Monthly Archives: May 2009

Good Customer Service Articles

Customer Service Specialist

May 16, 2009 – 11:45 pm

Many employers and businesses these days know how important it is to have a good customer services specialist on their payroll. Companies will take the time and expense to engage employment consultants to search far and wide for a qualified specialist.

The rewards offered to the right person can be very attractive with an excellent salary and benefits including in some cases employee stock ownership plans and even a bonus program.

The qualities looked for in a top customer services specialist by businesses and employers can be wide ranging but there are some customer services skills that are in most cases always generically necessary. These skills relate to an individuals ability to effectively interact with people and the person’s exemplary customer services skills such as the capability to multitask and the confidence to handle a hectic workload with tight deadlines.

There are of course many people who set themselves up as a customer services specialist and offer their services as a consultant mainly through web sites or in various business publications. Unfortunately, some of these people over embellish their experience and ability in the field and as a consequence paint a bad picture for those qualified people who are genuinely looking for a role that specializes in the field of customer services.

It is therefore important for employers and businesses that are looking for a top notch customer service specialist to take the time to check out thoroughly the credentials and resume offered by a potential candidate.

What to Look For in a Good Customer Services Specialist

The necessary skills a potential employer would be looking for will of course depend to some degree on the business or organization and what field of expertise it would be working in.

In general, the essential skills many employers would be looking for would mainly involve good customer services skills, solid people communication, time management, analytical ability and experience in computer and the call centre service area.

Potential employers would also in many instances want an experienced customer services specialist who has had 5 + years of customer service experience in an office or call services center. In addition to this a specialist who has the ability to navigate a customer database, handle customer complaints and assist in delivery and service process would be a desirable asset to an employer.

The more experienced customer services specialist is often utilized as the customer services team leader and to provide coaching and training for other team members.

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Customer Service Tips

Customer Service Call Center Services

May 16, 2009 – 11:42 pm

It is now widely recognized that it has become a necessity to have an effective call center service. This is because the value in providing good customer service can’t be underestimated in the business world today, especially if a businesses bottom line relies heavily on providing up to date information to its customers through its communication systems such as through telephone, fax or Email.

Having an efficient Customer Service Call center means customers are satisfied and impressed with the efficiency of the business they are dealing with. Every customer or user wants to know they are being looked after through after sales service.

Many businesses are finding it cost effective to outsource call center services as this reduces costs saves money and frees up staff to work on other areas of their business. Inbound call center services are therefore now recognized universally as an effective method to increase growth while satisfying customers demands.

There are now many good customer service call centers that offer inbound call center services that benefit businesses in a number of areas as described below –

Answer Services – Entails recording messages after hours from customers
Help Desk Services – Provides customers with assistance and information about consumer products and services
Technical Assistance – Provides technical help and support to customers who may have a problem or fault with a particular product
Processing Orders – This would involve dealing with a request for information or an order for an item through to its sale and delivery
Customer Services – Involves activities that improves a customers level of satisfaction and contentment

Some of the customer call center services that are available these days can be customized to meet the requirements and demands of any business or organization. For example an efficient call service center would be resourced with state of the art telecommunication systems, advanced computer networks and phone systems all backed up with trained customer services representatives and quality control professionals.

The Advantages of Web-Enabled Call Center Services

This type of call center service is only accessible and available on the internet and is designed to assist customers or clients anywhere in the world. Web-enabled call centre services is these days an increasingly common method for businesses to meet their business requirements and needs, particularly if there is some distance between the client and business. For example, this could involve people living in a different country to where the business is located.

The web-enabled call center services also help in other ways such as recognising productive messages and valued customers giving maximum return to the business for minimum outlay. The spin offs and advantages of a web-enabled call center service has the ability to substantially increase profits, improve staff output, reduce expenses and enhance customer satisfaction.

The modern call center today can be a very demanding workplace for call center agents. In the high paced work environment of a call center the customer services call center agent can be tested with a multitude of calls and queries which means agents need to be qualified to handle all types of pressures they may expect to deal with in a hectic work environment.

Call center services agents therefore play an important part in providing good customer service because they are in general the first point of contact a client or customer will have with the business or organization they have contacted.

It is vital to have customer service call center agents who are properly trained and have the knowledge to efficiently master today’s complex equipment and technology so that consumers and clients of any business can be confidently delivered at all times good customer services.

