In Service to Each Other

I will continue the story that I started from my last post at a later date. Meanwhile, as most of you know, I live in a paradise called San Diego, California. Paradise however is under siege while I write this post. The attacker is mother nature in the form of fire. In the 70's, the band Steely Dan performed a song with the lyrics, "Here come those Santa Anna winds again...". Although the lyrics sound poetic and even mystical in their reference, those of you outside of California may not be aware that the winds referred to in the song are hot winds that start in the deserts of California and Arizona and whip back through SoCal raising temperatures (as much as 30 degrees) and drying the low lying chaparral as well as trees, structures, and our skin. So much so that San Diego residents pray for rain to come quickly each time the winds revisit us.

This week is the anniversary of what is known in San Diego simply as "The Firestorm". In that October week in 2003, residents in our paradise experienced the evacuation of 50,000 homes and the loss of lives (both human and animals), destruction of property (from ranch houses to exquisite mansions) and the bruising of the spirit of thousands of individuals, a spirit which has only recently been regained.

This past Saturday, the Steely Dan line was repeated in the minds of many of us who remember that week in 2003; as the winds started and the temperatures rose. Yesterday, the dry terrain exploded again in a new firestorm, this one much worse than what we had experience four years before. As I write this entry, 513,000 homes have been evacuated resulting in the displacement of some 600,000 people. Evacuation centers have been set up across the county in schools, churches, colleges, fairgrounds and the football complex (Qualcomm Stadium) where our beloved San Diego Chargers are scheduled to play the Houston Texans in a game this Sunday. Ironically, 47 of our football heroes and their families have been evacuated from their own homes mostly in the Poway area north of San Diego. You can probably imagine that Poway is one of the most affluent areas in San Diego county. Because of the very poor air quality we are experiencing, it is unlikely the game will be played Sunday, at least here in San Diego.

Yesterday, my fiancee, Duchess, and I gathered some blankets, pillows, bottled water, pet food, and any other items we thought people could use. We packed up our SUV and headed to Qualcomm Stadium to deliver our offerings. What we saw was the greatest example of internal customer service (serving each other), we had ever witnessed. Hundreds of other people drove their vehicles into the parking area and got in line to drop off donations where thousands of displaced San Diegans were parked or stationed. In a very orderly manner (drastically different from a typical game-day crowd), the amazing volunteers dutifully directed traffic, guided us to appropriate drop-off areas, and gave encouraging words of thanks. Because of their highly organized efforts, these and other volunteers, we were able to get us in and out in 15 minutes.

After dropping off our donations to the appropriate tables, Duchess and I returned to our car. Both of us paused to take a last look around and then we looked at each other and began to cry. I said, "For all those cynics in the world that doubt the basic goodness of people, they should come to Qualcomm Stadium today." Duchess agreed and reinterated that the sometimes hidden compasion of human beings seems to display itself whenever others are in need. San Diegans are no exception.

How does all this relate to customer service? Is not serving each other the highest form of customer service? Are we not put on this earth to be of service to others? I believe we should all be more than just occupants of this earth organization, we must be participants. Participants care about their actions, care about others, and care about the quality of the service they perform. Whether you are an employee of a corporation, a member of a church, or just an individual participating in the journey of spaceship earth, we should care about each other by doing the best we can at servicing others in our communities, organizations, and our families. We all need each other.

Steely Dan made great music, but I would rather people adopt a line from another song performed by my other favorite group - The Beatles, when they said,

"And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make."

God bless San Diego.

D.C.

Disservice or Dishonesty?

Has this ever happened to you? You receive a call from a very enthused but obviously amateur solicitor who presents you with the great news, "I am very happy to inform you that you have been chosen to receive one of three gifts from our company!" This seemingly generous offering comes from a company who I shall just refer to as SV. The friendly female caller goes on to tell you that they are quite legit and they are trying to promote their company, new to our town, by calling at random several residents and giving away prizes that include: A 52" liquid crystal TV, a Chevrolet Expedition SUV, or, an all expense paid vacation for two to a great vacation place.

