Customer Service: Career Success Through Customer Loyalty

From the Author     xiiAbout the Author     xviiiKnow Why Service Matters     1Introduction     2No One Succeeds without Loyal Customers     3"Customer" implies an exchange of value     3Customers Have Many Names     4Customer Relationships Can Become Partnerships     4Positive Word of Mouth Gets and Keeps Customers     5The impact of E-Commerce on word of mouth     6The Good and Bad News about Customer Service-The Cost of a Lost Customer     7Calculate the terrible cost of the lost customer     7Appreciate the cost of the lost     8How much will it cost to replace these customers?     9Understand how lost customers mean lost jobs     9Some Key Changes in the Diverse Nature of Customers     9Increasing customer diversity     10Age issues     10Globalization     12Work-life balance     12Translating Slogans and Good Intentions into a Strategy     12The Ultimate Goal: Developing Customer Loyalty for Life     13Customer loyalty     14A Final Thought     17Assignment Portfolio     17Summary of Key Ideas     17Key Concepts     18Reviewing the Facts     18Applying the Ideas: Interview Service Providers     18Notes     20Use Behaviors That Engage Your Customers     23Behavior and Personality Factors That Please Customers     24Fifteen Individual Behaviors Can Convey Personality     25Greet customers like guests     25Break the ice     26Compliment freely and sincerely     26Call people by name     27Talk to customers with your eyes     27Ask often "How am I doing?"     28Listen with more than your ears     29Say "please," "thank you," and "you're welcome"     29Reassure customers in their decision to do business with you     29Smile     30Use good telephone techniques     30Reach out and touch them     31Enjoy people and their diversity     31Maintain a positive attitude about selling     32Watch your dress, grooming, and workplace attractiveness     33Six Organizational Behaviors That Convey a Customer-Centered Culture     33Consider your company's appearance and grooming      33Get customers to interact with your organization     37Correspond regularly     37Use hoopla and fun     38Reward the right actions     38Stay close after the sale     39A Final Thought     40Assignment Portfolio     40Summary of Key Ideas     40Key Concepts     41Reviewing the Facts     41Applying the Ideas: Does Behavior Influence Customer Loyalty?     41Applying the Ideas: Hooray for Waffle House     43Notes     45Apply Your Best Listening Skills     47The Difference between Listening and Merely Hearing     49What Contributes to Listening?     49Internal elements affecting listening     49Environmental elements affecting listening     49Interactional elements affecting listening     51Listening Habits to Avoid     54Faking attention     54Changing channels     55Listening only for the facts     55Interrupting     56Positive Steps to Better Listening     56Solicit clarification     57Minimize the number of gatekeepers      57Try counter-attitudinal advocacy     57A Final Thought     60Assignment Portfolio     60Summary of Key Ideas     60Key Concepts     61Reviewing the Facts     61Applying the Ideas: Discover Your Listening Style     61Notes     64Use the Telephone Right for Good Service     67Know the Benefits and Drawbacks of Telephonic Communication     68Action Tips for Identifying Telephone Use Attitudes     70Check your phone use attitudes     70Contact a company     70Avoid unnecessary call screening     71Action Tips on What to Do and Say     72Answer promptly and be prepared to handle calls     72Use courtesy titles     72Thank people for calling     73Smile     74Be sure the conversation is finished before you hang up     74Handle the upset caller with tact and skill     74Action Tips on How to Express Yourself on the Phone     75Keep your conversation tactful and businesslike     75Speak clearly and distinctly     76Speak naturally and comfortably     76Do not let "dead air" happen     77Keep a constant flow of information     77Keep callers on track     77Action Tips for Efficient Use of the Phone     78When Calling others, asks "is this a convenient time to talk?"     78Take messages cheerfully and accurately     79Make your greeting message efficient     80Learn to use your phone's features     80Plan your outgoing calls for efficiency     81Don't let the telephone interrupt an important live conversation     82Consistently work to improve your telephone communications     82Call Centers: Building Relationships One Phone Call at a Time     82What a call center is     83How many call centers are there?     