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Attract and Retain Top Talent
HOW TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TOP TALENT: BUILDING AN ATTRACTIVE COMPANY CULTURE (reprinted from Technology Digest, June, 1998) How do you attract, and then keep, your most talented people committed, loyal and motivated? The question has frustrated...
Get Rid Of The Clutter
You really can have a successful business and a great life. Often we get caught up in growing our business or climbing the corporate ladder that we put our personal lives on hold. Rather than filling up your calendar with work, organizations,...
Search Engine Algorithms: It Has Always Been A Cat And Mouse Game
I remember ten years ago when we were designing websites for our
clients that we used to play around with the keywords,
descriptions and a variety of content related methods to help
our customer get a high ranking on Yahoo. In some cases we...
The Key to High Productivity is Energy Management
One of the issues most often raised by my clients is better time management. People have tried prioritizing tasks, blocking out parts of their day for certain tasks, implementing new systems and getting better at delegation. While all of those...
The Only Option is to Succeed
With the end of the year fast approaching, now is a great time to take stock of 2004. It is likely that your company set specific goals at the beginning of the year. As you review the past year, the question that must be asked is, "Have I...
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Sweat the Small Stuff for Great Customer Service
Undoubtedly you’ve heard about the popular book series that started with Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, followed by Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work, …in Love, …with Your Family, etc. While these books relay a message containing a great deal of wisdom—don’t let the little things in life stress you out—it’s important not to make the mistake of overlooking the little things that can be critical to achieve wildly successful customer service in your business.
At first I was hesitant to write this article because the message seemed so basic and even felt a bit preachy. However, I reconsidered after numerous reminders from family, friends, clients and my own personal experiences that every day people are subjected to poor service. You’ve heard the stories; you’ve experienced it first-hand. Driving through the fast food restaurant without a word or a glance when you pick up your food. The store clerk that doesn’t say “thank you.” The teller that greets you with only a gruff “Next!” The receptionist that ignores you while discussing last night’s social events with other employees. The bagger at the grocery checkout that complains about the newest company policy.
Consumers are starving for good service. And what they’re often hungry for may sound like little things — common courtesies that certainly wouldn’t be considered rocket science — but combined together provide a strong foundation for great customer service. In many industries or markets there are usually a few select players that far exceed the rest of the pack, while the rest trail far behind, or drop like flies. After all, comparable product, place, promotion and price are the requirements to even be in the running. Read the news and consider retail, dot-coms, etc. The differences between those that are thriving verses merely surviving are the people and the little things they do (or don’t do).
Here’s a list of some of the little things, when experienced together can make a big difference to customers and how they view your organization:
* Answering a call by the third ring
* Transferring a call quickly to the proper person
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Timely return of voice mail and e-mail
* Eye contact
* A warm smile
* A friendly hello
* Just a moment, I’ll be right with you
* Excuse me just a moment, let me find out
* A polite and sincere tone
* A genuine apology when warranted
* You’re welcome
* A heartfelt thank you
* An honest attempt to help
* Your undivided attention
* Following up as promised
* Taking the extra step in any situation
* Honesty about problems and mistakes
Customers can usually accept that problems and errors will occur from time to time in any business relationship. What often matters more to customers than the mistake itself is how these difficult situations are handled. Customers crave the common courtesies, which is not to say that the common courtesies can make up for gross negligence or repeated problems. However, the little things can go a long way to establish trust and rapport and create customer acceptance of your efforts to resolve problems when they arise.
If you’re concerned about creating great customer service, begin by asking yourself this question: "Is your organization sweating the small stuff in customer service?" It really can make a big difference!
Reprint Information
Your organization may reprint this article for your newsletter, online publication, or mailing list. We ask that you print the:
* article in its entirety;
* byline of the writer;
* information about the writer, which is available at the end of each article; and
* contact information, including our toll-free phone number in the U.S. (800-886-2MAX) and website address (www.AchieveMax.com)
We would appreciate a tear sheet or electronic copy of the articles you reprint.
About the Author
Kathleen J. Wheelihan is a professional speaker for AchieveMax®, Inc., a firm specializing in custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Kathleen has made presentations ranging from creativity to customer service and leadership to teambuilding. For information, call 800-886-2MAX or visit http://www.AchieveMax.com.
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