Customer Service...

Customer Service...

Posted 5/16/2000

What You're Doing Right; What You're Doing Wrong

Eleven Ways to Make Customers Feel Great
Five Ways to Make Customers Exit Your Business...Fast!
Two Dozen Tips for Customer Satisfaction

Eleven Ways to Make Customers Feel Great
By Margie Seyfer

Acknowledge the customer behind the one you are serving.
When you encounter a customer anywhere ... greet them.
Ask ... Are you being helped?
When someone asks you how you are ... Always say, "Great! How are you?" Notice how many times they say OK or fine. Remember: they are a sponge and need your positive energy.
Smile. See how many people you can make laugh each day; customers and co-workers.
Be extra nice to five customers a day and notice their positive response to you.
Build your co-workers. They are customers too.
Whenever a customer says, "Thank you," whether in person or on the telephone, respond with, "You're welcome!"
Be flexible. Go beyond theirexpectations and when you do, let them know you are doing it especially for them. They will tell their friends.
If you are the one who answers the phone, remember it is a performance. Put lots of energy in your voice, a smile, and please ... slow down. Take time to make me glad that I called you.
Be the kind of person you want your customer to be.

Five Ways to Make Customers Exit Your Business...Fast!
By Margie Seyfer

Customers elect whether to do business with us every day. In fact, they vote with their wallet and their feet. Here are some ways to guarantee a customer will rush out your nearest door to the competition:

Ignore them
You're busy with another customer. After all, you can only concentrate on working with one customer at a time. They're lined up. Let them stand there with their hands in their pockets playing with their money clip and loose change. They don't mind waiting five minutes to get permission to spend money with your company. If you make them feel less than important they'll happily give your competitor a chance to show them how much they care. If you want to keep them in your business, say, "Hi! I'll be with you in a moment."
Be rude to them
You're on the telephone when they walk in. You acknowledge with a wave of the hand that you will be with them and then you take six more calls while they wait. Worse yet, one of the callers is angry about service they have received. So you spend 10 minutes in front of the waiting customer trying to calm the customer and display a not-so-pleasant side of your personality.
Argue with them
Refuse to do anything for them because you have required procedures and company policies to uphold. The risk in dealing with your company should be the customer's, not yours.
Lie to them
Never be humble enough to admit you forgot to follow through on the customer's request. Instead, blame your computer, the supplier or worse yet, blame a co-worker or the technician.
Don't listen to them
When they complain, get in their face and let them know you aren't going to take any guff from them. They are the only person to ever complain about that policy. Even though they try to assure you that they are only wishing to make a suggestion, not a complaint, you refuse to listen. The way you see it is customers are never right. They are only complainers.

After reading this article, you personally should be angry because it reminds you of times you have been treated similarly as a customer. There's the saying, "I've seen the enemy and it is me." I prefer, "I've seen outstanding customer service and it is me. My customers know I truly care about them and their need to be treated with dignity and honesty."

Based in Wheat Ridge, Colo., Margie Seyfer is the head of Impact Presentations and has been providing customer service training since 1985. She also is an All-Star instructor for the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) and is thought of as a highly energetic and informative presenter. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and the Colorado Speakers Association, which voted her member of the year in 1997. Seyfer can be reached at (303) 233-0836, or her e-mail address is SeyferMarg@aol.com.

Two Dozen Tips for Customer Satisfaction

Posted 5/16/2000
By Mike Behrmann

In the race to capture new and expanding markets, or to maintain a current market, it is important to satisfy customers to keep them from deciding to leave for one of your competitors. So, what can your business do to attract new customers and keep the current ones satisfied? It may be as simple as providing an extra service that competitors do not.

When considering extra services, remember to think about the customers' needs and feelings during the repair process. It is often a stressful experience when the customer needs to find alternative transportation to get to work. In thinking about that need, your business may want to consider providing transportation to and from work. Another aspect that helps ensure repeat business is the ability to create an atmosphere of trust and openness within the business and with the customers.

Providing extra services and creating trust may seem like complex issues, but there are some very simple things that can be done to accomplish these objectives.

These simple steps are the everyday items that are often forgotten or ignored. Below you'll find just 24 of the "simple things" that can make that difference for your business.

“Employee involvement is vital for a business to run smoothly and improves overall customer service.”

Treat your employees with respect. Remember that employees reflect your business's image every day. Customers notice how staff members feel about the place they work.
Communicate with your staff. Keep them informed and increase their sense of involvement and pride. Do you periodically discuss training plans and opportunities? Do you discuss your future ideas for the business and look for their ideas? Employee involvement is vital for a business to run smoothly and improves overall customer service.
Show customers you share their concerns. Do you sound friendly and enthusiastic when speaking to customers? Your tone of voice can show that you are interested and care about their needs. After listening to comments or questions for the 20th time, it is easy to become tired and bored. To customers, the conversation is about their vehicle and not about the other 19 concerns you have already heard. You must take a personal interest in their concern to win trust and respect.
Post signs with positive messages. Is your business entrance and service counter filled with signs that have the word "No"? Instead of a sign that reads, "No Vehicle Pickups After 6 p.m.," the sign could read, "For Your Convenience, We Are Open Until 6 p.m. for Vehicle Pickups." Put a positive twist on all messages. It really can create a good first impression with customers.
Be considerate when answering the telephone. "Hold please!" Is this how your business answers the telephone? Or, do the callers hear: "Good morning, your business's name," and, "Can you hold for a moment?" Try not to leave callers on hold for more than 30 to 60 seconds. If the other call seems like it will take a while, update the customer on hold within the first minute.
The customer is always right. Never argue with customers even when they are 100 percent wrong. Keep your cool, apologize for any inconvenience, and work toward a mutual understanding to resolve the situation.

