Customer Service- Wowing or Wounding?

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Who is tcg group? Offer customized training and consulting services Offer customized training and consulting services Focused on… Focused on… Customer Service Strategy & Training Customer Service Strategy & Training Leadership & Organizational Development Leadership & Organizational Development Performance Management Strategy Performance Management Strategy Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and Selection Business Needs Analysis Business Needs Analysis

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Today’s Goal This hour has only sixty minutes This hour has only sixty minutes I’ll talk about customer service strategy in somewhat general terms and at a high level I’ll talk about customer service strategy in somewhat general terms and at a high level If my comments pique your interest we can talk in more detail after the session or I can set a time to visit with you If my comments pique your interest we can talk in more detail after the session or I can set a time to visit with you

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Why would you want to maximize your service to customers? Why would you want to maximize your service to customers?

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people You want to retain existing customers You want to retain existing customers You want to gain new customers You want to gain new customers Customers have choice and they don’t have to choose you Customers have choice and they don’t have to choose you The competitive landscape is continually changing The competitive landscape is continually changing You want competitive advantage! You want competitive advantage! You want to establish & maintain a positive reputation You want to establish & maintain a positive reputation

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people The Customer Service Reality Customers can be pulled in many directions. Customers can be pulled in many directions. Your customers can be drawn from you to a competitor Your customers can be drawn from you to a competitor You can draw customers from your competitors to you You can draw customers from your competitors to you

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people The Core Question “Why would someone do business with you rather than someone else?” “Why would someone do business with you rather than someone else?”

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Competitive Advantage- Why do business with you? Competitive Advantage ProductPriceProcessesPeople

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Competitive Advantage ProductPriceProcessesPeople

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Product Quality Quality Variety Variety Uniqueness Uniqueness Value-adds that will entice customers Value-adds that will entice customers You have to have a reputable product just to be a player! You have to have a reputable product just to be a player!

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Competitive Advantage ProductPriceProcessesPeople

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Price Price is relative Price is relative Price may or may not be a differentiator Price may or may not be a differentiator Price may or may not be a deciding factor for customers Price may or may not be a deciding factor for customers You have to be competitive in your niche market, but it is not likely to differentiate you significantly! You have to be competitive in your niche market, but it is not likely to differentiate you significantly!

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Competitive Advantage ProductPriceProcessesPeople

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Processes Standard Operating Procedures that apply to every customer relationship Standard Operating Procedures that apply to every customer relationship Responsiveness Responsiveness Delivery times Delivery times Turnaround time Turnaround time Ability to avoid dissatisfaction and mitigate concerns that customers may have Ability to avoid dissatisfaction and mitigate concerns that customers may have

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Managing Complaints… If a company hears a concern, responds immediately, apologizes and commits to fix the problem, the possibility of the customer remaining a customer rises to 95% If a company hears a concern, responds immediately, apologizes and commits to fix the problem, the possibility of the customer remaining a customer rises to 95% A satisfied customer tells an average of 5 others about their positive experience A satisfied customer tells an average of 5 others about their positive experience A dissatisfied customer tells an average of 10 other people about a negative experience A dissatisfied customer tells an average of 10 other people about a negative experience

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Competitive Advantage ProductPriceProcessesPeople

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Owners and employees are the greatest competitive advantage If I was starting work with you today, how would you describe your business to me and how would you describe your expectations of me? If I was starting work with you today, how would you describe your business to me and how would you describe your expectations of me? The interaction with customers makes all the difference when it comes to creating customer satisfaction and competitive advantage! The interaction with customers makes all the difference when it comes to creating customer satisfaction and competitive advantage!

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Your Employees Your front-line employees are the secret to optimal customer service Your front-line employees are the secret to optimal customer service Employees are either Ambassadors or Assassins Employees are either Ambassadors or Assassins They propel you to new heights or they drag you down They propel you to new heights or they drag you down

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Ambassadors and Assassins Ambassadors help build your image, your reputation and your bottom-line! Ambassadors help build your image, your reputation and your bottom-line! Assassins destroy the relationships you have built with customers and the trust and reputation you have built. Assassins destroy the relationships you have built with customers and the trust and reputation you have built. Assassins drive customers away or at the very least, don’t give customers a reason to come back! Assassins drive customers away or at the very least, don’t give customers a reason to come back!

