I’ve had some amazing results using the techniques I am about to describe for getting good customer service. I had a power toothbrush manufacturer give me a new unit because it was losing its ability to hold a charge three times in a row just before the two-year warranty ended. I had a computer manufacturer replace a recently purchased computer because I was unhappy with its performance two times! The last computer they sent me had twice the capabilities in almost every category. And I had an automobile manufacture replace an air conditioner that stopped working in a vehicle that was out warranty by more than a year.

I’ve been using these techniques to get good customer service for years. The key to executing these strategies with customer service representatives is that you must do them with sincerity. You must find the motivation and good-heartedness within so that you can express yourself with authenticity.

These techniques work with all different types of customer service representatives, but those with the most authority and best training have the greatest ability to do you the most good. I categorize customer service representatives like this. Customer service representatives with the greatest to the least amount of authority and training are those at the manufacturer, followed by managers at retail stores, followed by clerks you’d find at a customer service desk of a department store.

Here are the 8 keys for getting good customer service.

1. Greet Them in a Friendly & Respectful Manner

If you consider what customer service representatives deal with on a daily basis it’s easy to see how being friendly and respectful is a crucial first step in getting good customer service.

Many people who call customer service have the mistaken notion that the only way they are going to get something done is to be angry, forceful, and demanding. This is a big mistake. Imagine how the customer service representative feels at the other end of the phone. The customer service representative must be nice and many customers take advantage of this.

Consider how the customer service representative can respond and get back at you for making their job miserable. They can give you the bare minimum from the array of possible solutions that they are authorized to provide and the least amount of their time to identify them.

If you greet them in a friendly and respectful manner, amazing things can happen. Here’s how you should greet them. Customer service representatives usually give their name when they answer the phone. Write it down so that you can use it in your conversation and record it in your notes at the end. Greet them by saying something like this in a pleasant, uplifting, and sincere tone, “Hi Robin! How are you doing today?” If you get a warm response from them, continue. Your chances of getting good customer service from this person are excellent. If their response is cold, come up with an excuse to end the call. You will not get good customer service from this person.

If the conversation starts poorly, the rest of it will continue the same way. This can happen for any number of reasons including the possibility that they are having a bad day, your personalities don’t match, or they just have a bad attitude. I’ve never had a call that started poorly end on a positive note. If you get the same representative when you call back, wait a few hours or days before trying again.

The other half of the strategy for getting good customer service involves you. If you’re having a bad day, you’re in a rush, or you’re angry or frustrated with the product you are calling about, call some other time.

You’ll know it when you connect with a customer service representative that you gel with. The stronger the rapport that you establish at the beginning, the better the results you will get in the end. And often the outcome can be far beyond your expectations. I’ve been amazed countless times.

2. Talk Positively About Their Product

Here’s another area where you must put yourself in the place of the customer service representative. The person that you are speaking with has chosen to work for the company that manufactures or sells the product that you are calling about. In many cases, this assignment is an entry-level position. Some companies place their management trainees into this job so that they can learn about the business from the frontlines. Everyone wants to be proud of where s/he works. You can imagine how a customer service representative will feel if they get a caller who angrily rips apart the company and product that they represent.

There was a positive reason why you chose to buy a particular product. Before you call, revisit those reasons and take your attention away from the frustration the problem has caused. Then express these reasons to the customer service representative. Whatever you come up with, you must communicate it with sincerity. Here’s an example of what I mean. Tell the customer service representative, “I bought your LX model and I love it. In fact, this is the third time I’ve purchased one of your products and I’ve always been extremely happy with them. But this time I am having a problem that I am hoping you can solve.”

Telling them how you appreciate their product and explaining your history provides a customer service representative with the information they need to classify you as a valued customer. The criteria for this classification may come from company and department policy, but the customer service representative interprets and applies it. Therefore, you need to convince and encourage your representative.

Being classified as a valued customer empowers, and possibly inspires, the customer service representative to provide you with options only available to this select group. In order words, companies and customer service representatives want to hold on to customers who are loyal and speak well of them. After all, isn’t this the number one reason for providing good customer service?

A written policy for classifying valued customers may or may not exist, but I can assure you that it does in practice at every company.

3. Determine a Solution in Advance

If you have a solution on how the problem might be solved in advance, you can guide the conversation with the customer service representative toward that outcome. If you don’t have a clue on how the problem might get fixed before you call, the result may not match your expectations. Figure out what you want to accomplish before the call even if you have to do some research. This is particularly important when you are calling about an expensive item.

