Positive Impressions Help To Build Customer Relationships

Customers often judge an organization and the people who work for it based on the first impressions made by front line employees with whom they come into contact face-to-face or via technology.

It is crucial that you and those who serve customers take time to prepare for customer encounters and to prepare yourself to send positive messages through your appearance, voice and nonverbal cues. This will help in building strong customer relationships that can lead to increased customer satisfaction and customer retention.

Here are 5 good positive body gestures:

Relax your shoulders to avoid looking tense
Be pleasant and friendly
Make good and strong eye contact when talking to people
Lean forward slightly to get engaged in a conversation
Share your body between both feet

To learn more about making positive impressions on current and potential customers, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

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.

Handling Angry Customers

by Robert W. Lucas

Handling Angry Customers

There seem to be a number of issues that are driving the anger that many customers display when dealing with customer service representatives these days. Contributing factors might include the economy, displeasure with government, unemployment, perceived poor service in general and many other challenges facing society. The reality is that, as a customer service representative, you cannot solve these problems or resolve all of your customer’s concerns. However, what you can do is to control the approach that you take when handling angry customers.

Dealing with disgruntled people requires a certain amount of caution, especially in a time when so many people are becoming violent in response to what they perceive as issues beyond their control. For effectively handling angry customers, you must first help the customer move beyond the emotions of the moment. You can then potentially discover the reason for their anger or frustration.

Before dealing with customers in general, check with your supervisor to find out what your organization’s policies are. Also, determine your level of authority for making decisions related to problem resolution. Having this information before a customer encounter provides the tools and knowledge you need to better handle your customers effectively and professionally.

The following are customer service skills and strategies that you can use when handling angry customers during service breakdowns.

Be positive. Tell the customer what you can do rather than what you cannot do.
Remain objective. Remember, angry customers, are usually frustrated with the organization, product, or service that you represent, not at you.
Acknowledge the customer’s feelings of anger. By taking this approach, you’ve acknowledged the customer’s feelings, demonstrated a willingness to assist, and asked the customer to participate in solving the problem.
Reassure the customer. Indicate that you understand why he or she is angry and that you will work with them to resolve the issues.
Listen actively to determine the cause of their anger. Who is “right” or “wrong” makes no difference when handling angry customers. Actively listening and trying to discover the true issue will assure the customer that you are trying to take care of it for him or her.
Avoid language that might inflame the situation. Negative words such as problem, no, can’t and you (directed at the person and indicating that they did or did not do something they should have) can be like throwing gasoline on the fire when dealing with an emotionally charged person.
Negotiate an acceptable solution. Elicit ideas or negotiate an alternative with your customer. Ask open-ended questions that make the customer feel that they are in charge of the situation and have some power. For example, “What do you feel would be an acceptable solution to this matter?” Remember that, with some exceptions, most people are typically reasonable and not out to take advantage of the situation when they feel that you are truly acting in their best interest. They just want to be “made whole” again. In other words, they want what they were promised or paid for and to be compensated for their inconvenience.
Conduct a follow-up. If possible, follow-up as soon as you can with the customer. Don’t assume that the organization’s system will work as designed or that the customer was completely satisfied. By taking this extra step, you are recognizing the customer as an important person to you and the organization and letting them know that you really are working with them to resolve their issue(s). This can go a long way towards getting the customer to generate positive word-of-mouth publicity.

There is no guarantee that these strategies will always work when handling angry customers. However, they provide some basic communication skills and service strategies for helping customer service representatives create a positive outcome in a negative situation. This can ultimately contribute to enhanced customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Do You Feel That Fast Food Chain’s Prices Are Reasonable?

by Robert W. Lucas

Do You Feel That Fast Food Chain’s Prices Are Reasonable?

Have you ever suspected that what you pay is not what is always advertised on the menus at McDonald’s and Burger King restaurants? In recent weeks, I have visited several McDonald’s and Burger King fast-food restaurants. Generally, I have not had a problem, but on two occasions (one at each company’s locations), I have received an item on which the cost was more than what was listed on the menu.