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Assassins… If you have Assassins working with you, immediately do one of two things: If you have Assassins working with you, immediately do one of two things: Train them to be Ambassadors Train them to be Ambassadors Get them out of your organization Get them out of your organization

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Ambassadors Connectors Connectors Mavens Mavens Salespeople Salespeople

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Connectors Know a lot of people Know a lot of people Self-confident Self-confident Sociable Sociable Outgoing Outgoing Energetic Energetic Spread the message Spread the message Create a memorable service experience for customers Create a memorable service experience for customers

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Mavens Accumulate knowledge Accumulate knowledge Like to help others Like to help others Give others the benefit of their knowledge Give others the benefit of their knowledge Create a memorable service experience Create a memorable service experience

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Salespeople Persuade others when they are unconvinced Persuade others when they are unconvinced Can respond to objections effectively Can respond to objections effectively Create memorable customer service experiences Create memorable customer service experiences Relate to customers on a personal level as well as a business level Relate to customers on a personal level as well as a business level

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Four Pillars of Service Accuracy Accuracy Availability Availability Partnership Partnership Advice Advice

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Responding to Customer Expectations Accuracy – Getting it right and avoiding errors

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Responding to Customer Expectations Accuracy – Getting it right and avoiding errors Availability – Service and Product Options

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Responding to Customer Expectations Accuracy – Getting it right and avoiding errors Availability – Service and Product Options Partnership- Customers feel understood and cared for

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Responding to Customer Expectations Accuracy – Getting it right and avoiding errors Availability – Service and Product Options Advice- Customer is learning from the relationship Partnership- Customers feel understood and cared for

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Responding to Customer Expectations Accuracy- Getting it right & avoiding errors Availability- Service & Product Options Advice- Customer is learning from the relationship Partnership- Customers feel understood and cared for

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Develop the Relationship Recovery Recovery Retention/repeat business Retention/repeat business Referral Referral Reputation Reputation

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Three levels of value Expected Expected Desired Desired Unanticipated Unanticipated

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people The Broken Window Effect

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Through the Eyes of your Customer: Listen to your existing customers Listen to your existing customers Surveys Surveys Focus Groups Focus Groups Follow-up calls Follow-up calls Customer Satisfaction research Customer Satisfaction research

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Business Intelligence Measure your service Measure your service Track complaints Track complaints Manage complaints Manage complaints Review for trends Review for trends Solve for problems Solve for problems Build improvements into your processes Build improvements into your processes Look for moments of truth Look for moments of truth

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Moments of Truth See the symptoms and solve the problems quickly See the symptoms and solve the problems quickly

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Share of wallet Listen to those people who are not yet your customers Listen to those people who are not yet your customers

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people TLC Factor Think like a customer Think like a customer

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people The Invisible Scorecard Customers keep score Customers keep score Customers hear the positive and they hear the negative Customers hear the positive and they hear the negative Customers pay attention to reputation Customers pay attention to reputation Customers have a long memory Customers have a long memory

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people The Bottom Line Customer service/satisfaction is the key to competitive advantage Customer service/satisfaction is the key to competitive advantage Employee ability is the key to customer satisfaction Employee ability is the key to customer satisfaction Employee ability in directly linked to: Employee ability in directly linked to: Performance standards Performance standards Performance expectations & measurement Performance expectations & measurement Employee development and training Employee development and training

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Do your customers feel victimized?

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Are customers annoyed and upset with you?

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Do your customers feel neutral about you?

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Are you actually satisfying customers?

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people Are you dazzling customers?

tcg group...growing your business by growing your people “Customers may forget what you actually said but they will never forget how you made them feel.” “Customers may forget what you actually said but they will never forget how you made them feel.”