But Everybody Knows About it

Over time, many facts do change including phone numbers, features, stocking codes, availability, prices, procedures, packages, prerequisites and more. If you don't keep them up to date, your customers will find the errors, and feel the pain.

In Your Best Interest

Customers may become confused or frustrated by your policies and procedures. This is especially common in large organizations. But it’s not productive to blame your customers or your colleagues – that only makes things worse. What is effective is to resolve the situation permanently by improving the clarity and consistency of your communications.

An Upgrade is Usually Worse, At First

If you are upgrading or changing your service in ways that affect your customers, send them advance warning and acknowledge openly what everyone already knows: things go wrong, upgrades take time, it takes effort to locate and iron out the wrinkles.

Take the Extra Step, Enjoy the Extra Business

Coffee company ‘********’ and Singapore bank ‘***’ are both very big in their markets. They are major players with many customers, huge budgets and profits (for now). But big bureaucracies can quickly become impersonal and remote. Staff can become more interested in doing things easily for themselves and pleasing their bosses, than serving their customers with a smile. Meanwhile, smaller players who want more market share, greater customer loyalty and positive word of mouth can teach their staff to be pleasant, helpful, motivated and appreciative toward those who really count – the customers.

In the Spirit of Service

To offer the spirit of service, look beyond your customer's request to identify their true concerns. What you can offer may be different, and more effective, than what they have requested. Listen for unspoken needs, not just spoken words.

If We Implement Them All, You Have Not Succeeded

To keep your culture vibrant and evolving, you must consider ideas that are well beyond what makes sense right now. You must look ahead today, look beyond tomorrow and look 'over the horizon' for the future.

To Be Distinctive, Be Different

Make a list of all the 'usual ways' your organization offers good customer service. Now think of totally different ways you could surprise, intrigue or delight. What bothers your customers? How can you fix it? What do they do before or after your service? How can you integrate it? What do they bring, carry or take away? How can you replace it?

IT Consulting Services - Offer What Your Prospects Need

IT consulting services come in all shapes and sizes. Offer IT consulting services that cover both the basic fixes and the long term solutions, and make yourself an invaluable asset to the businesses for which you provide IT consulting services.

Top Customer Service Speaker Says: You Revoke Customer Entitlements at Your Peril

If a customer is used to VIP treatment, receiving a perk, year after year, such as attending a nice event, it becomes part of his routine, like a family outing, and it’s something he counts on. In this article, Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, best-selling author, top speaker and consultant writes from personal experience to show just how damaging and costly it is to delete customer entitlements.

How Hot is Our Service?

Excellent service quality training is important, and sometimes a classroom is the best place to provide it. But training should be always supported by a work environment that generates...

I Want to Speak to a Supervisor, Part 2

Empowerment is intelligent fuel for creating self-motivated staff who will love the customers, love their jobs – and love working with you!

Personal Diamond Awards

What would the Olympics be like if we officially included the Personal Diamond Awards? Imagine an athlete who wins the bronze medal as well as a Personal Diamond. How would that athlete react? How might the audience respond? Would the bronze medalist begrudge the...

Should You Crack the Tough Nuts?

I’ve learned something over the years: Some people do not want to be won over – and that’s OK. Now I focus on the ...