Customer Service Is Dying - and Im Not Feeling So Good Myself

Have you ever called a company and been greeted with the phrase "Hold, please"? How do they know you can hold? They don't even know who you are. Maybe you can't hold; maybe you have 10 seconds of juice left on your cell phone and your hair is on fire. Then you finally get someone on the phone, only to be told, "I can't actually help you; I'm just paid to apologize, and I'm really sorry about that."

Being frustrated by a lack of customer service is nothing new. It just seems that in the last few years, companies have become more innovative when it comes to not helping you solve your problems. I recently asked a hotel employee to help me with my luggage. He told me to hold on and he would have someone look into it. I thought, "Hey, you're someone-why can't you look into it?" I realize that we are as busy as we have ever been, and that many younger people were not brought up in the traditional culture of customer service. But none of these excuses will protect your business in today's challenging economy, where customers are questioning value even with companies they have known for years.

Maybe it's time to get back to basics and make service a real priority. Sure, plenty of companies claim to offer great customer care. But raising your service standards requires more than a promise; you need to set concrete goals and establish effective procedures to meet them. Whether you own the company, handle key accounts or just accidentally encounter your customers, you'll reap huge benefits by applying the following customer service goals:

On the Phone

• Be friendly! No one wants to send a check to people who seem to be bothered by their call.

• Ask permission before putting a caller on hold. If a customer is greeted with "Hold, please," what the customer really hears is "Hang on! Someone much more important than you just called in."

• Keep it professional. Smoking cigarettes, slurping a drink, and playing the drums on your desk makes callers feel like they are getting advice from a guy in a bar.

• Make sure that callers don't have to repeat themselves. Someone who has explained a problem three times to three different people hangs up angry, whether or not the problem is solved. All the Time

• Create a positive image to attract business. Remember that squirrels are just rats with good publicity.

• Display compassion for people who are upset. People who don't think you care won't value your solution.

• Be very clear when you explain a process. When customers don't know what you're talking about, they assume you don't either.

• Do what you say you're going to do. When you don't follow through, people don't think you have forgotten. They think you don't care.

• Know when to bring in someone else. When it becomes clear that the customer thinks you are the problem, set your ego aside and send in a fresh face.

• Establish a simple, easy-to-implement, customer service plan. When something is really complicated, it's hard to tell if it's working.

Well, I think customer service will survive- and I feel better now that I've written this article-but it's important that we help nurse that ailing customer service to a full recovery, ensuring a healthy prognosis for today's businesses. The companies that attract and keep the best customers are usually the most effective at managing expectations and emotions. Successful companies train their people to anticipate customer needs and to solve problems before the customer knows they exist. But before you can do any of this, you have to start with the basics. If you really want customers, set customer service goals. Remember, if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.

Garrison Wynn is a nationally known speaker, trainer, and coach. He is the President and founder of Wynn Solutions, specializing in The Truth about Success.

About The Author

As a speaker, advisor, and entertainer, Garrison has worked with some of the world's most effective corporate leaders and salespeople, from multi-billion dollar manufacturers to top New York Stock Exchange wire houses. He has a background in manufacturing, entertainment, telecommunications and financial services. An experienced actor and former professional stand-up comedian, he has hosted PBS television specials and national radio programs.

www.wynnsolutions.com, garrison@wynnsolutions.com

---

Poor Customer Service - Are Your Customers Driving Away Other Customers

Every customer you have is a word-of-mouth advertiser for you.... Read More

8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture

"Every company's greatest assets are its customers, because without customers... Read More

Customer Service, Italian Style

Nowadays, we complain nearly all of the time about how... Read More

Customer Service Is Dying - and Im Not Feeling So Good Myself

Have you ever called a company and been greeted with... Read More

Why Passenger Surveys are a Transport Operators Best Friend

Public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not... Read More

Make Sure You Get The Customer Perspective

Businesses that fail, often forget to seek out the customer... Read More

The Logic of Emotion!

Homebuyers are an interesting study. Watching people make their home... Read More

Add Value - And Kill Mediocrity in Customer Service

There are two kinds of customer service we all experience... Read More

When the Customer Demands: Give a Discount or Lose the Order

Periodically every sales person encounters the customer who refuses to... Read More

The Number 1 Rule for Businesses - Be Professional

Have you ever walked into a store and things looked... Read More

Call Center Software - Your Tool of Choice in Customer Relations

The call center represents your first line of communication with... Read More

Tips for Curing Bad Customer Service

Bad customer service is everywhere these days - unmanned front... Read More

Customer Conversion Mistakes That Will Cost You

The following are common mistakes that Sales Managers and Owners... Read More

Listening to Customers - 5 Tips

In a strange juxtapositioning of articles, this month's UK '... Read More

And The Difference is... Attitude

I returned a rental car at an airport yesterday. As... Read More

How to Keep Customers

Who was it that said - "The customer is always... Read More

Transforming Disgruntled Customers into Your Biggest Advocates

"I am writing to complain about the widget I bought... Read More

Make Your Customer Your Friend

The simplest way to describe a 'durian' (pronounced doo-ree-ann) is... Read More

Are You Giving Your Customers Enough Reasons To Return To Your Business?

Good customer service just isn't enough anymore in the marketplace... Read More

Outsourcing: The Unspoken Costs

Outsourcing seems to be the new-new thing and approximately 50%... Read More

Your Actions Tell Your Clients How You Expect To Be Treated

There is a widely accepted principle of human behavior that... Read More

Customer Service - Winning Customer Experiences

Winning Customer ExperiencesMuch research has been done on what the... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About Seeing the World from Where the Customer Is Standing

It is important to remember that the customer doesn't necessarily... Read More

Customer Service Tips for Mail Order Businesses

Can we be too good to our customers?... Read More

The Death of the Loyal Customer

One of my classes in management focused on the repeat... Read More

From Scowl to Smile: 5 Practical Steps to Instill Exceptional Customer Service

Whether in a restaurant, a retail establishment, or the local... Read More

The Drawback of Hacking Off a Blogger Through Weak Process Gaps and Pathetic Customer Service

With all of the recent data theft in the financial... Read More

Ten Ways to Help You Improve Your Customer Service

1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis.... Read More

How CRM Software Works -- Creating Customer Satisfaction with a Click

When people ask, "What is CRM?" the literal answer is,... Read More

Should I Have My Company Mystery Shopped?

I wish I had a nickel for every time someone... Read More

4 Easy Steps to Better Online Customer Support

Customer support is very important when you're running a business,... Read More

We Sell For Less and Our Stores Are a Mess!

What kind of image do you present when marketing your... Read More

What Type Of Software Is This?

The other day while at the book store, I came... Read More