How many times have your pondered methods to provide
customer satisfaction? How much of your money and time is
spent on costly surveys and loyalty programs? Save your
time and money and stop ruminating through the customer
satisfaction maze. The time has come to set your compass on
the true direction of client needs. Based on over 26 years
of research and thousands of client issues, we have found
four factors clients require. These four factors drive
success, control profits and assist to retain clients.
Accuracy
Clients deplore inaccuracy. Case reviews illustrate
wrongful charges on cell phones, cable television and
automobile service as exemplars. While these represent only
a microcosm of industries, they are illustrated here to
identify with most readers. What frustrate clients most are
not infrequent fees, but the shallowness in resolution.
Maria recently took holiday in Mexico and used a credit
card as payment for food and beverage. Through a myriad of
unfortunate circumstances she was wrongfully charged
incorrect fees. Since December 2007, she has been
striving to resolve the fees with both the card issuer and
hotel. Thus far, she has spent more time and money on the
telephone surpassing the actual fees. A business frequent
flier and a frequent guest of the hotel chain, she has
terminated the card and any future hotel business.
A major customer service issue for most organizations is 1)
capable talent and 2) decision power. For many firms an
inordinate time is spent passing blame and discovering
those in charge. At some point the cost of doing business,
becomes unprofitable. Too much time is spent in the
quagmire of bureaucracy. Organizations must allow employees
to reach swift conclusions to customer issues. Let
employees make decisions, they will learn from this while
reducing stress and developing timely solutions.
Second, periodic audits, even in large companies enable
leaders to discover trends and frequent anomalies.
Constantly review the customer issues and streamline the
bottleneck expeditiously.
Availability
Many years ago I learned a wonderful best practice from my
mentor - return all calls within 90 minutes. In my many
years of service I am happy to report a 95% return rate. I
do obtain challenges periodically but callers frequently
lose. Clients devour the spontaneity. Clients want
accessibility to their vendors. How often do you enjoy
lengthy hold times?
The proliferation of voice mail and email creates barriers
to communication. Think about times when you call a bank or
credit card issuer. Your call falls prey to an automated
phone bank, requiring you to input your account
information, social security number, phone number, name of
first-born, etc. With each keystroke, you are required to
repeat this perfunctory exercise only to repeat yet again
to a live operator. By this time your only desire is to end
the call!
Organizations must streamline processes and become
available. The best organizations use live operators
without rote scripts. If voice prompts are required
eliminate wasteful methods to expedite wait times.
Partnership
The proliferation of the Internet evens the playing field
for clients and organization. Similar to fifty years ago,
clients have issues and they clamor for quick resolution.
When possible they desire one voice for all questions. They
desire collaboration. Rather than frequent several vendors,
it is easier for one vendor to address the myriad of issues
clients face. Collaborative efforts leverage solutions,
price and most importantly client vendor relations.
Organizations eliminate duality in sales and service
issues, lower cost of acquisition while clients obtain
expeditious solutions to their issues.
Advice
Seth Godin had a wonderful Blog entitled "The Marketing of
Fear". The notion exists in selling that consumers have
pain. Sales training schools and many managers instruct
sales professionals to identify the pain for the benefit of
establishing solutions.
The truth is that no consumer desires to be reminded of his
or her pain. Clients want from selling professionals: trust
and respect. Clients want to know you understand the issue,
researched their objectives and can expeditiously provide
value in solutions. There is a need for a trusted advisor
that continually illustrates client efficiency. Pain is
negative, value positive.
Refrain from FEAR FACTOR and create relationships with
clients. Deter the notion of pain and begin to ask
provocative questions that align with objectives to gain
immediate results. Questions keep them talking, illustrate
your continued interest and open the door for additional
questions. Customer service and selling professionals come
and go, advisors remain in site forever!
Customer Service is not an exact science. New issues arise
daily requiring flexibility. Yet after significant
research, issues typically align with the four factors-
accuracy, availability, partnership and advice. Competition
and information increase the difficulties for success.
Differentiation is paramount in today's global landscape.
Review these four functional areas and begin to lower
service costs and increase client retention today.
----------------------------------------------------
Drew Stevens PhD is known as the Sales Strategist. Drew
assists organizations to dramatically accelerate business
growth. He is the author of seven books including Split
Second Selling and Split Second Customer Service and Little
Book of Hope and is frequently called on the media for his
expertise. Get a FREE download Drew's White Paper on
Selling Effectiveness or Business Building e-book at
http://www.gettingtothefinishline.com
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