Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Impotance of Communication

Dilbert.com



Dilbert.com

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Irate, Rude and Abrasive Customers

If your employed your going to eventually deal with people who are upset and dissatisfied.
Here is what you need to do when this moment comes
  • Recognize that its nothing personal
  • Apologize: massage their feelings
  • Sympathize: How would you want to be treated as a customer?
  • Accept Responsibility: Be procative
  • Prepare to Help
  • Recognize you can satisfy most of the people most of the time

Customer Service Training

ProEdge Skills Inc. says they have effective training programs take a look and let me know.
http://www.proedgeskills.com/customer_service_training.htm

Check out these sample course outlines from Business Training Works: http://www.businesstrainingworks.com/Course-Directories/Customer-Service-Training-Courses-Directory.html

Maintaining Customer Relations: Securing Revenue for the Future

We all want to make more money, that's why we're in business. We must keep the customer interested and satisfied with our company to encourage future purchases.
What do you need to do?
  • Maintain accurate customer records through a database
  • Follow-up with the customer
Watch these three follow-up scenarios from this clip.

Service Recovery: Solving the Unexpected

When something is broken it needs to be repaired or fixed. Indefinitely you will deal with customers who have had something unexpected break their trust in your service. Your job will be to problem and solve and bring a solution that will repair this customer business relationship. Make proactive decisions to understand the customer feelings by going beyond just fixing the problem to looking to the future and maintaining their business. Sometimes their needs to be more done than just a fix toa problem, there are human emotions in play and you should be empathetic and understanding. Watch the clip and think about similar situations you have had. How would you solve the problem and make the customer satisfied if you were the employee?
Also, consider that these "going the extra mile" offers must be explained to you as company policy before you decide to offer them.

Internal Customer Service: A Responsability for All

It is important to understand who are customers are.
Who are our customers? Are they limited to those who by our products and services?
Treating those internally with that great customer service is vital.
Here are three Key elements to your success:
  1. Know the mission of your organization and your role
  2. Internal customer service is everyone's responsability

Emails of Irritation and Devastation

Emails can irritate your fellow collegues, supervisors, and customers it is important to be cautious about what you send in emails.

Negative Emotional Leakage

Managing negative emotional leakage. This does not matter where you are or who are with throwing your negative emotions on to another employee or customer is destructive.

The Weapon of Victory: Customer Service Mind Set

An effective customer service mind set wields a sword to slice the competition when all other variables are the same.
An effective customer service mindset has these seven qualities:
  • Empathy
  • Enthusiasm

Answering the Phone

Pick up the phone and give a
  • Greeting
  • Company Name
  • Your Name

Help Desk: Purposeful Laughter

Have you ever had a bad day at the help desk? Possibly everyday you have several callers that are computer illiterate. Have a good laugh watching this funny Star Wars customer service Help Desk clip.

While this clip is humorous, there are crucial points to catch.
What could be improved in this company?
First, to help the employee at the Help Desk, ensure that everyone be trained on how to use their equipment. Training employees on how to use software rather than just throwing them in front of it all, can make a big difference for your company morale and productivity.
Second, a code of ethics enters the stage. For employees to such simplistic access at databases of crucial information there must be a code of ethics and along side it a system that blocks the majority of employee data theft.

Levels of Customer Service: Unbelievable

We have all experienced differing types of customer service,but it is unlikely that we have experienced each level of customer service.

Customer Service: Telephone Tips

On these 10 telephone tips seven through ten are shown in detail. All are effective, but I find numbers eight to be the most effective and also poorly done. Take a look at this video, practice these tactful skills and improve yourself.
At the end of the clip there is a short review of all ten skills.
  1. Answering a Business Call
  2. Putting a Caller on Hold
  3. Monogramming the Call
  4. Avoiding Excuses
  5. Giving the Caller your Undivided Attention
  6. Giving Spoken Feedback Signals
  7. Taking Accurate Messages
  8. Controlling the Conversation
  9. Avoiding Mouth Noises
  10. Leaving a Good Last Impression

Thriving Business: Service Mind Set

To be a thriving business you must have these three components:
  • an Excelent product
  • an Excellent delivery system
  • an Excelent service mind set
According to Ron Kaufman the third element, a service mind set, will accelerate or destroy your investment in the other two categories.
Think about his sandwich shop story and what you as a customer would like to receive. Now see it from the employee perspective, what must you do to develop this service mind set?

Proactive Customer Service

Being proactive sets you apart from the crowd. Be actively professional and see each situation through your managers eyes.
Take a look at these example situations and with which you can identify as a customer. Remember as an employee that the customer may only have one employee reaction with your business while you will have several customer interactions.