| Customer service has long since been considered | | | | - even if the consumer does not pay excessive |
| a minor area of organizational operations - | | | | dollars for a product or service, they still expect |
| minimum wage, clerical orientation, requiring no skill. | | | | some level of quality performance.Competence is |
| Customer service personnel are often treated as | | | | knowing your business, your product or service, |
| peons by customers and managers alike. | | | | and your customer. Consumers want to know |
| However, in the day and age when the supply of | | | | that when they have questions, you have the |
| service providers outweigh the demands for the | | | | answers. Be sure that anyone who answers your |
| service or product and competition is high for | | | | business line or who greets your customer is |
| every consumer dollar, customer service is the | | | | knowledgeable about what you do and how you |
| only true determining factor as to where a | | | | do it. Incompetence drives customers to |
| consumer will decide to spend his or her precious | | | | competitors. The wise competitor will be ready to |
| discretionary or disposable income.Successful | | | | receive them.Consumers buy products and utilize |
| companies do what others have failed to do in | | | | services for one reason only - Gratification. |
| this discipline we call business! They take | | | | Gratification is that psychological satisfaction we |
| advantage of the most dynamic opportunity open | | | | talked about earlier. Consumers expect their lives |
| to the business owner or decision maker. They | | | | to be improved by your product or service. If |
| vow to become the best customer service | | | | your product fails to gratify them, it will be the |
| provider in his or her industry. They realize that | | | | one and only time that they purchase your |
| customer service not only drives customer sales; | | | | product or service. Remember, consumers have |
| but also drives repeat consumerism and ultimately | | | | a large (very large) memory bank when they are |
| bottom line profitability.Are you passing up this | | | | disappointed. Don't make promises you can't keep |
| critical opportunity because you have no strategic | | | | and keep those you make.Sincerity is the ability |
| customer service focus, vision or mission? Is your | | | | to make the consumer trust and believe in your |
| customer service strategy being utilized to | | | | product or service. That means they must trust |
| enhance your competitive edge? Or is your | | | | and believe in your. In this day and age of |
| current strategy laying a foundation for ultimate | | | | massive competition for almost every product |
| failure in your industry?At one time, "good" | | | | imaginable, I consistently tell my clients that the |
| customer service was the sign of a "good" | | | | customer is not buying your product or service, |
| customer service provider. But, in today's fast | | | | they are in actuality, buying your impression upon |
| paced, high tech, fast paced business | | | | them. If they like you, they will do business with |
| environment, "good" just isn't good enough | | | | you; if they don't, they won't. Also, commit to |
| anymore. The average customer will only give | | | | memory this customer service law: Everyone |
| you one chance to disappoint them before they | | | | who has contact with your customer is your |
| hand their hard earned income over to your | | | | Customer Service Specialist and impacts your |
| closest competitor. Today's consumer expects | | | | bottom line. Assure that the impact is profit |
| appreciation for choosing you as the winner of | | | | making not profit breaking.Integrity is being honest |
| their valuable dollars. There are many competitors | | | | with your customers. The average consumer |
| out there competing for their money. Your goal is | | | | may want things simple, but is, by no means, a |
| to assure that they not only chose you; but | | | | simpleton. There is nothing wrong with the |
| consistently come back to you to build a strong | | | | statement, "I don't know" as long as it is followed |
| foundation to your business!The Production Era | | | | by, "But, I will find out and get back with your |
| axiom of "build a better mousetrap, catch the | | | | immediately". Customers prefer frankness over |
| bigger mouse" is no longer the standard by which | | | | double talk. The things that will make your |
| a business can measure its success in the | | | | customer run post haste to the nearest |
| consumer market. Successful business mandates | | | | competitor is the perception that you are cheating |
| that those who consume a product or service be | | | | them, taking them for a ride or taking advantage |
| fully satisfied with their purchase, which means | | | | of them. Integrity is the name of the game. My |
| they must be satisfied with the emotional | | | | clients are continuously reminded of this critical |
| satisfaction associated with the purchase.It is | | | | statistic - "a satisfied customer will tell |
| crucial that decision makers understand the | | | | approximately 4 to 5 people of their great |
