Growing Your Business - With Customer Service

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Articles:

Solutions for Entrepreneurs Who Need Virtual Reception

Entrepreneurs whose businesses are growing rapidly, soon find that they need customer support or a receptionist to receive calls for their products or services.

 

Networking Through Customer Service

Networking does not just happen at events and functions. Service industry companies and working professionals can utilize it in their customer service.

 

Customer Service: Opportunities to Sell

It is wrong to assume that call center customer service can be used only for responding to the questions of the callers.

 

CRM Software - Complaint Tracking and Creating Excellent Customer Service

Many successful businesses are changing the way they approach customer service.

 

How A 24 Hour Answering Service Can Assist Your Business

How many Americans really are available to handle all of their phone calls during the normal hours of a workday? Not too many.

 

Customer Service Trends for 2011

The customer service trends for 2011 look promising. There are some ways of working at the answering service desk that are surfacing as the industry moves towards better after-sales service.

 

Good Customer Service Equals Good Sales

Without customers there is no revenue.  Without revenue there is no company.

 

Customer Service Call Center Outsourcing - Top Ten Reasons to Hire and Reap the Benefits

We have all heard cliches like "think big" and "fake it till you make it"; now you can act upon them.

 

What is Good Customer Service? What is Exceeding Expectations?

Good customer service is key to any business.

 

Using CRM Software To Keep Clients

Not all companies use CRM software, and companies that do use it often find that surprising. They know the benefits of the CRM software and how much it can do for their companies.

 

Top Tips for Perfect Customer Service

In every business, the customer should be considered the king. Once we realize this, we will also realize that our business is all about keeping our customers happy and not as much about our products and services as we might think.

 

Improve Customer Service for Your Business

Today's organizations are faced with the challenge of attracting and retaining customers.  The answer is customer service!

 

Making Sure Your New Business is Fully Accessible

It’s a well known fact that the failure rate for new businesses is alarmingly high. That’s why it makes sense that if you are setting up a new business you make sure you do all you can to keep your customers happy.

 

Web based help desk software helps you increase your customers’ satisfaction

Everyday you get heaps of inquiries from your clients and sometimes it is difficult to answer them all in appropriate time.

 

Perception vs. Reality Is Killing Your Referrals

You've worked with a client for some time. You perceive they are happy with your work. And naturally, you're expecting them to refer...

 

The IT Consultant: Considering the Costs of Downtime

There’s nothing more stressful for IT consultants than getting the dreaded emergency call from a client whose office is "crippled" because of a major systems outage.

 

Computer Service Repair Business and Providing Customer Service During All Aspects of a Sale

Customer service is a crucial part of the computer service repair business, because computer service repair is about working with customers to solve problems.

 

Home Business And Customer Service: Is It Necessary?

Having a home business does not mean that customer service is not important Quite the opposite is true, because your home business does not have a huge customer base, so it is important to keep your customers satisfied so they tell their friends and become repeat customers

 

10 Tips On Improving Customer Service

Customer service is one of the most important parts of maintaining a successful business.  Whether a person is starting an off-line or online business, customer service must be carefully created and implemented. 

 

Benefits of Using Customer Phone Surveys

Most companies spend huge amounts of their budgets to attract new customers to their business, while neglecting and then losing existing customers.

 

How to Respond to Angry Customers

Ten powerful steps to diffuse angry customers, address the issues and sustain customer loyalty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solutions for Entrepreneurs Who Need Virtual Reception

By Shilonda Downing

 

Entrepreneurs whose businesses are growing rapidly, soon find that they need customer support or a receptionist to receive calls for their products or services. For those of us who offer Virtual Assistant services, Virtual Reception can be a bit tricky. This is because many new business owners, although growing, may still have very limited budgets. So why would that be a problem? Let's take a look...

 

Well, many of these entrepreneurs assume that a virtual assistant is on the computer and by the phone during the better part of the work day and feel that forwarding their calls would not be a problem. This is not always true; with smart phones and mobile apps, a VA can work from just about anywhere. However, most potential clients who approach us about handling their calls want us to be stationary from 9am - 5pm and in a quiet environment; however, they only want to be charged if we receive an incoming call. Let me explain why this is not fair to the VA company.

 

The fact that you may be asked to stay sequestered in your home office and quiet environment for 7 or 8 hrs waiting for calls, yet only receiving pay IF one comes in, is easy to discern as a less than equitable working proposition. This would also greatly limit the mobility that makes working virtually so attractive. So if a client wants you to be "at-the-ready" from 9 to 5 yet won't pay you unless calls come in for them, you're simply not being dealt with fairly. You could use that time to run business errands, network with friends (while working) or handle calls for a client who can afford to pay you for a block of time.

 

Our solution to this problem is to half our starting rate for the block of time that the client needs and then charge a per call fee for the calls that come in for them. For clients who cannot afford to pay us for that block of time, I typically recommend companies like: Ring Central, to provide economical virtual reception for budgets that are tight. Many Virtual Assistants may feel that they should accept all work no matter what the assignment, however you must make sure you run your business as a "Win-Win". Here's to thinking outside of the box and offering viable options for clients with very tight budgets.

 

 

About the Author:

This is Shilonda Downing signing off for Virtual Work Team LLC & http://virtualassistantblogs.org

 

 

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

 

 

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Networking Through Customer Service

 

By Chi Chi Okezie

 

Networking does not just happen at events and functions. Service industry companies and working professionals can utilize it in their customer service. Paying attention and analyzing customer satisfaction increases sales, referrals and benefits the overall business. Professionals can take advantage and grow their market share and target audiences. In order to be successful in these undertakings, it is important to be strategic and purposeful within your networking endeavors.

 

Listed below are tips and ways companies and individuals can use their networking objectives to improve their customer service offerings.

 

Survey Says

 

After a service is rendered or a product is sold, follow up quickly and efficiently with your customer or client. Find out their level of satisfaction and expectation as well as their complete sales experience. Ask specific and detailed questions to get precise answers for solving problems or identifying solutions. Show a genuine concern for product or service quality and upholding the brand and integrity of the company or business.

 

As you are collecting this data, also encourage the customer or client to connect on social media outlets, blogs and websites. These are excellent avenues for improving communication, receiving relevant information and staying up to date. It can also be a good marketing source for following your customer/client's interest level.

 

Customer Appreciation

 

Do not wait until a birthday or specific time of the year to show customer appreciation. Offer incentives, sales or discounts as often as possible. Also, keep in mind, the type of appreciation gifts. Focus on patronizing the individuals and organizations within your networks. Offer products and services from individuals you know and trust, who are helping you in your networking endeavors. They can be your sponsors, vendors and even your clients. This type of cross networking and marketing can strengthen relationships and create viable business opportunities.

 

Draft official agreements or contracts with your networks for using their services or products for your customer appreciation campaign. Be specific in the type of offering you would like and how they can be delivered or rendered to your customers or clients. Pick a variety of offerings that are useful and valuable to your customers or clients. Also, ask about popular selling services or products for particular companies or industries.

 

Properly implementing these tips and suggestions can greatly impact your networking agenda. It can improve communication and foster cross networking opportunities. Focusing on the needs and concerns of customers and clients can also influence strong, long term relationships.