Decide ahead of time what you want to accomplish. Don’t leave it to the customer service representative to decide for you. If you are calling the manufacturer, you might need to call or visit a few of their local retail stores to determine their parameters. Retail store personal might also provide you with some insights on what is needed and what is possible when dealing with the manufacturer. This is valuable information that you can use to get what you want in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of effort.

It’s important that you clearly state the problem and then subtly and respectfully lead them toward the solution that you want without actually saying it. By not saying it right away, you avoid the possibility of them thinking that you are trying to take advantage of them.

The best strategy is to clearly present the problem and allow them to present possible solutions. If they don’t offer the one that you want or the one that you know they sometimes provide based on your research, start asking questions. For example, say to them, “What other possibilities are there?” or “It is my understanding that you sometimes offer X or Y.” or “This has nothing to do with your performance because you’ve been great, but are there any options beyond the range of your authority that I might consider?” The last one is tricky. Your objective is to get them on your side before you ask them to speak with their supervisor. You do this by being respectful and asking, in effect, for their permission to speak with a person with greater authority. You might say, “Would you mind if I spoke to the person (supervisor/boss) that you mentioned?” That way they won’t feel slighted or become defensive. If you were to make them feel that they were performing poorly, they would not support your position when they present the matter to their supervisor before transferring the call.

Remember that a company’s goal is to provide good customer service. Your objective is to help them do it in a way that fixes the problem to your satisfaction.

4. Ask What Can Be Done to Correct the Problem

Here’s a slightly different approach. After you have established a rapport, explained the problem, and guided them toward your desired outcome, simply ask them, “What can be done to correct the problem.” After you have asked them this question, do not talk. Wait for them to speak first! This is very important. There’s an old saying about successful sales and negotiation techniques that goes something like this, “Who ever speaks first loses.”

Your objective is to find out about all the possible options that exist for solving your problem. If they don’t present any that satisfy you, ask them, “What other options are available” or “Are there any options beyond the range of your authority that I might consider?” and “What are they?”

When you are speaking about options beyond their authority, you are leading them toward a conversation with their supervisor. But before you let them transfer the call, learn as much as you can about all the options that are available. When you speak to their supervisor, use the same strategies I described for talking with representatives. If the representative you were speaking to provided good customer service, be sure to mention this to the supervisor. After all, the supervisor probably hired and trained them.

Keep probing them for the solution you want by repeatedly asking them, “What can be done to correct the problem?” Do this with patience and respect and you will get good customer service and be satisfied with the result.

5. Show Your Appreciation

With each attempt to find a solution to your problem, express your appreciation and praise them for their efforts. Everybody likes being appreciated; it makes them want to do more. This is probably more true of customer service representatives since they spend most of their time listening to people complain and criticize.

Since it may take several steps involving days or weeks to solve the problem, it’s important to constantly show your appreciation and not assume that the issue will be fixed with just one or two calls. So don’t burn your bridges.

If a customer service representative does an extraordinary job, take the time to tell them and even offer to send an email to their boss. Again, only do this if you sincerely feel this way and intend to follow through.

By expressing your appreciation to your representative, you have a much better chance of receiving good customer service.

6. Make Notes

After you’ve ended the call, make notes about your conversation that include this information: date(s) contacted, customer service representative’s name, description of the problem, description of the solution, and agreed timetable.

This information gives you the ability to respond with authority and it lets them know that you are keeping records. These records also strengthen your position should you need to pursue the matter further or take it up the chain of command.

7. Follow Up

Mark your calendar on the date stated to you that the problem would be solved. If it’s not solved by that date follow up with your customer service representative. I would recommend that you add a couple of extra days to allow for any clichés so that you don’t waste your time or theirs when you call.

The strategy for follow up is the same as it was at the beginning — be polite and respectful. You’ll need to add one more crucial ingredient that can lead to success if you can hold on to it: Patience! If you can hold on to your patience, the customer service representative will likely recognize this and reward you by giving much more than you expected.

8. Consider Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Customer satisfaction surveys have become an important part of measuring business success for most companies. To encourage employees to provide good customer service, the scores they receive are sometimes tied directly to their salary. If they get an overall rating that’s less than near perfect their paycheck is reduced.

Although this method of incentive has produced a higher level of customer service, I question the ethics of doing this when it can affect a large portion of a person’s salary. This is especially true when certain measurements of the survey are outside the control of the employee.