| psychology of today's consumer. They want to | | | | experiences with you; a dissatisfied customer will |
| feel that their patronage is of critical importance | | | | tell between 23 to 27". As you can assess, you |
| and that when they spend their dollars on your | | | | need to make sure you have a far greater |
| product or service, they have made a wise | | | | number of satisfied customer to counter just one |
| investment of their hard earned funds. The wise | | | | dissatisfied one if you plan on longevity in the |
| business owner understands that at the core of a | | | | market place. Be honest and forthright and your |
| consumer's psychological needs associated with | | | | customers will provide you with repeat business... |
| the consumption of the product or service is the | | | | which leads to ultimate success. Be dishonest - |
| interaction and impression the consumer gets | | | | and they will ruin you.If your customer service |
| from your company's first line of defense - the | | | | team does not have all the skills needed to build a |
| customer service provider.True Customer Service | | | | program of Customer Service Excellence, invest |
| is not just a response to customer dissatisfaction | | | | in a customer service course or take a training |
| as one broad definition has implied. True customer | | | | class. Remember that a strong customer service |
| services is a very proactive, well developed, | | | | orientation is the key to unlocking the door to |
| organized program of ensuring that your product | | | | "Gaining Your Competitive Edge".Ms Adams- |
| or service is the very best that your target | | | | Robinson, the Virtuous Visionary, is available for |
| consumer can expect. The elements of a good | | | | personal coaching, group training, customized |
| Customer Service Program are responsiveness, | | | | organizational training, conferences, motivational |
| convenience, quality, competence, gratification, | | | | presentations and spiritual speaking |
| sincerity, and integrity. These are the Seven | | | | engagements.Copyright bar@2004Brenetia |
| Standards of Service Excellence! If these | | | | Adams-Robinson, MBA |
| standards are absent from your customer | | | | President / Epitome' Consulting Services |
| service program, your bottom line will suffer. It is, | | | | P.O. Box 743 |
| therefore, crucial to your success, that your front | | | | Jonesboro, Georgia 30237 |
| line customer service personnel are well versed in | | | | 770-960-1884 |
| and understand the impact of these standards of | | | | |
| service excellence.THE 7 STANDARDS | | | | |
| DEFINED:Responsiveness is the prompt attention | | | | professional trainer, speaker and author, Brenetia |
| to consumer problems, concerns, and issues. | | | | Adams-Robinson is the President of Epitome' |
| Answering the telephone quickly; being | | | | Consulting Services, a business coaching and |
| understanding and empathetic; listening, listening, | | | | training firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a Cum |
| and listening some more. Most customers just | | | | Laude graduate from the University of |
| want someone to listen and understand. Insure | | | | Maryland-Europe, completing a Bachelor of Science |
| that you have policies and people in place who | | | | in Business and Management with emphasis in |
| truly care for and take care of customer | | | | Human Resource Management and holds a |
| concerns. After all, without the customer, you | | | | Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in global |
| would be a non-entity.Convenience is assuring the | | | | management strategies. She is federally trained |
| product is assessable when the customer wants | | | | and certified as an Equal Employment Opportunity |
| it. The enormous success of the corner | | | | (EEO) Counselor, Leadership Education & |
| convenient store is affirmation that consumers will | | | | Development Instructor, Leadership Team-Building |
| pay a bit more for the convenience of not having | | | | Instructor, Project Manager, and Master Trainer (a |
| to go out of his or her way. The more work | | | | Train the Trainer Certification). She has a special |
| customers have to do to access your product or | | | | certification from Purdue University as a |
| service, the less profits you will see and the more | | | | Customer Service Professional. Her innovative |
| likely that the competitor who aptly plans for | | | | customized training programs are widely acclaimed |
| effective 'placement' in their marketing strategy | | | | as organizational change agents. "Keeping |
| will get those crucial consumer dollars.Quality is | | | | Customers for Life", a customized customer |
| consumer expectations of high standards in the | | | | service training program for supervisors and front |
| product or service provided. Although cost is a | | | | line staff to help organizations take their customer |
| large factor in the marketing mix, the average | | | | service and customer retention management to |
| consumer will pay a bit more for high quality | | | | the next level. |
| merchandise. However, make no mistake about it | | | | |