 

About the Author:

Chi Chi Okezie is owner/producer of SIMPLEnetworking, LLC in Atlanta, GA. Learn tips, tactics and techniques from this Champion Networker!  Visit the SN Official Website: http://www.snseminars.com to read excerpts of her books, listen to the latest radio podcasts and visit her blog!

 

Article Source:  EzineArticles.com

 

 

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Customer Service: Opportunities to Sell

 

By Ivana Lewis

 

 It is wrong to assume that call center customer service can be used only for responding to the questions of the callers. Smart customer service call centers are always on the lookout for selling the products and services that they are working for. To be able to do that, the outsourcing call centers have to be very good at their primary job: customer service. The agents will not be able to push for additional sale unless they have satisfied the caller with the primary need. Callers will be in a better mood to listen to a sales pitch when their immediate requirement has been efficiently solved. With the query taken care of, the agent can take advantage of the available time and go for cross selling and up selling.

 

The opportunities to sell on the call center customer service department are never explicit. The agent on the call center customer service team has to be on the lookout, without making it obvious. The agents cannot expect to launch into a mode to sell without resolving the issue that the caller wants to be fixed. The customer service call centers have to work towards a very high, almost perfect, First Call Resolution (FCR) ratio. This is the rate at which the callers have their problems sorted out on the very first instance of calling. The number of such resolutions is measured against the total number of calls to determine the percentage. If the caller does not find that his issue has been dealt with satisfactory, it automatically makes him unresponsive to anything that the agent has to offer. The FCR ratio helps because customer service outsourcing unit knows on how many calls they were able to push for sales.

 

Cross selling at the customer service call center is about selling something additional to what the caller is already using. It could be a related commodity or something entirely different from the existing range of products and services on sale. The call center customer service agent needs to offer the new product/service to the caller and find out if he needs it. Up selling, on the other hand, is pushing for an upgrade on the product or service that the caller is already using. Now a customer will only go for an upgrade if he was satisfied with the services that he is receiving at the present. That is why the outsourcing customer service in question has to be careful about the kind of after-sale service that they provide to the callers. This has a direct relation to the lead generation department of the same customer service call center.

 

If the customer service call center can do it right, this can add to the leads that the unit generates as a whole. This will also bring about a difference to the usual call center customer service that units do. Clients will be satisfied with this kind of work. That will further lead to other projects in the future. This is one work that will benefit more than one department of the customer service call centers.

  

 

About the Author:

Our customer service call centers are always looking for opportunities to sell. The agents working in our call center customer service department know how to keep customers satisfied.

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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CRM Software - Complaint Tracking and Creating Excellent Customer Service

 

By Antony Dutton

 

Many successful businesses are changing the way they approach customer service. Using technology such as a customer relationship management solution, they are able to keep track of every contact point with their clients making this available to the entire organization. Going beyond the traditional use of CRM software for sales and marketing, many companies are integrating their customer service processes to give themselves a competitive edge. Customer needs are at the core of any business wanting to differentiate themselves and grow revenue and profit. Satisfied clients have a level of credibility well beyond what your sales and marketing strategies can deliver. As such, it is not only the quality of the product or service initially purchased that influences them, it is the after sales service with care and attention to detail that separates one from the other.

 

Even the best of products and services have issues from time to time. The way you handle those issues or complaints will determine whether your customer continues doing business with you and how they talk about your products and brand in your marketplace. Maintaining a repository of all your customer interactions including sales, marketing and customer service will help your staff have a more complete historical picture of the entire business you have with each client.

 

Complaint tracking has for some time been used quality improvement. Companies with a good historical perspective of their products and services can make effective change based on the data and trends available.  However, today, speed in complaint resolution is essential and having a history of problems and the resolution allows customer service staff either to fix the problem immediately or pass it to the right people. At all times, the customer can be kept abreast of the status, so too the right people in your business.

 

The key areas to concentrate on getting right are:

 

Record every case history of customer contact is important; they will remember it and you should be aware of it. History is the catalyst for change, be that in product or processes. To improve the quality of your offering you will have the facts at hand to make a considered judgement of what changes need to be made, how quickly and the cost of not doing so. 

 

Track/monitor complaints Recording every time your client's contact you on each issue as it is a true indication of the level of pain that your customer is having if you cannot resolve it quickly. The urgency of your client can then be matched to the time and resources you need to place on solving the problem. 

 

Escalate cases effectively If a problem cannot be solved immediately, escalation procedures need to be in place that will quickly provide an answer or a pathway to resolution. In this case, your internal processes must be well defined and automated through the system. Monitoring the situation and automatic further escalation keeps problem resolution in the spot light. Just where you client's want it to be. 

 

Provide resolutions quickly.  Having a problem is inconvenient to both you and your client. However, the speed at which you resolve a problem, your understanding of the affect this is having can often influence the perception of your products and brand for each client. They will talk about how quickly you respond and resolve issues and this have a very positive affect.

 

Increasing use of technology by your clients can also impact you dramatically if you don't get customer service working effectively. With the ever growing use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and online review portals, your brand can quickly take a battering and be seen by anyone who is researching the internet. No longer will clients write to you complaining of lack of service, they will write to everyone electronically and it is close to impossible to stop. At the same time, great customer service that is attentive to your customer's needs and is accompanied by fast responses and a speedy resolution can positively impact your business.

 

Using your CRM software whether that is an in house or web based CRM software solution in a more versatile and flexible manner can easily increase your return on investment. More importantly, it gives your people and your organization a level of business intelligence that has not been so readily available in the past. Now CRM is not only the repository for your client details and history, not only does it provide you the ability to forecast sales, but it gives you a clear indication of the quality of your products and the value they have to your clients.

 

About the Author: 

Antony Dutton is Managing Director of Aaromba - CRM software & service management software specialists. Aaromba uses best of breed technology and methodologies, designing solutions to improve sales and marketing for CRM software. Working with over 800 clients, Aaromba specialises in Microsoft CRM Software and web based CRM software.

 

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

 

 

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How A 24 Hour Answering Service Can Assist Your Business

by Nick DAlleva

 

How many Americans really are available to handle all of their phone calls during the normal hours of a workday? Not too many. In general, a working American is busy during the same hours other businesses and services are open. When people need to call a company for scheduling, ordering, etc. purposes, they are normally calling after the normal 9am-5pm workdays. Companies that are closed after these hours tend to lean towards choosing voicemail to take their phone calls and messages. Answering services sometimes are the best option for these companies. Making the switch to a 24-hour answering service can be the best decision to bring in more money and raise customer satisfaction. After a long day at work, it is refreshing to hear a live voice on the other end of the phone. No one wants to be making an important order or delivering an important message to a voicemail machine. There is a fear that the message will get lost, not delivered on time, or relayed to the wrong person. Twenty-four-hour answering services are accurate and keep errorless records of messages and phone calls. If a company is not open, the 24-hour answering service will deliver their messages immediately the next morning. After hours, a 24-hour answering service can be the thing to make your company rise above the rest.

