Robert W. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter and adult educator for over four decades. He who has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-three books on topics such as, customer service, brain based learning and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Impact of the Recession on Customer Loyalty

by Robert W. Lucas

Impact of the Recession on Customer Loyalty

Many business owners and managers will tell you that they are struggling to maintain market share and service levels to guarantee customer loyalty. This has been a trend for a number of years and particularly became difficult once the recent economic downturn kicked into full swing. To off-set the trend, companies are striving to provide excellent customer service, create moments of truth that make the customer feel special and encouraging customer service representatives and employees at all levels to exceed customer expectations.

A big challenge is that companies realized that in addition to losing customers, they were also losing profits as many middle class and some higher-income customers retrenched on spending. To offset their reduced disposable capital, consumers have changed their spending habits, stopped eating out and traveling as much, limited their entertainment budget, shopped less for non-essential items, and cut services that they considered a luxury (e.g. grass, pool, and pest control services) and started handling those functions personally. They also started doing more comparative shopping, spent more time bargain hunting, attended yard sales and consignment shops, clipped more coupons, and in many instances traded down to less expensive store items or those that were not in the “status symbol” or name brand categories.

The result of all these cultural and societal changes has been that now that customers are accustomed to the “new economic normal.” They realize that they can actually live well and be comfortable at a lower spending level and using lower quality products. They even realize that in many instances they actually happy with their new lifestyle and spending habits. As a result, even though the economy has started a slow upward movement, consumers are now remembering the economic pain they suffered and are stashing away as much as they can in the event the recession comes back.

What all this means for retail businesses, service providers and product manufacturers are that they must retool their marketing and production mentality. They are reducing on-hand inventories, minimizing staff hiring and using part-time employees or outsourcing services and re-examining the way they deliver customer service in a changing world. In particular, they are changing the manner in which they show added value to their customers in an effort to gain and retain new ones.

The changing business environment has resulted in a winning proposition for many consumers who now feel that they are in a power position related to making purchases. This is especially true in instances of major buying decisions (e.g. cars, houses, property, recreational vehicles, and other higher-end items). Many realtors and dealers have experienced a large inventory surplus due to a slowdown in purchases and tightened lending policies from financial institutions. This has created a buyers market.

By doing adequate research and coming to the sales environment with knowledge of manufacturing costs, competitive pricing, and product and service details, the consumer is now often in a position to negotiate strongly and get pricing that is not only fair but also better than they could have gotten in the past. Retailers in nearly every type of product line and business are willing to negotiate and offer discounted prices when pressured by the customer to do so. They do this because they realize that their competitors will discount if they do not and the customer is likely to walk away, if not satisfied with an offer they receive. In addition, with a global economy and access to products from around the world only a mouse click away, companies realize that they must deal or die.

From a customer service perspective, it is imperative that managers develop a customer-centric mindset and that customer service representatives and everyone else in the organization adopt a can-do/must-do attitude when it comes to communicating effectively and working with customers. They must provide the best customer service possible in any instance where there is a of customer-provider interaction. Only through such initiatives will organizations be able to show customers that they offer the best value, care about their wants, needs, and expectations, and are willing to put forth the effort to help achieve customer and brand loyalty.

About Robert W. Lucas

Bob Lucas has been a trainer, presenter, customer service expert, and adult educator for over four decades. He has written hundreds of articles on training, writing, self-publishing, and workplace learning skills and issues. He is also an award-winning author who has written thirty-seven books on topics such as, writing, relationships, customer service, brain-based learning, and creative training strategies, interpersonal communication, diversity, and supervisory skills. Additionally, he has contributed articles, chapters, and activities to eighteen compilation books. Bob retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 after twenty-two years of active and reserve service.

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

The key to successfully making money as an author and/or self-publisher is to brand yourself and your company and to make yourself and your book(s) a household name. Part of this is face-to-face interaction with people at trade shows, library events, book readings, book store signings, blogging or guest blogging on a topic related to their book(s). Another strategy involves writing articles and other materials that show up online and are found when people search for a given topic related to a topic about which the author has written.