With this in mind, I would encourage you to give the person you’ve been working with, or their supervisor, the opportunity to solve the problem rather than venting your anger in the survey.

This is particularly important for business establishments that you visit regularly like an automobile dealership. They have ways of figuring out which customer gave them a bad score. And if they determine it’s you, they’ll still treat you in a courteous manner but you’ll never know how they may return the favor.

Give representatives and managers every opportunity to solve the problem before you complete a survey. If you’re still unsuccessful after you’ve patiently tried every way possible to get the problem solved, then perhaps it’s time to submitted a low scoring survey. The company may actually benefit by getting this feedback if they are that incompetent at providing good customer service and solving your problem.

I’ve been amazed at what I’ve been able to get done with customer service representatives over the years using the strategies I’ve presented. I think my rate of success is about 90 percent! No kidding.

The money you save in not having to replace or repair products is more than worth the time you spend. And in some cases, if you’re really in the zone using the techniques I’ve described, you’ll end up with more than what you originally paid for the product or service.

So as I have pointed out, good customer service isn’t necessarily something that is given automatically, it’s something that you create! Companies spend a great deal of money training their representatives to provide good customer service. I am surprised that some of them don’t spend a portion of their budget on training their customers, through subtle methods, on how to “get” good customer service.

You are now one of the few who knows the secrets to getting good customer service. Give them try.

Brad Paul
http://www.guruhabits.com/

Copyright Brad Paul

To see the original article with graphics and links, click: http://www.guruhabits.com/good-customer-service.html

Brad Paul is the founder of Guru Habits.com, which provides FREE self improvement and lifestyle enhancement resources.

Brad left home at 15, lived in a boy’s home, graduated college with honors, headed a marketing group responsible for $400 million in annual sales, wrote 3 books, and now works on projects that improve people’s lives.

Author: Brad Paul
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pressure cooker

Intellectual property (“IP”) is often a subject that is “out of sight, out of mind” for entrepreneurs who are launching new business ventures. And, why shouldn’t it be: business schools rarely teach much about law in general, let alone about the highly specialized world of IP law. Since non-business school trained entrepreneurs generally take their cues from the methods of their colleagues, it can be said that a significant majority of entrepreneurs do not consider IP to comprise a necessary step when they are formulating their business plans. My conversations with entrepreneurs over the years bears this out.

When IP does form a fundamental basis of an entrepreneur’s new venture, it is likely because scientific or technical subject matter forms the basis of the business. In this context, it makes sense that the scientific or technical subject matter core of the business model must be protected by seeking patent protection. In my opinion, this is a far too narrow view of when a new entrepreneurial concept requires IP protection, however.

Put simply, an entrepreneur needs more than a yes or no decision centering on whether she should obtain one or more patents to protect her idea. Rather, prior to launching her new business venture, an entrepreneur must develop and execute on a business strategy focused on determining whether she needs to pursue IP protection in order to meet her goals.

While IP can seem somewhat arcane and impenetrable to people who have not been trained in this specialized legal area, fortunately, formulation of a strategy requires an entrepreneur to ask just two simple questions:

• What aspects of my business model differentiate me from my competitors?
• Would I find it difficult to meet my goal and obtain my desired payback if someone copied the differentiated aspects of my business model?

With regard to the first question, most entrepreneurs should find it easy to define the differentiated aspects of their strategy. Indeed, the large majority of business models will be based upon one or more perceived needs in a particular market that are not being met by competitors. These one or more differentiators serve as the competitive advantage provided by the entrepreneur’s model and serve as the reason that she seeks to develop the business in the first place.

As for the second question, most entrepreneurs will agree that it would be difficult for them to succeed in their goals if a competitor were able to copy the differentiated aspects of their business models. In answering “yes” to each of these questions, the entrepreneur should understand that an executable IP strategy should form an essential aspect of their business plan preparation.

It is important to clarify here exactly what I mean by “IP strategy.” Significantly, IP strategy does not necessarily mean that the entrepreneur’s end goal is to obtain enforceable IP rights, whether a patent or otherwise. Rather, an IP strategy centers on understanding whether and how protection of the differentiated aspects of the business model will enhance the enterpreneur’s ability to achieve her goals.