 

Considering the term "24-hour," some people forget about the advantages of this answering service during the day. Many people think about and focus on its advantages in the nighttime and closed hours. There are still countless advantages to using a 24-hour call answering service that take place during the day. No one likes to be making a phone call and get connected to the wrong line! During the normal work hours, a 24-hour answering service provides all of the services a company needs. They are a call center, a message sender, and a call connecter. Twenty-four-hour answering services are a strategic move made by many companies to save payroll and increase revenue. Along with these financial advantages, customer satisfaction will be up, so they will be making more money from their happy consumers. Appointments and meetings will be set on time and all messages will be delivered in a timely fashion with the use of a 24-hour answering service.

 

Jane from Rhode Island is the head of the communications department in a marketing firm. She had been wasting payroll on hiring employees to answer phone calls and deliver messages for years. As the company expanded, she continually needed to hire more workers. The money being spent by the company was ridiculous and needed to be cut back. These people were not available 24-hours a day, so she decided to switch to voicemail. This system seemed to work for a while, but she realized that her callers and consumers were not calling as often. Their satisfaction with the company was down because they felt their calls and messages were impersonal, and some messages were even getting lost and never delivered. After one of her coworkers missed a very important sales meeting because he had never received the message about it, she decided the voicemail had to do. After looking around at her options, she made the decision to go with a 24-hour answering service. Although she was hesitant at first to have people who do not work in the company answering their calls, she was reassured when one of their devoted sales representatives called Jane to tell her how pleasing and reassuring it was to talk to the live voice from the 24-hour answering service. He felt he was really being heard, and this satisfied Jane. Since the department has made the change to use a 24-hour answering service, the company has had its largest increase of profit ever. 

 

 

Specialty Answering Service is a nationwide live answering service and medical answering service provider.  We answer for each client 24 hours a day and follow their instructions to handle each inbound or outbound communication perfectly.

 

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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Customer Service Trends for 2011

by Jems Hug

 

 The customer service trends for 2011 look promising. There are some ways of working at the answering service desk that are surfacing as the industry moves towards better after-sales service. The customer care department was never so much in demand as it is now. Customers are not satisfied with the kind of service that they are receiving now. The way things are, business firms will be looking at their customers to sustain their business. Expanding the business would mean adding more customers to the kitty. Contrary to the speculations done by business firms that they can sit back and relax that the recession is over, they have work doubly to ensure that customers are not eroding away from their database. Let us take a look at some of the ways in which the phone answering desk can optimize the process.

 

The first step would be to be prompt about their after-sales service. The pet peeve for customers calling customer service and finding it disappointing is that the department is not efficient. Callers find themselves holding on to the phone lines for long lengths of time, sometimes without intimation. The hold music keeps assuring that a customer care executive will come on the call soon, but that wait keeps getting excruciatingly longer. Such delays get negative points for the call center. Moreover, it also earns a bad name for the brand. Thanks to digital media, it doesn’t take much time for the word to get around. You may find some bad stuff being written about your client on Facebook or Twitter if you are not working the right way at answering service.

 

 

The online methods of customer service will be in focus. Customers often prefer to write to the customer care email id. The BPO has to answer these emails. They may leave comments on the website, on the blog, on forums or on the discussion board. If your brand has a social media presence, users may use that platform to connect with you as well. In those cases, you have to be vigilant. Employ call center agents to check on these networks. When they find that the brand name is being mentioned, they can step in and offer comments and solutions to problems. Reputed brands monitor Twitter and solve problems that customers rant about on Twitter. This gets the BPO service kudos from customers and clients alike.

 

When call centers respond to the queries and comments posted by customers, it translates as a goodwill gesture. Customers feel privileged and special. That is how BPO units can build up brand loyalty. In a way, this trend will come into sharper focus as we move ahead. Consumers are learning to demand more. They know that the brands that they side with will need their patronage in the long run. So their demands for better customer service are going up with time. The sense of mediocrity in service will go for a toss in 2011. If you want customers in your bag, you will have to make doubly sure that you are reaching out to your customers in a bigger way.

 

 

 

About the Author:  We take good care of our customers through integrated customer service. Our inbound call center agents are known to make it easier for customers to experience our brands.

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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Good Customer Service Equals Good Sales

by charen smith

 

 One of the oldest adages in business asserts that the customer is always right.  Another claims that the customer comes first.  These clichés exist for good reason.  Without customers there is no revenue.  Without revenue there is no company.  Hence, it stands to reason one should strive to provide a very high level of customer service.

 

Know Them As People

Humans like to be recognized as individuals.  When you or your employees remember their name and some other tidbit about them it makes them feel special.  You are recognizing them as a person as opposed to just another customer.  A few well placed words can ensure a customer for life.

 

Fix The Problem

Inevitably, all businesses will face the necessity of dealing with an upset customer.  In this arena, as indicated, the customer is always right.  This is so even when they're wrong.  Placating an upset customer goes beyond that given person's future patronage.  Customers who feel they have been wronged have a proclivity to express this opinion strongly to friends, family and coworkers.  Like the game of telephone, those people then tell others.  One bad customer experience can result in a viral adverse campaign.  This is especially so for businesses located in small communities.  Failure to effectively assuage an upset customer can lead to significant lost business.

 

Put On Your Listening Ears

The best way to avoid upset customers is to truly listen to and be attuned to what they are saying.  This is a hallmark of good customer service.  It is impossible to please a customer if you don't understand what they desire.  Ineffective communication is the root cause of a majority of customer service issues.

 

Always Dress Your Best

This doesn't necessarily refer to you as the owner.  It means your business should always be dressed sharply.  This relates to everything from your business card printing producing to your full color business cards.  Each little thing that meets a customer's eye must reflect the spirit and values of your business.  Boring marketing materials will translate to bored customers.

 

Honesty Is The Best Policy

It goes without saying, but you should always be honest with your customers.  If a customer feels deceived they will be sure to make their feelings very clear.  This is especially so with the advent of the Internet.  Bad word can travel quite quickly.  Instill this belief into all your employees.  The reputation of your business is its most valuable asset and should be protected at all costs.

 

Train Your Employees Well

Incompetent staff is a major reason for lost customers.  Your clients will not tolerate poor service.  The best marketing strategy and full color business cards won't make up for inferior customer satisfaction.  Proper training translates to efficient employees.  Your training is a key component of your customer service regimen.

  

For comments and inquiries about the article visit:  Business Card Printing and  Full Color Business Cards.

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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Customer Service Call Center Outsourcing - Top Ten Reasons to Hire and Reap the Benefits

by Daljeet Sidhu

 

We have all heard cliches like "think big" and "fake it till you make it"; now you can act upon them. As a small business owner, you have one good reason to think big. Outsourcing handling of your incoming calls allows you to act like a big business with access to expertise, efficiency and economies of scale that most big companies enjoy.

 

There are no "set in stone" guidelines regarding the time and suitability of outsourcing your incoming calls to a call center service. You can consider hiring a service when faced with one or more of the following situations:

 

1. You want to save money

If your business' call volume demands heavy investment in infrastructure, customer relationship management software and in-house personnel, then a call center service can be quite useful. By spreading their employee and technology costs over many customers, these services keep their costs considerably low and allow you to obtain significant cost savings. You may enjoy additional savings if you outsource to an offshore service center since they are cheaper than those based in developed countries like Canada, UK or US.

 

2. You do not have the customer service expertise

If you do not have sufficient experience and expertise in the customer service field and are currently unable to develop it, you should consider outsourcing your call volume to a call center service.

