Customer Service Representatives | Call Centers

Top Ten Tips For Outstanding Customer Service

2009-10-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

Remember the 80:20 rule? You may not get everything perfectly right, but getting most right will be much, much better than the majority of your competition. These Top Ten Tips for Customer Service will get you well on the way.

Be Your Customer

Live the life of your customer and experience what they do. Stand in line, call your call-centre, soak up feedback.

Give Memorable Service

Make the life's mission of everyone (yes, everyone!) to be customer focused -even those seemingly out of direct line of fire.
Have Product Available
Generally, you can't sell it if you haven't got it. Work your systems hard and focused to get product there on time.
Listen Hard to Complaints
Complaints are a wonderful gift - it is feedback of the highest order. Enjoy them and learn fast.
Enable Your People
Enable and encourage your people to give an immediate and generous customer response.
React Fast
Make sure that you and your people work with pace and immediacy with customer issues.
Be Systems Focused
Ask, 'What would my customer think of this - would it give brilliant service?' If not, reshape the system fast.
Be Curious
Encourage everyone in your team to overhear, be nosy, ask questions and feed back information from your customers.
Research the Marketplace
Do more in your own business from what you experience as a customer elsewhere. Encourage your people to do this too.
Have Fun
Have fun with your customers. It builds relationships. Relationships are business.

Ten Tips to success, in an easy to use framework. Will you take up the challenge?

Are You Ignoring These 5 Warning Signs That You May Be Losing Your Customer Or Client?

2009-03-31T03:15:00.000-07:00

One of the most painful experiences any business and especially small businesses, entrepreneurs, or solo entrepreneurs can have is the loss of a valued customer or client. In general we value all of our customers and clients; but the ones that use our services more frequently or purchase large quantities of our products regularly and pay promptly have a higher perceived value to us as they keep our business afloat.
The loss may be gradual or may appear suddenly but invariably the reaction is, "I don't understand, we've had a good relationship (perhaps for years) and the customer has never complained..." A wise business owner will immediately do an analysis. Let's say that the relationship with the now-departed customer was over one year, consider a few points:
Failure to return calls: During the last 3-6 months did you attempt to contact the customer by telephone? Assuming that you left a message, did they return your call?
Unable to contact key personnel: Were you unable to speak with someone directly over a period of time even though you knew that the customer and/or key personnel were usually available during those time periods?
Complaint about customary charges: How many times in the past 3-6 months did the client call to speak with you other than to question the accuracy of or complain about an invoice?
Overdue invoice payment: Has it been taking longer to receive payment from your customer? They customarily paid immediately or within 10 days but over the past 3-6 months payments have been taking longer than 10 days to arrive?
Interruption of service or supply schedule: Over the past 3-6 months did your customer ask you to hold off or delay a scheduled service appointment or order delivery? Did they inform that they did not need the product or service even though their buying/service history would indicate otherwise?
Individually these actions may not trigger an immediate concern, but together they should be regarded as warning signs. It means that as small business owners, entrepreneurs or solo entrepreneurs we have to know our customers. We do this by building a relationship with them over a period of time so that they really know, like and trust us and this should not be one-sided; we should do likewise. At the same time we must stay on top of all facets of our business or delegate to someone who is conscientious and trustworthy.
For example, we should know who is not paying their bill on time and for how long. Not every customer we lose is due to negligence on our part. The reason may be purely economic; the customer can no longer afford the product or service. However, if we recognize the flashes of warning prior to losing them completely we may be able to discuss alternatives and implement strategies so that although their buying power may be reduced, we can still keep them as a customer.
Our customers need and deserve our attention. If we find that they are not returning phone calls or they appear to be avoiding us on the phone, a personal visit may be in order. Each business owner would need to decide how feasible this is. Customers who suffer neglect have the right to take their business to where they believe they will be appreciated. While we cannot control the actions of others, we can be sure to do our part by taking some basic steps:
1) Send Thank You Cards. Send unexpected cards.
2) Periodically call your customers just to say "Hello" and let them know they are appreciated. Remember everyone wears an invisible sign that says "Make me feel important."
3) Know what your customers needs are by asking them questions. They may have been your customer for several months or several years and their needs may have changed. By knowing what their needs are you are in a position to offer solutions.
4) Plan Customer Appreciation Events.
5) Never assume that your customer is yours for life! This gives room for complacency and complacency results in our loss. Instead follow-up, follow-up, and follow-up!

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Disaster Recovery Factoring Into Many Business Phone Operations

2009-03-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

Natural disasters like fires, floods or hurricanes can strike at a moment's notice and can affect business continuity in a major way. Disaster recovery has become a big part of business planning and many businesses have plans for relocation, collocation of important computer services and outsourcing crucial business functions in the time of an emergency.
When disaster strikes, many businesses turn to telephone answering services to provide phone coverage during emergency situations and power or phone outages. This is critical when businesses rely on their phones to keep in contact with customers and can lose business if there phones are down for even a short amount of time. Telephone answering services that provide disaster recovery are offering businesses a valuable service and are insuring that business will continue when disaster strikes.
If a company's phones are out of commission for whatever reason, they can be routed to a call center so they can still have their phones answered and meet their customer's needs. While a business may have to temporarily close its brick and mortar location due to a disaster, their business can continue to function through working phone lines. Call center services often have redundant phone carriers and satellite phone lines along with power backup so that their phones are never out and they remain unaffected by power outages, phone outages and natural disasters. They can instantly take your company's phone calls and take messages, handle customer service operations and provide technical support when you can't be at your office due to a disaster.
Disaster recovery services insure that crucial telephone operations are still up and running no matter what the contingency. If you absolutely need to have your customer service operation in gear twenty four hours a day seven days a week and losing it for even a few hours would cause you to lose profits, having a telephone answering service provide you with disaster recovery solutions can be crucial. You can make sure that all your order taking and order processing functions are still being carried out despite the conditions at your brick and mortar location. Plus, your phones can be answered by a live phone answering service and your customers can be updated on the status of your business and you can still receive vital messages no matter what the situation is. Disaster recovery is truly a valuable service that telephone answering services can provide and can insure business continuity no matter what disaster may strike.

