Each of us has the opportunity every day to build loyalty by exceeding the expectations of our internal and external customers. Caring, personalized service builds positive relationships, one customer at a time. Because this type of service is rare these days, customers are delighted when they receive it, and their loyalty to the company grows. Take this short quiz as a self-assessment to see if you are delighting your customers:
1. I understand that my co-workers are also my customers and that we are all part of a customer service chain. True False
2. I take ownership of my customers’ problems and do everything possible to avoid having to transfer their call to another area. True False
3. I use my customer's name in every conversation. True False
4. I listen very carefully to what my customers are telling me, so I can clearly understand their needs and feelings. True False
5. When my customers are upset, I sincerely try to empathize with their concerns and try to put myself in their place. True False
6. I always assume that my customers are being honest. True False
7. I try to be flexible to meet the needs of my customers. True False
8. I try to do what is best for my customers, not what is easiest for me. True False
9. I look for ways to build loyalty even when I can't provide the service that my customer has requested. True False
10. When I need to transfer my customer’s call to another area, I contact the other employee and explain my customer’s problem so they do not need to repeat it. True False
11. I follow up with every customer who was upset or had a complex problem. True False 12. I stop what I’m doing to actively listen when co-workers or customers are speaking to me. True False
13. I follow up with co-workers to let them know the outcome of the service they started and needed to send to me for completion. True False
14. I add my personal “signature” to every customer interaction. True False
15. I look for ways to spread a positive customer service spirit. True False
16. I ask myself with every customer, "If this were me, what would I expect?" True False 17. I always thank my customer for calling, no matter what the service request. True False 18. I take time to explain all information carefully, without using jargon or assuming that the customer understands the details of our business. True False
19. I take time to explain all information carefully, without using jargon or assuming that the customer understands the details of our business. True False
20. I frequently compliment my co-workers for a job well done--in front of other people. True False
21. I make a sincere effort to remember personal details about my customers such as birthdays, children's names, their jobs and accomplishments. True False
22. I treat my customers with respect and do not become defensive, even when they are angry. True False
23. I understand that my customers’ time is extremely valuable, so I do everything to provide them with fast, seamless service. True False
24. I am willing to go the extra mile for each of my customers to delight them with service that exceeds their expectations. True False
25. I look for opportunities to thank my customers every chance I get. True False
If you had 20 to 25 'True' responses, CONGRATULATIONS! You are consistently delighting your customers and building customer loyalty.
If you had 15 to 19 'True' responses, you're on your way and you have an opportunity to improve your service skills.
If you had fewer than 15 'True' responses, you may need some extra customer service skill coaching.
Today, customer service is more important than ever before. Do your employees have the skills and tools they need to provide unforgettable service? Exceptional customer service is the only way to build loyalty and boost your profits. But the quality of service is only as good as the employees who deal with the customers.
source: Loyalty Leader Quick Tips - Issue #314 - "Loyalty Self-Assessment: Are You Delighting Your Customers?"
Selasa, Mei 19, 2009
Minggu, Mei 10, 2009
Good Intentions Don't Count With Customers
While shopping one day I noticed a "No Wait" policy posted in a grocery store.
The sign declared, "We guarantee that you will no longer experience long lines. When we see more than three people in line, we will open a new register immediately."
I had plenty of time to read the sign. There were six people in line ahead of me!
Customer service standards are only as good as the people who enforce them. Business leaders are filled with good intentions, but good intentions don't count. When it comes to the delivery of service, the only things that do count are the actions that customers actually experience. If a company boasts about its customer service policies and then fails to deliver the promised service, it actually does more damage than if it had never created the standards in the first place. When this occurs, customer trust is replaced by skepticism.
When developing customer service standards for your organization, make sure they can realistically be supported through current staffing and budget. Customer service standards should be simple and easy to implement. Training should be provided at all levels of the organization so every employee knows the following:
WHAT customer service actions are expected of them.
HOW to deliver great customer service.
WHEN to make exceptions in order to make the customer happy.
WHY their role in customer service is important to their career and the success of the organization.
A recognition program needs to be in place in order to reward employees for delivering great customer service. Accountabilities need to be defined so employees know how their customer service behavior will be measured. They also need to clearly understand the consequences when they fail to meet the service standards.