Although I would not usually bite on something like this, I figured that the least and most likely prize will be the vacation package and since I am getting married soon, what a great chance to get a honeymoon trip. I said, "I'm interested in finding out more." The caller proceeded to not surprise me by saying all I had to do is attend a "90 minute presentation" with my significant-other to listen to what SV had to offer. I told them that my schedule usually prohibited me from this amount of time spent doing almost anything, let alone listening to a sales pitch. I was assured that there would not be any high-pressure tactics, just an "informative presentation" that I could take or leave. Regardless of our interest in their services, we would still win one of the three prizes.

I asked the caller to send the contact information via email, and I would talk with my significant other. If I could come up with a date (they required a specific time in the evening for our presentation), I would contact them. She agreed.

We made an appointment to go to what turned out to be a nice office and on arrival checked in with our special "prize-winning number". Just as we were told, we listened to a semi-professional presentation about SV and the amount of money they could save us on travel. There were four other couples around our age group and everyone had a lot of travel experience. This told me that the company did a good job of narrowing down the demographics for the type of prospects they wanted to attract. After the presentation, each couple was assigned a single sales person to "talk about the presentation and answer any questions we might have".

My fiancee and I sat in front of a pretty lady in her 30's who turned out to be someone they brought in from their Denver office. These people are known in the sales industry as "closers". People who specialize in getting the sale and the check. My fiancee and I discussed this possibility before we arrived at the presentation and promised each other that neither of us would give-in to any sales offers, no matter what they offered us. We were there to collect our prize! The Closer when through a synopsis of what we had just heard, then proceed to try an close us. The great travel savings program would cost $7,000.00. Yikes! However, after nearly an hour of high pressure tactics, she gradually came down on her price until we were offered a discount package that would cost us only $1,000.00. We stared at her in silence.

So, the "90 minute presentation" finally concluded after nearly 3 hours. My fiancee and I stuck to our guns and left the Closer visibly frustrated and practically escorting us toward the door. Not so fast! We want our prize. Neither my fiancee nor I were surprised to see that our scratch and win prize card revealed - "A Las Vegas Vacation!"

To be continued...

Don't Ignore Customer Complaints

Would you rather have 100 satisfied customers or 100 loyal customers? Would you rather have 100 customers who were pleased with your adequate but not memorable service or would you rather have 100 customers who enjoyed your assistance so much that they will contact you to purchase products over and over again?

Stanford Research Institute and Harvard University have determined that business success is 85% people skills and only 15% technical knowledge. This seems to suggest that most customers’ needs cannot be satisfied by technical brilliance alone. Communications skills, a customer service mentality, and knowledge of business strategies and issues must be part of our development as customer service professionals.

For example, how do we handle an irate customer with a legitimate problem? Let me present -

The Customer Complaint – 5 Step Recovery Process

1. Listen – That means Active Listening:

Active listening is listening with a purpose. You can gain information, obtain directions, understand others, solve problems, share interests, show support, or see how another person feels.

2. Restate the problem – Paraphrase:

Remember that what someone says and what we hear can be amazingly different! Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. Repeat back or summarize to ensure that you understand. Restate what you think you heard and ask, “Have I understood you correctly?” If not, ask them to clarify for your understanding.

3. Apologize – Sincerely!

Remember that forgiveness only happens when someone regains your trust. An apology is not complete if it does not reflect all four of these:

· Regret,

· Understanding of the problem,

· Acceptance of responsibility, and

· A willingness to do better

Insincere apologies:

· Beware of the “iffy” apology : “I’m sorry if I cause any inconvenience.” which means, “Your pain is still hypothetical to me, not something I’m convinced of. If there is no “if” about it, say so!

· The “But” Apology: Any apology of the form “I’m sorry, but ____.” i.e. “I’m sorry, but you have to understand…” Nothing before the “but” can safely be taken literally.

· How about this one, “Sorry bout’ that!”

4. Fix the problem! - Don’t put it off another day if at all possible. Here is where your technical expertise will most likely pay off.

5. Follow-up – Was the problem fixed to the customer’s satisfaction? Call, e-mail or show up at the customer’s desk or office. Follow-up with your customers and ask them how they liked your service or if they have any questions regarding your product or service. This is a great way to not only provide good customer service, but to also obtain feedback about your product and service. You are also creating the all important “LOYAL” customer.