 

3. You want to test new programs

Call centers provide your business an inexpensive and easy way to test new products and programs before you invest money and resources in training your in-house employees.

 

4. You want to learn how to run a call center

If you do not have enough experience and knowledge about call center operation and want to learn how to run it and build intellectual capital, then a call center partner can be a good starting point for you.

 

5. You expect significant growth in business

If you are expecting significant growth in call volume following a new product launch or other major events and do not want to spend resources on hiring new employees and equipment upgrades, you can outsource your incoming calls to a customer service provider.

 

6. You have variable call volume

Businesses often experience seasonality and unpredictable changes in call volumes that are difficult to access and plan. In such situations, a call center service can help you to handle spikes and call overflows. Either you can opt for seasonal assistance or spot overflow where the provider takes care of sudden increases in call volumes.

 

7. You consider phone based customer service a non core function

If providing customer service through telephone is not one of the key objectives of you current business plan, you can outsource incoming calls.

 

8. You want to change your business model

Major decisions such as shift to a 24x7 tech-support service or support in multiple languages can also trigger the need for hiring an outsourced call answering service.

 

9. You want to handle many types of calls

You can hire a call answering service to take orders, provide customer and tech support, answer messages and qualify inbound leads.

 

10. You have straightforward sales, service and support requirements

If your sales and service requirements are simple and easy to meet, they can be economically and effectively handled by a call center service. These services are seldom suitable for complex sales cycles and tech support that requires in-depth troubleshooting.

 

Hiring a call center service is a major decision for your business. Carefully assess your needs, business plans and available resources before making a decision. Before you hire a vendor, compare customer service call center quotes. For further information, read our call center advice.  

 

Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. Read our customer service providers advice. Compare  outsourcing call center quotes. Sellers JOIN to generate leads.

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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What is Good Customer Service? What is Exceeding Expectations?

by Kate Tammemagi

 

 Good customer service is key to any business.  Your competitors are competing with you not only in terms of products and price, but also in terms of their experience of your service and your people. In times of recession and low spending, good customer service can give us an edge. However, do we know exactly what makes customer service GOOD?

 

Three Types of Customer Experience

Imagine a Customer in any situation. It could be buying in a shop, or interacting by telephone, or in a business-to-business situation. There are three types of experience that the customer can have in this situation.

 

The first is the PERFECT experience, the Customer's expectations are totally met. The Customer gets what they want, the quality is high, good value for money and fast, efficient service. There are no negatives for this Customer, everything was exactly as they would expect.

 

The second type of experience is the NEGATIVE experience, expectations are not met. Again in a shop, the Customer may not find what they want, or the quality is poor, or the price does not provide good value for money. It is easy for the business owner to check these contributors to a negative experience, but it takes a high degree of awareness to see the negative triggers on the customer service side of the business.

 

In a shop, it may be the smell, or the hygiene, or the way the shop is laid out. It could be long queues, or someone stacking shelves when they should be serving. But the simple things like lack of eye contact, lack of courtesy, chewing or chatting to a colleague can create the most negative experiences. On the telephone the equivalent might be silence, not using the Customer's name, using negative language or breathing heavily into the phone.

 

Exceeding Expectations, The Positive Experience

Many people think that the perfect experience outlined above is the ideal, GOOD customer service, but it is not. It is true that businesses must be keenly aware of what will trigger a negative experience so they can avoid this, and they must be able to identify what will make up the perfect experience. However, this will NOT keep Customer's coming back! Perfection is not enough.

 

Fast efficient service from a smiling, courteous Customer Service person is EXPECTED. It will not leave a positive impression with the Customer, and they will not remember it. It is a NEUTRAL, highly forgettable experience. They will definitely remember the negative experience. We can all remember bad experiences we have had, and we will relate these at every opportunity.

 

This is the goal of GOOD customer service, to create a positive and equally memorable experience. To do this, you must deliver the EXTRA positive experience, the extra 10.

 

Examples of Exceeding Expectations

How to deliver the extra positive experience is unique to every business. It is that extra personal touch, or going the extra mile. When you go looking for the extra 10%, you will find good examples in your line of work. In a shop, it may be the attendant who will go the extra mile to hunt for what you want. It may be that they remember your order and have it ready when you come in, or that they run short of your product but they hold the last one for you, their regular Customer.

 

On a telephone it may be the Customer Service agent who really will chase that other department to answer your query, and who will call you back to make sure you are satisfied. Even more simply, it is the Customer Service agent who gets the job done quickly and easily, and also uses so many positive, cheerful words that the whole process was a pleasure for you.

 

Improving Customer Service

The simplest way to improve your customer service is to improve your ability to identify these three types of experience in YOUR business, or in each department.

1.         What makes up the perfect experience? What are the essentials?

2.         What will trigger a negative? What things must we avoid doing?

3.         What will deliver the extra positive experience? What can we do to go the extra mile? What will add that extra personal touch in an appropriate way?

Work on these with your Team on a regular basis, and you will always improve your Customer's experience of your organization.

 

 

Kate Tammemagi provides Customer Care Training in Ireland. She designs fully tailored Customer Care Courses   in Businesses and Call Centres.

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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Using CRM Software To Keep Clients

by Lincoln Roth

 

Not all companies use CRM software, and companies that do use it often find that surprising. They know the benefits of the CRM software and how much it can do for their companies. They find that they can get more clients � and keep the ones they have � when they use it, as well. Naturally, keeping clients is vital. However, getting new ones is also something that needs to be done. By using CRM software, clients can be reassured. They are treated well, and they feel as though their opinion matters. Because of this, they often tell others of their experiences with a particular company. In doing so, word of mouth advertising spreads quickly. Those who hear about the quality of the company may then try it, and more clients will be gained.

 

The way that CRM keeps customers feeling secure, and the way that it brings in new ones through word of mouth work together to allow for a lot of help for companies. It is remarkable how many companies are now moving toward using this software. Generally, it is larger companies. However, this is not because CRM software is not good for smaller companies. Instead, it is because larger companies simply have more difficulty keeping track of their clients. They usually have a larger client base, and they also have more people who may need access to that information. For smaller companies, however, getting and using CRM software can be very beneficial. It enables them to be ready when they grow and their client base expands.

 

This is highly important for companies that feel as though they must continue to build the number of clients that they have. These companies want to be ready for whatever comes next, and this is a good idea, especially for smaller companies. Larger ones can also benefit , though, because they still want to gain new clients. Just because someone has a good client base, he or she usually still wants more. Clients come and go, and getting a steady flow of new ones will not only help the client base grow, but will also help to replace clients who may leave for various reasons. Even a good company will lose clients. This is often through no fault of their own. Clients may relocate. Some may pass away. Still others may find a better deal, a company closer to home, or something that they feel better about.

 

CRM software can be used for many different things. Most commonly it is used to store names and dates. However, there are many other things it can do. Companies use it to keep track of their client�s purchases and returns. It is also often used to remind salespeople of important appointments and to ensure that they do not forget their clients. This can mean sending out anniversary and birthday cards, returning phone calls more promptly, and handling many other areas of life that are important to business interactions. Overall, using CRM software is one of the best choices that a company can make.

