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A Guide For Customer Service Training Tools
Let's face it, good customer service can make or break a
company. Even if the product is top-notch, if the sales
representatives don't have great customer service skills, it
doesn't matter. Customer service should be a number one priority
to any...Continue
Check Yourself for Outstanding Customer Service
How many times have you heard something similar to this in a customer service situation? Customer: “Why don’t you just do it this way, and it will take care of the situation.” Customer Service Person: “I understand what you are saying, but we can to do it...Continue
Customer Service - A Lost Art?
Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that question, take a moment and think about the last few times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now that you have really thought about it, is your answer any different?
Why is it that...Continue
Customer Service - why some people just shouldn't own shops
I had a call last week from a friend of mine who is an advertising agent and copywriter. He gave me a referral to the owner of a franchised coffee shop who had called him seeking help with advertising and marketing. My friend said that he thought that the...Continue
Silly Service has its Serious Side: Test Your Customer Service Knowledge!
Who says service is serious? Customer service can be silly too. Take this fun quiz to test your customer service knowledge. You may be a service ace if you both pick the correct answer to each of these ten questions, and understand why...Continue
What is Great Customer Service?
In almost all cases customers come to your business because they have a problem and believe that you may have the solution. Whether you do, or whether you can build enough trust with the customer to let them solve their problem is up to you.
In the day...Continue
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In the Villa of the Sick Cat--A Lesson in Customer Care
If you're a pet owner, you know the stress of having a sick pet
and you know that having a great veterinarian is a wonderful
thing. My cat, Zoe, came down with a nasty infection that had me
racing off to the vet's office last week with an unhappy,
howling kitty in tow. (She's doing much better now.)
This was my first visit to this vet's office, having just moved
here last year. When I arrived, the building was under
construction. Lots of hammering, sawing, and loud noises--not
exactly the controlled, calm atmosphere preferred by a sick pet.
But fortunately, Zoe lives in the House of Perpetual
Construction Projects, so she did okay.
But, what really struck me was the construction project itself.
The waiting room has been transformed into an Italian Villa with
high ceilings, a graceful figure-eight-shaped pool in the center
of the room, a decorative fountain, and "faux" plants. It is
gorgeous and would make a great setting for a romantic Italian
meal complete with fine wine and a strolling violinist.
My first reaction on walking in was "This is beautiful, I wonder
how high my vet bill will be." As Zoe and I sat waiting (and
waiting and waiting and waiting), I watched all the other
customers coming through the door. Each one looked around at the
beautiful setting and said "I wonder how much this is going to
cost me."
The newly designed waiting rooms and exam rooms were not
designed for the customers--dogs and cats. They weren't designed
for the humans bringing in their pets for medical care. It's a
total ego design. Impressive. Elegant. Grand.
And instead of all the customers (animal and human) being wowed
by the design, they reacted negatively. You see, sick cats and
dogs want quiet, dark spaces and they want their visit to the
vet's office to be over quickly. Instead, the new design with
its concrete floor (fashionably treated to look like a sun
kissed rock patio) and its soaring ceilings means that every
time the phone rings, the noise reverberates throughout the
waiting area. The poor scheduling means that a sick pet has to
stay in that waiting room for what must seem an eternity. And of
course, the humans immediately understand that the money to pay
for this project has to come from somewhere...namely their
wallets.
Fortunately, our new vet turned out to be competent and caring
and Zoe is recovering nicely. But, the business lesson remains.
Focus on what your customers care about and you'll never go
wrong.
About the author:
Caroline Jordan, MBA helps self employed professionals build
satisfying businesses, enhance their reputations, improve cash
flow, and develop additional sources of revenue. For more tips
and strategies visit http://www.TheJordanResult.com
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