The 4 Key Reasons Why Customer Service Matters

2009-03-20T01:32:00.001-07:00

Over the years having worked with many customer service training delegates and many companies in many industries I have come up with the 4 point customer service development mantra. You may have your own ideas about what makes exceptional customer service, what helps exceed customer expectations and what helps with delighting your customer.The following 4 points are fundamental to understanding why we have to focus on offering exceptional customer service.
1. The Customer pays my wages 2. The long-term growth of the company depends on the long-term development of customer relationships 3. People trade with people 4. The customer is after an easy life (and so am I !)
The customer pays my wages. Yes of course we all know it, but it is nevertheless a fundamentally important part of why exceptional customer service is important. Without customers we have no business, and consequently no job. When I am running in-house customer service training with groups in the UK I get them to turn this into a visual image by telling me what we would notice if we had no customers at all from today, and we met up outside this building in 6 months time. The tell me about the boarded up ground floor windows, the rusty padlock on the front gates and the gentle breeze blowing through the weeds in the empty car park. Evocative stuff! Our business solely depends on customers. It doesn't matter how hard you work, how much your boss likes you, how long you've worked there, if there are no customers (or too few customers) the decision about employing you ultimately gets taken out of your manager or director's hands.
The long-term growth of the company depends on the long-term development of customer relationships. First consider why an organisation has to grow. There are 2 key reasons. One is the declining value of money. Generally money decreases in value. So if an organisation is happy to make £10million profit, year on year they are actually going backwards. Clearly £10million was a lot of money 10 years ago, now it won't even buy you a premier league footballer ! Second organisations have to aim to grow, because if they don't somebody else will at their expense. In competitive marketplaces it is the law of the jungle, kill or be killed - that's the way it is. Standing still is not an option.
In order to grow then we have 2 options : we either keep the customers we already have, or we find new ones and don't worry about losing the ones we've got. But a bit of common sense needs to come into play here, and you don't need to be a seasoned business person to grasp the concept. The obvious thing to do surely is try to hang on to all the customers you've already got, and find new ones. When running in-house and open courses for customer service training I use the analogy of a bucket to demonstrate this principle. Imagine the scene : I present you with a bucket and ask you to leave the room, fill it up with water and bring it back to me full. Easy enough, and you also think "what the heck's this got to do with building customer loyalty ?" You then notice that the bucket has got a hole in the bottom. OK, well you probably wouldn't need me to tell you that in order to fill the bucket with water, you should start by sealing the hole. It is just obvious. It's the same with running a customer base - your bucket. Yes you might focus all your energies on putting water in at the top, but it's making it hard work if some, most or all of it is leaking out the bottom. So seal the hole and build customer loyalty. Then, on customer service training courses we go on to talk about loyalty schemes that the major retailers run being a good example. But I can tell you're beginning to fade in reading this, so I'll move on !
People trade with people. It is still true that most buying and selling is done between 2 people. If you as a customer like a person you are dealing with, you are much more likely to want to buy from them. Conversely, if you don't like them, you will go out of your way not to deal with them. According to Lawrence Leyton 80% of people who change suppliers do it because of a break down in the relationship between the customer and supplier. That's incredible. So that's not the pricing, a change in quality, late delivery, it's because of how we're handled.
The customer is after an easy life (and so am I !) It is important to state that these 2 things are inextricably linked. If you make life easy for your customers, they will generally make things easy for you. Mostly they do not go out of their way to make your life a misery (ok so there might be a few exceptions). Generally customers only get agitated or angry, or upset because of something you or your organisation has done or not done. Ideally the customer wants the minimum involvement with you. This is particularly true in business to business markets. They don't want to have to chase you, to keep phoning, to send e-mails. They just want things to happen quickly, accurately and without much involvement or effort on their part.
So offering exceptional customer service is easy really. It does take some involvement and effort on your part though. The prize for those who achieve this is big.

