Symptoms of
Today’s Business
Challenges
Organization Stress
Shrinking Brand Loyalty
Increased Price Sensitivity
Heightened Competition
Increasing Customer Knowledge
Demanding Customers
TODAY’S ECONOMY IS COMING BACK
…BUT NOT LIKE IT WAS
Will today’s customer
buy from you or your
competition?
“There’s no good just being
better…you have got to be
different.”
Charles Handy
Today’s
Customers are
Revolting...
Excuse
Me…Enough is
Enough!
Today’s Customers Are Keeping
Score
...and sharing their
scores!
Why We Give Bad Service
• We don’t understand the purpose of being in
business.
• We don’t understand customers.
• We don’t understand what business we’re in.
You aren’t in the coffee business serving people.
You’re in the people business
serving coffee.
Howard Schultz, Starbucks
IT’S A CHOICE
You can create GREAT service if you want to – but
you have to WANT TO.
However, you have to give up your excuses first.
Ask yourselves this question:
Why aren’t we giving it all we’ve got?
Decide to put some OOMPH into your
ordinary!
Service Cycle
Service is a process…not an event!
The beginning of the customer
relationship impacts the ending.
How many hands do your customers pass
through in the service cycle?
Can you
afford me?
How about me?
Customer Service Is…
Attitude
Technique
What Is Customer Service
Attitude?
The inherent ability to look at every
Customer interaction as an opportunity
to create a smooth, seamless and
memorable service experience.
THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT
YOUR BUSINESS...
 Have to genuinely enjoy people
 Must be active, energetic, outgoing
 Must be willing to serve
 Must demonstrate a sense of urgency
 Must have non-discriminatory
attitudes about other people
It’s Not Easy To Teach Someone
to…
smile
be friendly
want to serve
be personable
What you can do is hire people who have those
qualities and then teach them about your
products, services, expectations and service
culture.
Five Core Principles Of Customer Care
1. To customers, frontline representatives ARE your
company.
2. Employee Satisfaction Matters; directly impacts
employees’ service to customers
3. Show customers they are valued…never assume.
4. Internal customer care is as important as external
customer care.
5. Train your staff to deliver great service – and hold
them accountable.
Principle #1: To Customers, Frontline Representatives
ARE Your Company.
 Do frontline employees view themselves as
ambassadors?
 Are they trained in communication skills?
 Are they empowered to satisfy the customer
on-the-spot?
 Are you aware of the various customer touchpoints that occur in your organization?
"An empowered organization is one in which
individuals have the knowledge, skill,
desire, and opportunity to personally
succeed in a way that leads to collective
organizational success.“
Stephen R. Covey, Principle - Centered Leadership
Principle #2: Employee Satisfaction Matters –
Directly Impacts Employees’ Service To Customers
 What is the turnover rate for our customer-facing
employees?
 How do you measure employee satisfaction and
motivation?
 When employee satisfaction is low, what do you do
about it?
 Do performance issues in your organization stem from
an employee’s attitude or from his/her skill level?
Principle # 3: Show Customers They Are Valued.
Never Assume They Know It.
 If you were a customer of your company, would
you feel valued?
 When closing a call or other type of customer
transaction, are employees expected to thank
customers for their business?
 Do customer-facing employees understand the
importance of earning a customer’s loyalty?
Customer Service is the New Marketing
Principle # 4: Internal Customer Care Is As
Important As External Customer Care.
Do employees know who their internal
customers are?
Are employees’ measured on the service
they provide to internal customers?
Do they recognize that everyone in the
organization is a service provider?
Sometimes…you have to fake
it until you make it.
Principle # 5: Train Your Staff To Deliver Great
Service – And Hold Them Accountable.
 Do employees know what’s expected of them?
 Do they have the knowledge, skills and
competencies to provide great service to
internal and external customers?
 Do supervisors and managers provide regular,
constructive and skilled coaching to
employees?
 Are employees rewarded for their success?
Bed-rock of Business Success…Clear
Expectations for Your Team
Do they know…
• what to do?
• how to do it?
• why they are doing it?
• how they will be measured?
• when you want it done?
Do they want to do it for…
• themselves?
• your business?
• your customers?
BREAK TIME
The Telephone Is Your Storefront
st Impressions
•1
Window
•Answer the “knock at the door”
of a ringing phone line
•Smile in advance
•Enthusiastic greeting
•Speak slowly and clearly
•Give your name
•Ask: “How may I help you?”
•Ask if caller can hold…and wait
for a response
•Thank callers
•Ask: “Is there anything else I
can help you with?”
Telephone Taboos
• Don’t allow your “foul
mood” or your coworkers
to carry over
• Hanging up on a caller first
• Your company doesn’t
return phone calls or voice
mail messages. (Call
customers back promptly or have
calls returned on your behalf.)
• Rush callers
• Vent to callers
• Place callers on hold
without asking them first.
• Place callers on a
speaker phone without
asking permission first?
• Eat, drink or chew gum.
• Hold side-bar
conversations
• Reassure callers
• Personal phone calls/
text on company time
You CANNOT...Not Make A First
Impression!
We are judged by people through
what we say, how we say it, our
body language, facial expressions,
our tone of voice, and the way we
answer the phone.
Your company is judged by the way
your telephone is answered.
If you only get one chance
to make a good first
impression how...
enough are you to plan what
happens in this important
moment?
Customer Expectations
•Know Me
•Understand Me
•Lead Me
•Help Me
•Serve Me
•Respect Me
•Thank Me
•Surprise Me
Wouldn’t it be nice to....?
Match our associates unknown expectations
With our unknown capabilities
Customer’s Perception…is “The
Perception”
Senses Impact Customer Perception
What
What
Customers See
Customers Hear
What Customers
What Customers
Smell
Touch
Will Customers
talk + or –
about their
experience with
you?
ARE YOU RESPONDING?
Or…
“Executives say that the way their
organizations interact with
customers will be the greatest
challenge in their operations.”
Economist Intelligence Unit – Business 2010
Your competition is waiting for
your customers to become
dissatisfied with your lack of
customer service.
We will always be defined in the
marketplace by what our customers say
about us.
TAKE AWAYS
• Creating and Sustaining a Service Culture is
not an option, it’s a necessity for survival.
• When you reduce your sphere of control you can increase
your sphere of influence.
• Demonstrating “The Customer Experience,” starts with
YOU!
• Smash the silos.
• Knowing and doing are not the same.
• Take your shoes off before walking in the customer’s shoes.
Your CVB…“One-Stop Resource
Shop” for Community Information
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Preston
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1-800-458-7373
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www.fivestarcustomerservice.com
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