 

 

Dave Roth has a site focusing on CRM software reviews   His site offers reviews on everything from open source crm to various web based CRM solutions .  Not only that, this site gives salespeople the tools to make these tools even more effective.

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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Top Tips for Perfect Customer Service

by Mark Richards

 

 In every business, the customer should be considered the king. Once we realize this, we will also realize that our business is all about keeping our customers happy and not as much about our products and services as we might think. It is often seen that stores are lavishly designed and loaded with expensive merchandise, but without stellar customer service, this is all for nothing.

 

Every company should treat each and every customer like royalty. Keeping this in mind, below are some easy to apply tips that would surely bring a customer back for more:

 

1. Your customer service representatives are more valuable then the customer service they provide. If you think that by paying them low wages, giving no benefits and no bonuses and providing little or no training you would expect them to give their best performance, then you are mistaken. A happy customer service representative usually means that they will keep your customers happy as well.

 

2. Your sales representative will treat your customers they same way you will treat them. The employees tend to adopt the manners of their management, the same way they take after their parents. If you would address your employees enthusiastically everyday day; so would they to the customers. When a customer complains of your representatives being rude, then the fault lies at your feet.

 

3. You should know your customers inside out. We all want to feel special and important. When we go to a shop, we want to be called out by our name and the representative should remember important things about us like what our favorite color is, what our favorite meal is or what our favorite drink is. A customer service representative should know all this about his customer, if the customer comes on regular basis.

 

4. Do your customers know who you are? You should be so good in dealing with customers that if they see you in the market they should call you out by name. It is often seen in some firms and organizations that they put their managers and employees pictures on the main offices or store entrances so that the customers would know the face of the person who is in charge. This can increase the confidence they have in your company by associating a human face with your company.

 

5. For excellent customers, be prepared to go the extra mile. If a customer is regular and brings in steady money, you should make every effort to retain them. Details like thank you notes, cards and gifts will go a long way to insure they stay a customer.

 

 

Mark Richards turns Dreams into Reality. He teaches how to produce great customer service with some simple steps at Customer Service Training Sydney.

 

Article Source:  ArticleRich.com

 

 

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Improve Customer Service for Your Business

by Jim Sirbasku

 

 Today's organizations are faced with the challenge of attracting and retaining customers.  The answer is customer service!  This article will provide you with things you can do to improve customer service so that you can ensure customer satisfaction.  Whether you're an executive, a manager or a team leader, the following information will be beneficial to you.

 

Keeping customers satisfied is essential to building a successful, growing business. While many companies work hard to increase sales, they may overlook the little things that keep customers happy and buying more. It is easier to accelerate your business by cultivating the customers you already have rather than constantly working to attract new customers.   To take it to another level, when a company meets customer expectations, it is ensuring customer satisfaction. However, in this competitive marketplace when customers receive value or benefits beyond what they had expected, the company and the representative has delighted the customer. A truly delighted customer will be more loyal to your company and products than even a satisfied customer.

 

Building a team of qualified representatives that can cultivate positive customer relationships is no small task. You can start to improve customer service in your organization by selecting employees with critical skills.  This helps to establish and maintain the kind of customer oriented culture your industry demands.  You should also remember that fostering outstanding customer service is every employee's responsibility. Regardless of their position, every employee interacts with external or internal customers or both, and the impression they leave can make or break not only that sale but future sales as well.

 

Some people hired into customer service positions lack the personality and the fundamental attributes essential to becoming top performers.  In fact, many of those individuals hired for a given position may not even be suited for customer service.  Others may have people skills, but are performing below expectations because they are in the wrong industry or do not fit well within their team. These factors reduce the number of customer service professionals from whom leaders can expect superior performance.

 

 

Customer service assessments will help you select employees with the ability and temperament to enhance the reputation of your organization. Perhaps even more importantly, the assessments will help your organization establish and maintain the kind of customer-oriented culture your industry demands. Many customer service assessments are available in five versions - four that are specific to the areas of healthcare, finance, retail and hospitality, and one general edition that is suitable for any industry.

 

Customer service assessments measure six behavioral tendencies and two proficiencies associated with excellent customer service. The behavioral characteristics (conformity, flexibility, empathy, focus, trust and tact) and the proficiencies (vocabulary and mathematics) will help you identify candidates with superior customer service skills and give you the information needed to coach and train existing employees for greater success.  When you hire employees using assessments, you will populate your organization with people who will increase customer satisfaction, reduce complaints, build customer loyalty, increase sales and make significant gains in profitability.

 

 

 

Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management  solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide. For more information about using assessments  to improve customer service, visit our website.

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

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Making Sure Your New Business is Fully Accessible

by Adam Singleton

 

It’s a well known fact that the failure rate for new businesses is alarmingly high. That’s why it makes sense that if you are setting up a new business you make sure you do all you can to keep your customers happy.

A common reason for people becoming dissatisfied with any business is the inability to get in touch with someone when they need help or advice, whether it concerns an order, a possible future project or perhaps some after sales advice.

It’s clear that all new businesses need to make sure they have the right methods of contact in place so that people can get in touch easily when they need to. After all, if you have a high profile client that brings a lot of business – and revenue – your way, you will want to be there during office hours to assist them in any way you can. If they continually get a ringing phone or an answer phone they may well give up and go elsewhere.

This is where the problems can begin for small businesses in particular, especially if you are the only member of staff present. What happens if you need to visit a supplier or simply pop out to post some urgent mail? Not every small business has the funds to employ someone as a secretary to handle phone calls during office hours.

Luckily there are plenty of solutions that can help you maintain a professional image at all times. It’s always a good idea to record a competent and professional answer phone message that gives alternative ways to get in touch, should you miss a call for any reason. You can also have a business mobile to carry with you at all times.

Call forwarding is perhaps one of the most useful features you can take advantage of, especially if your business is very heavily internet and computer based and you use an online phone service to receive most of your calls. This means you won’t be tied to your computer all day, as it is a simple matter of redirecting your number to an alternative mobile or landline number.

If you decide to take advantage of this extremely useful feature, make sure you are still the voice of professionalism when you answer your phone. Remember that this feature allows you to be mobile or even at home if necessary – but your caller won’t know that. As far as they are concerned you are in your office or workshop, and you are prepared to answer a call and be as helpful as possible.

Technology can be a huge boon for any business, and having your calls forwarded to a more convenient location or number can make all the difference between making a sale or losing it.

 

Article Source: Amazines.com

 

 

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Web based help desk software helps you increase your customers’ satisfaction

by Rick Martin

 

 Everyday you get heaps of inquiries from your clients and sometimes it is difficult to answer them all in appropriate time. Moreover, sometimes you discover that you have answered the same client twice or that you have completely forgotten to answer a client that has written to you weeks ago. Does this picture look familiar? Then you need to organize your customer support service. Web based help desk software is an optimizing tool that will help you keep track of your customers’ inquiries, by assigning each of them a unique number and saving it in a database that you can consult any time. This way, you will always be able to tell to which inquiries you have provided feedback and to which you have not. Help desk support will therefore increase the efficiency of your customer support center.