7 Tips For Building a Tribe of Loyal Customers Who Will Buy From You Over and Over Again

2009-03-16T01:53:00.000-07:00

Tribe Building Secrets
In his latest book Tribes, marketing genius Seth Godin talks about the need for people to step forward and lead "tribes" - groups of people that are passionate about something - a common mission, product, service, philosophy, etc.Although Godin does a great job at explaining what a tribe is, he makes it clear that his book is not a "how to" book. That is, he doesn't tell how to create a tribe.
As a serial entrepreneur and community activist, I have built several tribes over the years. The following 7 Tips will help anyone build a tribe. The focus of my tribe building tips is geared towards business. However, these principles apply to both for profit and not-for-profit tribes. At the end of the day,every tribe leader is selling something - a dream, a product, a way of life. 1. Have a Clear Vision. As tribe leader, you must think of yourself as the CVO - the Chief Visionary Officer of your tribe. The vision can be described as the single unifying principle upon which the tribe exists. It is your job to articulate the vision and to keep it alive.
2. Communicate. The primary means of keeping the vision alive is through communication - you must communicate regularly with your followers. Each time you communicate, you need to remind your followers of the vision very clearly and directly.
3. Build a Culture. Strong tribes have a unifying "culture" - ways of being and doing that make them unique in all the world. Sometimes a tribe has it's own special language - or lexicon that is unique to the tribe. Sometimes a tribe has a particular way of dressing or grooming that is distinct. A good tribe leader initiates aspects that define the tribe's culture.
4. Tell Stories. A critical component of tribe building is the telling and re-telling of stories of members of the tribe. These can be sad stories or humorous tales. These tales must evoke strong emotion. The tribe leader should facilitate the telling of these stories with live events and with other communication vehicles - scrapbooks, blogposts, newsletters, etc.
5. Establish Traditions. It is very important to establish traditions within the tribe. Certain specific things should be done on a regular basis that relate to specific events, anniversaries, holidays, and other special occasions. For example, if the Christmas bonus checks have always been given out at the annual luncheon the Friday before Christmas, that is a tradition that has been established and that needs to continue in order for the tribe members to feel that the tribe is stable and a good place to be.
6. Educate. Most tribes have an education component that functions to increase understanding of the unifying vision of the tribe. Sometimes this education is formal such as with traditional Sunday School classes that teach the bible in many Christian churches. Sometimes, the education is more informal such as the viewing of a movie by members of the tribe.
7. Build Relationships. Successful tribe leaders build strong relationships with certain members of the tribe. Although the tribe leader might not have a direct personal relationship with every member of the tribe, he or she needs to have strong relationships with key influential tribe members. This is necessary for the tribe leader to be able to keep the tribe focused and moving towards a particular goal.
Bonus tip: Become a Rock Star. Successful tribe leaders essentially become "rock stars" within their tribes. People want to be around them. Just like rock stars, the tribe leader can not let all tribe members in to "look under the hood." The old saying,"familiarity breeds contempt" is a phrase that should always be on the minds of tribe builders. Distance is necessary to maintain a sense of respect and aura of power.

Nobody Ever Went Broke Supplying What the Customer Was Willing to Pay For

2009-03-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

So there I was having breakfast with a new friend when brilliance struck. Russ and I were sharing our thoughts on business, life and serving others when out of the blue he said "the" phrase that crystallized the basis for running a successful business in any economic climate. Ready for it? Here it is, "Nobody ever went broke supplying what the customer is willing to pay for." Simple, concise and to the point. Think about it. Who is doing well in this difficult economic time? Those who supply a product or service that is in demand. Why do many businesses go broke and close the doors while others thrive? They have lost touch with what made them desirable to their customers in the first place. So, what is the most important focus a business owner can keep? The customer!! Seem too simple? It is, and that is why most businesses overlook it.
I submit to you the following; the businesses that survive the next couple of years will communicate closely with their customer base and ask simple but probing questions leading to a better understanding of what they are willing to pay for, and what they are not. The following are some suggestions on how you can do this for your own business.
Identify customers that like you as well as those who do not. Identify newer customers as well as long established customers. Do not forget those former customers who have not placed an order with you you recently.
Once you have a good quality list of 8 to 12 individuals, set out to have a conversation with each of them. You only need to ask some very basic and honest questions. "What do you like about our product/service." "What do you dislike about them." If they are a long established customer ask them why they stay with you and what you can do to improve. If they have not ordered for some time ask them why they moved on to another supplier. You get the idea. By asking open ended, honest questions and really listening to the answers you will gain significant insights that will allow you to make critical improvements in your business. This is not a sterile survey where they get to choose from 1 to 5, this is a conversation between two people looking to improve each others lives.

HR and Payroll Consultants - Ease Your Burden

2009-03-12T00:52:00.000-07:00

HR and payroll consultants can ease your burden if you're an employer or a business owner. They can make your work more focused on the core tasks when they help you with your HR tasks or even take over your human resource responsibilities.
PEOs or professional employer organizations consisting of HR and payroll consultants generally assume responsibility over your employees through a co-employment relationship. Employers control them at the workplace, but the PEO has the responsibility of recruiting and selecting them, administering their benefits, motivating them for better performance, ensuring their safety and that of the workplace, maintaining employee relations, processing payroll, processing workers' compensation claims, managing employer risks and employer liabilities, assisting in employee termination, unemployment claims administration, and more.
In other words, employers don't need to think about managing employee-related issues, but only focus on their business and increase productivity and earnings. There's no better way to streamline your business processes than by entering into a partnership with a PEO for one or few of the HR tasks such as payroll or employee benefits, or for outsourcing all the HR responsibilities.
PEOs also offer consultancy services through their HR and payroll consultants. They offer innovative solutions and provide assistance in making HR administration easier. HR and payroll consultants can suggest the right policies to minimize employer risks, and even offer training in liability management among other services. Managing and minimizing risks, accurate calculation of tax, ensuring federal and state regulation compliance are some of the other responsibilities PEOs and HR and payroll consultants can help you with to ease your burden as an employer.