If you need help building an author platform, branding yourself and your book(s) or generating recognition for what you do, Make Money Writing Books will help. Bob’s popular book addresses a multitude of ideas and strategies that you can use to help sell more books and create residual and passive income streams. The tips outlined in the book are focused to help authors but apply to virtually any professional trying to increase personal and product recognition and visibility.

Two Tips for Building Strong Customer Relationships

by Robert W. Lucas

Two Tips for Building Strong Customer Relationships

Customers like doing business with those who understand them and their needs and go out of their way to deliver timely and quality services and products at a fair price. This can lead to consumer satisfaction and that is a big factor for many customers in remaining loyal to a brand or organization.

Here are two simple tips that can help enhance customer retention and provide quality service to customers.

1. Pay Attention

As you listen to your customers, focus all your attention on them so that you can identify and address their needs. If you are providing service face-to-face use positive nonverbal cues (e.g. face the customer, smile, use open body gestures, make eye contact, stop doing other things, and focus attention on the customer) and language. Ask open-end questions to determine the customer’s needs. Also, use the active listening techniques to ensure that you get all the information you need to properly address your customer’s needs or concerns.

2. Deal with One Customer at a Time

You cannot effectively handle two people (on the phone or in-person) simultaneously. When more than one call or customer comes in at the same time, seek assistance or ask one of them to either wait or if you might get back to him or her at a later time. Then, give personalized attention to the other customer.

Providing stellar customer service is not always easy, but if you strive to gain and use positive customer relationship management knowledge and skills, you can effectively identify and satisfy customer needs.

For additional strategies on effectively providing stellar customer service, get a copy of Please Every Customer: Providing Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

Nonverbal Communication That Can Impact Customer Relationships

by Robert W. Lucas

Nonverbal Communication That Can Impact Customer Relationships

There are many ways in which customer service representatives communicate with customers face-to-face and via technology. One of the most powerful techniques is through nonverbal cues or messages they send subconsciously. Often these unspoken messages are more powerful than those delivered through words.

The following chart indicates some common positive and negative nonverbal communication behaviors that customer service representatives might exhibit that can lead to misunderstandings or service breakdowns if you are not careful.

Positive	Negative
Brief eye contact (3 to 5 seconds)	Yawning
Eyes wide open	Frowning or sneering
Smiling	Attending to matters other than the customer
Facing the customer	Manipulating items impatiently
Nodding affirmatively	Leaning away from customer as he or she speaks
Expressive hand gestures	Subdued or minimal hand gestures
Open body stance	Crossed arms
Listening actively	Staring blankly or coolly at customer
Remaining silent as customer speaks	Interrupting
Gesturing with open hand	Pointing finger or object at customer
Maintaining professional appearance	Casual unkempt appearance
Clean, organized work area	Disorganized, cluttered work space

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

The Role of Gestures in Positive Customer Service

by Robert W. Lucas

The Role of Gestures in Positive Customer Service

The use of nonverbal communication with your head, hands, arms, and shoulders to accentuate verbal messages can add color, excitement, and enthusiasm to your interactions with customers. Using physical movements naturally during a conversation may either help make a point or result in added credibility.

Typically, movements or gestures are designed to gain and hold attention (e.g. waving a hand to attract the attention of someone), clarify or describe further (e.g. holding up one finger to indicate the number 1), or emphasize a point (e.g. pointing a finger while angrily making a point verbally).

Open, flowing gestures (e.g. gesturing with arms, palms open and upward, out and away from the body) encourage listening and help explain messages to customers. On the other hand, closed, restrained movements (e.g. tightly crossed arms, clenched fists, hands in pockets, hands or fingers intertwined and held below waist level or behind the back) could send a message of coolness, insecurity, or disinterest.

One important point to remember in a multicultural world is that nonverbal cues are not universal and a gesture in one country or culture could take on an entirely different meaning in another. Take some time to research common nonverbal cues around the world before using them in public.

The key to effective nonverbal communication is to make gestures seem natural. If you do not normally use gestures when communicating, you may want to practice in front of a mirror until you feel relaxed and the gestures complement your verbal messages without distracting.