DJC

Keeping Your Cool With Irate Customers

I thought you might enjoy this true customer service story. I don't condone the customer service agent's method, but it is good for a laugh. Here it is:

It happened at the Denver Airport. This is hilarious. I wish I had the guts of this girl. For all of you out there who've had to deal with an irate customer, this one is for you. An award should go to the United Airline gate agent in Denver for being smart and funny, while making her point, when confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo. A crowded United Airlines flight was canceled. A single agent was re-booking a long line of inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped his ticket on the counter and said: "I HAVE to be on this flight and it has to be FIRST CLASS." The agent replied: "I am sorry, sir. I'll be happy to try to help you, but, I've got to help these folks first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out." The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear: "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?" Without hesitating, the agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone: "May I have your attention please, " she began, her voice heard clearly throughout the terminal. "We have a passenger here at Gate 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to Gate 14."

With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth and swore "F*** You!". Without flinching, she smiled and said: "I'm sorry sir, you'll have to get in line for that too!"

It is hard to blame the agent - DJC

Do you recall NO CALL?

What ever happened to the telemarketing NO CALL LIST? As many of you have done, I also registered all my phone numbers with the "NO CALL" list the year it came out and my unwanted telemarketing calls nearly ceased for a couple of years. Recently, I have been getting as many telemarketing calls as I did before I registered my phone numbers! I said to one caller, "I am on the no call list. Why are you calling me?" He said, "When you signed up as a customer for our service, you also consented to hearing any new offers we have." I told the caller in no uncertain terms that if they did not take me off their call list that I would cancel my service immediately. He hung up before I could even finish my sentence. Very frustrating.

I don't know about you, but I consider this just another form of lousy customer service.

Let me know if you have suggestions.

DJC

TEAMQUEST

Good customer service takes teamwork. Good organizational leaders inspire their teams with innovating ideas for good customer service and listen to the ideas of their team. Most importantly, they treat their team members just as they wish them to treat each other, as internal customers! Here is one person's philosophy for managing customer service using the first letters in the word - TEAMQUEST.

“T” Train to Keep A "Can Do" Spirit– It may sound corny but, if you are like me, maybe you are also tired of the “We can’t do that.” attitude from customer service people, or worse, your own customer service people. An inspirational people skills training course is a good start, however, the leader must be the key to a "Can Do" spirit. If you can’t inspire your team with your vision and a sense of purpose and direction, no amount of training will change an attitude of indifference. Then you will never see your vision come to life.

“E” Excel in Service - What is service? Service is a process that requires constant strategic maneuvering, patience, and leadership. Communicating an emotionally and intellectually resonant sense of purpose, together with the outcome you want to achieve, will ignite the passion for customer service your team will need to enthusiastically embark on the journey with you. Stronger interpersonal relationships, along with improved processes, can be a winning combination for any organization that wishes to be more successful.

“A” Attitude, positive attitude in all we do – It is important that customer service become part of the company culture to be able to attract and sustain the loyalty of their customers. This customer service attitude may especially be important for employees that interact with internal as well as external customer daily. Tell stories from your customer’s perspective. How will your team’s positive attitude make an impact on specific moments in the customer’s everyday life? Answering customer questions can be done in many ways, but should always be done with a smile.

“M” Motivate each other daily to be at our best – Internal Customer Service = Successful leaders. Your colleagues are your customers and should be treated as such. From CEOs to presidents, to front-line managers, mastering the art of balancing reason and emotion to inspire action and change is a necessary part of directing people. You cannot motivate people to change, but you can inspire them to tap into their own internal motivations. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, lack of sensitivity to others is the most cited reason that leaders fail.

“Q” Question our customers – In any experience, organizations spend far more time explaining what they are innovating and how the process will work than the reason they are innovating. The key to innovating customer service is not so much in using one specific tool but in taking a balanced approach in all your communications, one that employs rational and emotional persuasion every step of the way. In dealing with both internal and external customers, how can you understand needs if you don’t ask? Otherwise, they are just perceived needs. Do not assume you know what the problem is!

