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.

The Cost of Poor Customer Service

by Robert W. Lucas

The Cost of Poor Customer Service

A recent experience with Century Link recently validated what I regularly tell customer service workshop participants and readers of my customer service books. I thought I’d share it with you along with customer service success tips that can improve customer service in any organization.

To reduce expenses, I decided to switch from my current Internet and cable provider to bundle those services along with my phones with Century Link. The technical process was fairly smooth, but the customer service support (or actually the lack of) has been a nightmare. On Monday after signing the agreement on the previous Thursday, I was on the phone for 4.5 hours with four different customer service representatives and a supervisor trying to resolve an issue related to the switch. On Wednesday, I spoke to three different Century Link employees, on Thursday two technicians came out to do the actual change over for Internet and cable and on Friday I was on the phone from 9:50 a.m. to 12:38 p.m. with seven customer service representatives and two supervisors. All for basically the same concern that I had.

In a nutshell, each person I talked to said the issue was resolved with my phone settings and service and that everything was set as promised in the agreement. In truth, that was not the case and I had to call back (multiple times) to let them know it was not resolved. I then had to repeat the story and what the previous person had said or promised (like many customers I am one of those people who write down the time periods of a call, name of the person I talked with and what was said in case something goes wrong). In virtually every new call situation, I was told there were no notes from the previous all in the system and that what was promised had actually not been done, so we had to start all over.

During the process over several days, there were three disconnects when the customer service representative attempted to transfer me or put me on hold. My phone was even totally disconnected at one point for almost a day because of an error on the part of one of the customer service agents. And the story still goes on unresolved as I wait for a second technician to arrive today…

Through all of this, there was a respite from the torture that I was enduring. An angel in the guise of a supervisor named Joan. Unlike a previous supervisor who listened to my issue and offered nothing but two unacceptable solutions, with no apology for my inconvenience or trouble, she took appropriate steps to get a repair call scheduled, apologized numerous times, did resolve a couple of the issues I had, and gave me a credit due to the phone disconnect. It was only when she transferred me to the repair department line that the torture came back with dropped calls and people who one after another told me incorrect information or failed to follow through.

This entire experience reinforced to me the importance of proper customer service training for anyone who is going to deal with customers on the front line. Everything that they do and say will likely have far-reaching implications for the representative and their organization. For example, I have told at least four of the friends of my experience and I am now relating it to you.

If you are a customer service representative dealing with external customers or an employee with internal employees, make sure that you take the following actions with every customer contact in order to better ensure a positive outcome and experience for your customers and potential customers:

Learn everything possible about your organization’s products and services. Customers assume that when someone answers the phone to represent an organization that they can truly assist with questions and issues.

Do not use statements that belittle your role and authority. For example, “I’m only an order taker.” In such instances, your customer immediately discredits you and asks to speak to someone with authority and advanced knowledge. They are also likely to become very irritated at having wasted their time with someone who could not have helped them in the first place.

Avoid tentative language. Customers call for a reason; not to just chat with you. They normally have a question, concern, or problem that they need your assistance in resolving. The last thing they want to encounter is a customer service representative who uses statements, such as, “I think,” “I’ll try,” “Maybe I can,” or similar non-committal phrases. Tell you, customers, what you can do, not what you think you can or cannot do. Statements such as, “I can/will” go a long way in reassuring the customer that the correct information will be provided or action will be taken.

Always maintain a positive attitude. Customers generally do not care what kind of day you are having, issues you face on the job and restrictions that you have in the workplace. They want quality customer service and to receive help with their situation or question. If you cannot provide this, you should not be answering a phone or making contact with a customer.

Do what you say that you will. Under-promise and over-deliver should be your motto. Do everything you can to assist the customer and if you do not have an answer or authority, get them to the correct person.

NEVER do a blind transfer. This is a situation where you attempt to transfer a customer to another person or department for further assistance and once that party picks up, you disconnect from the call. In many instances (such as mine) the number to whom you transferred the customer is not the correct one or there is music or recordings playing. Get an actual person on the line when transferring, ensure that they are the right person for the issue that you’ve explained to them and then reconnect to the customer. Introduce the customer to the second representative, thank them for calling and them professionally disconnect. Your job is done at that point. In my case above, there were at least three instances where I got transferred to a number only to have the call disconnect or have to go through a voicemail option system that ultimately led me back to the customer service department from which I was originally transferred in the first place.