In the case of McDonald’s I explained to the cashier that I wanted a hamburger the size of the Quarter Pounder, but I did not want all the normal items (e.g. American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onion) on it. Instead, I specified “lettuce, tomato, and mayo only.” I asked if there was anything like that on the menu and she said they could just switch items on the Quarter Pounder. Obviously, they saved money because the sandwich no longer had all the add-on and instead substituted the three items I requested. When I went to pay for the meals, I found out that there was actually a .50 upcharge because I added tomato. I did not see this charge indicated on their menu, nor did the cashier mention it before ringing the item upon the register. Interestingly, they do not give credit for the items they do not supply on sandwiches in such instances.

To McDonald’s credit, when I went online to complain through their website, the district manager did call me back later to discuss the issue. He was very apologetic and said they would address my concerns since customer satisfaction is a major goal for the franchise. He even mailed me a coupon for a free meal.

On a second occasion, when I visited the drive-through to get a Whopper less than a week later, I ordered a sandwich with mayo and tomato only. The cashier asked “do you want cheese?” and without thinking, I said yes, since it was for my mother who likes American cheese. Again there is no notation on their menu that there is an additional charge and the cashier did not mention it. When I got the receipt and realized that there was a .50 cent upcharge, I asked why they had not indicated so on the menu. The cashier’s response was, “I guess they should add that.” Since I had gone through the drive-through and did not feel like wasting time to complain, I have no idea how it would be handled. I can tell you that several years ago, I had another issue with the same location and did complain but nothing seemed to change. I guess I should have learned my lesson then.

Maybe it is just me, but in a competitive business world where the fast-food companies vie daily for customer loyalty, brand loyalty, and customer retention, it seems that these little add-ons might be just the thing to make customers think about going to a competitor that does not upcharge for everything (e.g. Chic-Fil-A or Checkers). I know that when I consider either McDonald’s or Burger King as a possible source, I pause. Also, if I owned a fast-food restaurant, I know I’d certainly list all costs on the menu and provide customer service training to my employees in order to ensure that add-on costs are pointed out during the order process.

Have you had similar experiences? Let’s hear them.

Excellent Customer Service Strengthens Customer Relationships and Leads to Brand Loyalty

by Robert W. Lucas

Excellent Customer Service Strengthens

Customer Relationships and Leads to Brand Loyalty

Excellent customer service strengthens customer relationships and leads to brand loyalty. When organizations attain a high degree of brand recognition and a reputation for providing quality products and services at a competitive price while going above and beyond their customers’ expectations, they are typically rewarded with customer loyalty and repeat and referral business.

According to a 2009 J.D. Power and Associates North American Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, “The highest-performing hotel brands differentiate themselves by meeting customer expectations consistently, whether it’s a guest’s first stay with the brand or they’re fiftieth. . . . By setting and maintaining high brand standards, hotels build a reputation for reliability, which breeds customer loyalty.”

There are numerous benefits that result from creating a customer-centric service culture where current and new customers come to assume that they will receive the same high quality of customer service as the last time they contacted an organization. Each time frontline customer service representative goes out-of-the-way to identify and fulfill a customer’s needs, wants and expectations, it strengthens the customer relationship. This typically leads to repeat business and word-of-mouth publicity to the customer’s friends, family, and associates.

Here are a few direct results that are derived from exceeding customer expectations:

Less need to obtain new customers through marketing, since current customers are aware of offerings and take advantage of them.
Reduced marketing costs, since direct mail, follow-up, and other customer recruitment activities are reduced.
Increased return on investment (ROI), since marketing can target specific customer needs.
Enhanced customer loyalty due to pricing and product service offerings that meet current customer needs.
Elevated profitability due to increased sales, customer referrals, and longer customer retention during the life cycle.

The above extract is from Customer Service Skills for Success, 6th ed. To learn more techniques and strategies for delivering excellent customer service, building stronger customer relationships, helping develop brand loyalty and become a better customer service representative, get a copy of the book along with Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

A 100 Percent ATTITUDE Is Crucial for Customer Service Representatives

by Robert W. Lucas

A 100 Percent ATTITUDE Is Crucial for Customer Service Representatives

Organizations are constantly looking for better ways to increase customer satisfaction, generate additional revenue and spark customer retention. While some customer service professionals say that brand loyalty and keeping customers for life is an unachievable goal, there are some strategies that can strengthen the customer-provider relationship. A few of these efforts include:

Hiring people who have “personality” and who really enjoy interacting with internal and external customers.

Delivering quality customer service face-to-face and via technology by training every employee to be adept at using the technology provided for serving their customers effectively.