Great customer service intentions don't count unless they’re backed up by actions and attitudes that demonstrate that you sincerely care about your customers. You can have real empathy for a customer, but if you are unable to communicate that empathy, your customer won't believe you are being sincere.
As David J. Schwartz says that "Life is too short to waste. Dreams are fulfilled only through action, not through endless planning to take action."
source: Debra Schmidt 's Loyalty Leader Quick Tips - Issue #313 - "Good Intentions Don't Count With Customers"
The sign declared, "We guarantee that you will no longer experience long lines. When we see more than three people in line, we will open a new register immediately."
I had plenty of time to read the sign. There were six people in line ahead of me!
Customer service standards are only as good as the people who enforce them. Business leaders are filled with good intentions, but good intentions don't count. When it comes to the delivery of service, the only things that do count are the actions that customers actually experience. If a company boasts about its customer service policies and then fails to deliver the promised service, it actually does more damage than if it had never created the standards in the first place. When this occurs, customer trust is replaced by skepticism.
When developing customer service standards for your organization, make sure they can realistically be supported through current staffing and budget. Customer service standards should be simple and easy to implement. Training should be provided at all levels of the organization so every employee knows the following:
WHAT customer service actions are expected of them.
HOW to deliver great customer service.
WHEN to make exceptions in order to make the customer happy.
WHY their role in customer service is important to their career and the success of the organization.
A recognition program needs to be in place in order to reward employees for delivering great customer service. Accountabilities need to be defined so employees know how their customer service behavior will be measured. They also need to clearly understand the consequences when they fail to meet the service standards.
Great customer service intentions don't count unless they’re backed up by actions and attitudes that demonstrate that you sincerely care about your customers. You can have real empathy for a customer, but if you are unable to communicate that empathy, your customer won't believe you are being sincere.
As David J. Schwartz says that "Life is too short to waste. Dreams are fulfilled only through action, not through endless planning to take action."
source: Debra Schmidt 's Loyalty Leader Quick Tips - Issue #313 - "Good Intentions Don't Count With Customers"
Senin, April 20, 2009
Emansipasi Mencari Arti...
Udara lembab; peluh mengembun basah
130 tahun lalu seorang bayi menghembuskan asa
"Habis Gelap, Terbitlah Terang"
putri Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat, bupati Jepara
dan Ibu M.A. Ngasirah...
Menanamkan nilai-nilai Ketuhanan, Kebijaksanaan dan Keindahan
Nasionalisme serta peri kemanusian
Saat kelam hijab emansipasi akan ilmu pengetahuan
Saat nasib perempuan masih ada di pojok-pojok pendopoan
Seorang perempuan menebarkan benih keterbukaan
25 tahun usia cukup sudah
meninggalkan dunia fana dengan semangat membara
mendudukan wanita pada kodrat dan sumbangsihnya
lelaki-perempuan sama derajat dalam berbakti kepada negara dan masyarakatnya
Ibu kita Kartini sudah mencapai cita-citanya...
Sekarang ini, Kartini menatap kebebasan diri
Sekarang ini, Kartini melakukan pekerjaan lelaki
Sekarang ini, Kartini menjadi suami
Sekarang ini, Kartini di atas mimpi
:RA Kartini hanya membisu menerawang gagasannya 125 tahun yang lalu..
130 tahun lalu seorang bayi menghembuskan asa
"Habis Gelap, Terbitlah Terang"
putri Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat, bupati Jepara
dan Ibu M.A. Ngasirah...
Menanamkan nilai-nilai Ketuhanan, Kebijaksanaan dan Keindahan
Nasionalisme serta peri kemanusian
Saat kelam hijab emansipasi akan ilmu pengetahuan
Saat nasib perempuan masih ada di pojok-pojok pendopoan
Seorang perempuan menebarkan benih keterbukaan
25 tahun usia cukup sudah
meninggalkan dunia fana dengan semangat membara
mendudukan wanita pada kodrat dan sumbangsihnya
lelaki-perempuan sama derajat dalam berbakti kepada negara dan masyarakatnya
Ibu kita Kartini sudah mencapai cita-citanya...
Sekarang ini, Kartini menatap kebebasan diri
Sekarang ini, Kartini melakukan pekerjaan lelaki
Sekarang ini, Kartini menjadi suami
Sekarang ini, Kartini di atas mimpi
:RA Kartini hanya membisu menerawang gagasannya 125 tahun yang lalu..