“U” Understand customer needs – The negative impact of poor customer service is being reflected in the bottom lines of several companies in various industries. Customer service is the interaction between an individual(s) or an organization and customer in an attempt to provide a quality service and, in turn, produce a satisfied customer. You are setting the tone for the rest of the team.

“E” Exceed our customer's expectations Not only are companies more demanding than ever, customers are also more demanding. They demand that customer service professional be both a technically savvy and people persons. It makes providing customer service an unforgiving endeavor in the new economy. According to some studies, the main reason customers leave companies is caused by an attitude of indifference by the company’s employees.

“S” Strive for the highest possible standards – A well-articulated, emotionally and intellectually resonant purpose can give your team the resolve it needs to strive to do well. But fear of the unknown is still a powerful emotional barrier to action. To fully energize and inspire people for the journey ahead, you need to describe the outcome of their efforts as meaningfully and vividly as you can.

“T” Thoughtfulness and professionalism always – Many of you have experienced the exasperated attitude of a customer service person who only wants to fix the problem and not deal with the customer. Not only has this person not taken the time to explain the problem, but has been short to the point of rudeness with their customer, all the while looking at their watch and rolling their eyes. They leave the customer frustrated hesitant to ever deal with the company again.

However, many have also had positive experiences with customer service personnel. These professionals listened to the customer’s concerns and descriptions of the problem, went to work on what he or she perceived to be the source of the problem, all the while explaining his or her approach. After correcting the problem, malfunction, or glitch, they show the customer how to avoid the problem in the future. This leaves the customer with a good feeling about the company. Remember, employees and managers are also customers – internal customers.

Positive team spirit and leading by example can result in great internal and external customer service for your organization.

DJC

Top 10 Customer Service Mistakes

With my apologies to David Letterman, let me present (in my opinion) the Service-Inspired Top Ten Customer Service Mistakes made by leaders of corporations, customer service reps and their managers.

10. Lack of knowledge about how much a lost customer can cost your company - in fact, you have the least experienced people handle your most important asset! Lost customers means lost revenues and profits.

9. You are not keeping your promises - you advertise one thing then make it impossible for your customers to deal with you!

8. You look at customer service as a cost instead of what it really is, an investment - It costs up to ten times more to attract new customers than to keep present ones.

7. You ignore the customer's problem! - This is the beginning of a crisis.

6. You don't listen to your customers! - you do plenty of talking, and may think you know what their problem is, but you did not hear it. Shut up and listen!

5. Corporate leaders and managers also don't listen to their customer service reps - these are the people on the front lines of the customer relationships, they know about your customers; you only think you do.

4. Lack of FOLLOW-UP! - Call your customers and ask, "Did we resolve your issue to your satisfaction?" If they say "no", ask them what it would take. "You are important to us." This applies to customer service reps, managers, and corporate leaders as well.

3. Customer service is only lip service - is customer service part of your company culture, or just something you casually mention while you talk about increasing your profits? Guess what, you want to increase your profits? Make customer service part of your Mission and Vision Statements, then require everyone in the organization to adhere to strict customer service standards.

2. Don't promote your best customer service people to management, give them a raise! - you need your best people on the front lines, not behind the scenes.

1. And, the number one customer service mistake is - Don't Smile!

Is anyone listening? Let me know some things you think should be added to the list. Maybe we can come up with a top 40.

Thanks,

DJC

An IKEA idea

According to one writer in a Detroit newspaper, "Good customer service by companies is a matter of providing a better customer experience and connecting to their customers on a human level."(Seidman, 2007)

I recently had the opportunity to attend a business workshop with my fiancee at (all places) an IKEA store. You know, the place with household and furniture products with strange Scandinavian names that Americans cannot pronounce nor seem to live without. Well, the group attending the workshop was shown the way into the employee conference room where the workshop presented by SCORE - Counselors to America's Small Business was taking place (By the way, if you are a small business person and haven't taken advantage of the free workshops and business counselors at SCORE, I highly recommend them!). Before the workshop began, my fiancee and I were looking around the room. We noticed a mission statement of sorts on the wall. It was written by IKEA's founder, a man named Ingvar. It was entitled, "Ingvar's 9 Points". Here they are:

1. The product range and identity
2. The IKEA Spirit - strong and living reality
3. Profit gives us resources
4. Reaching good results with small means
5. Simplicity is a virtue
6. Doing it a different way (It was written upside down)
7. Concentration - important to our success
8. Taking responsibility - a privilege
9. Most things still remain to be done - A glorious future!