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Poor Customer Service Advice

Poor Customer Service

May 16, 2009 – 11:38 pm

Poor customer service is a universal problem that impacts on the bottom line and profit margins in all types of industries, businesses and services throughout the world. I have personally experienced bad customer service numerous times as I am sure you and most other people have as well. To narrow down what is the primary cause of bad service and what irritates individuals is not easy simply because what may annoy you intensely might not necessary annoy someone else. My research on the subject has unearthed some interesting facts on the subject which I am sure will help you deal with this problem if it is occurring in your workplace.

What is poor customer service?

To answer this question we looked at many different bad service scenarios in a number of different business and hospitality sectors and concluded that bad customer service is principally caused by one or more of the following –

  • Poor product or service – can relate to quality, presentation, price, etc
  • Bad after sales service – can relate to delivery, replacement of faulty item etc.
  • Being placed on hold by an automated voice and told to wait
  • Having your phone call lost or transferred unnecessarily
  • Unhelpful and impolite staff
  • A ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude of staff
  • Waiting in a line of people to be served because of insufficient or shoddy staff 
  • Poorly trained staff lacking knowledge and skill

How does poor customer service affect business?

Research has shown a high percentage of businesses and organizations fail to realize that the impact of a poor customer service experience can lead to a drop in profits and turnover. By providing poor customer service negative word-of-mouth can spread very quickly in the community causing the business or organization to suffer by having a reputation that can be very hard to shake off. 

In such cases consumers will invariably ask themselves why they should wait for service then be served by an unhelpful shop assistant when they can buy the same product elsewhere without all the hassle. 

The most powerful mechanism that will improve business growth is to firstly recognize there is a poor customer service culture so that steps can be taken to eliminate it through such measures as skills training and the introduction of staff incentives. By changing the existing culture, employees will be energized and eager to please leading to a happier customer experience and ultimately a boost in return business.

Some tips on how to improve bad customer service

It is well known that a company’s image and reputation can be won or lost on the impression conveyed to the customer at first point-of-contact. This contact can be simply through phone contact so it is important skilled staff are engaged to ensure the caller is treated promptly, courteously and directed to the appropriate person or department they require. 

Research has shown that most callers generally detest being put on ‘hold’. Many people these days lead busy lives and if for example they phone a company looking for a plumber or electrician to repair a broken fridge or fix an electrical fault they won’t want to leave a message on an answer-phone when there are hundreds of other service people waiting for their business. 

Similarly, reception staff in front-of-office areas must be smartly presented, professional and polite to customers. A bad impression by the office girl or shop counter assistant could quickly result in a lost sale which could have a huge bearing on a businesses bottom line. Ensure staff employed to deal with customers on a day to day basis are trained and knowledgeable about the core business and have the experience and skill to go the extra mile to assist customers. 

Most importantly, the product and service provided should be of a high quality and standard. 

For example customers paying for a product expect to get the product they are paying for and not a defective or poorly manufactured replica for example. 

Providing sub standard products or services will quickly lead to your business getting negative word-of-mouth comments and this can be a difficult reputation to shake off. 

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Customer Service Tips

Define Customer Service

May 16, 2009 – 11:33 pm

How can you define Customer Service?

This can be a difficult subject and not as easy as you may think. The mind can also become cloudy and confused very quickly when reading through the numerous definitions listed on the Web for the term ‘customer service’. It can therefore be difficult for the reader to work out which definition would best fit the particular situation or workplace he or she may belong to. A lot of the definitions I have come across during my research are all relevant, insightful and interesting, but more often than not customer service is often misinterpreted then poorly implemented because it has been badly defined.

Most successful Corporations and businesses require a customer service model upon which a strategy can be built because in today’s business environment, the common belief that customer service is just ‘meeting the needs of the customer’ is not enough.

To help find answers on how to define customer service, I have collated the following simple phrases that outline what I think the definition of customer service should embrace.

Customer service is………

- a positive attitude of caring and ability to deliver the needs of the customer

- an assurance to provide quality service to internal and external customers in a suitable
manner

- the practice of providing customers with top class benefits in order to satisfy them

- any dealings between a customer and a business that causes a good or bad
perception by a customer.

- is a term that portrays the helpful process on how a customers needs are taken care of

- is how a business provides the requirements of its customers

- is the art of treating customers efficiently and fairly

- is the expertise to provide a product to the customer as agreed

In my quest to define customer service and after studying many of the customer service definitions I have come across, it became clear that to define customer service it would be necessary to include the following simple and basic key elements…… Effectively attending to and satisfying a customer’s needs through various channels (personal, phone, mail) by providing helpful assistance and friendly advice before, during and after a purchase or service the customer is provided.