Inspiring Customer Service

2009-03-11T00:14:00.000-07:00

On many days it seems like customer service just ain't what it used to be. I don't know about you, but I far too frequently encounter rude sales staff, rude waiters/waitresses, rude cashiers, etc... However, one man inspired me to find stories and to write an article on inspiring customer service.
The man who inspired me is a bus-boy (I'm guessing in his 40's) at a coney island, in Warren, MI; he has long straggly hair pulled into a pony-tail, some skull tattoos, a do-rag on his head, and he was thee most polite person in the entire restaurant. When he approached our table he said, "please excuse me (and he actually meant it!), may I clear your plate for you?" I replied, "you certainly may - thank you!" He smiled and while taking my plate said, "thank you, have a nice day." I replied to my father, with whom I was having lunch, "WOW - he breaks a lot of stereotypes doesn't he? He's probably the most polite bus-boy I've ever seen!" As our conversation continued about this man's service, I watched him as he traversed around the restaurant and every single table he approached received the same outstanding service. He absolutely made my day! Imagine how pleasant every experience could be if more people employed his customer service techniques - polite, respectful, and sincere! Every person who has a "customer" has an opportunity to make a difference and to create memories that will motivate their customers to keep coming back. In the spirit of having a positive attitude and in honor of customer service week (October 6-10, 2008) the following are two popular outstanding customer service stories:
The Hero
This man has been called a hero. There has been a book written about him entitled, "The Richest Man in Town." He was 70 years old and he received a "Hero Award," from the retail store for which he worked; this award is very rarely given to people in his position. You may or may not have ever heard of him... his name is Marty Martinson. Marty never made much money, he lived in a double-wide trailer, and he wasn't well educated. Marty was kind, respectful, compassionate, and humble. Marty, in fact, was a cashier at a Wal-Mart in Billings, South Dakota. Marty had a firm belief that every person deserved to be treated with kindness and respect.
Marty spent about two minutes on average with each customer, yet he always inspired. Marty asked questions, gave firm handshakes, and showed a genuine caring attitude toward every person in his checkout line. He touched not only their hands with his hand-shakes, he also touched their hearts. Customers kept coming back and Marty's line got longer and longer, because more and more people wanted to continue experiencing Marty's special touch. Johnny the Bagger
Johnny was a 19 year old bagger in a grocery store. Johnny also happened to be a person with Down Syndrome. Johnny attended a training class on customer service where he learned the importance of putting one's personal style into interactions with customers. At first he didn't think there was anything different that he could do because he "was just a bagger." But, then he had an idea... Every evening after dinner Johnny read a "thought for the day" and when he didn't like what he read, he would make up his own. So one night, Johnny's father helped Johnny put a "thought for the day" quote into the computer and he printed several copies of the quote, cut them out, signed the back, and brought the stack of quotes to work that next day. When Johnny was bagging groceries for each of his customers, he slipped a piece of paper with a quote into the bag and said, "Thank you for shopping with us." After a few weeks, Johnny's checkout line was at least three times longer than all the other lines. The store manager called for all the back-up cashiers he could find, but a most peculiar thing happened... nobody wanted to leave Johnny's line! As he was trying to urge people to move to a shorter line, the manager heard over and over again, "No thanks, I'll wait for Johnny" or "Nope, I'll stay here, I want Johnny's thought for the day." Customers who only stopped by sporadically started shopping more often, just to get Johnny's thought for the day. Not only did Johnny's personal style of customer service inspire his customers, he also inspired other employees in the store. For example, when the floral department employees had flowers with a broken stem, they would find a little girl and give her the flower. Lessons to take away
The stories of the bus-boy, Johnny the bagger, and Marty provide reminders about how simple, sincere actions can have a positive impact on customer service. Let's get back to the basics of customer service - it doesn't have to be extravagant, it doesn't have to be an expensive formal program. It does have to make people want to come back, to continue donating, to continue visiting, to bring their friends, to buy your products and services, or to make donations for your non-profit organizations. Some things to remember as you deal with your customers (internal and external), your clients, your students, your volunteers, your donors:
Positive attitudes returns positive results
Smile - it just might make someone's day
Always be respectful, especially in the tough situations
Put your personal finger print on customer satisfaction
What you say and what you do matters
Every moment counts - make them good moments
It's not your position that matters most, it's choosing what matters most that counts
Great service comes from the heart

