Smile tracking, what's this all about ? You need to know how happy or unhappy your customers are with your business. If you do not know this information, you could be losing customers for very simple and controllable reasons.
This is where front line staff are very important. Some business customers will be easier to track, than others. However, this tracking is very important. All staff need to be aware of the importance of tracking unhappy customers.
Depending on the business, you could have staff track unhappy customers via their computer database or simply have forms that are easy to fill out with reasons why customers are unhappy with the business. Staff will not be able to track all unhappy customers, but the customers they do track will provide invaluable data.
Another idea would be to have regular staff meetings about losing and keeping customers. This will allow staff to offer up customer information that may not have been tracked. This would also allow staff to see customer service tricks from other staff, to help them keep more customers happy.
Make it worthwhile for the staff to save a customer from leaving. Also make tracking unhappy customers, a part of their job description. Staff need to know, that without customers they would have no jobs. Smile tracking can help any business increase customer retention.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Great Customer Service Story
So I go to my local cafe wanting to do some blog work and have a great coffee. I get my computer all setup and to my dismay, my mouse battery is dead. So I think of my options, pack up and go buy a battery or ask a crazy question of the cafe manager to see if they have a battery I could buy. Well I asked the manager.
Well to my complete surprise, the manager comes back and gives me two batteries and would take no money. I was very surprised. This is a great example of over the top customer service that builds smiles and customer loyalty. I will become a word of mouth champion for this cafe. Its not that I would expect the manager to do this all the time, but the very fact he was willing to help is amazing.
In a different cafe, I can just imagine the response. They would think I am crazy for asking and maybe say something like, we only sell coffee. The attitude of this manager was one of really wanting to help a customer. While this is a rare story, the whole point is to go above and beyond and create smiling, loyal customers.
Look for ways to encourage your staff to go above and beyond the normal level of customer service. Since this level of customer service is so rare, you will surprise the customer.
This customer surprise creates loyal customers who are great for business.
Well to my complete surprise, the manager comes back and gives me two batteries and would take no money. I was very surprised. This is a great example of over the top customer service that builds smiles and customer loyalty. I will become a word of mouth champion for this cafe. Its not that I would expect the manager to do this all the time, but the very fact he was willing to help is amazing.
In a different cafe, I can just imagine the response. They would think I am crazy for asking and maybe say something like, we only sell coffee. The attitude of this manager was one of really wanting to help a customer. While this is a rare story, the whole point is to go above and beyond and create smiling, loyal customers.
Look for ways to encourage your staff to go above and beyond the normal level of customer service. Since this level of customer service is so rare, you will surprise the customer.
This customer surprise creates loyal customers who are great for business.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Keeping Customers and winning them back
A potential recession makes keeping customers all the more important. There are alot of reasons why you can lose a customer. Some reasons are out of our control, and some are in our control. However, if the customer has no obvious reason as to why they no longer do business with us, we need to try and find out why and win the customer back.
The big reason some customers leave is that they feel a lack of appreciation from the business. Well customer service is one area in our control and can help with this issue.This is where a strong customer service training and monitoring program will help.
Another great option is to have a customer winback program. Very few businesses have a customer winback program, so you would benefit in 2 ways: by winning customers back, and cause customers to be word of mouth champions.
First we need to contact the customer through various means and show them that we actually care. Then followup on the reason they left and fix the issue. Then offer a strong winback offer to win the customer back. Plus ensure the staff know why some customers are leaving and train and monitor them for great customer service.
The customer winback program will help keep customers and ensure you increase your total of smiling customers.
The big reason some customers leave is that they feel a lack of appreciation from the business. Well customer service is one area in our control and can help with this issue.This is where a strong customer service training and monitoring program will help.
Another great option is to have a customer winback program. Very few businesses have a customer winback program, so you would benefit in 2 ways: by winning customers back, and cause customers to be word of mouth champions.
First we need to contact the customer through various means and show them that we actually care. Then followup on the reason they left and fix the issue. Then offer a strong winback offer to win the customer back. Plus ensure the staff know why some customers are leaving and train and monitor them for great customer service.
The customer winback program will help keep customers and ensure you increase your total of smiling customers.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Smile for Friends
Who would you rather do business with, a friend or someone you do not like? Seems obvious, but often the lack of customer service pushes customers away. If you have staff trained to actually help customers, and do so happily, your business will be successful.
The issue is that most staff only do the minimum, so they can keep their jobs. Great customer service produces smiling, happy customers who would make the staff's job more pleasant. Happy customers would produce loyal customers. Smiling customers also help to keep jobs. (Good for Staff ) Unhappy customers are not good for business.
Staff need to be trained and monitored to ensure, they are delivering great customer service. Various benchmarks for quality could be established to ensure staff are rewarded based on these benchmarks, and not just for completing their shift.
Once staff realize that customers are their friends, and not just a chore, they will be smiling for customers!
The issue is that most staff only do the minimum, so they can keep their jobs. Great customer service produces smiling, happy customers who would make the staff's job more pleasant. Happy customers would produce loyal customers. Smiling customers also help to keep jobs. (Good for Staff ) Unhappy customers are not good for business.