 

It is understandable that when a customer has a problem, he or she wants it solved as soon as possible, so it would be better to deal with it immediately, if it is possible. The most important thing is to let the client know that you are working hard to help him or her. Help desk software helps you stay close to your clients. Perhaps some clients do not have any complaints to make, but they want to know more information about a certain product or service. In this case, web based help desk software helps you to answer them quickly and provide them the information that they need. What the customers must feel is that you are there for them and you truly desire to do everything you can to solve the problem.

 

Help desk software enables you to manage the inquiries of customers and provides other services such as e-mail notification, correspondence tracking, ticket monitoring, searchable database and reports analyzer. To keep away from multiple answers to the same inquiry, only one of the operators will claim ownership over a ticket issued at a customer’s demand. Consequently, that inquiry will become his or her responsibility.

 

The operator then sends an answer to the customer. Web based help desk software can show you at any moment the situation of the received inquiries: the name of the client, date and subject of the inquiry, the operator responsible and the status of the inquiry (if it has been dealt with or not). This way the entire customer support activity will become more efficient.

 

Make your work easier now. Try our affordable and easy-to-use web based help desk software. Dealing with your customers’ requests has never been easier. Your customers will be satisfied when they see that their requests meet prompt solutions and you will be satisfied to see that the clients trust your company. Apart from help desk software, you need of course a professional and experienced staff that can deal efficiently with the clients’ issues.

 

Paying attention to the clients’ needs, allotting patience to find the proper solution and showing empathy are the ingredients required for a successful client support activity. Show your clients that they are important to you. When you sell products and services, you must be prepared to face some complaints from some clients. All the companies have (or should have) a customer support service that takes care of the clients’ issues.

 

 

 

To make sure that all customer issues meet their solution quickly and efficiently, you need web based help desk software, an organizing tool that increases the competence of your customer support. We provide superior and low-priced help desk software that will help you improve your business.

 

 

Article Source: SubmitYourNewArticle.com

 

 

 

 

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Perception vs. Reality Is Killing Your Referrals

by Daryl Logullo

 

 You've worked with a client for some time. You perceive they are happy with your work. And naturally, you're expecting them to refer business to you and send you new client referrals. Yet the reality is that this person may have certain reservations that he or she has never directly voiced to you (or perhaps subtly hinted about.)

 

This undertone of Perception vs. Reality is sabotaging your chance to get more referrals and referred business from them. Let me explain.

 

Positioning, or perception of you, is how the client imagines you versus other choices - namely, your competitors. The fact that their may be a limited supply of your competitors readily available to your client, means the client has limited choices. This can be good for you as short-term retention tool, but it can also sabotage your long-term consistent referral efforts.

 

For example, let's take a niche such as physicians. Doctors are a busy group. They run hectic practices and hire administrators to oversee their operations. Let's say you are a marketing consultant that helps a doctor increase his or her referred patients. Your expertise is referral marketing.

 

A doctor may know other professionals, true. But they probably don't know very many who are honed at practice management and referral generation. This reduces their supply of marketing consultant "relationships." While this is an advantage to you as the consultant (limited supply of competitors) it can seriously hurt your relationship. Why?

 

Human nature being what it is, means worry, concerns and angst will eventually creep in, silently reminding the physician, "You could be getting more referred patients, and there must be someone else you can work with who is good at referral strategies."

 

The problem is relational-disconnect begins to form. This hurts opportunities for word-of-mouth introductions.

 

For whatever reason during the time you have worked together, the doctor's perception has now become that you are not as talented as he or she once believed. They may start to imagine and perceive even more: That you are preoccupied. That you've become too busy. That you really aren't as responsive as you once were.  And those perceptions - false as they may be to you - continue to grow and grow into accepted reality of the doctor.

 

The truth is that, we as people, in our distracted, hectic lives, won't always stop to "fact-check" ourselves and our misguided perceptions - to see if they are indeed real. Much like the Doctor, in my example.

 

To improve you referrals, word-of-mouth marketing and referred business, make sure people you are working with have opportunities to check their perceptions of you versus the reality of the situation. One of the easiest ways of encouraging this is via honest open communication that encourages complaints and objections.

 

Try saying, "Mr. Client, I've enjoyed our relationship. I'd like you to refer others to me. But before we discuss that, I'd like you to be perfectly candid with me: What have I been doing that has bothered you?"

 

The comments you hear will go a long way to helping you open genuine communication. They will also impact your chances to get more referrals.

 

 

 

Daryl Logullo is the Founder of Strategic Impact!

and Marketing-Referrals-Tools.com. He concentrates

on referral building strategies for today's professional. Get a FREE Sample Client Referral Letter ($199 value), instantly delivered to you at

Marketing-Referrals-Tools.com

 

 

Article Source: BylamoArticles.com

 

 

 

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The IT Consultant: Considering the Costs of Downtime

By Joshua Feinberg

 

There’s nothing more stressful for IT consultants than getting the dreaded emergency call from a client whose office is "crippled" because of a major systems outage.

 

If you’ve been an IT consultant a while you know the harsh realities of small business technology adoption. Your clients demand perfection, but don’t have much of a technology budget to invest in fault-tolerance.

 

Clients Should Understand the Costs of Downtime

 

As their IT consultant, it’s crucial to get your clients to understand the critical importance of protecting against unplanned downtime. The following is a two-pronged approach:

 

1)  Help your clients figure out their cost of downtime.

 

2)  Encourage your clients to invest accordingly in spare PC hardware.

 

The Cost of Downtime

 

If your clients have more than a handful of PCs, in time they’ll develop a service history and learn what kinds of hardware items break fairly regularly.

 

They’ll also learn from you, their IT consultant, how to convince their PC vendor to supply replacement parts under warranty coverage, as well as how to estimate the time for getting the replacement part to their office and installed into the appropriate PC.

 

Valuing System Downtime

 

For a quick, back-of-the-napkin calculation of what system downtime might be costing your clients, consider that the hourly cost of system downtime equals:

 

Projected annual revenue / (Business days per year x Hours in a business day)

 

Use This Tool on Your Website

 

If you’re a little handy with JavaScript, this calculator could be a really nifty marketing tool to place on the home page of your IT consultant website.  Just be sure to give credit where credit’s due and link back to our end user site, http://www.SmallBizTechTalk.com.

 

After all is said and done, a major cost to consider is employee downtime, as well as time spent by your clients’ internal gurus chasing down the warranty replacement part, perhaps during an inopportune time.

 

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

 

Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of computer consultants around the World get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too get more steady, high-paying clients. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training.

 

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

 

 

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Computer Service Repair Business and Providing Customer Service During All Aspects of a Sale

by Joshua Feinberg 

 

Customer service is a crucial part of the computer service repair business, because computer service repair is about working with customers to solve problems.  All aspects of computer repair should be focused on the customer and his problem.  There are three phases of customer service, and very often the first and last are ignored.  The most important phases are customer service before the repair, during the computer service repair and after the service.

 

Pre-Sale Customer Service

 

As a computer service repair employee scheduling an appointment, you need to be mindful of the customer because your contact will be his first impression of the company.  A customer who feels taken care-of will feel comfortable and be less anxious about the outcome of the service.

 

Responding To The Customer During The Sale

 

A computer service repair technician should arrive at a job prepared to solve customer problems.  As a computer service repair technician, you will be expected to listen carefully to concerns and provide valuable responses.  You need to report delays and speak in terms your customers will understand and not in excessively technical jargon that will leave them bewildered.