With regard to patents, the IP strategy may indicate that it may not be cost effective to obtain a patent, but that filing of an application may nonetheless provide significant competitive protection. For example, because it takes many years and significant expense to see a patent through to the end in most technologies, it would not make sense for an entrepreneur to seek rights when the business model is expected to significantly evolve over time. In this instance, by the time the patent issues, it likely will not actually cover the products, technology or services of the company. Even so, the IP strategy may indicate that it would nonetheless be valuable for the entrepreneur to provide her competitors with the perception that she is seeking to obtain a patent on some aspect of the business model.

To this end, the entrepreneur might wish to file an application with the full expectation that it may not issue as a patent. Such a filing will allow the entrepreneur to advertise that her business involves “patent pending” technology. I have found that in some industries the use of “patent pending” can assist in keeping competition at bay and can substantially assist in a company’s marketing efforts. This “patent pending” IP strategy can be accomplished fairly cheaply if undertaken by a strategically focused IP attorney. The end goal with such an IP strategy is not to obtain an enforceable rights at the end but, rather, to leverage the “patent pending” to potentially reduce competition or give a product or service greater marketplace cache.

Moreover, by applying an under-utilized provision of US patent law, the entrepreneur can request that the application remain unpublished, a technique that will effectively keep her competitor in the dark about what she may be seeking protection on and whether she is likely to prevail. The uncertainty afforded by the unpublished application may be enough to keep potential competition away from the entrepreneur’s growing business. Thus, the end goal of this IP strategy effectively serves as a shield against competition, rather than a sword.

Another way for an entrepreneur to use IP strategy to protect the differentiated aspects of her business model is to include brand equity development in the earliest stages of the launch of the venture. This brand equity must be associated with strategic trademark and service mark filings. As the business becomes more successful, consumers will increasingly associate the strong brand with the entrepreneur’s product, technology or service. Successful strategic protection of a brand will hopefully result in the entrepreneur’s solution being the go-to brand.

One example of an entrepreneur’s establishing immeasurable value from developing brand equity is the LifeLocki dentity theft prevention product. This company was not the first to offer a product of this type; rather, it was the first to offer a $1MM guarantee that a purchaser would not experience identity theft as long as she paid $10 a month to LifeLock. Interestingly, LifeLock provides identity theft protection services in ways analogous to those of its competitors, both those coming before and after. This guarantee served as the basis of LifeLock’s competitive differentiation.

Notably, the LifeLock guarantee could not be protected by a patent. Instead, LifeLock’s owner (Todd Davis) decided to advertise the guarantee and build his company’s brand equity around it. To this end, Mr. Davis flooded the airwaves with commercials in which he recited his social security number as proof that his company’s product was foolproof–so foolproof, in fact, that he was willing to give the $1MM guarantee. Today, it is likely hard for many potential purchasers of identity theft protection products to think of going anywhere else than the company “where the owner tells us his social security number.” The entrepreneurs responsible for the successful launch of LifeLock realized that the guarantee made them different from their competitors and made sure that the company’s marketing strategy was focused toward ensuring that the public associated that guarantee only with LifeLock.

There are many other ways for an entrepreneur to protect the differentiated aspects of her business model from competition using IP strategy. Further illustrative examples include strategic agreements and first mover advantage. Indeed, there are likely as many ways to protect a business model from competition as there are business models. The key is for entrepreneurs to fully engage with the need to include IP strategy in their business plans and to ensure that they execute on that IP strategy. Put simply, IP strategy is not about getting IP as an ultimate end goal. Rather, IP strategy can ensure that the entrepreneur’s business model not only provides a competitive advantage but that is also sustainable.

“It’s not just about getting IP, it’s about getting IP that makes you money.” Jackie Hutter is Principal of The Hutter Group (http://www.JackieHutter.com), a leading provider of strategic IP (“Intellectual Property”) business counseling to organizations and entrepreneurs that wish create and maximize asset value by capitalizing on the power of IP in today’s market. Jackie has also founded Patent MatchMaker (http://www.PatentMatchMaker.com) to assist companies and entrepreneurs to identify opportunities to sell their patents. She has over 13 years experience counseling innovation-driven companies, universities and business development and investment professionals in maximizing their firm intellectual asset value. Jackie was named a SuperLawyer(R) in Intellectual Property in Georgia in 2004, and she has been a frequent speaker on IP issues to her fellow lawyers. Jackie was formerly Senior Patent Counsel at a Georgia-Pacific LLC, where she had sole responsible for Dixie(R) patent matters and, later, the company’s Chemicals business. Prior to joining Georgia-Pacific, Jackie was a shareholder at the prestigious IP firm of Needle & Rosenberg, PC (now Ballard & Spahr), where she represented multi-national companies, universities and innovators in protecting their IP to create maximum asset value. Jackie has also been a patent and IP litigator, which gives her a unique perspective in how to maximize firm IP value by avoiding litigation. Prior to attending law school on a full academic scholarship and where she graduated with honors, Jackie obtained her M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and she spent several years as practicing chemist at Helene Curtis (now Unilever). She is a named inventor on one U.S. patent. Jackie lives in Decatur, Georgia, in a groovy mid-Century modern house with her husband, 2 daughters and several pets.