How to Actually Give Your Customers What They Want

2009-03-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

Every business has a marketplace - and for most businesses, there is competition in that marketplace. So what makes the difference between success and failure? Why do some businesses have to turn customers away, while others cannot make any sales at all?
The problem is that most of us business people simply cannot understand why these customers cannot get how much they need our products! After all - "it is glaringly obvious to us how much better their lives will be once they just get on and buy our ebook / course / fill in the blank" - so why can't they see it! Of course - that approach to the conversation tends to create resistance from our customer - now they are looking for ways to avoid buying our product and they are getting further and further away from being sold on the prospect.
The second part of the problem is that we are all being bombarded every day with more such sales tips. People are pitching us everywhere we go - from our first breakfast radio show to the last commercial break at night - it seems that the whole world is trying to outdo each other in vying for our attention. The problem is - that's simply not what our customer is looking for.
Let's take an example that hits a huge percentage of the population - let's consider weight loss. Now if ever there was an easy product to sell - weight loss is it? Everyone you meet - even those who are not overweight - seems to be concerned about their weight, their health and how they look. So all you have to do is produce your catologue and they'll be handing over their credit card in no time!
Not quite. The problem is that fried chicken and doughnuts simply taste a lot better than a healthy alternative. So that killer sales pitch you have, all about the amount of nutrition in your products, how much healthier they are going to be and how incredible economical it actually is to be on these products - is really going nowhere, because all the time they are thinking how much better fried chicken tastes.
The good news though is that your customer does still have a need. In this case - they still have the problem of being overweight. So what if you connect with that person - to help them in some way towards their goal, without ever even mentioning that you have a product to sell. Give them some exercise and diet ideas - ways to cheat without gaining too much weight - something that gives them some value and establishes that you understand their situation and you want and are able to help. Now when they are thinking about the results they have already gotten with your help, and they want to continue that weight loss path - they will give you a call, because you are their trusted expert.
This really is incredibly simple. The reason why most people miss it is that we are all about instant gratification on the internet! And there are some demon sales types out there who can just jump in and make money right away. But the best chance for the average person in this industry is to start building some relationships with prospective customers - help them out with their problems and then the sales will follow. Build your business this way and you will have an incredibly strong foundation for financial freedom in the future!

How to Go About Retraining For a New Job

2009-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Retraining for a new job can be exciting, gratifying and, frankly, a bit frightening. Especially if one has been at their old job for many years, it's easy to convince one's self that their prime years are over and that they don't have the capacity to learn and adapt that characterize younger employees. This is absolutely not true and more experienced employees are oftentimes the best choices an employer has if they need to retrain individuals to meet new challenges.
Retraining need not entail taking up a whole new field. Oftentimes, technological advances greatly change the nature of one's current job. While the fundamental responsibilities and demands may remain the same, the ways by which goals are met may change drastically. These changes may mean learning new laws and regulations, learning how to use new technologies or simply refreshing one's skills to meet a new business reality. None of these things are beyond the reach of an experienced, dedicated employee.
Adapting one's skills often involves seeking retraining for a community college or vocational school. Going back to school, aside from being a boost to one's career and earning potential, can be thrilling in and of itself. There is the opportunity to network with individuals spanning a wide variety of industries and the opportunity to meet new people on a social basis.
Retraining at such places doesn't always mean learning skills that are entirely new. Sometimes retraining means relearning skills that may have fallen into disuse or simply learning a new aspect of a job that is already well-understood.
Of course, new computer skills are usually a part of any retraining endeavor. Learning how to operate new technology in a classroom atmosphere is enormously more convenient than learning to do so on the job. There is room for error, which makes it easier to experiment and stretch one's skills to the limit without the concerns about making mistakes that could have a negative impact on workflow. Retraining in this way often provides a base of skills that can be developed further when one returns to the workplace, confident that they have the knowledge to tackle new challenges as they present themselves.
Paying for retraining can sometimes be done by persuading one's current employer that one has more to offer than is currently being asked. Many employers would prefer to train an existing employee rather than hiring a new employee. For the employer, this means strengthening a relationship with an employee who has already earned their trust and respect instead of dealing with an unknown variable. Ask your employer if they would be willing to pay for some retraining that would allow you to serve your company in a different capacity. Community colleges and vocational schools are often very inexpensive. If you've been trying to find a way to increase your earning potential, consider signing up yourself and retraining in a field that offers more financial and personal rewards. You may well find that your new career is well within reach.

The Value of Being Unique - In the Foundation Repair Field

2009-03-04T22:03:00.000-08:00

"Cherish forever what makes you unique, because you're really a yawn if it goes." -- Bette Midler
Products and services are becoming ever increasingly similar. Oil changes services are oil change services, or are they? Jim's Garage offer personal service and local ownership. The local Jiffy Lube offers quick, "while you wait" service. Your local auto dealership offers the reliability and comfort of using OEM products by trained technicians. Which one changes oil in more cars - Jiffy Lube. They all are offering the same service, the end result is the same.
Why is Jiffy Lube successful? Simple they have an easy name to remember that reminds us why we use them. The focus on what the customer needs and wants - quick oil changes in a convenient location that does not require us to alter our schedule to perform this task.
We all can learn from this lesson. What does your customer want or need? What are they asking for? What can you offer to solve their problem? When the phone rings listen to what the person (prospect) is saying. In the foundation repair industry it is very simple. "Yes my name is Mr. Jones and I have some cracks in my foundation that is causing water to come inside. I also have a couple of doors and windows that are sticking. Could you have someone come give me an estimate?"
Mr. Jones is asking some very specific questions. Your whole company needs to understand why people call and what they want. Not what we think they need or what we did last time, what they are asking for - that's it The homeowner is not an expert he just wants his problems to go away and assumes that you are the person to make that happen.. Sounds pretty obvious, does it not?
"So Mr. Jones you have cracks today. You have doors and windows sticking today. You need someone to give you an estimate when it is convenient for you." Now the ground rules are set and both sides understand the reason for the possible business transaction. "Yes, estimator Joe can be at your home next Thursday at 3:00pm to take a look at your issues and create an estimate for our services". "Thank you for calling and Joe will see you on Thursday the 10th. This is a very simple and straight forward example of only answering the questions asked and presenting your method for a solution.
So what is so unique about this? Simple you have not made the prospect think, you have kept their life simple, and you have the opportunity to WOW them on Thursday. Your company is unique in the fact that you are taking a potentially troubling situation and making the answer as simple as possible. The prospect must feel that your employees are easy to deal with, my questions were answered, a solution was presented at a convenient time and now I must make a decision.
Being unique is not difficult, just do what you would want Jiffy Lube to do, except do not ask them if they need new windshield wipers - that's annoying. I just want my oil changed. Save the big up-sale or bait and switch for your semi-moral competitors.