83A Final Thought     84Assignment Portfolio     85Summary of Key Ideas     85Key Concepts     85Reviewing the Facts     85Applying the Ideas: Try Rewording for a Better Tone     86Applying the Ideas: Hear the Difference     86Notes     89Use Friendly Web Sites and Electronic Communication     91What Is Web-Based Customer Service?     92Self-serve common answers      92Delayed answers     93Live answers     93Self-serve personalized answers     94Acknowledge Cost Advantages for "Webifying" Customer Service     94Recognize Disadvantages of Web-Based E-Service     95Apply Five Action Tips for Avoiding E-Service Problems     96Be there and be quick     96Make site navigation simple     96Respond quickly     97Provide communication alternatives     97Pay attention to form and function     97Utilize Five Action Tips for Evaluating and Growing E-Service Effectiveness     99Track customer traffic     99Benchmark service levels     99Teach your site to learn     99Build an ongoing E-relationship     99End high for better loyalty     101A Final Thought     101Assignment Portfolio     101Summary of Key Ideas     101Key Concepts     102Reviewing the Facts     102Applying the Ideas: Explore the World of E-Service     103Notes     105Recognize and Deal with Customer Turnoffs     107Be Aware. Be Very Aware-Recognize Pet Peeves about Customer Service     108Get a Picture of What Turns Customers Off     109Value turnoffs     110Systems turnoffs     111People turnoffs     114Know That Reducing Turnoffs Is the Best Advertising     115Create Loyal Customers     116The zone of indifference     116Value service recovery     117Loyalty comes from customers' awareness that service is your business     117Earn your customer's loyalty with two steps     118Listen with More Than Your Ears     118A Final Thought     119Assignment Portfolio     120Summary of Key Ideas     120Key Concepts     120Reviewing the Facts     121Applying the Ideas: Discovering Customer Turnoffs     121Notes     124Get Customer Feedback     125Why Feedback Is So Important     126Feedback is a form of coaching     126Complaints are valuable feedback     126Getting input at the point of contact     127Commitment to Feedback Varies     128What statistics reveal about feedback     128Reinforce, Don't Challenge the Customer      129Be sensitive to your first reactions     129Act on Complaints in Productive Ways     130Feel the customer's pain     132Do all you can to resolve the problem     132Other Proactive Ways to Get Feedback     132Try focus groups     133Use explorer groups     135Use customer surveys     135Use "mystery shoppers"     138A Final Thought     139Assignment Portfolio     139Summary of Key Ideas     139Key Concepts     140Reviewing the Facts     140Applying the Ideas: Getting Customer Feedback     141Notes     143Recover the Potentially Lost Customer     145Understand the Case for Customer Recovery     146Maintain Healthy Attitudes about Customer Recovery     147Develop Your Recovery Skills     149Feel their pain     149Do all you can to resolve the problem     149Go beyond: offer "symbolic atonement"     149Look back and learn from each situation     150Understand what happens if the customer is still not satisfied     152Handling the Occasional "Customer from Hell"      152Be sure this really is a chronic complainer     152Know what to do with this guy (or gal)     153Handing a Nasty Complaint Letter or Email     153Use Human Relations Skills to Convey Appropriate Tone     155People are strongly interested in themselves     155People prefer receiver-centered messages     156People want to be treated as individuals     157People want positive information     157People don't like abrasive people     158Understand the Distinction between Assertive and Aggressive Behavior     160A Final Thought     162Assignment Portfolio     162Summary of Key Ideas     162Key Concepts     163Reviewing the Facts     163Applying the Ideas: Recovering Lost Customers     163Notes     166Exceed Expectations with Value     167Define A-Plus Value: What It Is     168Recognize the cost of diminished perceptions of value     168Create an Enhanced Sense of Intrinsic and Associated Value     170Intrinsic value of the product itself     170Associated value     171Seven Ways to Enhance the Perception of Value      171Build A-plus value with packaging     172Build A-plus value with guarantees or warranties     173Build A-plus value with goodness of product fit     173Build A-plus value with