For additional ideas and strategies on using nonverbal communication effectively when interacting with customers, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success. For suggestions on interacting effectively with customers from different backgrounds, check out Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

Recovering from Customer Service Breakdowns

by Robert W. Lucas

Recovering from Customer Service Breakdowns

Customers are better educated and have access to a more competitive product and service information that at any time in history. The result is that when they contact a customer service representative, they have specific wants, needs, and expectations. When their preconceived ideas are not met, service breakdowns are likely to occur.

The following are three common situations that can lead to customer dissatisfaction and potentially cause defection to a competitor when customer service representatives fail to create positive customer experiences. Strategies for preventing customer service breakdowns are also provided.

Service breakdowns often occur when customer service representatives:

Are preoccupied when customers call or are present. If you have ever called or visited an organization only to have them put you on extended hold, disconnected you, or failed to acknowledge your presence and serve you right away while they performed some task, you know how your customers might feel under similar circumstances.

If you are a service provider and must put someone on hold while on the phone, do so only if you are currently serving another customer or you have no other option. If you must put them on hold, ensure that you explain why they are being asked to wait and how long it will take to get to them. Remember that effective telephone etiquette is crucial for service success.

When providing face-to-face service and a customer arrives while you are performing an administrative function, such as filing, calculating, writing, stocking, completing a task, or other such function, quickly get to a point where you can pause and serve the customer. In the meantime, take a moment to make eye contact, smile and either tell them or non-verbally (by holding up a single index finger) that you will be with them as soon as possible. Effective nonverbal communication such as this is especially important when dealing with someone from a culture in which relationships are an important aspect of business (e.g. the Middle East, Hispanic cultures, and Asia). Your efforts may not satisfy everyone, but they work with most customers who understand that many service providers are doing more with fewer human assets these days.

Project an uncaring attitude. You may experience instances when customer service or communication is strained when dealing with a customer. This can occur if they perceive that the products or services they received did not meet their needs or expectations or were not delivered as promised. An uncaring perception can also be projected if you are not focused on delivering quality global customer service and through your actions, words or non-verbal cues send messages that the customer is not a priority.

To avoid the potential perception that you are uncaring, strive to make sure that you are always prepared for customers. Put other tasks aside, clear your head of previous issues or events and focus on your current customer and their needs or issues. Also, listen to and show interest in what your customers have to say.

Fail to assume responsibility. A big complaint that many customers have, especially when dealing with web-based businesses, is that they cannot find a “real person” to talk to when they have a question or a problem arises.

Many organizations intentionally make finding their contact information (if they even list it on their website) difficult to locate because they do not want people calling their representatives. They do this under the guise of making service delivery more efficient for customers through the technology they offer. When customers do finally locate the contact information, they often encounter an automated attendant system that requires numerous choice selections and often ends with a message saying something like, “You are important to use. All of our agents are currently helping other customers; your estimated wait time is ___.”

To prevent being part of problem situations, continually look for ways to make yourself accessible to your customers. Also, make recommendations to your supervisor for improvement to your system whenever you identify a glitch. Whether you are interacting with customers in person or via technology and a service breakdown occurs make sure that you apologize, when appropriate, assume responsibility for delays or service breakdowns and offer to assist professionally.

Possible strategies for preventing service breakdowns include avoiding fault deference to technology, your organizational system or other people. For example, avoid using statements like:

“I am unable to do (whatever the customer is requesting); they/our policy won’t let us…” or “Our system is down right now; can you call back later?”

Instead, work toward positive and immediate service recovery by telling your customer what you can do; not what you cannot. For example, “I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced with _______ Mr./Ms. _____. While we cannot do _____, what I can do in this instance is to ____.” or “My sincere apologies for the inconvenience Mr./Ms/ _____, however, I cannot get that information at the moment because our computer system is down. Can I take your phone number or email address and get that information for you as soon as it comes back up?”

Ultimately, be a problem solver and resource by taking responsibility and working to assist your customers; not an obstacle to good service and satisfaction.

In order to prevent service breakdowns from occurring, take time to review your current policies, procedures and service environment to ensure that they are ready address the needs and expectations of your customers.