Senin, April 13, 2009
Quality of Service is Based on Customer Perceptions
What are your customers saying about you?
What do they tell their colleagues, other people in their industry, people within their own organization?
What do they say about doing business with your company?
Your business is judged whenever you interact with your customers, and it can be as simple as how your phone is answered.
What happens once the phone is answered?
Are the customers put on hold? Are they are put into a queue?
Are they put into a phone system that is just a pain for them to navigate?
The friendliness of the employee who actually handles the calls plays a very critical role in how companies are perceived by their customers.
After I presented customer service training at a large company, the CEO told me privately that he has an individual on his team who is an extremely nice young woman. "She really cares about the customers," he said. "She is easy to work with and has been with the company for quite a long time. However, I often hear complaints about her from our customers.
" I asked, “What are they complaining about?”
He responded that customers have told him they found her to be rude, cold or abrupt on the phone. He was surprised because she is usually warm and friendly to her co-workers. So he started paying careful attention to the way she was handling customer calls. He discovered that when she takes a call, she shifts into a high intensity mode. She is so concerned about the customers' needs that she tries to make sure everything is communicated perfectly. She worries about missing information or making a mistake. As a result of her intensity, her tone of voice changes. She concentrates more on the task, and forgets about expressing the warmth and empathy that is so important in building customer relationships.
Tone of voice plays a major role in shaping your customers' perceptions of service when you are handling their calls. While it's important to answer calls quickly and address your customers' concerns, it's even more important to build positive relationships.
Remember that every employee is the company. When your customers get off the phone, they are turning to their co-workers and saying, "Wow, XYZ is a great company to work with." While they might get off the phone and say, "Tom Smith is a great guy," there is still the perception that the employee represents the whole company. Every interaction you have with the customer impacts the overall image of the entire organization.
There are several published studies that reveal that the mood of your customers can have a significant impact on their perception of the service they received from an individual in your company. For example, if a customer has been waiting for a long time in your phone system queue, their perception of the friendliness of the person who actually takes their call may deteriorate. They are frustrated about waiting so long and may blame the service provider.
A customer who had a bad day on the golf course will be more likely to have a negative perception of service at the clubhouse than a golfer who had a great score. What a customer remembers about service is not just dependent upon the usual suspects of first and last impressions, it is dependent upon every interaction that occurs between the customer and the service provider.
Customer service is like a brand. It is what the customer perceives and remembers about the service that they receive. What a customer perceives is not necessarily the service that was actually delivered. Each interaction makes a lasting positive or negative impression on your customers. Kindness, respect and warmth are essential elements of service. Simply focusing on tasks can cause your customers to get the wrong idea about the quality of your service.
source: Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com] -Quality of Service is Based on Customer Perceptions- Issue #310
What are your customers saying about you?
What do they tell their colleagues, other people in their industry, people within their own organization?
What do they say about doing business with your company?
Your business is judged whenever you interact with your customers, and it can be as simple as how your phone is answered.
What happens once the phone is answered?
Are the customers put on hold? Are they are put into a queue?
Are they put into a phone system that is just a pain for them to navigate?
The friendliness of the employee who actually handles the calls plays a very critical role in how companies are perceived by their customers.
After I presented customer service training at a large company, the CEO told me privately that he has an individual on his team who is an extremely nice young woman. "She really cares about the customers," he said. "She is easy to work with and has been with the company for quite a long time. However, I often hear complaints about her from our customers.
" I asked, “What are they complaining about?”
He responded that customers have told him they found her to be rude, cold or abrupt on the phone. He was surprised because she is usually warm and friendly to her co-workers. So he started paying careful attention to the way she was handling customer calls. He discovered that when she takes a call, she shifts into a high intensity mode. She is so concerned about the customers' needs that she tries to make sure everything is communicated perfectly. She worries about missing information or making a mistake. As a result of her intensity, her tone of voice changes. She concentrates more on the task, and forgets about expressing the warmth and empathy that is so important in building customer relationships.
Tone of voice plays a major role in shaping your customers' perceptions of service when you are handling their calls. While it's important to answer calls quickly and address your customers' concerns, it's even more important to build positive relationships.