3 Common Errors Made by IT Professionals Using PowerPoint - And How to Correct Them

2009-03-03T01:12:00.001-08:00

Whether an audience is sitting through a technical presentation, watching a movie, attending a sporting event, sitting through a play, or participating in a business meeting, one thing all audiences have in common is they don't want you to waste their time. Yet according to the estimates of Dave Paradi, the co-author of the book a Guide to PowerPoint, as much as 15 million man hours are being wasted each day in bad PowerPoint presentations. Before you become another waster of the corporate dollar, consider these 3 common errors of using PowerPoint and how to correct them.

Common Error #1 - Using PowerPoint to Present an Application or Business Flow Diagram

Come on. Who are you trying to kid? You've got to know there only a few ways your audience is going to react when you put a flow diagram in your PowerPoint presentation - and none of them are good for getting your message across. Some members of the audience will obsess over dissecting what they are seeing on the screen thereby missing anything you say to them while they try and figure it out. Other will feel their eyes glazing over because they know there's no way they can read and comprehend what they see before them. But the worst case are those who will check out completely because you've insulted them by trying to show how smart you are. Whatever the case, you're wasting the audience's time because they are going to miss the message woven between the arrows and the boxes.

The Fix - A PowerPoint slide is not a tool to be used in lieu of other documentation. Keep flow diagram as well as complex charts and graphs in technical requirements documents, research papers, business reports, or white papers. If your audience is extremely interested in the details, provide them with a copy of the documentation. Don't try to cover it in a PowerPoint slide. PowerPoint is not the solution for all communications needs.

Common Error # 2 - Trying to Communicate Too Much Written Content on a Slide

Granted, there are times when there is a great deal of information you need to communicate to an audience. But putting everything you know about a particular subject on a PowerPoint slide is not an effective way to get your message across.

When viewing a PowerPoint slide, the eye needs empty space around the words to be able to more comfortably read what's written. Using too many words, small font size, and crowded pages have the same negative impact as the overstuffed flow diagram.

The Fix - Use bulleted information with key words only. Bullets should never contain a complete sentence. If it helps, follow the advice of Claudia Brogan the Training Manager at the Public Health Informatics Institute who advises her presenters to imagine paying a quarter for every word on a slide as an incentive to use only the most important words. Communicate any of those extra words you wanted to use on the slide orally to your audience. And if there are some in your audience who want more information on your topic, follow up with those people off line so you don't waste the time of the other attendees who don't desire the additional material.

Common Error # 3 - Not Focusing on Your Audience's Needs

This is an error not just with PowerPoint but with presentations in general. As an IT professional, you are no doubt versed on your topic and capable of providing a plethora of information - other wise you wouldn't have been asked to make the presentation in the first place. Whether you put that information on a packed PowerPoint presentation such as in errors 1 & 2 above, or into what you say during the presentation, the error does not lie in how the information is presented but in why the information being presented. Depending on the audience, only select portions of what you know needs to be communicated to meet your audience's needs.

The Fix - Resist the temptation to share everything you know. Ask yourself, "What does this audience already know about this subject?" and "What does the audience want to know about this subject?" If you are certain that your audience is knowledgeable on your subject, then present the new information they need or introduce alternative view points against their existing assumptions. Don't rehash what they already know. If your audience is not familiar with your subject, then find out more about their needs. For instance, the kind of information you present to a business person should be in terms that he or she can relate back to the business. Contrast that with an audience full of developers - who you know will insist on understanding the nitty gritty details of the technology. Focus on what the audience needs and present to them in a way that they can understand.

While there may not be anything you can do to curb wasted time in theaters and sporting arenas, you can make a difference in the presentations you are involved in as an IT professional. Follow this advice and eliminate time wasters in your organization.

Customer Service Relationship

2008-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

Overview:Worldwide companies nowdays having customer care center to provide support to their customers. Customer Relationship Management popularly known as a CRM. Business process outsourcing or BPO companies offering CRM through thier Callcenters. CRM created many many new Jobs and Business opportunities in BPO Industry.

CRM also creating huge jobs opportunity in emerging industry of KPO or Knowledge Processing Outsourcing. What is Customer Relationship Management?When customers using products and services that time they needs lots of help from companies to know more about products and services.

Companies setup customer care department where if customer calls then customer can get support to know about products.Why Customer Relationship Management?CRM is required in todays information driven knowledge economy. Companies can bring more buyers through satisfied customers.

If customer use your companies products and services and if he/she get instant help from the company then he can encourage some more peoples to use your products and services. One satisfied customer can bring 100 more customers so that your customer care department also became your marketing department.Benefits of CRM

Happy Customers

Satisfied customers cn bring more and more buyers through reference power.How CRM or Customer Relationship Management software can help Companies?Through CRM software every customer care executive can access customers products and services information. If customer calls for support that time customer care executive can update problems and provided support details which can helpful to provide support if customer calls again in future.