I thought they were worth jotting down. They give great insight into the IKEA business philosophy and how business is done at a very successful organization. Then, I looked around the room again and saw another list. It was entitled: "4 Goals of an IKEA Store". They give even greater insight to why customer service is so good at these stores;

1. To act as a highly efficient, and staffed sales mechanism
2. To show home furnishings solutions full of home furnishing ideas
3. To serve as a well qualified home furnishing specialist
4. To provide a day out for the whole family

In both lists (not really meant for public viewing) it is possible to derive a connection between a better customer experience through good, interesting products, and connecting to the customers on a human level. In this fast changing, shrinking world, the company that consistently adheres to a pledge of customer service and human connection will succeed. A unique product simply is not enough anymore. A customer wants to feel appreciated, not so much in "we appreciate you business"; this statement seems quite empty when not followed up by relevant action. We want to feel the service is sincere.

As a customer service expert, I am constantly amazed at how companies choose to entice customers with rewards and sales, but take them for granted once they are captive, either in the store or on a contract. Because while being a fantastic company is more than half the battle, the best thing a company can do to retain a customer is to give customers a reason to trust them. Business should follow the IKEA philosophy to out-behave the competition in not only product, but by action - adhering to an ethos of excellent customer service and the human connection.

DJC

Putting the "I care" in IT

In follow-up to my last posting, I spoke about the Information Technology (IT) specialist and the deserved or undeserved perception that most of these professionals are poor customer service providers. One IT professional responded with great insight and seemed to take offense to my statements that disparaged her cohort. I hope to hear from others on this subject.

According to Labor Market Information (2003), A Computer Support Specialist provides technical assistance and training to computer system users, investigate and resolve computer software and hardware problems of users, answer clients’ inquiries in person and via telephone concerning the use of computer hardware and software, including printing, word processing, programming languages, electronic mail, and operating systems. No wonder your computer support person always seems overworked - they ARE overworked! I believe, at least in the corporate world, that corporate leaders are to blame for this in many ways.

Today’s corporate leaders may or may not be aware of the patterns of interactions of their IT employees, and more specifically, the how, why, and when of these patterns. Today’s corporate leadership must recognize the importance of these knowledge workers, their perspectives, and how their relationships with customers affect customer satisfaction, which in turn affects the company’s welfare. Peter Drucker wrote, “The most important contribution that management needs to make in the 21st century is to similarly increase the productivity of knowledge work and knowledge workers” (2003). Interestingly, poor customer service can also be driven by new technologies, which is what Ellie alluded to in her comments on the last posting. With the incredibly rapid changes these technologies facilitate, it is difficult for IT professionals, let alone users, to keep up.

Also, an important goal of software and hardware designers and businesspeople should be to keep human purposes in mind as they design and deploy technology for the consumer. For me, authenticity in relationships is a human purpose. Technology sometimes tends to make authenticity a gray area. As previously stated, the value of the computer information technology professional is increasing. Significant research in this area could be critical if improvement in customer satisfaction is to be a feasible goal for corporate leaders. Having an IT staff that understands the business and its customers’ needs is one key to improving customer satisfaction. Improvement of customer service in the corporate computer IT sector may lead to better company cultures, happier customers and even a better financial performance for companies.

I would love to hear from you corporate types.

DJC

Fix my computer - ah, please?

How do you feel about your computer service person at the office? In the last several years, there have been many initiatives by industry to promote the construction of a global information infrastructure. (It is vital that today’s corporate leadership recognize the importance of understanding the perspective of the knowledge workers known as Information Technology Professionals (IT or IS Pros) and how they affect customer satisfaction. In a article entitled, Survival Skills for the IS Professional, Longenecker & Simonetti said, "IS [Information Systems] groups, which have always been under the gun to get things done more quickly and more cost effectively, now face distrust, disrespect, and disdain when projects are not completed in accordance with customer expectations".

