Mastering the Art of Customer Care Presented by: Rae Ann Bruno Business Solutions Training, Inc

Feelings Matter  Making one feel important is a key way to attract followship*.  HDI states that 75% of a customer’s satisfaction is based on how the customer feels.  68% of organizations lost customers due to perceived indifference (HDI SCA). * William Cohen, The New Art of Leadership

My Observations  Working with Customers is not easy!  Customer Service jobs are NOT for everyone!  Strong interpersonal skills (and others) are needed to do well.  Technique matters!  The basics just don’t cut it.

Basics What are your MINIMUM expectations of someone providing service to you?

Balance  “Numbers”  Too much emphasis on industry metrics can tip the scales in the wrong direction  Skills  Focused on the Customer experience

Tolerable  Acknowledgement  Cordial  Good tone of voice  Seems to care about helping me  Listens  Does not have the “NEXT” attitude  Offer to assist  Polite

Better  Beyond “just the facts”  Knowledgeable  Flexible  Good use of empathy  Uses questions well  Listens and comprehends  Takes ownership  Knows when to escalate  Shows sincerity

Great  Thinks on feet  Consistently sincere  Very helpful  Great interpersonal skills  Keeps commitments  Strong emotional intelligence

Award Winning  Insightful  Fully engaged  Very helpful  Can diffuse negative behavior  Goes above and beyond  Has great follow up/through  Communicates in terms customer understands  Understands the REAL issue

Beyond the Skills  Balance of “numbers” and quality  Quality Monitoring  Coaching  Training  Customer voice  A focus on loyalty and satisfaction  Understanding of efficiency and effectiveness metrics  Trending and continual improvement

Summary  Leaders – numbers  Nominees - mastered