Car Wash Customer Service

2008-05-09T11:24:00.001-07:00

It is important for carwashes to train their employees how to sell especially if it is service writer that the customer talks to first when they pull up. It is also important for the cashier to listen to the customer and perhaps engage them in conversation in case they want add-on services.

For instance if your carwash also does auto detailing, windshield repair and oil changes or does other automotive types services on the property then it makes sense that the cashier understand how the ancillary businesses works and is able to properly answer questions for the customer and sell those services.

It is a known fact in a carwash business that it is easier to sell services to someone who has already purchased a carwash, then it is to get a new customer. Up selling services at a carwash makes sense. The greeter or service writer should be the first person that the car owner contacts when they pull up and get in line at your carwash and they should engage the customer and listen very closely to their needs.

The Service Writer must work with the customer to problem solve and show or tell the customer how the carwash can go about solving those problems. For instance a customer may point to a spot on their carpets or a scratch on the side of their car from a shopping cart today and would very much like it removed.

This service writer should be able to look at that and know if it is possible that the carwash can fix that problem and if so sell the appropriate services so the customer is fully satisfied and let the customer no it is risk free, if they cannot fix it, they will not be charged for that extra service. Consider this in 2006.

Inbound Customer Service Center

2008-05-09T11:23:00.001-07:00

Call centers provide two types of services: inbound and outbound. The inbound call centers service the enquiries of customers who want to obtain information regarding their personal problems, or ask for a solution or any other help.

Large, multinational organizations are constantly trying to expand their business locally as well as internationally. That means an increase in workload for customer support services. These large businesses require a large workforce to handle the customer support services, which are the backbone of the successful functioning of any business.

Handling the customer support department implies diversion of attention of the management from the more important and productive operations to just answering the enquiries of the customers. To avoid this, the management outsources the customer support services and engages other agencies that specialize in customer support operations. Sometimes the customer support services are double-outsourced to other underdeveloped or developing countries. This is because these services are available at cheaper exchange rates than in the sourcing country.

Economically developed countries like the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia often outsource customer support services to developing countries like India, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. These countries boast a huge English-speaking workforce. While some companies have opened their own offices in developing countries to provide support to their customers, there are many other companies that just shift their responsibilities to certain local companies specializing in providing customer support operations.

These customer support service-providing companies usually work as inbound call centers for the outsourcing company. The customer support company is provided with all the customer support data by the outsourcing organization. When customers of the company make enquiries, call center representatives welcome them and answer their queries on behalf of the company.
The efficient call center is equipped with the necessary customer support infrastructure. This includes a network of computers, telephone systems and employees trained in customer support services.

The work force of the call center is layered according to its work abilities. While the lowest rankers handle the usually-expected preliminary enquiries, those at the upper level deal with detailed, customer-specific questions.

Making Noise will get your more customers

2008-05-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

There are very few of us that are not thinking of ways to earn some extra money. But most of us just think about it without ever finding a way to earn a dollar. Many times it requires that you swallow your pride and take what ever work is available. If you are the type of person that is willing to get down on your hands and knees and scrub toilet floors and bowls you can make that extra buck. There are millions of people that don't have the time or patience for giving their toilet a good scrubbing. You must let people know that you are willing to clean their toilet. Just follow my instructions and you will get customers.

Now that you have decided to be a domestic toilet cleaner the first thing is getting supplies to do the job. A long handled brush for the toilet bowl and a flat scrub brush for the floors is standard equipment. Lots of rags and assorted detergents are also required. You must also have a shopping wagon to put the supplies in. Make up a cardboard sign with large letters reading "Toilets Cleaned" It will be your banner. Put a large metal pot and a long wooden stick in your wagon because they will serve as your drum. The next thing to do is go out and find the customers.

This woman knew that there is nothing worse than being broke and she did what she had to do. With her drum beating and her banner showing she marched slowly past rows of houses. Residents peered out their windows to see where all the noise was coming from. They saw a sight that shocked them. It was a lady wearing a bandanna loudly beating on her metal pot while yelling: "Toilets Cleaned". Soon there were people coming out to ask her what she charged. They found her price reasonable and she had more work than she could handle.

This unique way of getting business was used by a woman that was out of work and desperate for money. It took her a few years but she now is the chief executive of a professional and domestic cleaning service that employs over a hundred workers. They all wear uniforms and drive vans. On her desk there lies a large metal pot with a long wooden stick, she is ready to use it again if she is ever needs an extra buck.

Customer Service

2008-05-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Every successful business leads to customer satisfaction. From the starting the business to the set-up of the business you have to think of your customers all the time.

Deal Everything in two ways

Customers Satisfaction is the main factor for the successful business. Try to solve the customers problems at the same time try to find out the root cause of the problem so that in near future such problems do not occur.

Improving Customer Services through Customer Reviews

It’s like listening to the voice of customer by getting the pulse and benchmark of its products. It is necessary to give your customers the quality products and quality customer service. You have to chuck out the customer problems from its root.

Turn Customers into your fans

When any customer has a problem, try to fix it, as the customer will be more pleased with your services and he will be closer to you. The customer will be enhanced before he deals directly to you second time.

Accept the accountability

Always, accept the accountability of your customer. Approach the clients by saying “It’s my fault”, Sorry Sir this can completely change a customer’s emotions in a matter of seconds. It is also easy to get caught up in the emotional heat of the moment when someone is complaining.