 

After The Sale

 

Following up with customers after a sale is critical to good customer service.  Just because a computer service repair is done doesn’t mean the relationship is over.  Your customers should feel comfortable calling you with follow-up questions and concerns, and you should be prepared to return to fix problems that may not have been previously repaired.  Think about writing hand-written thank-you notes as part of the customer service campaign.

 

Every aspect of the computer service repair business is centered on customer service.  Getting feedback from customers can help you make changes and improvements so you can help ensure referrals and calls for repeat business. 

 

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

 

Joshua Feinberg gets small business computer consulting firms steady high-paying clients. Get free access now to 1 hour of Joshua’s field-tested proven Small Business Computer Consulting secrets at http://www.SmallBusinessComputerConsulting.com/blog/

 

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

 

 

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Home Business And Customer Service: Is It Necessary?

by Joel Teo

 

 Having a home business does not mean that customer service is not important. Quite the opposite is true, because your home business does not have a huge customer base, so it is important to keep your customers satisfied so they tell their friends and become repeat customers. Just because you never see your customers face to face does not make them any less important to the success of your home business.

 

Good customer service in a home business makes sure that customer concerns and complaints are handled professionally and appropriately. The motto that the customer is always right is just as true in a home business as it is anywhere else. Customers are what makes your home business a success, and it is important that your customer are satisfied, and that there is an available way to resolve problems and make the customer happy. Having a customer service program in place will ensure that customers have a good experience when dealing with your home business.

 

Satisfied customers give a business the best advertising there is, word of mouth. This type of advertising can not be bought, it can only be given by satisfied customers. If you do not have good customer service in your home business, the success of the home business is doubtful. Happy customers form the basis for repeat customers, and these customers are happy to tell everyone they know about your home business. Neglecting customer service because you think it unnecessary for a home business is a big mistake that can cost your home business success in the end.

 

Customer service is a necessary part of running a successful home business, and if you do not put a customer service program in place then it could cost your home business potential customers, profits, and success. Even though you never see your customers face to face, they form a very important base for your home business, and it is important that your home business assures customers of their importance to your organization.

 

By assuring quality customer service and giving customers the resources necessary to solve any problems or complaints, your home business will be more successful and profitable. Treat customers like the valuable resource that they are, because without satisfied customers there is no reason for your home business to stay open. Customers are the reason that your home business makes a profit, and a good customer service program for your home business will reflect this philosophy.

 

Copyright © 2007 Joel Teo. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Joel Teo writes on various financial topics including Las Vegas Real Estate.  Learn about Las Vegas Real Estate Investment at http://www.RealEstateInvestment101.info

 

Article Source: BylamoArticles

 

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10 Tips On Improving Customer Service
by Court Tuttle

 

Customer service is one of the most important parts of maintaining a successful business.  Whether a person is starting an off-line or online business, customer service must be carefully created and implemented.  Stores that customers can actually visit regulate customer service affairs quite easily, but regulating customer service with online customers is quite another story.

 

This type of customer service is much more difficult to regulate with online businesses.  If the profitability of an online company seems to be decreasing, then the quality of customer service must be changed and improved.  There are many different ways to makes these necessary changes, but some sort of action must take place.

 

The first important factor to consider is the treatment of brand new customers or visitors to the web site.  When new customers first encounter a web site, they are very cautious about joining the company or even purchasing the advertised products.  They have many different concerns and worries that often detract them from dedicating themselves to the site.

 

Since the Internet is still a fairly new form of technology, people, especially in the older generations, hesitate with online shopping and business.  They question the validity of the web site, question whether or not they will get the product they really ordered, and wonder if they will be able to create a trusting relationship with the online business.  New customers have many concerns and hesitations about online business, but these fears can be dispelled by following a few simple techniques and methods that implement successful customer service.

 

The goal of any commercial web site should be to make the customer feel like they are right there in the store, holding the actual product.  This sort of reality provides them with a sense of security that helps the customers build trust in the online company.  Vivid pictures of your products, impressive product videos, interactive 3-D screens, and informational product details are a few examples of ways that will help enhance the reality of a person's online store.

 

Another simple method is to have as much information about the company as possible displayed on the web site.  This information should include a customer service physical address, email address, and phone number for people to call in case they have questions, comments, or concerns.  The customer service phone number should connect clients with actual service representatives rather than a computerized operating system.

 

Customer service can also be improved by increasing the accountability of the company.  The phrase "the customer is always right" is not just a suggestion, but an actual rule that will greatly benefit the online business if consistently followed.  Admitting mistakes and even overlooking the mistakes of customers will leave a positive impression on all those people who hear about it.

 

These special considerations will help people feel comfortable and taken care of every time they visit the web site.  They will also receive a sense of security that will ensure the client's continued loyalty to the company.

 

 

 

Court teaches people how to find an  internet business opportunity and helps people get the best internet marketing services.

 

Article Source: BylamoArticles.com

 

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Benefits of Using Customer Phone Surveys

by Terry Fitzroy

 

Most companies spend huge amounts of their budgets to attract new customers to their business, while neglecting and then losing existing customers.  Although new customers are always nice, it's not new customers that bring in continuous revenues, its existing customers.  Are you investing enough in keeping the customer base you have?  Do you understand the benefits of using customer phone surveys to keep customers?

 

If you want customer loyalty, you need to give the customer what they want.  You can spend a great deal of money advertising, and just as much guessing about what it is your existing customers want.  Why not invest in customer phone surveys?  They'll provide you what you need to know to keep customers happy. 

 

In fact, when it comes to learning about your customer, there is nothing else that is as effective as customer phone surveys.  For years these surveys have been giving customers a chance to voice their concerns and also to give praise.  The information your company gathers during customer phone surveys can help you to establish what it is your existing customers want, which means you can work to keeping them as your customers and that same information can help you attract new customers.

 

One of the benefits of using customer phone surveys is that you get most of the benefits of face-to-face interviews without the cost of that type of survey.  Mailing surveys or having someone on staff asking customers direct survey questions can be costly and sometimes customers are shy about being completely honest when it's face-to-face. 

 

Customer phone surveys give the customer a sense of anonymity, which lends itself to customers being more open with their answers to questions.

 

If you ever wondered if measurement was actually important just look at the successful business that's growing by leaps and bounds all because they understood the benefits of using customer phone surveys to keep their existing customers happy.

 

You can't keep your current customers happy if you don't know what your customer is thinking.  In fact, you can't fix problems unless you know they exist. 

 

Consider this: it will cost your company as much as 10 times more to acquire a new customer over keeping a customer you already have.  For every customer that does make a complaint to you there are 30 that will not.  They simply won't return and they'll also pass their dissatisfaction on to 10 friends.

 

Asking your customer about what they think of your business and how they think you can improve shows just how serious you are about making improvements and keeping customers.  Your existing customers will recognize this and reward you with loyalty, they'll tell friends and family about you and your customer service, which will increase the number of new customers that come to your business.

 

Did you know that customer satisfaction is actually a forecaster of future financial success?  There are direct links between loyal customers and successful businesses.  Now that you know the benefits of using customer phone surveys, don't you think it's time to give it a try?

 

 

 

Terry Fitzroy is an expert at writing for  customer response surveys, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction surveys.