Put yourself in the customer’s place. How would you feel if you experienced negative service such as I described at the beginning of this article? Chances are you’d be looking for a way to vent and share your experience with others.

In my case, I shared my thoughts and suggestions for improvement with Joan and asked her to send them up to her chain of command. With all the notes I took throughout the various calls, I could write a letter to the president of Century Link, as I’ve done numerous times in the past to other organizational leaders. In this case, the issues are so egregious and diverse, and the blatant lack of service is so obvious; I can only assume that the managers at Century Link already know about them, but choose to ignore them and do not properly train their staff.

Unfortunately, in a downsized world where organizations continually raise prices and look for ways to cut expenses, customer service training is viewed as a “nice to do” function, but is often limited or cut entirely. In the latter case, managers depend on other more senior customer service agents to conduct on-the-job training. That typically leads to poor quality of customer service, misinformation and people using a variety of techniques based on what they were taught. In the end, the customer, you and your organization suffer.

For more ideas on customer service strategies on how to meet customer expectations, deliver excellent customer service, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and reduce customer attrition, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and How to Be a Great Call Center Representative.

Causes of Customer Service Breakdowns – Being Preoccupied

by Robert W. Lucas

Causes of Customer Service Breakdowns – Being Preoccupied

There are numerous reasons why customer service breakdowns occur. These run the spectrum from lack of sound customer service skills to bad customer service representative attitude.

In today’s hectic workplace where customer service representatives are constantly multitasking, it is sometimes easy to forget that your customers are a priority. Being preoccupied and not giving full attention to a customer is one quick way to cause a service breakdown. This is often due to trying to juggle multiple tasks or simply failing to care about the quality of customer service that you deliver.

If you have ever called or visited an organization only to have them put you on extended hold while they performed some task? Have you ever visited an organization where a customer service representative failed to acknowledge your presence and serve you right away? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you know how your customers might feel under similar circumstances. If you 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, but make sure that you explain why they are being asked to wait and how long it will take to get to them.

To prevent possible negative situations with customers from developing, if a customer arrives and you are performing an administrative function, such as filing, calculating, writing, or stocking, 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 the customer as soon as possible. This is an especially important action 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). Such 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.

To learn more customer service tips, ideas and strategies that might help prevent customer service breakdowns and how to better deliver excellent customer service to your internal and external customers, check out Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

Building Customer Relationships – Four Crucial Factors That Impact Service Outcomes

by Robert W. Lucas

Building Customer Relationships –

Four Crucial Factors That Impact Service Outcomes

Customer relationships are impacted by many factors that begin once a customer and customer service representative or other employee comes into contact with a current or potential customer. These people are either internal customers who work for the organization or external customers from outside the organization, who contact a service professional for assistance or to do business.

Here are four crucial factors that affect customers and service provider interactions which can definitely influence a situation and customer relations.

1. Approach to communication. Whether face-to-face, over the telephone or through other types of technology, the perception that a customer has about the way he or she was greeted verbally, non verbally or in writing can have an immediate impact on whether or not the relationship continues.

Anyone dealing with customers must continually strive to enhance their communication knowledge and skills for dealing with all types of customers. They must also consciously practice effective customer communication skills.

2. Customer service representative demeanor. Most people know or have an expectation of how a service professional should act and what they should do to meet the needs, wants and expectations of their customers. When an employee projects an attitude or leaves the impression that they are just “going through the motions” of providing service and really do not care about the customer or their issue, customers typically pick up on that attitude.

When issues are occurring in the life of the service provider that may negatively impact their ability to deliver the best customer service possible, they should talk to a supervisor and either take some time off or have someone else handle a customer situation. The only way to interact with a customer is professionally and in a can-do manner.

3. Product and service knowledge. Customer service provider knowledge related to the products and services provided by their organization can either fulfill customer needs or inhibit the degree to which they are able to deliver excellent customer service.

Employees should receive ongoing customer service training so that they can handle any situation in which the customer has a question or concern about the organization, products or services.

