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We All Work in Customer Service

Do you ever get the feeling that customer service is becoming a big joke?

You probably don’t have to think too far back to remember:

• A store clerk who showed annoyance at “being interrupted” to help a customer;

• An distracted and painfully slow waiter; or

• An online inquiry that went unanswered.

Most of us have had these dreadful customer service experiences, and if we all got together in a room, we could gripe about them for hours. Dissatisfied customers LOVE to tell others how poorly they were treated – and with social media, the word spreads even faster.

You’d think companies would be more concerned about this. After all, studies show that:

• Two-thirds of customers do not feel valued by those serving them.
• Sixty-eight percent of customers stop doing business with a company because of poor service. Yet 95 percent of unhappy customers would continue to do business with a company if their problem was resolved quickly.
• In 73 percent of cases, businesses make no attempt to persuade dissatisfied customers to stay.
• It is 6-7 times more expensive to gain a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer.

And the problem is even bigger than these statistics imply – because the word “customer” includes more people than you might think.

In the business world, customers are categorized into two classes:

• An external customer of an organization is a customer who is not directly connected to that organization (e.g. a shopper in a store).
• An internal customer is a customer who is directly connected to an organization (e.g. stakeholders, employees, creditors and colleagues).

Beyond business, the word customer applies to anyone who comes to you with a need, looking to get it fulfilled. That need might be for skills, knowledge, communication, problem-solving, emotional support, guidance, even just your presence.

Think about your daily life and how many people cross your path, looking to get a need met.  You have a lot of “customers” in your life – and being of service means being responsive to their needs.

Think about it this way:

• Friends come to us because we provide friendship, loyalty and companionship.
• Family comes to us seeking love, support, and acceptance.
• The client or boss relies on us to provide skills, reliability and performance.
• A spouse needs our love, support and partnership.

So, the quality of service we provide impacts many more people than just those who are purchasing goods and services – and when you look at it that way, we’re ALL in the business of keeping our customers happy.

Here are some simple principles that anyone can apply to be of better service.

10 Ways to Please Any Customer, Any Time

1. Give people the gift of being fully present. To give someone your full attention is the most effective way of communicating: “You are important to me.” This is the most fundamental principle of service, but sometimes it can be a real challenge to honor it (says the woman who caught herself reading e-mails while talking on the phone with her son).
2. Set your own needs and wants aside for a while. Being of service is an exercise in being “other-focused.” Those who are thinking of their own wants as they try to satisfy a customer come across as distracted, half-hearted, unenthusiastic, even annoyed. (“This person is interrupting what I was doing.”)
3. Identify the underlying need. Look a little deeper to see what the moment calls for. A waitress who delivers a sincere smile with the food is much more appreciated than one who brings only the burger. And a child begging for a popsicle might really just need some attention. What is your customer really craving?
4. Aim for complete satisfaction. Don’t just go through the motions of what’s expected… figure out what this person or situation needs in order to be happy. Consider the root of the problem, the long-term solution, and how to honor the relationship.
5. Put a smile in your voice. You customer can tell in a heartbeat whether you’re truly interested in helping them. There’s nothing worse than a resentful helper, and nothing better than a bit of cheerful assistance.
6. Act promptly. Whether that means returning a call, filling an order, responding to a request, addressing a complaint, or even thanking someone – make it a priority and don’t delay. A few years ago, it was acceptable to return a call within 48 hours; now that technology has increased the pace and interconnectedness of life, people want to hear back from you today. They appreciate it when you follow through sooner rather than later.
7. Give with a glad heart. When your feel the joy of being of service, the exchange with another person is infused with a deeper level of satisfaction – for both parties.
8. Solve problems. Great customer service professionals think on their feet. They have the skills to quickly analyze a situation and decide what needs to be done to solve the problem – now just for now, but forever.
9. Do what you say you’re going to do.  Reliability is an increasingly scarce quality, which means people appreciate it more and more. Cultivating this quality goes a long way toward earning a stellar reputation.
10. Follow the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would have you do unto them. See the situation through their eyes and the best response becomes clear.

Something to consider:

In business and in life, if you don’t treat people right, they can always go elsewhere. So if you value those you interact with, make the effort to deliver a high standard of service. It will inevitably benefit you as much as it does your customer.

Posted by Margaret Page in A Page of Insight.