 

Article Source: BylamoArticles.com

 

 

 

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How to Respond to Angry Customers
By John Mehrmann 

Ten powerful steps to diffuse angry customers, address the issues and sustain customer loyalty.

 

1. Assume that the Customer has a Right to be Angry

 

Nobody makes mistakes on purpose, but they do happen. If you are working in a call center, behind a counter or in any capacity that directly interfaces with customers then you are going to encounter an irate customer at some time. The most common response is to evaluate the merit of the complaint while your are listening to it. Try to curb that common response and replace it with the assumption that the customer has a right to be angry, even before you know the details.

 

Perhaps the customer feels betrayed because the product or services did not meet expectations. The customer may be angry because he or she made incorrect assumptions that led to improper expectations. The customer may be angry because of previous experiences, previous contacts with your company or simply because the problem occurred at a very inconvenient time in the customer schedule. Regardless of the circumstances, acknowledge the customer has the privilege to be irate. Listen carefully to how the anger is expressed so you can find the root cause of the emotion.

 

2. Listen to Emotion without Emotion

 

Listen to the inflections and emphasis that the customer places on specific topics to identify the emotional catalyst. Listen to the emotion as well as the words. This will help you to identify the specific item or items that need primary attention. Resolving a technical issue may be only partially effective if it does not also address the customer emotional concerns. It may not be possible to completely resolve the emotional distress, but it is appropriate to acknowledge it.

 

Imagine that a customer experienced a technical malfunction when downloading digital images of a special event, wedding or family vacation. The technical issue may be related to hardware or software, but the emotional distress is related to the risk of losing precious memories. While it is necessary to correct the technical issue, it is also appropriate to acknowledge the risks that create the emotional response. Try to preserve the precious memories or at least explain why they can not be retrieved, but do not ignore the emotional catalyst.

 

Do not respond with emotion. Remember that the customer anger is not directed at you personally, even if the customer language is directed at you. If the customer language is attacking and borderline abusive, it is because the customer is looking for acknowledgement and response to the emotional distress as well as the technical or administrative issues. It may be necessary to repeatedly acknowledge the customer emotion to diffuse the situation and reassure the customer that you are attentive to the importance of the emotional distress as well as the technical issue.

 

3. Be Patient

 

Customer conversations come in waves. When the customer is at the peak of expressing anger, sorrow or distress, be patient and listen. It is not effective to interrupt the customer when he or she is venting combustible sentiments. It is like pouring gasoline on a raging fire. Rather, wait for the waves of emotion to recede and then use that opportunity to interject with reassuring comments.

 

Sometime the customer anger will erupt and return like another set of waves. When that happens, be patient and wait for the customer to run out of gas before you approach the fire again. Reiterate your compassion, acknowledge the customer right to be angry and the catalyst for the emotional distress. Takes quiet deep breaths and wait patiently for your turn to speak.

 

4. Speak Softly

 

If you encounter a loud and abusive customer, respond by speaking softly and with a very steady tone. If you try to shout over the customer or interrupt, then the customer will concentrate on the verbal battle for attention and will not pay attention to the importance of your message. If you want your message to be heard, wait for a pause in the customer tirade. Silence is your golden cue that it is time to speak your important message in a soft voice. Eventually the customer will have to lower his or her voice to hear what you are saying.

 

Even though it may seem that the customer does not care about what you have to say at first, remember that the customer approached you for resolution. The customer may have built up a considerable amount of emotion before reaching you, but ultimately the customer does want your advice and assistance to resolve the problem. Once the customer remembers why he or she contacted you, the customer will be receptive to your soft spoken conversation.

 

5. Reiterate

 

Make sure that you are addressing the technical, administrative and emotional aspects of the customer concerns. After you have listened carefully to the customer, reiterate the priorities that you believe that you heard from the customer perspective. This will assure that you are focused on the appropriate issues and reassure the customer that you are concentrating on the proper priorities.

 

Use a soft, firm and inquisitive voice. Ask the customer to confirm that you have restated the facts and priorities accurately, then write them down.

 

6. Own the Problem

 

It does not matter who created the problem or what transpired before the customer got to you. Tell the customer that you own the problem and will apply your personal effort to achieve results.

 

Sometimes it may be tempting to distance yourself from the problem by stating that you are not responsible for it, that another department will need to handle it, or that you are just a messenger. Put that temptation in a can and put a lid on it. Expressing that you do not have ownership of the problem or the potential resolution gives the customer a feeling of being adrift and powerless. if the customer senses that he or she is communicating with someone who is powerless, it will create yet another reason to be frustrated and angry.

 

Even if you do need to work with other departments, get manager approval or coordinate some other type of response, inform the customer that you will personally take the matter into your own hands and follow-up on the issues. The customer does not know your company, your policies or your procedures. The customer will never be able to navigate the requirements, restrictions or resolution with the same knowledge and experience as you. Reassure the customer that you will use your knowledge and experience to coordinate the best possible resolution, even if you need to get the assistance of other parties to achieve it.

 

7. Place the Customer First, Problem Second

 

In most cases there are two conflicting issues that occur simultaneously when dealing with irate customers. There first issue is the customer emotional distress. The second is the technical or administrative issue that caused the emotional distress. While it may seem logical to focus first on the technical or administrative issue that cause the emotional distress, it is important to acknowledge the customer anger first and the technical issue second.

 

Resolving the technical issue may or may not fully resolve the root cause of the customer distress. Acknowledge the customer concerns first and try to calm down the customer enough to help you concentrate on the technical or administrative problems. Sometimes the technical problem may require much more attention because it may impact other customers. Acknowledge the individual customer emotion first, resolve the specific customer technical issue second and reserve addressing any bigger issues as independent activity.

 

8. Triage

 

Once you have an opportunity to focus on technical and administrative issues, triage the root cause of the problems to determine what went wrong. Analyze the problem and provide corrective measures or detailed information in an effort to avoid duplicating the problem with other customers. It may be necessary to obtain some additional information from your customer to accurately analyze the root cause of the problem.

 

9. Correct the Issue

 

Correct the issue for the specific customer and also look for long term corrective measures. It may not be feasible to give your customer a guarantee that the correction will resolve all problems permanently, but it may be appropriate to reassure the customer that you will be available to assist in the event that another different problem should occur again. Demonstrate your confidence that this specific problem is resolved and is not expected to reoccur. Demonstrate your attention to the specific customer by reiterating original concerns and actions that you took to correct the issue.

 

10. Follow Up

 

When possible, follow-up with the customer after sufficient time has elapsed to demonstrate that the corrective action has been effective. A phone call or a personalized postcard demonstrates individual attention and acknowledgement. Demonstrating compassion and attentiveness thirty days after a problem has been resolved is a powerful message to show that you really do care about the individual customer. This follow-up after the anger has subsided and the corrective action has been demonstrated as effective may be enough to retain loyal customers and earn a few new ones.

 

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Words of Wisdom

 

"You can't teach someone to care."

- Art Sakaguchi

 

"The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow."

- H G Wells

 

"Speak when you are angry and you'll give the best speech that you will ever regret." 

- Lawrence J Peter

 

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John Mehrmann is a freelance author and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital.

 

 

 

Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com

 

 

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