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Customer Care

The conversation with a customer

26 March 2010

1. Enunciate/articulate clearly. Speak distinctly.

2. Use plain English and avoid unnecessary jargon and acronyms.

3. Use action specific words and directions.

4. Use the caller’s name during the conversation.

5. Always speak calmly and choose your words naturally.

6. Use all of your listening skills:

a. Focus your entire attention on the caller and the conversation
b. Listen between the words
c. Summarise and clarify to confirm or check for understanding

7. If there is a problem, project a tone that is concerned, empathetic, and apologetic.

8. Avoid using phrases such as: a. I don’t know. Use something like, that is a good question, let me find out for you, or offer to connect the caller with someone who could provide the answer.
If a call involves some research, assure the person you will call back by a specific time. If you do not have an answer by the deadline, call back and say you are still researching. There is no excuse for not returning calls.
b. I/We can’t do that. Instead say what you can do.
c. You’ll have to …. Try, I need you to …. Or “you will need to”.
d. Just a second. If you need to update records or look up information, ask the caller to bear with you and explain what you are doing.

To review the complete Customer Care workshop Outline: Click here.

Pareto's Law ('The Pareto Principle')

25 March 2010

Pareto's Law ('The Pareto Principle') Pareto's Law is commonly known as the 80:20 rule. Typically in any organisation:
• 20% of customers account for 80% of your turnover
• 20% of customers account for 80% of your profits
• 20% of customers account for 80% of your service and supply problems

It is important to know is which customers fit into which category and then to manage them accordingly. Highly satisfied customers who perceive a high value in your products and services commonly make excellent advocates for your organisation - nurture these customers and give the special treatment. Dissatisfied customers who perceive a low value in your products and services are potential saboteurs. These customers could have little or no loyalty and may actively 'engage' against your organisation. Therefore you should seek to rebuild relationships and trust, and a new basis for a future relationship, or manage the separation with dignity, professionalism and integrity.

To review the complete Customer Care workshop Outline: Click here .

Customers' expectations

24 March 2010

Customers' expectations If an organisation cannot at least meet its customers' expectations it will struggle. Ideally a business organisation should exceed its customers' expectations, thereby maximising the satisfaction of its customers, and also the credibility of its goods and services in the eyes of its customers. Customers normally become delighted when a supplier under-promises and over-delivers. To over-promise and under-deliver is a recipe for customers to become very dissatisfied.

Rule No 1 - You cannot assume that you know what a customer's expectations are ... You must ask.

Rule No 2 - Customer expectations will constantly change so they must be determined on an on-going basis... You must ask.

To review the complete Customer Care workshop Outline: Click here .

Moments of Truth

23 March 2010

'Moments of truth' are encounters with customers which cause them to form a view of the organisation based on how they are engaged...

'Moments of truth' are encounters with customers which cause them to form a view of the organisation based on how they are engaged, particularly compared to their expectations. Expectations can be met, exceeded or disappointed. Moments of truth can therefore be positive, in the case of meeting and exceeding expectations, or negative, in the case of disappointment.

Monitoring the 'moments of truth' allows the company to focus on improving areas responsible for negative customer experiences. Remedial action to prevent repetition is crucial.

A single mistake is forgivable. A repeat rarely is.

To review the complete Customer Care workshop Outline: Click here.

Statistics

22 March 2010

Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for.” Peter Drucker

Some facts and figures about customer care:

• When visiting a retail outlet, shoppers decide in the first 8 seconds whether they are comfortable and therefore likely to buy.
• Dissatisfied customers tell 20-30 people about their bad experience.
• Satisfied customers tell no one about their experience – they don’t notice the service level provided.
• Delighted customers will tell 7-10 other people, so word of mouth attracts more customers.
• Employee satisfaction equates to customer satisfaction.
• How well one part of an organisation serves another part can have a real impact, for better or worse, on the organisation’s “bottom line.” The correlation is clear: exemplary external customer service derives from the inside.

To review the complete Customer Care workshop Outline: Click here .