For additional ideas on strategies for preventing and addressing service breakdowns, check our two books by Robert W. Lucas – Customer Service: Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

Enhancing Non-verbal Communication With Customers

by Robert W. Lucas

Enhancing Non-verbal Communication With Customers

As a customer service representative or another person in contact with your organization’s customers, you should continually be aware of the impact that your verbal and nonverbal messages have on others. Part of this awareness it to strive to enhance your nonverbal communication skills and better understand how silent messages you send might be interpreted by customers of various backgrounds.

Here are three tips to help raise your nonverbal awareness and improve your ability to communicate more effectively with customers.

To determine if you have any annoying or potentially distracting personal habits that could cause relationship issues, ask someone who knows you well to be alert to gestures, movements, habits, or phrases that you repeat or use often. Once identified, make a conscious effort to reduce or eliminate the habits.
Have a candid conversation with your supervisor and ask him or her to give you constructive feedback on how he or she perceives your typical appearance and style of dress in the workplace. If necessary, make any adjustments your supervisor recommends.
Strive to create a work environment that sends a positive message and will not cause offense or negative perceptions in others. Simple things like emptying your waste can, organizing items in your work area neatly, and cleaning spills or dusting the area can help send a positive message to customers entering the area.

For additional information on the impact of nonverbal communication on customers, get a copy of the book Customer Service: Skills for Success.

Robert C. Lucas

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

The Role of Eye Contact in Customer Service in a Diverse World

by Robert W. Lucas

The Role of Eye Contact in Customer Service in a Diverse World

It has been said that the eyes are “the windows to the soul.” Eye contact is very powerful. This is why criminal investigators are often taught to observe eye movement in order to help determine whether a suspect is being truthful or not.

In most Western cultures, the typical period of time that is comfortable for holding eye contact is 5 to 10 seconds, then an occasional glance away is normal. Looking away in many cultures can often send a message of disinterest, or dishonesty, or lack of confidence. If either the length or the frequency of eye contact differs from the “norm,” many people might think that you are being rude or offensive. They might also interpret your behavior as an attempt to exert power or as flirting.

Other potential nonverbal problems when dealing with customers can be caused by looking down before answering questions, glancing away continually as your customer talks, blinking excessively, and other such eye movements can create a negative impression.

In any case, your customer might become uncomfortable and may react in an undesirable manner (for example, becoming upset or ending the conversation) if you use eye contact in what they perceive as an inappropriate manner.

As with all other aspects of workplace interaction in a multicultural customer service environment, do not forget that cultural values and practices often influence the way in which people communicate and interpret message signals.

Just as you send messages with your eyes, your customer’s eye contact can also send meaningful messages to you. A customer’s lack of direct eye contact with you could send a variety of messages in a westernized culture. It might send messages such as a lack of interest, confidence, trust, or dishonesty, depending on how you interpret those cues. For example, if you are watching a customer shop and notice a quick loss of eye contact each time you try to engage the customer visually, the customer might be nervous because he or she is shoplifting, or the customer simply might not want your attention and assistance.

As with any other form of nonverbal communication, always look for clusters or multiple cues before interpreting the meaning and deciding on a course of action. This is because you are dealing with humans whose background, gender, personality, culture and various other factors can easily impact their intent. If you filter based on your own personal beliefs or background, you can potentially cause a service and/or relationship breakdown with your customer.

Customer Service Skills by Robert Lucas

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

Effective Listening Tips for Customer Service Representatives

by Robert W. Lucas

Effective Listening Tips for Customer Service Representatives

Active listening is a skill that has to be learned and developed over time. As a customer service representative, you must continually practice your listening skills in order to deliver good customer service. Many people believe they are doing so, when in fact, they are only hearing the words (which is a passive physiological process in the body). To deliver excellent customer service, you must actively listen to get what customers are actually saying verbally and nonverbally.

Here are four tips for actively listening to your customers that can enhance the quality of service that you deliver.

