12 Most Stupendous Ways to ROCK Customer Service
I wrote my first book, Five-Star Customer Service, with one simple premise in mind: you don’t have to charge Ritz-Carlton prices to give Ritz-Carlton service! After all, a sincere smile costs you nothing, but that alone can build you an empire – just ask Chick Fil-A how that type of warmth is working for them as they compete for customers with McWendy King.
No matter what business you’re in, you can make Five-Star Customer Service your calling card as well. Begin with some of the “12 Quick Tips” I share with each of my Five-Star audiences.
Everyone else out there is making the same sloppy mistakes, treating their customers poorly – and setting expectations low. Follow these suggestions and lock your customers in for life.
Remember, Spoiled = Loyal. Spoil your customers with your outstanding customer service.
1. Make your company a H.I.T.
Hire for attitude. Inspire through pride. Train in skills.
In. That. Order.
Remember: you can teach job-skills to anyone with half a brain, as long as their mind is open to learning. Attitude is key. When hiring, start there or suffer the consequences.
2. “It’s not my fault, but it is my problem” – Disney
Don’t take complaints personally. …But do solve them. The buck stops with you, no matter where you land on the org chart.
3. You are always on a job interview
Who’s to say that your client’s dorky intern won’t be your biggest customer three years from now, or your next boss? Give the same unrivaled level of customer service to everyone you meet, all week long.
4. If it works for Stew…
This one is written in stone outside Stew Leonard’s, “The World’s Largest Dairy Store.” If it works for Stew… I’d at least give it a try if I were you.
Rule #1 – The customer is always right
Rule #2 – If the customer is ever wrong, reread Rule #1
Of course customers make mistakes: they’re people, too! But you’ve got to stop thinking like that, or you’ll never provide Five-Star Customer Service. If the customer wants it, your only desire should be to provide it.
5.You are never fully dressed without a smile
Down? Cranky? That’s for amateurs; your competition. Can’t smile? Call in sick.
6. Replies to “thank you”
2-star answer: “No problem.”
3-star answer: “You’re welcome.”
5-star answer: “My pleasure.”
Be the 5-star “My Pleasure” Guy… or Gal. People will love doing business with you.
7. Don’t fuss at your customer
Compare:
(A) “We aren’t really supposed to do that, but I’ll make an exception this once, as a courtesy.”
(B) “I’d be more than happy to help you with that. What else can I do for you? Really; what else?”
8. “My job is to make your job easier”
This should be the mantra of every member of your company – and no one should take it more seriously than the top brass. Leap tall buildings to make your workers’ jobs easier. Encourage them to make your customers’ jobs easier. Then buy your own island.
9. Act as if your customer’s business were your own
Always start a sale by asking yourself, “If I were in my customer’s shoes, would I really benefit from this?” Keep that attitude throughout your relationship. Serve your customer ahead of yourself; your customer will take care of you, so you won’t have to.
10. Give conservative estimates of time and money required for any project
Your clients expect projects to get off schedule and run over budget; it makes them tense, and they’ll resent you for it before you even start your work. Stun them by completing projects early and coming in under-budget. Earn residual sales and referrals.
11. President/CEO: call your clients “just to check in”
A sincere and unexpected “How are we doing?” call from #1 will blow your clients away – and that moment-of-truth experience will lock them in for life. Watch your referrals multiply, and enjoy the share of your clients’ wallets you gain as a result.
12. C.A.R.E.
Communicate. Appreciate. Respect. Encourage.
Demonstrate through your every action that you C.A.R.E., a stupendous movement started by Al Smith. And you can start by practicing The 15/5 Rule, which I spell out in my recent post on the C.A.R.E. site. I hope you check it out!
…And if customer service is your thing, I can’t recommend the #custserv twitter chat group enough. The conversation is active and awesome all week long. Every Tuesday at 9 pm Eastern (that’s New York time), dive into one of the most active, fastest chats ever! It is chock-full of authors and CEOs mixing it up with front-line CSRs and small business professionals. It’s as egalitarian as it is stupendously educational… and the friendships you build will last a lifetime!
Ted Coiné
Ted Coiné is the business heretic at the helm of the Catalyst blog. Author and speaker, futurist, and happily-former CEO, Ted is currently writing his third book, Catalyst, about how business will be done in this exciting new century. Follow him on Twitter and join the conversation on #leadbiz.
Enjoyed this and I am with you, what if we had a replacement for facebook and twitter that treated us like we were valued and individuals?
Loved it, Ted. I especially enjoyed "it's not my fault but it is my problem". I also use #8 a lot...my job is to make your job easier!
Truly an outstanding post, filled with information that companies and individuals need to take to heart. Why not be "Five-Star"? This post is!
My latest conversation: How to Handle Success in Your Elevator Speech
Good stuff, Ted! #3 makes so much sense, well they all do, but that one really resonates... You just never know where that next big opportunity is going to come from, so do your homework and be prepared! Oh, and let's not forget that customer service catch word "Lagniappe" :) Even the littlest of something extra / unexpected can garner great rewards.
Great list of 12, they work for customers that are doing business with your company and internal to the company. The companies that win the JD Power's award on Customer Service practice these 12. Firm believer the Customer is always right!
I sure wish MORE places paid attention to customer service. The voice menus absolutely make me crazy as does repeating the same information over and over again. The irony is that some major companies, like Facebook, have NO ACCESS that I'm aware of to ANY customer service...I think the same for Twitter. Try and find a "live" person at either of those monstrously successful companies! Forgetaboutit!
BruceSallan You know, Bruce, there are two reasons for a leader to be committed to great customer service: the profit it brings, or the pride it brings. Unfortunately, there are businesses, including FB and Twitter, with such compelling products that we put up with no, or poor, service. ...Until something better grabs our attention and we leave in droves.
That, my friend, is the danger companies face when they ignore or abuse their customers during the good times.
Really great post Ted. Back at one of my first jobs at Merriill Lynch, I attended two workshops: Customer Satisfaction Skills and Phone Skills. Two basics that shaped my customer service skills which are important for any job at any level. Taking time for your employees to learn the basics sets up your company up for success. Simple tricks and being mindful of your actions & verbiage makes a huge difference in customer service & satisfaction.
PegFitzpatrick You're very lucky for that experience, Peggy - and Merrill was smart for giving you such a solid foundation to work from.
Most new employees want to do well, they just don't know how. That's where the "Train" part of H.I.T. comes in.
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Brilliant post! I especially loved, "Can't smile? Call in sick." Customer service is an opportunity for many companies/brands to take the initiative to make it infectious among their customers, as well as within their company. Thanks for the #custserv chat tip! I'll need to check it out this Tuesday.
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