4. Problem-solving ability. Often service providers are not able to comprehend or analyze information that a customer is providing related to a need, problem or other issues that they have. Cultural, gender or other differences can cause this, or it might be a breakdown in communication ability on either the part of the customer service representative or the customer. In any event, it is crucial that the service provider is trained and skilled in using basic problem-solving skills. Failure to do so can leave to a customer-provider relationship breakdown and lost business for the organization.

For information, ideas and strategies about how to effectively and professionally interact with customers, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

Employee Attitude Is a Key to Building Effective Customer Relationships

by Robert W. Lucas

Employee Attitude Is a Key to Building Effective Customer Relationships

Positive customer relations are something that every customer service representative and every other employee from the top down in any organization should make a priority. By putting more effort into establishing, nurturing and expanding customer relationships organizations can look increased sales and ultimately help solidify brand loyalty along with customer satisfaction and customer retention.

By using solid customer service skills and providing a great customer service experience for every current and potential customer who comes into contact with their organization; every customer service representative is doing his or her part in making sure that excellent customer service is the norm.

For ideas and strategies on how to create a positive customer service environment that can position your organization to be a leader in customer service, get copies of my books Customer Service Skills for Success, Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and How to Be a Great Call Center Representative.

About Robert C. 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.

What is Great Customer Service?

by Robert W. Lucas

What is Great Customer Service?

What is great customer service? This is a question often asked in my customer service workshops and by people trying to determine how to get the best value for their money when searching out businesses where they might spend it. Unfortunately, this is a very subjective question based on the person asking. Since each individual has differing needs, wants and expectations based on their experiences and perceptions; what is excellent customer service to one person might only be considered good customer service to another.

In my opinion, in order for organizations to provide great customer service consistently, they must provide ongoing customer service training to their staff. In addition, customer service representatives must demonstrate at least the following qualities to earn trust, business, and customer or brand loyalty.

Excellent customer service skills;
Positive verbal and non-verbal communication skills;
Positive employee attitude;
Appreciation for customers;
Friendliness and a true interest in people;
Honesty;
Trustworthiness;
Demonstrate Integrity;
Have sound business acumen;
Possess solid product and service knowledge.

If you are looking for ideas and strategies on creating a positive customer-centric service environment in which customers feel appreciated, get copies of my books Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures and Customer Service Skills for Success.

About Robert C. Lucas and why he can answer the question – what is great customer service?

Sound Customer Relations Strategies at TBS Travel Keeps Cruisers Coming Back

by Robert W. Lucas

Sound Customer Relations Strategies at

TBS Travel Keeps Cruisers Coming Back

I thought I’d take time to share a real jewel in the travel industry if you love to travel as much as my wife and I do. We are enthusiastic cruisers and world travelers. There are so many beautiful and unique things to see and be awed by that we leap at any opportunity to visit our own country and distant lands. Unfortunately, we have yet to win a lottery and neither have rich relatives who might someday leave use the wealth necessary to keep us in a lifestyle to which we’d love to get accustomed!

To compensate for the conundrum of inadequate funds to cruise at the drop of a hat, we did quite a bit of research to find qualified and competent travel agents. The group that we use whenever we cruise are the travel agents at TBS Travel (http://ourcruiseagent.com/). The husband and wife owners (Steve and Barbara Tanzer) of the agency possess credentials from several cruise companies and from international certifying agencies for cruise agents. In addition to being knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the complicated cruise industry, they also very customer-centric and have the customer service skills to deal with any type of customer situation that they encounter.

Some of the attributes that we looked for in cruise agents were friendliness, solid communication skills, honesty, integrity, business acumen, positive employee attitude, industry and world knowledge (they cruise regularly and have been on over 60 cruises themselves on various cruise line ships), and a sincere desire to do whatever it takes to help their clients. They possess these qualities and more. With their extensive personal travel experience, they have proven to be a tremendous asset in recommending the pros and cons of different lines, ships, itineraries and shore excursions, destinations, and associated travel needs, such as hotels, airlines, and trains.

By taking an interest in their customers and providing customer support before, during and after a cruise, Steve and Barbara have proven to be a benchmark for other agencies to copy by providing exceptional customer service. If you’d like to see some additional qualities that we used to identify a worthy organization with which we do business, get a copy of my Customer Service Skills for Success book.