So why bother to define customer service?

There are many people who say you can’t define customer service. This is because many organizations put themselves first and the customer second, which is interesting because it is easy to sit back with a smile of satisfaction and say “we have had a good year, profits are up and things are going well”. That approach is understandable when things are running smoothly, but in times of uncertainty, steps need to be taken to look at gaining a competitive edge and a reputation on delivering quality service or products to the consumer. Today, many long standing businesses constantly review their customer service systems and processes in an effort to look for improvement to their business as and when required.

The answer therefore to ‘why bother to define customer service’ is to help businesses learn and understand better what their customers’ needs and wants are, so that plans can be developed that improve and put into practice processes that are customer friendly.

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Good Customer Service Articles

Examples of Good Customer Service

May 16, 2009 – 11:30 pm

The key to long term success if you own a business is good customer service. Your business may sell top line products or offer a vital service, but if you don’t provide good customer service then you will find it difficult to survive in a competitive market.

To find out the secrets behind providing exceptional customer service it is necessary to learn from experience and other peoples examples of good customer service. To achieve this goal it can be confusing and time consuming reading and sifting through the many examples of good customer service and poor customer service that you are able to access in book stores or on-line. Further, what you are reading may in many instances, have little relevance in how you or your staff deal with customers in the working environment you belong to.

Many worthwhile lessons can be learned by looking back on your own experiences as a customer with businesses or companies you have worked with or come into contact with over the years. It is also highly likely you can provide many examples of good customer service yourself as well as unsatisfactory customer service.

To help you and your business acquire a reputation for providing good customer service and reap the rewards that come from that there are some basic rules you and your employees need to follow. Read on -

Some advice for the Employer

A very good strategy some businesses use is to structure staff meetings or employee training sessions to include time discussing the sort of service (or lack of it) that you and your employees get from other companies. By talking about examples of good customer service and experiences of bad customer service openly it helps to identify risks along with strengths and weaknesses in your own organizations delivery of customer service. Also, recognize and reward staff members who generate positive customer feedback. It is also a powerful tool to keep training sessions fresh and interesting to use recent examples of good customer service as discussion points.

Before any business can provide good quality customer service, employees need to be suitably equipped and trained. So what are some examples of good customer service and how can you or your business provide it? Have a look at the following questions then decide whether you or your staff are delivering average, good or exceptional service.

Attending to the customer’s requirements
Does the employee have good back ground knowledge of the business and can efficiently and professionally provide the customer with the required information?

Helpful attitude
Does the employee project a pleasant, friendly and polite image and attitude to the customer?

Dealing with conflict
Is the employee competent in handling difficult issues and problem customers with courtesy and respect?

Meeting the customer’s needs
Is the employee accommodating and makes time to ensure the customer’s particular requirements are met?

Exceeding requirements
Does the employee regularly exceed standards by going the extra mile to provide outstanding customer service?

So what is the golden rule of Good Customer Service?

You will have noticed from reading the above points that the key messages outlined in the examples of good customer service are “effective customer communication”. It is therefore important that this key message should be a priority and focus for staff at all times.

The eight principle Examples of Good Customer Service

1. Choosing the right staff
Ensure employees who are chosen to deal with customers have a bright, pleasant and positive personality. New staff should be made aware of your expectations and where necessary put through a well structured customer services training programme. Employing staff with customer service qualifications would be advantage as it indicates a commitment to the customer service area.

2. Valuing staff
By providing a happy team culture staff will feel valued and they will provide customers with top class service. Pay staff a competitive salary and offer benefits such as staff discounts and other incentives. Train staff to a high standard so that they are better than your competitors.

3. Using modern technology
Customers can feel as if they are just another number when an automated voice on the other end of the phone is telling them what to do. Where possible keep the automated responses to a minimum. Customers like to deal with someone who is sensitive to their needs rather than an automated computer response or hostile salesperson.

4. Resolving complaints
Ensure complaints are resolved quickly and appropriately. By not taking the time to listen and resolve a simple problem can cost your business a valued customer. Emphasize the solutions you have to offer as solutions often open the door to sales.

5. Considering the customer
Never regard a potential customer as an annoyance. Although you may know everything there is about your business don’t assume your customers do. When handling customers concerns use the opportunity to find out as much as you can about the problem so that you can improve existing services and systems if necessary.

6. Appreciating the customers business
Customers like to feel appreciated and will remember the good service your business provides. For example a simple follow up note to thank customer’s for there service may very well help remind them to again use your business.