“Learn the cutomer's name and use it. Don't insult customers by calling them Honey, Sweetie, Gal or Son.”
Seek first to understand, before being understood. If you have an angry customer, ask them to walk with you, and go to a place where other customers are not disturbed. Carefully listen to what they are saying, without interrupting, before you start offering remedies.
Make customers comfortable while they wait. Do you have a customer waiting area? If so, does it portray a little of every generation? The waiting area can make a difference as to whether a customer feels comfortable enough to come back for another repair. Possibly, invest in some newer furniture that matches. Make sure drinks and maybe some snacks are available. It could be as simple as providing hot water for instant coffee and tea. Or, you could even make money by renting space to a vendor with food or beverage vending machines.
Treat every customer like a king or queen. Try not to stereotype new customers by how they look or what they drive. Any comments among staff may end up offending a potentially regular customer. People often do not let on when they hear comments or notice demeaning looks. Let the staff know that it is important to be equally friendly to each customer. Always ask questions and truly determine the customer's needs and expectations.
Learn the customer's name and use it. Don't insult customers by calling them "Honey," "Sweetie," "Gal" or "Son." If you don't know their name, be honest, ask them, and use it.
Greet the customer first. Don't start the repair write-up processes with a 25-question drill such as "address," "year," "mileage," etc. Greet them, introduce yourself, and ask how you can help. Actively listen to what they have to say first and determine a proper course of action.
Compensate for any inconvenience. If you make a mistake, is just fixing the problem enough? Oftentimes, it is not. Immediately apologize, fix the problem and give something extra for their inconvenience. That something extra may be things such as a free lube, oil, and filter change, a car wash, or 10 percent off the final bill.
Keep restrooms clean. How is your restroom? Would you let your daughter or mother use it? If customers ever have to wait for service again, would they want to come back? Remember to wipe the counters and pick up debris throughout the day.

“Never complain about customers in front of other customers...Such complaints will leave the next customer wondering what will be said about them.”
Give customers an idea of how long they will have to wait in line. At retail stores, do you try to guess which line is the shortest? It is not as easy to figure out wait time at a repair business. Greet people as they come in, very briefly explain the situation, and give an estimated wait time.
Follow up on customer satisfaction to find any problems to resolve. Make a list of questions related to customer service and seek the answers through telephone surveys or mailing questionnaires. The goal is to find any unhappy customers before they go somewhere else. Be sure to address the concerns and follow up with the customer to let them know their opinion counted toward making a change.
Always be courteous and polite. Never smoke, chew tobacco or gum, or use profanity in the presence of a customer (even if they are doing those very things). Vulgarity creates communication barriers.
Never complain about customers in front of other customers. Does the staff ever comment about the customer that just left? Are they complaining to the next person in line? Such complaints will leave the next customer wondering what will be said about them.
Dress for success. Do the staff's uniforms and grooming habits look professional? One good test is to ask yourself, "If the local news crew stopped by today, would I want them to videotape the technicians working?" If the answer is "definitely," then you are in good shape. Otherwise, it may be a good idea to consider new uniforms. Grooming habits are a trickier topic. If a staff member has long hair and does not want to cut it, you may want to consider asking them to keep it in a ponytail for safety reasons.
Get involved in community activities, both personally and as a business. Your place of business is a contributor to the community's economic growth and it is a good idea to make it known. Customers can truly tell if you care about the community, and it often invites repeat business. Getting the business's name heard as a contributor has a dual function. It creates a sense of good will and contributes to the business as a source of public relations/advertising.
Show you care about quality. Post technician training, environmental and safety certificates on walls. Your place of business should show some pride in a job well done. You are skilled professionals, so show it.

“Another aspect that helps ensure repeat business is the ability to create an atmosphere of trust and openness within the business and with the customers.”
Provide adequate customer parking. Cars everywhere and not a place to park. Is it a sign of good business? Just ask the new customer that had to park a block away. Whether the person had a quick question or actually brought the vehicle in to be serviced, the inconvenience may be enough to send them elsewhere next time.
Keep the parking area in good condition. It's a small task that will reap big rewards. Whether it is just filling in potholes or cleaning up the lot, customers will notice. Little things such as lost bolts, screws, gaskets and tiny parts in the parking lot can leave customers wondering if parts from their car will end up there.
If your business handles fleet work, make follow-up visits. Every once in a while it is a good idea to visit the facilities and check on how you may provide better or additional service. It may be totally unexpected, as well as appreciated.
Convey a message of stability. Renovating or upgrading facilities can communicate that the business will be around in the future. Little things like a new paint job, fixing the water stain on the ceiling, or just a good interior and exterior cleanup, will make a difference.

Well, what do you think? Did any of the situations listed sound like your place of business?

I hope you found a couple of simple things to help keep customers coming back to your business.

Remember, oftentimes consumers find that it's the simple things that make the difference. Simple things can make or break your business's image and reputation.

Mike Behrmann is an automotive business and management instructor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Automotive Technology, in Carbondale, Ill. He can be reached at (618) 453-4024, or via e-mail atmbehr@siu.edu.