Does Customer Service Still Matter?

A week or so ago, I was in line at one of the nationally known sandwich shops near the office. The person in front of me was having a difficult time getting his order filled. Why? Because the employee working at the "what veggies do you want?" section was much more interested in chatting with her co-workers about the previous evening than helping the customer. Subsequently, she had to ask the man at least three times to repeat what he wanted on his sandwich. I asked myself two questions. Does customer service still matter? And, will I continue to visit this particular store? The answer to the first is yes. The answer to the second was no.

Allbusiness.com published a list of the top customer service mistakes. Here are the top 5:

5. Unfulfilled promises - Failure to live up to the expectations that are set with the customer is a sure way to lose business. If you promise a price quote by Tuesday, deliver it on Tuesday. If you say you will be there to fix the plumbing at 9 am, don't keep the customer waiting until 2.

4. Standing by your Policy - Rigid policies are the enemy of good customer service. I have a friend whose company used to spend more than $10,000 per year at one of the big box retail stores. Now they spend zero because the store refused to refund an unopened CD, which was a duplicate holiday gift. The reason, he did not have his receipt. Is it worth a $13 return to retain $10,000 in business? I hope so!

3. Inaccessibility - Make certain that your customer service personnel are easy to reach. Especially if you are in an e-commerce industry. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to obtain help with a purchase you made online, and the company's service department is as elusive as a secret agent.

2. Trying to win the argument - The customer is always right. That saying has been around about as long as people have been buying things. We all know that the customer is NOT always right, but lately it seems to have shifted to the customer is never right. It costs much more to find a new customer than to keep one you already have.

1. Untrained staff - Every person in your organization should be trained in the proper way to handle a customer situation. Internal or external, each person that is employed by you is a customer facing employee. Clients will not continue to do business with an organization that can't handle the basics of a customer transaction.

As the economy continues to be tight, you can expect more customers that make thoughtful decisions about who they are going to do business with and where they are going to spend their hard earned dollars. What are you doing to make sure your organization is prepared to keep the customers it already has and embrace those who are frustrated from previous experiences and are looking for a new service provider?

If you are interested in finding out more about training your customer service staff, email Mindy Seiffert or call her at 319-892-3980

See our upcoming training and events calendar here

References:

http://www.allbusiness.com/sales/customer-service/3985-1.html

Customer Service is Key in a Down Economy - Tim Sieck

See the bottom of this article for details about the Skywalk Group stimulus package.

Maybe your organization doesn't make cutting-edge products. You don't necessarily have to. But do your employees deliver cutting-edge customer service?

With today's uncertain economy and belt-tightening occurring on every level, customers are becoming much more selective about where they spend their money. At the same time, companies are scrambling to maintain profitability and grow their businesses. Add to that, competition and a world that relies on social networking and word-of-mouth marketing ... well, let's just call it a tough sell.

Reliance on customer service employees is even more crucial these days. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, "as companies downsize or take other measures to increase profitability, workers are being trained to perform additional duties ..." So, not only are customer service representatives (CSRs) charged with keeping current customers satisfied and winning new ones, but organizations are also training them to perform additional tasks, such as cross-selling products.

Labor statistics predict that the customer service sector will grow faster than the average growth of all occupations through 2016. Training CSRs must become a priority.

Who should you be training to provide cutting-edge customer service?
· Sales and service representatives
· All employees who deal with your customers
· Anyone who has internal and external customer contact

Look at Men's Warehouse as an example. From a Fastcompany.com article, "They Sell Suits With Soul," shares the story of Men's Wearhouse's record of turning "reluctant shoppers into loyal customers." One top executive said that the company's training curriculum is less about how to sell suits than about understanding people. In addition, Men's Wearhouse believes in "the ability to move beyond the initial customer request and to satisfy a true need."

Does everyone on your staff know just how critical it is to maintain a relationship with your customers to keep them coming back? Do they understand what it costs your organization in terms of both revenue and time, every time you lose a customer who had a bad service experience? In every customer interaction, the client walks away with a stronger, or weaker sense of loyalty to your business. There is no such thing as a neutral interaction.

There has never been a more compelling time to keep your organization moving and on the cutting edge with customer service training.

Skywalk Group Stimulus Package

For a limited time, you can train your customer facing employees for as little as $30.00 per person. Contact Mindy Seiffert at 319-892-3980 or send her an email at training@skywalkgroup.com to find out how.