Remember that every employee is the company. When your customers get off the phone, they are turning to their co-workers and saying, "Wow, XYZ is a great company to work with." While they might get off the phone and say, "Tom Smith is a great guy," there is still the perception that the employee represents the whole company. Every interaction you have with the customer impacts the overall image of the entire organization.
There are several published studies that reveal that the mood of your customers can have a significant impact on their perception of the service they received from an individual in your company. For example, if a customer has been waiting for a long time in your phone system queue, their perception of the friendliness of the person who actually takes their call may deteriorate. They are frustrated about waiting so long and may blame the service provider.
A customer who had a bad day on the golf course will be more likely to have a negative perception of service at the clubhouse than a golfer who had a great score. What a customer remembers about service is not just dependent upon the usual suspects of first and last impressions, it is dependent upon every interaction that occurs between the customer and the service provider.
Customer service is like a brand. It is what the customer perceives and remembers about the service that they receive. What a customer perceives is not necessarily the service that was actually delivered. Each interaction makes a lasting positive or negative impression on your customers. Kindness, respect and warmth are essential elements of service. Simply focusing on tasks can cause your customers to get the wrong idea about the quality of your service.
source: Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com] -Quality of Service is Based on Customer Perceptions- Issue #310
Senin, Maret 09, 2009
Let It Be
Merona wajah menyapa bayang yang dulu pernah singgah
menghitung langkah-langkah; hati yang melulu gundah
menunggu dalam maya atau mewujudkannya dalam realita?
ah, keberanian itu selalu luluh setiap menatap kedua mata nan indah
Tuhan membiarkannya berlalu sudah...
21 tahun tertutup rapat di sudut napas terdalam
mempertanyakan asa yang dibiarkan terpendam
kenapa tak pernah bisa diutarakan dalam nyanyian rembulan
yang dapat memancarkan kelembutan mojang priangan
ah, Tuhan membiarkan lamunan kasmaran...
Hari ini darah ini seperti berhenti
mendengar langsung suara yang selalu dinanti
bagai sapuan angin mamiri memanja hati
Oh, Tuhan biarkan waktu sejenak berhenti dan biarkan aku lupa diri..
ah, Tuhan membiarkan semua bertawaf dalam sunah ilahi...
Terdampar gelisah dimana ruang dan waktu hanya terpana
titik-titik embun sudah membasahi sajadah; dingin membasuh wajah nan gulana
azan subuh mulai menyapa mengingatkan seorang khalifah haruslah berguna
tapi tak bisakah kusimpan seluruh gita agar tak percuma
membagi kisah cita yang dulu pernah ada
agar penasaran tak lagi mendera sepanjang masa
Ya, Tuhan biarkanlah kali ini saja...
agar kebenaran mendekap jasad dan ruh yang bahagia
citragraha@10032009/sy
menghitung langkah-langkah; hati yang melulu gundah
menunggu dalam maya atau mewujudkannya dalam realita?
ah, keberanian itu selalu luluh setiap menatap kedua mata nan indah
Tuhan membiarkannya berlalu sudah...
21 tahun tertutup rapat di sudut napas terdalam
mempertanyakan asa yang dibiarkan terpendam
kenapa tak pernah bisa diutarakan dalam nyanyian rembulan
yang dapat memancarkan kelembutan mojang priangan
ah, Tuhan membiarkan lamunan kasmaran...
Hari ini darah ini seperti berhenti
mendengar langsung suara yang selalu dinanti
bagai sapuan angin mamiri memanja hati
Oh, Tuhan biarkan waktu sejenak berhenti dan biarkan aku lupa diri..
ah, Tuhan membiarkan semua bertawaf dalam sunah ilahi...
Terdampar gelisah dimana ruang dan waktu hanya terpana
titik-titik embun sudah membasahi sajadah; dingin membasuh wajah nan gulana
azan subuh mulai menyapa mengingatkan seorang khalifah haruslah berguna
tapi tak bisakah kusimpan seluruh gita agar tak percuma
membagi kisah cita yang dulu pernah ada
agar penasaran tak lagi mendera sepanjang masa
Ya, Tuhan biarkanlah kali ini saja...
agar kebenaran mendekap jasad dan ruh yang bahagia
citragraha@10032009/sy
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