Educating all employees on the policies, procedures, products, and services that customers should be able to expect them to know. Organizations are constantly looking for better ways to increase customer satisfaction, generate additional revenue and spark customer retention. While some customer service professionals say that brand loyalty and keeping customers for life is an unachievable goal, there are some strategies that can strengthen the customer-service provider relationship.

Building a customer-centric environment that lets customers know that they truly are valued. This includes using positive interpersonal communication skills (e.g. active listening, verbal and nonverbal skills, and asking the right questions).

Ultimately, the secret tool for making sure that customers want to do business with an organization is that all employees must continually develop and display a positive attitude when dealing with current and potential customers. To demonstrate the power of this trait, think about the following formula.

If the letters…

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Equals numerical values of…

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then…

A+T+T+I+T+U+D+E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 =100%

To learn more about the power of positive customer service using sound and proven customer service knowledge, techniques and strategies, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Create a Positive Customer Service Culture by Making Customers Feel Valued

by Robert W. Lucas

Create a Positive Customer Service Culture

by Making Customers Feel Valued

Organizations are often chasing the illusive loyal customer. Various research studies have shown that it costs less to keep a good customer than it does to attract new ones through expensive marketing and incentive programs. Related to this, it seems logical to focus on converting new and occasional customers into loyal customers who return regularly and tout the organization’s benefits and customer-centric approach.

Alas, many managers, organizational leaders, and frontline customer service representatives simply do not get the whole concept of keeping loyal customers who use the organization’s products and services. These managers try to hold costs down by hiring inexperienced and low-cost employees, do not want to invest a lot of money in training staff (other than rudimentary product and service knowledge), and offer no real support for the customers they already have.

If you work for an organization and want to create an environment that is known for stellar customer service and customer-friendly people and policies, consider the following strategies to help make customers feel valued.

Hire personalities, not bodies. It takes a special person to be successful in a customer service environment. Strive to find people who are focused on interacting with others, seem to enjoy the service environment and life in general and sincerely want to help others. Product and policy knowledge can be taught to most new employees, as can the requisite skills necessary to successfully interact with new and current internal and external customers (e.g. interpersonal communication skills, knowledge about various demographic groups, team building, and other similar skills).

Prove that the organization and employees value customers. Create policies and procedures that are customer centric (e.g. return policies, hours of operation, and allow employee empowerment so that they can make decisions without a supervisor’s approval).

Train employees to recognize regular customers. People like to be seen as a person and as someone who is appreciated and valued by the organization. Customer service training sessions should stress this important fact and encourage employees to use a customer’s name when greeting and throughout a conversation. Memory improvement might be added to the training schedule to aid people in developing better memory and aid recall of customer names and faces.

Develop customer recognition and incentive programs. If customers are not rewarded for their continued business, they are likely to go elsewhere, especially if service breaks down or they encounter a problem. Reward good customers with discounts, personal communications (e.g. a greeting and coupon on their birthday, anniversary or other special occasions) and a warm welcome when they contact the organization. Instruct employees to focus on the human part of a transaction first (e.g. a warm greeting or comments about previous contacts, purchases or visits) before moving to the business of why they contacted the organization and what can be done to assist them.

Doing these simple things and others can make a world of difference to many customers and can often make the difference between a transient and a loyal customer. For additional customer service tips and strategies for creating a positive customer service environment where visitors demonstrate brand and customer loyalty as a result of receiving excellent customer service, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success.

Changing Consumer Values Are Impacting Customer Service

by Robert W. Lucas

Changing Consumer Values Are Impacting Customer Service

Throughout the world, there has been a tremendous amount of dynamic change in recent decades due to economic instability, quickly expanding and enhanced technology, global mobility where people move quickly and frequently, and other factors outlined in this chapter. The result has been a gradual shift in what many consumers hold near and dear or their values.

Changing Consumer Values Are Impacting Customer Service

Because different societies view what is important from different perspectives, clashes can sometimes result when service providers encounter customers who have values that differ from their own. The important thing to remember in such situations is that neither the customer nor the provider has the “right” set of values, they are simply different and each respect and honor those of the other party.

As a result of societal values, companies often change their approach to doing business as a competitive strategy and to attract and hold customers. This often includes shifting the way they do business, the products that they deliver and their manner of customer service. For example, because many consumers are now more cost-conscious, ecologically aware, and value sustainability, many automobile manufacturers are developing vehicles that are more energy-efficient, use ecologically sensitive fuels and cost less. Examples of this trend are the Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf.