Author: Jackie Hutter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
How Electric Pressure Cookers Work

Imagine hiring an accounts keeping agent for free for your small business. This is what small business credit card does for you indirectly. However, this is not the only benefit. There are a lot of other benefits too. It’s for these benefits that the small business credit cards have gained the status of a necessity today. Let’s see what these benefits are.

1. Auto-segregation of business expenses

This is the most important benefit from using a small business credit card. You just have to ensure that you make all your business payments using your small business credit card and your monthly credit card statement will clearly and accurately reflect all your business expenses. You can use this further for accounting purposes or business planning.

2. Rolling credit

Small businesses, as any business, incur expenditures first and earnings later e.g. a business might need to make purchases, pay their staff, incur maintenance costs etc, all towards building a product or providing services to their clients. The client is, of course, going to make payments. However, there is a time lag between these expenditures and earning. A small business credit card allows you to roll-over the credit i.e. you can pay for your expense using your credit card especially when you are expecting the client to pay in a month or so. This way you are rolling-over the credit to your small business credit card supplier. Thus the money to fund those expenses doesn’t come from your cash account

3. Emergency help

This is something which every small business requires. Small businesses experience crests and troughs. You never know when an immediate need for money might arise (on account of new purchases etc for a new project). More importantly, such a need generally arises from more/new business and you would surely not want this good news to be transformed into bad news. In such situations, a small business credit card can become really handy and bail you out.

4. Rewards

As with personal credit cards, the small business credit cards too have membership rewards. When choosing a small business credit card, this factor should also be given proper importance. Based on the requirements of your business, the rewards program of one credit card might suit you better than that of another credit card e.g. if your business involves a lot of air travel, a credit card offered by an airlines might give you additional benefits in terms of how fast and how much award points you earn. You can then barter these points for other benefits or products.

5. Other benefits

There are a lot of other benefits too which apply to small business credit cards. Though some of them are similar to what you have for personal credit cards, the ones for small business credit cards generally have something extra with them. These benefits include: cash back option, discounts on certain merchandise, free travel insurance, free baggage protection, discounts on hotels and rental cars and many more. Again, since these vary from company to company, you might as well look for these when choosing a small business credit card for your business.

With so many benefits, small business credit cards are really indispensable and demand attention.

Rudy Hadisentosa: CCN.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa,master cards, discover, american express and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Apply for a credit card at CCN.com.

Author: Rudy Hadisentosa
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
PCB stencil online quote

On an average day, most people will deal with a customer service representative anywhere from one to five times. Some customer service experiences are classified as “good” while other are disdainfully referred to as “bad”. If someone experiences what they would consider good customer service, they typically just about their day as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. If this same person experiences bad customer service, they will not hesitate to tell everyone who will listen. Typically I ignore the latter of the two for one very important reason: does anyone really know what good customer service is?

Having worked close to ten years as a customer service representative and manager in multiple industries, I have experienced my fair share of customers who were not happy with me. And to be completely honest, very few of them really had any cause to be upset. They called me ready to fight.

Past Experience Can Lower Expectations

In some cases, previous instances of truly poor customer service can leave one with a bad taste in their mouth regarding customer service representatives, and cause them to go on the offensive from the moment they get someone on the phone. I’ll give you an example: years ago I joined a gym and signed up for some personal training sessions. After a while, I found that the sessions were too expensive and I really didn’t have much time to attend them, so I decided to cancel the service. It took me at least an hour of dealing with the original salesman, his manager, and the general manager to finally get it resolved, and even then I had to pay a cancellation fee. They tried to convince me to sign up for a cheaper plan, postpone my sessions instead of cancelling, and even take time off from work to make more time for the sessions. Absurd.