Staff need to be trained and monitored to ensure, they are delivering great customer service. Various benchmarks for quality could be established to ensure staff are rewarded based on these benchmarks, and not just for completing their shift.
Once staff realize that customers are their friends, and not just a chore, they will be smiling for customers!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Frowns to Smiles !
Frowns to Smiles
We have all seen or heard the customer who comes to the business with a complaint and they are full of anger.They are like a ticking time bomb, you could say anything and they are ready to pounce on you with their full anger. First off, the customer may have had a bad day, and this complaint just allows them to vent their anger.
The main issue is that you need to let the customer know you are on their side. Customers need to know you actually want to help. Do not say, that's not my department, this will get the customer very angry.
Listen closely to the customer's issue.Then you could tell the customer you will be able to help and if needed, get the needed information from a manager,etc.
The goal is to make the customer realize you are on their side. Now hopefully, the issue can be resolved. If the issue is not completely resolved to the customer's satisfaction, their frown will still turn to a smile, because they will know you worked your butt off to help them.
We have all seen or heard the customer who comes to the business with a complaint and they are full of anger.They are like a ticking time bomb, you could say anything and they are ready to pounce on you with their full anger. First off, the customer may have had a bad day, and this complaint just allows them to vent their anger.
The main issue is that you need to let the customer know you are on their side. Customers need to know you actually want to help. Do not say, that's not my department, this will get the customer very angry.
Listen closely to the customer's issue.Then you could tell the customer you will be able to help and if needed, get the needed information from a manager,etc.
The goal is to make the customer realize you are on their side. Now hopefully, the issue can be resolved. If the issue is not completely resolved to the customer's satisfaction, their frown will still turn to a smile, because they will know you worked your butt off to help them.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Smiling for Dollars
Smiling for Dollars ?
What is this about ? Well if customers are treated in a truly friendly way and leave smiling , well that's great for business. Have you ever noticed when someone has just received great customer service,they want to tell all their friends. Its almost like we are so shocked we received great service, we have to tell our friends.
Most staff are not really trained and monitored to have great customer service. However, we all remember when we had great customer service and this will keep dollars flowing into your business.The investment in customer service training for your business will reap big rewards and produce many smiling customers. Watch the true story of how Johnny The Bagger created many smiling customers.
What is this about ? Well if customers are treated in a truly friendly way and leave smiling , well that's great for business. Have you ever noticed when someone has just received great customer service,they want to tell all their friends. Its almost like we are so shocked we received great service, we have to tell our friends.
Most staff are not really trained and monitored to have great customer service. However, we all remember when we had great customer service and this will keep dollars flowing into your business.The investment in customer service training for your business will reap big rewards and produce many smiling customers. Watch the true story of how Johnny The Bagger created many smiling customers.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Surprise a Customer with Great Service
Have you been surprised by great customer service ? Well this is what I used to do in my old career. A customer would call our call center with a very simple request. I would handle the request and the customer would assume we are done. Well, I would ask the customer if they have a moment. I would tell them I have reviewed their account and will give them a free month of service. This worked well because the customer was not expecting this and creates a smiling customer. The basic idea is; exceed customer expectations. This will create many smiling customers.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Common sense is not so common
So maybe common sense is not so common
So I go to a fast food restaurant and order. All of sudden one of my burgers is put on the counter tray. I think great, my order is done. However, my burger just sits there getting cold. I ask when my fries are going to come, the staff say in a few minutes.
I say can you put my burger under the warmer, and the staff seem surprised I would want a warm burger. Why would they not keep my burger under the food warmer, until the whole order is ready ? Well that would be common sense, which is not very common.
So I go to a fast food restaurant and order. All of sudden one of my burgers is put on the counter tray. I think great, my order is done. However, my burger just sits there getting cold. I ask when my fries are going to come, the staff say in a few minutes.
I say can you put my burger under the warmer, and the staff seem surprised I would want a warm burger. Why would they not keep my burger under the food warmer, until the whole order is ready ? Well that would be common sense, which is not very common.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Common Sense and Coffee
The lack of common sense, when it comes to customer service. I go to a coffee shop and ask for a decaf, and the clerk says they have no decaf. Well I know they did not run out of decaf coffee, so what the clerk is really saying is; ' I do not feel like making a pot of decaf , order regular coffee". Well I did have them make a pot of decaf, but this was bad service.
However I went to another coffee shop, and when I wanted decaf , they cheerfully said they would make some and bring it to me, which they did. ( smiling customer)
Which coffee shop , do you think I want to spend more money at ?
However I went to another coffee shop, and when I wanted decaf , they cheerfully said they would make some and bring it to me, which they did. ( smiling customer)
Which coffee shop , do you think I want to spend more money at ?
BLOG INTRO
Have you noticed how many customers are really smiling about the level of customer service in stores ?
Well this blog , will provide basic common sense tips for great customer service to keep customers smiling.
I have over 20 years of Customer Service experience. I have supervised staff working in call centers and large stores. I also ran a cleaning business for 10 years.
Well this blog , will provide basic common sense tips for great customer service to keep customers smiling.
I have over 20 years of Customer Service experience. I have supervised staff working in call centers and large stores. I also ran a cleaning business for 10 years.
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