Obviously, companies have lofty goals, such as, excellent customer service, generating more revenue, and improving quality of service, customer satisfaction, and customer retention levels.

For more thoughts and ideas on how to more effectively serve today’s diverse customer base, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Customer Perceptions Have An Impact On Customer Relations

by Robert W. Lucas

Customer Perceptions Have An Impact On Customer Relations

Most customer service representatives go to work with the determination to deliver excellent customer service and achieve customer satisfaction. They typically have the customer service skills and knowledge needed to address their customer’s needs, wants and expectations. Even so, some things occasionally go wrong during the customer service transaction.

What the customer service representative does from that moment on will often impact customer retention and what their customer tells others about their experience. This is why it is so crucial for anyone dealing with current or potential customers to learn and use strong service recovery strategies and use them immediately when things start to go wrong with a customer.

For ideas and strategies on building strong customer service relationships and successfully recover when service breaks down, get a copy of Customer Service Skills for Success.

6 Customer Service Representative Attributes That Lead to Better Customer Relations

by Robert W. Lucas

6 Customer Service Representative Attributes That Lead to Better Customer Relations

Customer relationships are formed through the use of sound customer service skills and a variety of service strategies that are used to welcome, serve and support each customer or client as an individual.

Customer service representatives should be hand-picked by management, provided with the best customer service training possible, given the proper tools and supported by supervisors and top management. Only then do they have a chance of being successful at their jobs and winning the hearts and minds of customers who contact the organization.

To help ensure that a customer service representative is able to exceed customer needs, wants and expectations, deliver excellent customer service and help encourage brand loyalty, they must possess the following minimal attributes:

Ability to Listen Well

One of the most important attributes that a great customer service representative needs is the ability to listen effectively. When interacting with a customer or potential customer it is crucial that an employee ask open ended questions to discover a customer’s needs and then shut up to allow the customer to communicate their issue, need, concern or complaint. Once these are adequately understood, the representative can then start to address what their customer said.

Attentiveness

It is not enough to just listen to a customer’s verbal messages. To be an effective service provider, they must also be able to “read” nonverbal cues and interpret them effectively.

Flexibility

It is sometimes hard to tell what a customer wants or needs. During a conversation, a good customer service representative will recognize when a customer shifts gears or changes the direction of a conversation. This may be through the words they use, questions they ask or nonverbal signals that come across during the conversation. When this happens, the employee should be ready to change their posture, tone, selection of words and do other things to address the new issue or situation.

Determination

Customers expect to be appreciated, listened to, and served to the highest possible level. That is why anyone working with customers must have a sound product and service knowledge, strong customer service skills, and the tenacity to do what it takes to try and meet their customer needs and expectations.

Empathy

When a problem arises, customers typically expect that customer service representatives will put forth the effort to try to understand their issue and will then go out of their way to help resolve it.

Positive Attitude

Ultimately, what comes through and is remembered in any customer-service provider encounter is how the customer believes they were treated. If they walk away feeling that they were recognized and served as an individual and not with a cookie cutter approach strategy, they are more likely to maintain customer loyalty. They are also more likely to tell others about their positive service experience.

To make that happen, service providers must be conscious of their verbal messages and nonverbal cues. A smile, upbeat voice tone, willingness to take extra time and effort serving the customer and other similar positive approaches to building a customer relationship can go a long way toward customer satisfaction.

If you are looking for specific ideas and strategies for building and maintaining sound customer relationships, get copies of Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

Customer Satisfaction Helps Build Brand and Customer Loyalty

by Robert W. Lucas

Customer Satisfaction Helps Build Brand and Customer Loyalty

To be successful as a customer service representative, it is important that you recognize that consumer behavior has changed in the past decade or so, and that this impacts your customer’s needs, wants and expectations.

There are several important things you can do to provide customer satisfaction and help ensure brand and customer loyalty:

Work to maintain a positive customer service attitude.
Ensure that every action that you take is focused on providing excellent customer service.
Identify and focus on assisting all internal and external customers to the best of your ability.
Practice positive customer service skills with any encounter you have with a current or potential customer.
Strive to identify trends in customer service and regularly upgrade your customer service skills to address changing expectations and attitudes.

For additional thought and strategies for dealing with a changing customer service environment, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.