A few months ago I found myself in a similar situation with a different gym. The trainer sessions were not going to be worth the money and were ultimately going to conflict with other things that I had going on. I called the gym, already in a foul mood because I was expecting a fight with whomever I had to speak with. Much to my surprise, the first person I spoke to simply cancelled the sessions, no questions asked. Here I had gotten myself pumped up, ready to lay into the first person who gave me a hard time about my cancellation, and it turned out to be one of my most enjoyable customer service experiences.

Customer Service Is About Perception

However, often times what a customer considers “bad customer service” really is not bad at all, it is simply their perception of the situation. The furniture industry is a classic example where a customer’s misconception of what customer service really is can lead to them deciding that they have received “bad customer service”.

When I worked in the furniture industry I often found myself dealing with people who would, scream, yell, and even insult me because of a clearly written policy in place. For instance, furniture deliveries are typically given a four hour time window in which the drivers will arrive. This is an industry standard simply because everyone’s house is different, so there is no telling how long each delivery will take until the drivers get there. Deliveries are arranged geographically to enable the drivers to complete as many stops as possible, so a specific time of day is not guaranteed. The concept of delivery time frames and how they are scheduled was explained to every customer as they bought their furniture and again when their delivery was scheduled. Of course, for some customers, this simply was not good enough. Despite being told twice before, and having the written delivery policy attached to their sales receipt, they somehow had it in their heads that they were different from every other customer, and could pick their time of delivery. While we were open to the idea of trying to accommodate them, often times it was impossible when the trucks were already loaded. Those phone calls typically ended with “this is bad customer service”, “I will never shop with you people again,” “this is NOT how you run a business,” or my favorite, “I’m going to tell all of my friends to not shop here.”

Common Misconceptions

There are two common misconceptions about what customer service really is. The first is that a customer service representative’s job is to do everything the customer says, no questions asked. This is absolutely not true. A customer service representative’s job is to provide service to the customer and assist them in any way they can, but like any other organization, company’s have guidelines that their employees must abide by and specific rules that apply to customers. An employee’s inability or refusal to break these rules should never be viewed as poor customer service. In many cases, rules are put in place to protect the customer. In the case of a medical supplies retailer, a large portion of their items tend to be non-returnable due to hygiene reasons. When it comes to products such as toilet seats, shower chairs, and bathing aids, this policy makes perfect sense. However, despite this policy being clearly posted for customers to see before purchasing the item, it does not stop an alarming percentage from attempting to return the items anyways. Even though they know the product is non-returnable, and they would never consider purchasing an item of that nature that is used, they still believe that the retailer should take the item back if they decide they do not want it anymore. And if the retailer refuses, the consumer perceives the situation as “bad customer service”.

The other misconception is that a customer service representative’s job is to take verbal abuse from the customer. This behavior is completely unwarranted, and to be completely honest, immature. Problems are never solved by yelling, screaming, or insulting the person on the other end of the phone. 99 percent of the time, the person the customer is speaking to is not at fault for the reason they are calling in the first place. Whether a customer has had a bad day or previous bad experiences with a company, it does not excuse them to take out their frustrations on the first person who picks up the phone. Countless times I found myself hanging up on someone because they have crossed the line and resorted to personally insulting me because they were not happy with the company.

Customer Service Tips

So what is good customer service? Good customer service consists of several things that combine to make the ideal customer service experience.

• 1. Clear, precise explanations: An upset customer is typically an uninformed customer. In the case of the furniture company, a customer should get a thorough explanation of how the delivery process works. Never assume that the customer already knows. If you cannot do something for a customer because a rule is in place, clearly explain to them why it cannot be done. In the case of the credit card company, the representative should explain to the customer that regulations regarding account changes are in place to protect the cardholder and the credit card company from fraud.
• 2. Calm, polite demeanor: If a customer service rep does not sound polite on the phone, or simply is not nice to people, they need to find another job. The way a representative sounds when speaking to a customer will directly affect the way the customer speaks to them in return. A good customer service representative addresses the customer respectfully, only using their first name if given permission, and NEVER raises their voice. A customer service rep should never try to talk over a customer, nor should they raise their voice if the customer begins to get louder. No matter who seems to win a shouting match between a customer and a representative, the customer service rep has lost by being drawn into it.
• 3. Pay close attention (write it down if needed!): The worst thing a customer service representative can do is not pay close attention to the customer they have on the phone. It is important they put away all distractions and listen to the customer carefully, writing down notes if needed. A good customer service rep does not need to ask the same question more than once.
• 4. Under-promise, over-deliver: This is an old saying but will always ring true in the world of customer service. A large part of how a customer views their overall experience will be based on the expectations that were set. If a situation requires the customer service rep to call the customer back, it is important to allow enough time for the call back. A good representative will never exceed the time in which they promised to call the customer back, and will always give themselves more than enough time. The same goes for when products are being shipped to a customer; if the time in transit is typically 3-4 days, quote the customer 4-6 days. If the product arrives sooner, the customer will be even happier, and perceive their experience as “good customer service.”
• 5. Clearly posted policies: This is especially important for internet-based retailers. If a product is non-returnable, it is the responsibility of the retailer to post that in a place that customer can and will see it before the item is purchased.

