Customer Service Understanding Expectations and Development

Customer Expectations

 Customers come with needs
 Companies need to focus on customer needs and wants to create customer value
 Policies should be flexible to varying needs, not “one size fits all” mentality
 Focus on long term relationships, not short term dollars
 Golden rule – treat each customer as you would want to be treated as a customer.

Be Customer centered not Company Centered

• Company centered thinking:
  The focus is on organizational functions, policies and procedures – these companies try to fit the customer to the company
• Customer centered thinking:
  The focus is on what the customer needs and wants to create customer value – successful companies fit the needs of the customer.

Think like a customer!

1) Listen to your customers
 Prepare to listen, set aside time
 Control or eliminate distractions
 Establish eye contact
 Don’t prejudge the message
 Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues
 Paraphrase the content to insure proper understanding
 Seek feedback on the clarity of your response
 Listening is a learned skill, that can be improved

2) Interactions with customers
 Use multiple communication channels prevents misunderstandings
=  Sit forward
=  Speak with enthusiasm
=  Show concern/respect
 Facial expressions and the tone of your voice can account for over 50% of your message
 Speak at the level of your customer, use vocabulary for the environment

3) Questioning your customers
 Allow the customer time to answer the question asked, if confronted with a BIG SILENCE then:
= Repeat the question in another manner
= Follow-up with an example
= Ask a commitment question, then ask your primary question
 Ask soft, non-challenging questions
 Position questions in examples or scenarios
 Work questions into conversations as opposed to interrogations
 Acknowledge every response even if unclear

Customers & Telephones
Good telephone practices:
 Be positive – “That’s my job calling”
 Own the problem, take the heat
 Say your company name, identify your department and yourself
 Try to answer by 2nd or 3rd ring
 Don’t put someone on hold without asking
 Don’t let someone stay on hold for more than 30 seconds without feedback of status
 Update your answering message every day
 Thank the customer for calling

Customer Value
Customer Value = Product Quality + Customer Service

 Customers perceive value when their needs are met or exceeded
 Customer value is established through long term relationships, not quick one-time sales.

Building a loyal Customer

 Customers come into a relationship with pre-existing attitudes and expectations
 If an experience goes as expected, there is nothing special, the customer may not be back
 Every customer has options to choose from; what is compelling about one company over another
 Very satisfied customers will become loyal customers
 Loyal customers would rather stay than switch

The stages of Customer Value

 Customer value is individual and variable
 A desired level of service becomes expected level over time – the bar is always being raised
 An organization has to have the resources in place to support at least the desired level of customer value
 External relationships with customers are built from internal experiences within the company
 The more customer centered your organization, the better able to provide higher levels of customer value

Managing Conflicts
A customer centered attitude is critical in difficult situations.
 Listen and clarify
– Make certain you understand the problem
– Maintain or enhance the self-esteem of customer
 Demonstrate Empathy
– Listen and respond with concern for the problem
 Non-Verbal signals
– Avoid any negative or distracting sounds or expressions
 Solutions
– Listen to problem and ask what is expected before offering solution
– Do not make promises that you cannot keep
– Ask for help in solving the problem
 Actions
– Get help, follow through, get back to the customer

Pitfalls or Traps to avoid
 Poor management commitment/resistance
 All levels of participation from employees
 Old school management philosophies
 Measurement psychosis
 Blaming problems on “people”

Customer Service – Summary
 Customer service is not provided by one area, but the whole company
 Communication from everyone in the organization should be positive and enthusiastic
 Listen to your customers and ask what they expect
 Deal with the facts
 Offer the best solution
 Tell the customer you want him to come back, you want his business.