expecting any answer other than “Oh…it was great, thank you for asking.” She had no idea what to do, who to talk to, or how to respond. So, she said, “Oh, sorry, I’m a new employee and I don’t know” and proceeded to ring up my bill. The moment was as uncomfortable for her as it was for me. She gets 10 points for being honest, but loses all 10 for not taking any initiative. She was simply among the ranks of those we call “new employees.”
I feel empathy for new employees. Is it their fault? No. Is it their problem? No. Can they do something about it? No. But can they take responsibility for learning more about what their job is? Yes…well…maybe. If your business involves dealing with customers face to face or on the telephone, and you hire employees to have these “interactions” with customers, you have to take responsibility. Give these good people a little help. It’s an old cliché I know, but it’s true, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” How many new or potential clients do you lose because of this? Isn’t just one, too many?
You don’t (necessarily) have to set up a rigorous “new employee” training program, but at least have an outline of the core products and services you offer. Teach all your employees (new and seasoned) about each. Maybe you can delegate this responsibility. Add a little about your philosophy on how you run your business. Do you negotiate prices? Do you take refunds (if you don’t…why not)? Is customer service a high priority (sure, we all say it is), and what are you willing to give away to maintain a satisfied customer? Share this philosophy with your staff. Then give them the final touches; how do you want them to dress, answer the phone, greet people at the counter, take transactions, take orders, and so on. Go through all the main components of your business and help them to be a good service provider. Don’t leave it to chance!
The truth is, your employees probably want to do a good job of satisfying customers. I know it’s important to you. We all know it’s important to your customers. Let’s face it, competition is stiff out there, it’s one way you can differentiate yourself from your competition.
MYSTERY SHOPPING | Customer Service Isn’t for Everyone!
November 23, 2009
After delivering a keynote address, I was speaking with one of the participants who said, “Everything you said was good, but it doesn’t apply to me.” You could have knocked me over with a feather. I had to ask, “Why not?” He proceeded to tell me that he worked for a non-profit organization, staffed by many volunteers, who shared a love of their mission. Therefore, he reasoned, everyone would always provide the best service to their customers.
I asked him just one more question, “So, you don’t rely on donations? Or, if you do, your coffers are overflowing?” He replied that they indeed relied, heavily, on donations. And as a matter of fact, donations were on the decline in the past few years.
The truth is, no matter what your organization does, customer service is a key factor to your success. It doesn’t really matter to your customers if the person assisting them is a paid employee. As we talked further, he seemed to get a green tint to his completion. I quizzed him on why donations were decreasing – he blamed the economy. “Well, since the economy isn’t jumping back into overdrive, maybe he should close up shop?” I asked. I think he was ready to pass out. As we concluded our conversation, he said that he was going to put some basic service standards into place, institute a feedback program for their customers and spend more time managing service.
I called him about six months later to check on his progress. Through the customer surveys he developed, they learned one of their most tenured volunteers was turning away potential donors in droves. The volunteer saw the people stopping by as an intrusion to his day, his mission. (Hmm… sounds like some employees of for-profit businesses I’ve heard of…) Through the staff service meetings, they were able to identify some key training issues that needed to be addressed immediately. The service standards made it easy to communicate the organization’s service vision to new employees – everyone was on the same page.
The bottom line, donations had started to trend upward again. Plus, he wasn’t spending nearly as much time “fighting fires” and was able to develop more significant relationships with large donors. He had experienced a service epiphany!
Unfortunately, this person’s results are quite unusual. Generally, your customer’s perception of your service, and their loyalty to your organization, are not damaged or repaired in such a short period of time. It can take years of high levels of service to start to turn an organization around.
The moral of the story: While the bottom-line is important, focus your efforts on your front-line (employees and volunteers) to improve results in the long run. Make sure you check up and evaluate individual performance often!
MYSTERY SHOPPING | Maximize Every Customer Interaction
November 20, 2009
You can blame the fast-food giants – they started it. “It” is the, “Would you like fries with that?” era. They figured it out first, so they get the credit. They made a specific suggestion and got super results.
Times have changed, but the facts haven’t. What spurred the initial push was a survey that pointed out that 80% of single item purchasers said “yes” when asked if they would like another specific item. Businesses across the world caught on, but many have gotten lazy as time moves forward.
How many of your customers buy one or two items? I bet it’s more than you think. You can’t just ask, “Did you find everything today?” or “Is there anything else I can get you?” These aren’t enough. You have to train employees to identify the next step. Make specific, relevant, suggestions based on your customer’s needs. In order to do this, managers need to make the investment to train employees who face off with customers about the choices available.
Most customers don’t know what their choices are. It’s not their job to know – it’s yours, as the business, to be the expert. An example of this is a hardware store. You can actually go in and buy a toilet. Now, if you’ve ever replaced a toilet you know there’s at least another five or six parts that you must have to complete the job. Probably another 10 to do it right. The money’s not made off the toilet, it’s the additional stuff that has the higher margin. If I get out of the store with just a toilet, they have just lost a lot of potential revenue. I was in the store, I needed to spend the money. I didn’t know that, so I left. Another store got the chance to sell me the high margin stuff. (If you’re the manager/owner of a hardware store in the East Bay, don’t snicker – there’s a good chance that I bought my toilet from you…)
If you have a large selection of items or departments, appoint a subject expert or two for each. Rotate them between departments every month or two. Pretty soon, everyone will have gained the knowledge they need to make confident recommendations. Spend five minutes every day brainstorming with your employees about what items a customer may also need if they buy a certain product. Have a contest to see who can successfully identify the most “add-ons” for a particular item. Don’t just do this for a day or two – this needs to be a change in your culture, not just a program or promotion.
This isn’t rocket science. You will be amazed at how your sales revenue and ultimately profits grow, and keep growing for years to come.
For more information, please visit our web site, www.service-quality.com
CSM CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT | FREE Customer Service Clinic
November 18, 2009
If you need answers, and you need them fast, this is a great, free, forum for you. At each clinic you’ll be be in a one-on-one consultation with the best “Dr.” in the field of service, Dr. Jeff Kasper.
He will present two cases of general interest to the group, including solutions you can put to work immediately. Then, for the remainder of the “consult” he’ll take questions from the audience, as time allows.
You won’t want to miss a minute of this valuable presentation, plus a chance to have your specific questions answered for absolutely no cost to you!
Please note, this program is presented “live” from wherever in the world Dr. Kasper may be. This program is currently available only in English.
Click Here or go to www.service-quality.com to register
CSM | CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGEMENT | 7 Ways to Keep Your Customers Webinar 11/30
November 18, 2009
In this fast-paced webinar, you’ll receive the seven secrets that will let you hold onto the customers you’ve got, and attract new ones!
Click Here to register or go to www.Service-Quality.com for more details!