The customer-client relationship is a tricky one, especially when it comes to determining what good customer service is and what bad customer service is. The key is for both sides to remain patient with each other and keep in mind that they need each other equally in order to achieve their overall goal: a good customer service experience.

Richard Chandler is a product researcher writer for an online business by day and a freelance writer by night. For questions or comments, Richard can be reached by Email or at his blog page, http://computarded.wordpress.com

Author: Richard H Chandler II
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Programmable Multi-cooker

Worried about the effects of a depressed economy on this year’s ski season? I have one question for you: WWYDIAWO? (What would you do in a white out?) Seriously. If there’s one group of people that knows how to get themselves out of gnarly situations, it’s skiers and snowboarders. So ask yourself right now, what would you do? Would you just keep skiing or boarding along with nary a care in the world? Or would you pause for a few minutes to take a good hard look around?

Still with me? Let’s say the current economic meltdown is your white out. On clear and sunny days you’re so busy charging ahead, there’s little time to stop, assess the situation and make adjustments or improvements in your business. But right now the bad economy is a swirling cloud that’s obstructing your view. It’s forcing you to stop charging ahead and have a good hard look around. And one of the things you’re seeing, maybe more clearly than ever, is how the people at your resort interact with your customers. You witness, for example, a less-than-brilliant exchange between an employee and a customer. You’re shocked and surprised. You think, “Gosh, I thought that guy (or gal) was better than that.” And you want to do something about it. Right now.

Luckily, exceptional customer service is one of the few things that don’t necessarily require you to spend large amounts of money. The fact is you can greatly improve your resort’s level of customer service in any economy. In doing so, you can develop ardent customer advocates who ensure your revenues keep coming in no matter what the economic weather may be.

Build yourself a substantial base
Just as great runs are built an inch of snow pack at a time, smooth, consistent customer service requires a carefully built foundation. It’s surprising how many resort leaders believe great customer service is something that is merely applied to the surface of an organization. You make a simple pronouncement, “Smiles everyone!” and marvelous customer service magically appears.

The truth is, for customer service to be authentic it must be strategically implanted in the resort’s bones. And that requires planning. Just as you have detailed plans for lift operations, grooming, marketing, accounting and F&B you need a detailed plan for customer service. A plan that describes how stellar customer service will be incorporated into every business area and job function. Whether an individual is in a customer facing position or works behind the scenes serving “internal customers” you should nail down clear and measurable objectives for how that person can and will positively affect the overall service your guests receive.

Every job is a customer service job
Got a plan? Okay, now take a look at your resort’s job descriptions. Do they talk about customers? Sure, most probably contain a one-liner that says something like “provide customers with great service” but how many of those job descriptions actually place customers front and center? Most of the job descriptions I’ve seen in the past 25 years provide detailed explanations of the daily duties that will be required in a job function. But few of them speak directly to the individual’s responsibilities when it comes to impacting the customer experience. This is particularly true of “internal customer” or corporate office job positions.

Have you ever seen a mention of customer service in an accounting job description? Yet who would deny that there are few things more annoying than an incorrect bill, an unexplained charge or a hassle when you attempt to have an error corrected? Your General Manager can be the most charming person in the world but if the bill is wrong and it’s difficult to get fixed, the gig is up. The point is, guest experiences are influenced as much by employees who work behind the scenes as they are by those who deal with customers face to face. Anyone who has ever been told, “We can’t do that” by a service team member can probably trace the reason back to an internal employee with little or no understanding of how his or her actions impact the organization’s ability to deliver exceptional customer service. Bottom line? If you want your organization to care about customers, customer service has to be front and center in every job description and every job.

