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Are You Providing Outstanding Customer Service?
Your customers are your business. Without them, life would be very difficult. The best way to keep your customers, and get new ones, is to provide outstanding customer service.
Any contact with a customer provides fertile ground for giving great customer...Continue
Customer Service - The Infection of Mediocrity
In recent months, I've had the worst experiences with my phone
company, the post office, my bank, fast food drive through
services, the grocery store, department stores and local gas
stations.
I expect to receive what I pay for. I expect that what I...Continue
Customer Service Tips for Small Businesses
We hear it all the time about big companies, and most likely we have professed a few of the same sentiments ourselves: "They've gotten too big to care about individual customers," "Personalized service is a thing of the past," and "If you get mad and go away,...Continue
Five Secrets to Showing Your Customers You Really Care
During our recent online poll, we asked the following question: What upsets you the most when receiving poor customer service? Eighty percent of the poll...Continue
Hiring Customer Service Representatives That Are A Perfect Fit
Have you ever phoned a customer service department only to receive an attitude rather than help? Not a pleasant experience! It is quite obvious that the person on the other end of the phone is not pleased with...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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Leave Your “Buts” Behind for Great 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 this way.”
Then the situation magically goes downhill from there and it is difficult to win back the customer.
What Happened?
The customer service person used the one word that has a powerful negative effect when dealing with customers. The one word, if you can imagine, brings out the horns on the customer’s forehead, turns his face red, tightens his teeth, and clinches his hands…the word is but.
This is because but is an exclusive word. The use of but negates everything that was said previously by the customer. The customer then feels alienated and disrespected. It says to the customer, “You discounted or ignored everything I just said and you are going on with your agenda. Well, you don’t respect me, so I won’t respect your solution.”
The Solution
Replace the use of but with this powerful, positive word that will make the customer feel like he is are a part of the solution, put a smile on his face, and change the mood to the positive…the word is and. And is an inclusive word. If you think about it, and in math equals the function of addition. The use of and says to your customer, “I value what you just said, and we will take that into consideration as I share my solution with you.”
Remember, 90% of satisfying the customer is making the customer feel like you are listening to them. The use of and says to the customer I am listening to your input.
Lets apply this to the above scenario:
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, and we can to do it this way.”
As you can see it is a more positive response to the customer’s feedback. Instead of the customer being on the opposite side of your solution by using the word and you create a bridge for the customer to cross to consider your solutions. Bottom line, your customer is more likely to quickly accept your solutions.
So, if possible, record yourself in a conversation so that you can see where you are using but. Then work at substituting and in place of but. It may feel a little awkward at first. However, the more you use and the smoother it will sound and you will see immediate results. The benefits are less stress for you, positive customer service situations, and happier customers. Remember, leave your buts behind and you, too, will provide great customer service.
About the Author
Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Go to his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Secrets, Stories, and Tips for Marvelous Customer Service."
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