7. Building a reputation
Attention to service can be the difference between success and failure for a business. Customers like to be dealt with promptly so a prompt response for example may make the difference between a profit or loss. Customers look for businesses that go the extra mile and keep promises so by providing examples of good customer service you will be helping to give your business a reputation which will in turn help your bottom line.

8. Reviewing performance
Learn from trends. The simplest most cost effective method to get customer feedback is through online customer satisfaction surveys. Such surveys help businesses to determine whether there are examples of good customer service that can be utilized and put into practice. Asking customers questions like whether they would buy products from your company in the future is an excellent method to help your business to build customer satisfaction and to find out what customers really think.

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Customer Service Tips

Customer Service Techniques

May 16, 2009 – 11:25 pm

Always remember that when dealing with any customer, client or visitor to your workplace it is a golden opportunity to deliver or provide that person with a sense of personal satisfaction. Every successful business from local corner stores to high turnover corporate companies generally strive to satisfy and deliver what the customer wants. The secret to successfully manage this is to understand and put into practice a number of tried and true customer services techniques.

You will find that there are a massive amount of books and reading material available on customer services techniques, training courses and all sorts of spin doctor advice about service delivery and methods on what to do or not do to improve customer service.

The following key basic customer service techniques outlined in this article are provided to help you to deliver exceptional customer service and to assist in making your clientele feel valued and happy to want to deal with you or your business.

Engaging with your customer

One of the key principles in providing good customer relationships is to build a rapport and trust with your customer. This can be done in various ways but one of the best customer service techniques successfully used these days is to engage the customer in friendly conversation by introducing yourself by name and where appropriate asking theirs. This indicates to the customer that you are interested in them and what they want. The customer has chosen your business for a reason so always be polite, ask relevant questions and be genuinely interested in what the customer has to say by listening and making eye contact if you can. By showing a genuine interest and being friendly the customer is more likely to respond in a positive manner and develop confidence with you. A customer will sense that you are not genuinely interested and it will become more difficult for you to build a rapport.

Find out what the customer wants

A customer will generally know what they want, some customers may be confused and others may be unsure on how or where to find something. Your primary role is to first and foremost help the customer by guiding and assisting them to get what they want. The best customer service technique is to politely converse with the customer and when the ice has broken and the customer is relaxed ask relevant questions and listen to the answers as this will help you to assist the customer in getting what they require. A satisfied customer will remember the friendly helpful service you have provided and will keep coming back and recommend you and your business to other people.

Be knowledgeable about the business

In many instances (and this can apply to any business or service) it is not possible to provide what your customer wants for a variety of reasons. It is therefore important to be familiar with what your business can and can’t offer. To avoid a customer wasting their time looking for something your business is unable to provide it is a good customer service technique to be aware if you can of people wandering around looking confused. By approaching customers and showing you are knowledgeable about what there is to offer and what you can do for them the customer will feel valued and grateful for the service you have provided.

The importance of planning to improve service

When things are going well complacency can creep in customer service standards can slip. When this happens it provides an opportunity for the competition to try and go one better than your business or service by being smarter, more cost effective and quicker. To ensure this scenario does not happen many shrewd businesses use the effective customer service technique of putting in place regular training programmes to instruct and remind staff about the importance of providing exceptional customer service through communication effectiveness, customer rapport, phone etiquette and dealing with difficult customers. It is well known that investing in customer service training programmes with the aim of improving and training staff is one of the most effective methods businesses use to consistently deliver what the customer wants.

Earning customer loyalty

This can be achieved through various customer service techniques such as the age old offering of discounts on products and services to loyal customers (some businesses of course may have in place a loyalty card that offers discount incentives). If a customer has forgotten their loyalty card be accommodating and if not a member offer them the opportunity to join the loyalty programme. When a customer has a problem always do your best to remedy it as this will in turn lead to customer loyalty and earn you a reputation for going the extra mile to help your customers. Following up with customers after providing a service or sale (mainly big ticket items) through Email, phone or letter will also pay off in customer loyalty and in most cases adds a welcome personal touch.

Thanking the customer

When concluding a sale or business service ensure the customer is thanked in a genuine manner. In many cases customers are dealt with hurriedly and sent on there way as if they are on a production line. Customers like to feel valued and treated with courtesy so it is an important customer service technique to thank customers genuinely and by making sure you are grateful for their business. It is also a good idea to ask the customer if there is anything else you can do because by you taking the time to ask can sometimes result in more business turnover and customer loyalty.

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