The fine art of interviewing
In my experience, resorts that have the most success with customer service do a couple of key things during the hiring process that make all the difference in the world. First, the folks in Human Resources involve the supervisors and managers in serious discussions about the job skills and personality traits required to be successful in each position. Second, those in supervisory roles within the organization are provided with training that instructs them in the best way to interview potential employees.

This type of training can, for example, help a supervisor understand the important difference between a skill and a trait. A skill is something that can be learned and may be essential to the job position. A trait is a dimension of the applicant’s personality that can affect the success of the resort overall. For example, a senior lift mechanic must possess the ability to repair and maintain a lift’s mechanical parts. An unskilled interviewer might stop the questioning once he or she has discerned that an applicant has these skills. But that could be a big mistake. While traits like “caring” “cheerful,” and “good communicator” aren’t necessarily the first things that spring to mind when you think of a great lift mechanic, those traits become very important when that mechanic encounters a resort guest while en route to repair a broken lift. If the mechanic has the right traits, he or she will have the customer’s safety, comfort and enjoyment in mind – whether he’s riding past skiers on his snowmobile or is in the engine room repairing a mechanical issue.

Learning to listen to that gut reaction to a job applicant who looks great on paper but somehow isn’t quite right for the job can be difficult. That’s why training your people to interview well is essential. By training every leader in your organization to focus on the necessary traits, and not just on the tactics and skills required for job positions, you can reduce employee turnover thus saving yourself time and money and directly affect guest experiences.

Now that’s what I’m talking about
Providing great service across your organization requires the creation of an ongoing dialog around service in every business area. I recently had a client who, as part of training, sent groomers out on the slopes to ask customers what they thought of how the runs were groomed. The results were amazing. The groomers developed a deep concern for pleasing the guests. They felt accountable to the people who mattered most, the customers. The guests felt pride in having participated in the creation of the smooth, even corduroy on their favorite runs. And they bragged to their friends about the experience. What’s more, the practice of interacting with guests also created a platform for the grooming manager to promote an ongoing dialog about customers. “Bryce, why don’t you share with the team what you heard on your customer day out yesterday.”

Honest communications from the top level of the organization about the current situation, goals and objectives of the company is a critical part of the dialog as well. There is nothing more motivating than feeling as though you have a meaningful role in accomplishing a larger goal, however difficult that goal may be to achieve. Many of my client organizations balk at having the CEO or President share honest information with employees from all levels about where the company stands in tough times. But the payoff for doing so can be extraordinary. Recessions are a true test of leadership. Those leaders who take the opportunity to support and develop their employees in good times and bad not only survive market downturns, they thrive. When you consider even your least-skilled front line employees partners in the war for customers (and not as a “cost of doing business”) you create a true customer-focused culture and set the standard for not only your own industry but potentially others as well.

The bottom line? To create a culture of customer service (that foundation we discussed earlier) dialog with and about customers needs to permeate the everyday conversations of everyone from the corner office to the far corner of the parking lot. Once you’ve got the customer service dialog going, you need to make sure it keeps going.

Keeping the momentum high
In a down economy customers are harder to find. And the ones who do come for a visit need to be treated in a way that keeps them coming back and telling their friends about you. So while it might be tempting to cut your training budget right now, such a move could put an end to the essential customer service dialog you worked so hard to build – and result in nothing less than customer service suicide.

The very act of gathering teams together to learn new skills keeps the dialog going strong and motivates them to do more in their day-to-day work. Working with your resort’s leaders to align their teams to the goal of continuously improving service is equally essential.

Ongoing customer service training on every level creates an ongoing customer service dialog. A ubiquitous and ongoing dialog creates exceptional customer service. And exceptional service creates loyal customer advocates, reduces costs and builds efficiency. Bottom line? In a down economy, customer service planning, communications and training are absolutely essential to your bottom line.

Nationally recognized Speaker, Consultant and Executive Coach Cindy Solomon and her organization bring together the best of cutting edge leadership development programs, real life corporate experience and best practices tactics from successful organizations around the world to help organizations create world class leadership and customer experiences.

Through inspiring keynote presentations, transformative workshops, and world class executive coaching programs, Solomon & Associates, Inc. helps you create long-term, profitable relationships with your customers, your leaders and your employees. Visit her website at http://www.cindysolomon.com

Author: Cindy L Solomon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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