memorable experiences     175Build A-plus value with uniqueness and shared values     176Build A-plus value with credibility     177Build A-plus value with add-ons     178A-plus value and your employees     179A Final Thought     180Assignment Portfolio     180Summary of Key Ideas     180Key Concepts     181Reviewing the Facts     181Applying the Ideas: Creating A-Plus Value     182Notes     184Give Customers A-Plus Information     187Understand What A-Plus Information Is     188Special informational demands of E-commerce     189Know How to Produce A-Plus Information     190Provide informational hand-holding     191Select informational media carefully     191Use Techniques That Enhance Message Clarity     193Audit of your company's writing     193Use some redundancy     194Make key information easily accessible with graphics and icons     194Create and Support Customer User Groups and Classes     195Pay Special Attention to A-Plus Information in E-Commerce     196Make customer support accessible     196Honor the customer feedback loop     196Evaluate Your A-Plus Information Efforts     197Logging common questions (FAQs)     197Audit your company's communication     197A Final Thought     197Assignment Portfolio     198Summary of Key Ideas     198Key Concepts     198Reviewing the Facts     198Applying the Ideas: Creating A-plus Information     199Notes     201Exceed Customer Expectation with Convenience     203Understand What Is Meant by A-Plus Convenience     204How to Produce A-Plus Convenience     205Give serious regard to customer time and convenience     205Consider the Use of Virtual Waiting Techniques     207Match capacity to demand     208Respond to how customers perceive the wait     208Use virtual queues     208Make Things Easier for Customers     209Create once-and-done service     210Make doing business easy     210Offer ancillary services     211Simplify the product     211A Final Thought     211Assignment Portfolio     213Summary of Key Ideas     213Key Concepts     214Reviewing the Facts     214Applying the Ideas: Giving A-plus Convenience     215Notes     216Managing Your Time and Tasks to Reduce Stress     219What Are the Causes of Job Stress?     220Unproductive job stress factors     220Working conditions that may lead to stress     221Five Key Skills for Better Time and Task Management     222Target your efforts on the most important tasks     223Be a goal-getter, not just a goal setter     224Do the constructive things first     225Foster teamwork     226Avoid time wasters     227Effectively Delegate (Even If You Are Not the Boss)     230How delegation can go wrong     231A Final Thought     231Assignment Portfolio     232Summary of Key Ideas     232Key Concepts     232Reviewing the Facts     232Applying the Ideas: Managing Time, Tasks, and Stress     233Notes     235Get Employees to Give Great Service     237Articulate a Vision: What Managers Should Do First     238Plan a Strategy for Customer Loyalty     240Organizing Processes, People, and Resources to Achieve the Vision     240Lead and Motivate Employees     241Create and Sustain an Effective Work Culture     242Continuously Harvest A-Plus Ideas     244Use brainstorming when you need creative ideas     244Use nominal group process when appropriate     244Control the Processes     245Help employees set contributing goals     246Empower and Engage Employees     246Tie the Reward System to Appropriate Actions     247A Final Thought     248Assignment Portfolio     248Summary of Key Ideas     248Key Concepts     249Reviewing the Facts     249Applying the Ideas: Getting Employees to Give Great Service     250Notes     252Recognize the Emerging Trends in Customer Service     253The Importance of "One-to-One" Personalization for Customer Service in the New Future      255One-to-one opportunities with internal customers     256Social and Economic Shifts Impacting Customer Service for the Future     256Recognize changing demographics     257New Interactivity Options for Creating Stronger Customer Relationships     258Understand That Some Things Remain Consistent     259Demand for fair value     260Satisfy individual customer needs and wants     260Create promoters     261Apply relationship marketing     261Gain customer share, not market share     261A Final Thought     264Assignment Portfolio     264Summary of Key Ideas     264Key Concepts     265Reviewing the Facts     265Applying the Ideas: Recognizing Emerging Trends     266Notes     268How to Lead or Participate in an A-Plus idea Generating Meeting     269Index     277