Art of communication

Angry customers are not at all angry with you, he’s angry at your business services and you are one of the representatives of that business services. The customer is screaming at the puppeteer, so you have to pretend as a puppeteer in front of the customer. You have to apologize on behalf of the puppeteer to the customer.
Offer Discounts

Customers are more attracted with the discounts offered to them. You have to be generous and prudent while providing discounts or refund to the customer.

Customer Centric

Adapt Customer centric techniques that are latest available in the market to develop more traffic and service oriented business. Companies that focus on creating a good customer will succeed far above those who do not.

Capture the Customer Service through Blogs

Always, go according to the trend that are changing or change the trend in the market. Think about the service automation that are prevailing in the market and the consumer applications towards it to increase the satisfaction level of the customer.

Customer Services Representatives (CSR)

2008-05-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

A call center is a centralized office of a company that answers incoming telephone calls from customers. A call center may be an office that makes outgoing telephone calls to customers by the means of telemarketing. Such an office may also responds to letters, faxes, e-mails and similar written correspondence.

Customer service has always supported corporate growth by keeping customers happy and ensuring their ongoing loyalty. But the challenges of today's business environment demands that customer service take advantage of its unique capabilities and opportunities to make a more substantial contribution to the progress of the company. The customer service department of the call center can drive sales, change the image of the company and make customer relationships more profitable. The key is to execute the right strategy and choose the right tools. Call centers offer business services that typically include telemessaging, order collection, customer service options, customer care and the outbound calls that follow.

Customer service means providing every customer with great service anytime, anywhere, through any channel and keep costs down. Customer service means providing solutions and facilities at any given time. Most of the consumer goods companies have started to provide pre-sales and after sales service to its customers through call centers. Be it a problem with the equipment or booking of an airline ticket or net banking facilities or online stock trading, customer services is equipped to offer help. Today, customer service has become a completely variable concept, and it provides the necessary phone call service through the many customer service call centers.

Customer Services

2008-05-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Many consumers have been burned so many times after buying products or services that they do not trust the customer service promises of salesmen anymore. Of course the salesmen work on reassuring the customer while at the same time thinking to themselves; why am I working here, no one trusts these products or this company?

The customer often has to be convinced in advance that your company will back up the products and services it sells in the market place or they will be hesitant to buy. Worse they may continue shopping and end up at your competitors business and then buy from them instead.

Does your company have; Customer Service Credibility with its Customers, Potential Customers and Brand Credibility with the Public in general? If not you need to work on this and the sooner you do the more customers there will be willing to purchase what your business is selling.

How do you gain customer service credibility? Well, by giving good customer service, advertising that you give good customer service and then backing it up again and again. If you do this then your customers will tell all their friends and the word of mouth advertising will spread throughout the land. And it will happen faster than you know it and right before your eyes.

Customer Services Core Elements towards improvement

2008-04-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

1. Hire people who have a service attitude. Some people simply enjoy serving others, their organizations, and even their communities. The spirit of service dominates their personality. This attitude of service has nothing to do with money or background, and people who have this attitude are not necessarily the most outgoing or bubbly. This type of person will move your business forward. These people make the best salespeople as well.

2. Make the customer's time with you an experience. You have but a few short moments with customers. You don't have time to complain about your day or anything else. Ask yourself, "How can I make their experience better?" Can I refer to them by name and how can I ask without being too aggressive? How can I control the environment in this company? How am I affecting their 5 senses? Exceed their expectations just a little with their senses and with your attitude to serve and please, and you will have created a memorable and compelling experience. Of course, all you really have to do is visit your competition, see what they are doing and then top them. But would that be cheating? No, that's comparative shopping.

3. Regularly inform all your employees about what's going on in your company. Employees need to know what's happening. What new products are you offering? When will they be available? What kind of advertising will take place in the next month? Will any physical changes be happening in your offices? Will new branches be add? The more they know, the better they can serve your customers.

4. Make every decision with the customer in mind. Ask yourself questions such as, "Do our customers like what we're doing?" and "Would our customers like this type of promotion?" Change the way you look at things from having it centered around you to focused on whether the customer would approve.

5. Make the customers an agenda item at every staff meeting. Present their point of view and ask these questions: What would the customer think of this? Would this move be fair to them? How can we serve our customers better or differently?

6. Empower your employees to do the right thing. And don't hold it against them if the situation doesn't turn out perfectly. That means giving employees the power to do whatever has to be done to make a customer's experience a WOW experience. They will make mistakes, but each time they will learn – with your help.

7. Continually ask yourself how you can improve and add value. If you don't keep asking and pushing yourself, you'll start to slip behind the competition. Customers have more than one choice and your competition is aggressively marketing to them. They know what is being offered by others. Be ahead of the curve by asking what you can do to add value to your customer’s experience with you.

8. Create an atmosphere of excellence. Let it be known that everything you and your employees do has to be the best, and you won't accept less. Remember that winning organizations are always raising the bar. If you aren’t pushing to do better than yesterday, you will be left in the dust of your competition.

9. Continually do the unexpected. Have the reputation for doing the unexpected, and customers will always expect something different and exciting from your company. This doesn’t mean that you have to have dancing clowns in your lobby, but having the same lollipops that everyone else gives out is not at all unexpected. Do something different. These are the things that customers talk about.

10. Never let an untrained employee have customer contact. Your employees represent you, your company, and your brand. Working with customers is the most important thing they will do. Give them the tools necessary by giving them adequate training to handle customers.