The poor customer service skills of the IT professional have even been portrayed as the villain in comedy sketches (remember "Nick the Company Computer Guy" on Saturday Night Live?). Are these comedic portrayals good examples of a typical IT professional in a typical corporate setting, or just a Dilbertesque exaggeration of what frustrated writers may have once experienced? IT customer service may be the brunt of jokes and comedic writers, but many of us are familiar with the following scenario.

We’ve all come across the IT person from hell. But just in case you’ve drawn a veil over the memory, here’s a typical scenario: A confused user calls for help and tries to explain their problem. When they stuttered to a halt, they then get a look or, if it’s over the phone, a deep sigh that indicates the user’s intelligence level is considered to be not much higher than a primordial protozoan. At last, showing deep reluctance, the IT person stoops down from their pinnacle and delivers a stream of techno babbles in response. We’ve all experienced it, but such behavior is fast becoming unacceptable.

My statement may not be based on researched fact, but a community cannot practice its trade without some set of received beliefs. Do IT professionals experience more customer service problems than those in other professions? Probably not, yet, the very nature of the unique communications challenges faced by the IT professional can be more complex than those impacting other professions; and communications, as I have stated before, is the key to customer service.

How do you feel about your IT professional?

DJC

"How are you guys doin'?"

My problem lies within this title. I have heard this line from waitresses, waiters, clerks and other so-called customer service people when I am in a public place - with my lady! Maybe it is a California thing, I don't remember hearing this in the Midwest where I lived until 15 years ago. I was brought up to treat a woman with respect. I cannot imagine my father letting anyone refer to my mother as a "guy". When I hear this from anyone (especially other women) when my fiancee is next to me, I do a double-take. Where is the other guy? I wonder. I think I hear this more from young women more than men. I am not advocating going back to calling all women "Ma'am", but even "folks" works better for me than calling both individuals in a couple - "Guys". Is this as abrasive to you as it is to me?

Thanks for letting me vent.

Here is another gripe I have that you may be familiar with; Customer-service lines purport to solve problems, but present a bigger one: reaching a human being. Your so-called "important" call ("Your call is important to us. Please hold for the next available operator" - while you listen to our on-hold Muzak or worse, our promotional messages) is really not that important. Pressing zero rarely gets you an operator these days. Some computer operators prompt you to speak a request. Then a recorded voice says, "I'm sorry, I did not understand your message. Please repeat it clearly.", as if "I" was a real person!

Here are a few of tips from the Toronto Globe and Mail to outsmart the customer-service phone lines: 1.) If you talk nicely and act confused you're more likely to move to the front of the queue. 2.) The Website - Gethuman.com lists the keypad codes needed to bypass the automated systems of hundreds of companies. 3.) When you do reach a representative, take note of the conversation, as well as any you may have with a supervisor. If all else fails, call the head office and ask for the VP of customer service by name. He/she will probably not answer the phone, but the executive assistant will and that person often has authority to settle problems.

Complexity, uncertainty, and interdependence place demands on an organization to process information in order to coordinate its activities by increasing the communication load carried by that organization. If the meaning of customer service was broken down to one single word, that word could likely be communication. Technologies can set up conditions for organizational conflict. If that is true, then technologies may actually contribute to a break-down in communications. Computers, telephones, the Internet are technologies that are not likely to go away soon, and I'm okay with that. I love my computer, cellphone and what did we do before the Internet, but the human factor gets fuzzy or even invisible at times when it comes to serving us - the customer. However, it's as my father use to say, "Sometimes you have to take the bad along with the good."

Nice talkin' to you guys.

Service = Success?

I am fortunate to have met someone who also loves to observe great customer service. Duchess and I have spent a lot of time watching the actions of someone, either helping us or someone else, that exemplified our collective definition of a great customer service provider.

In fact, I have learned from my fiancee Duchess, to always take the time to recognize anyone that gives you exceptional service. I have often seen her ask for the manager or supervisor of the person that "went the extra mile" to make people happy in a service situation. Duchess is one of those people who actually find the time to write to companies to make sure that the powers-that-be also recognize an employee who gave her a reason for continuing to do business with their organization; whether it was the Starbucks' barrista, the waitress, the Apple Computer Store IT specialist, or someone she spoke to on the phone about a problem she was having with their billing, or any other product related aspect. Do Duchess' efforts to have someone recognized as a provider of great customer service really influence a company to strive to continue to provide this kind of positive service? Does good customer service actually show up on the company bottom line?