Stop doing other tasks and focus on what your customers are saying in order to increase your listening efficiency. Ask clarifying questions where appropriate to ensure that you ensure that you received the message they intended.
Take time to slow down and actively listen to customers in order to make them feel important and allow you to better identify and meet their needs. This is important because many people spend time thinking about what they will say next rather than listening to what is being said. If you do this, your customer-provider relationship could suffer.
Do your best to listen well so that you can get at the customer’s meaning or need. Don’t rush a customer who seems to be processing information and forming opinions or making a decision. This is especially important after you have presented product information and have asked for a buying decision. Answer questions, provide additional information requested but don’t push. Doing so could frustrate, anger, and ultimately alienate the customer. You could end up with a complaint or lost customer.
In dealings with customers, try to avoid subjective opinions or judgments. If you have a preconceived idea about customers, their concerns or questions, the environment, or anything related to the customers, you could mishandle the situation. Listen openly and avoid making assumptions. Allow customers to describe their needs, wants, or concerns in their own words, and then analyze them fairly before taking appropriate action.

For additional suggestions and strategies for delivering exceptions customer service, get a copy of the book Customer Service: Skills for Success.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

Three Tips for Developing Customer and Brand Loyalty

by Robert W. Lucas

Three Tips for Developing Customer and Brand Loyalty

Companies and customer service representatives are always looking for ways to develop a service culture that can increase customer and brand loyalty in today’s global competitive business environment. By exhibiting basic customer service skills and delivering excellent customer service with each customer-provider encounter, the chances that a customer will return and stay loyal are increased significantly.

Here are three simple strategies that can contribute to higher customer and brand loyalty in your organization.

Always act in the best interest of your customers. Listen to them, ask questions, anticipate their needs, deliver what you promise and exhibit high levels of professionalism in everything that you do whether your customers are present or not.
Take the time to personalize your customer interactions and to make each customer feel special. Use a customer’s name often during an interaction, listen, smile, ask questions to show interest and strive to project a positive image. This can all lead to enhanced trust and helps ensure that the customer returns.
Treat all customers as if they are crucial to the organization—they are! Do whatever is possible and reasonable to maintain a strong customer-provider relationship and keep the customer returning and recommending that others should do likewise. Whether someone is a new or existing customer should make no difference.

For additional ideas on developing customer and brand loyalty and on how to deliver effective customer service to your customers, get a copy of Customer Service: Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures by Robert W. Lucas.

About Robert C. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.

Four Tips for Delivering Customer Service in a Diverse World

by Robert W. Lucas

Four Tips for Delivering Customer Service in a Diverse World

The world is much smaller than it was several decades ago. More expendable income, ease of travel and technology have closed the distance and communication gaps that were formerly in place. As a result, you are likely to encounter customers from various cultures and backgrounds at any time during your workday. If you prepare for this inevitability by increasing your cultural awareness, recognizing the value of cultural differences and expanding your knowledge of cultural nuances, you are less likely to run into conflict or encounter misunderstandings.

The following are four tips for potentially preventing service breakdowns when you are dealing with customers from cultures different from your own.

A key point to remember is that the concept of treating others as you would like to be treated (a value common in many religions—e.g., The Golden Rule) can lead to service breakdowns. This is because your customers are unique and may not value what you do or want to be treated as you do. To better ensure service success, find out what customers want and treat them as they want to be treated. This concept has been termed the Platinum Rule by Dr. Tony Alessandra.
Always ask your customer his or her preference for being addressed rather than assume familiarity and make the choice yourself. The latter can lead to a service relationship breakdown since, in many cultures, formality and use of titles and forms of address are important to a person’s value system.
By being aware of the time values that you and your customers have and proceeding accordingly; you can reduce your own stress level when dealing with customers or clients from other cultures. In many cultures, arriving half an hour or more after a scheduled event time is an acceptable social custom. If you arrive on or ahead of time, you may actually offend someone or catch them unprepared.
Do not point out the mistake if a customer makes an error or is wrong about something (e.g., improperly fills out a form or uses an incorrect word when speaking). Instead, take responsibility for correcting the error or clearing up the misunderstanding (e.g., “I am sorry that these forms are so confusing. I have trouble with them too.” or “I apologize that I did not clearly explain what you needed to do to get a refund.”). This strategy allows you to assume responsibility and helps them avoid embarrassment (save face). It also sends a non-judgmental message that you are there to assist them.

For hundreds of other tips on effectively interacting with customers who have various cultural values, gender differences, abilities, and other diverse characteristics get a copy of Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert W. Lucas

Make Money Writing Books: Proven Profit Making Strategies for Authors by Robert W. Lucas at Amazon.com.