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