Stanford Research Institute and Harvard University have determined that business success is 85% people skills and only 15% technical knowledge (New Straits, 2003). This would seem to suggest that most customers’ needs cannot be satisfied by technical brilliance alone. Communications skills, a customer service mentality, and knowledge of business strategies and issues must be an important accompaniment to technical skills in the development of a customer service professional. Customers seek to do business with value-producing companies. Only organizations that develop symmetry in its relationships with customers can be value producing entities.

It is the strong feeling of this blogger that if corporate leaders gather information from internal and external customers and employees, and use the new found truths to the betterment of the organization, needed change in the poor customer service reputation of their organizations can occur. When individuals interact on an ongoing basis and collectively reflect on the results of their actions, organizational learning can take place, followed by needed change. Having people like the Duchess Dale's of the world who give companies feedback on the quality of their service should be worth a fortune to a company that is serious about succeeding in business.

“Real leaders empathize fiercely with their followers and care intensely about their people’s work. They’re also empathetically ‘tough’. This means giving people not necessarily what they want, but what they need to achieve their best” (Goffee & Jones, 2000, ¶ 9). Every organization continually must ask themselves if they could improve, not only in customer service, but in overall processes.

Do you think one person can affect the financial success of the company for which they work? Let me know some instances in which you have gone back to an establishment, or continued to do business in other ways, because of one person's customer service efforts. I look forward to your comments.

Be Inspired! - DJC

Serve Us ...

Why have a blog based on our customer service experiences?

Do you have a passion for great customer service? Does great customer service really make a difference in your day? In the quality of your life? I believe our world would be a much better place if we all treated each other as customers. You know, the person whom our livelihood depends upon. The person who not only affects a small portion of your day, but a person you would like to have as a friend because through some (perhaps small) act, they have affected the very quality of your life experience. I have made a living finding good ways to serve the customer and I spend hours just watching both good and bad displays of service.

Many of us have experienced the exasperated attitude of a service person who only wants to fix the problem and not deal with the customer. Not only has this person not taken the time to explain the problem, but has been short to the point of rudeness with us, their customer, all the while looking at their watch and rolling their eyes. They leave us frustrated and hesitant to ever return to that place of business for their product or service again. These people range from our doctor to the barista at our corner coffee shop; our bank teller to our veterianarian. We want and often need these people to treat us with respect and kindness, but great customer service even goes beyond this.

However, many have also had positive experiences with service personnel. These professionals listened to our concerns and descriptions of the problem, then went to work on what he or she perceived to be the source of the problem, all the while explaining his or her approach. After correcting the problem, malfunction, or glitch, they show us how to avoid the problem in the future. This leaves us with a good feeling about them, their product and their company.

What was the difference in the two approaches? Was the rude customer service person just having a bad day, or was it our fault? Was the more professional acting customer service person more knowledgeable about people and thus displayed good customer service skills? The negative impact of poor customer service is being reflected in the bottom lines of several companies in various industries. It is important that customer service - good customer service become part of a company culture to be able to attract and sustain the loyalty of their customers.

What is Customer Service? Customer Service is the interaction between an individual(s) or an organization and customer in an attempt to provide a quality service and, in turn, produce a satisfied customer. This great customer service attitude may especially be important for employees that interact with "internal" and "external" customers daily. Building powerful partnerships with external customers may be some organizations’ main goal. However, some leadership experts believe that powerful partnerships may not be achieved between the employees and customers until everyone – managers or employees – understand that this also applies to internal customers just as profoundly (Corporate Leadership Council, 1999).

According to this viewpoint, members of organizations are customers of each other as well as being co-workers and the better internal customer service is, the better external customer service will be. Communication therefore, would be an integral part of internal customer service for any organization. An organization with a culture that balances efficient processes with customer service seems to retain more customers.

I would love to receive your thoughts and experiences on both good and bad service. Wouldn't it be great if customer service was not just lip-service, but a sincere way that all companies strived to do business? I look forward to your comments. Thanks - DJC