About Robert C. Lucas

Evaluating Your Nonverbal Communication When Dealing With Customers

by Robert W. Lucas

Evaluating Your Nonverbal Communication

When Dealing With Customers

To get a better idea of how you present yourself to customers nonverbally, ask a co-worker to use the following guidelines and evaluate your nonverbal communication during a service transaction with a customer. Once it is over, spend some time having them provide feedback on how well you did.

Body Language. How do your body posture and positioning send a relaxed positive (e.g. confidence and self-assurance) or tense negative (e.g. uncertain, confused, or not confident) message about you?

Facial Expression. Does your face say, “Hello, Welcome, I am able and ready to serve you,” or does it show a bored disinterested employee who is going through the motions of providing service?

Eye Contact. Are you making appropriate and adequate eye contact to show interest without causing possible discomfort or offense?

The Tone of Voice. Does your voice project a smiling professional who sounds even-paced, comfortable and confident?

If you answered “no” or “unsure” to any of these questions, think about getting a communication coach or enrolling in training programs that can help evaluate and improve your nonverbal skills.

Failure to improve your skills or project a positive customer service image can lead to perceptions of your poor performance or bad attitude. This can result in:

Your termination.
Negative word-of-mouth publicity.
Customer complaints.
Loss of brand and customer loyalty.
Loss of business for your organization.

For additional ideas and techniques for improving your nonverbal communication when interacting with others, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Delivering Stellar Customer Service across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

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.

Bob Lucas B.S., M.A., M.A, CPLP is the principal in Robert W. Lucas Enterprises, Inc and an internationally-known author; learning and performance professionals. He has written and contributed to numerous books on the subject of customer service skill training.

He regularly conducts workshops on creative training, train-the-trainer, customer service, interpersonal communication, and management,
and supervisory skills.

Learn more about Bob and his organization at www.robertwlucas.com and follow his blogs at www.robertwlucas.com/wordpress,
www.customerserviceskillsbook.com, and www.thecreativetrainer.com. Like Bob at www.facebook.com/robertwlucasenterprises

Happy Waitress Even Happier After Receiving Astounding Tip

by Robert W. Lucas

Happy Waitress Even Happier

After Receiving Astounding Tip

Many servers in the restaurant and hospitality industries and well, as customer service professionals in general, are underpaid and often overworked. This is unfortunate because, like many customer service representatives who work for minimum wage or less, they often do not make enough to pay for basic essentials.

It is for that reason that a recent story by Lauren Tuck of the Shine Staff put the spotlight on why it is important to provide superior customer service, and on customers who appreciate great service and are willing to open their hearts and bank accounts to help out deserving employees. Tuck’s blog article highlights how the generosity of one customer was touched by a deserving server’s financial plight and took action to make her life better.

The example highlighted in the article also serves as a great example for others in the service industry who may go to work disgruntled and as a result deliver marginal or sub-standard service to their customers. Quite simply by following basic rules of positive service, they can make a customer service experience one that is not only appreciated but also rewarded generously.

For ideas and techniques that can be used to develop excellent customer service skills and deliver superior customer service, get copies of Customer Service Skills for Success and Please Every Customer: Designing Stellar Customer Service Across Cultures.

About Robert C. Lucas

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.

He regularly conducts workshops on creative training, train-the-trainer, customer service, interpersonal communication, and management,
and supervisory skills.

Interpersonal Communication Quote – Theodore Roosevelt

by Robert W. Lucas

Interpersonal Communication Quote – Theodore Roosevelt

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people. — Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (1858 – 1919), also known as ‘Teddy’, was an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer.

He served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909.

As a leader of the Republican Party during this time, he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the early 20th century.

Theodore Roosevelt Famous Quotes To Enjoy Reading:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Theodore Roosevelt
“When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.”
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”
“The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.”
“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” Theodore Roosevelt
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
“To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
“Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”
“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”
“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” Theodore Roosevelt
“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
“I am a part of everything that I have read.”
“I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.”
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care” Theodore Roosevelt
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first and love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
“Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.”
“A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.”
“Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.”
“A man who has never gone to school may steal a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.”
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” Theodore Roosevelt
“When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.”

About Robert C. Lucas

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.