Customer Service Management in 2011
In 2008, JD Powers and Associates found that new car owners in the Philippines ranked the highest in customer service satisfaction with Toyota ranking the absolute highest. What made auto sales companies so successful where other industries fell short and what can you learn from methods and techniques to ensure that your own customer service skills help you to rise above the competition? The key to all of this lies in proper customer service management.
One of the primary reasons that car sales ranks high is because of the caliber of people they employ; car dealerships screen through many layers to ensure that they get only the highest quality of sales and support staff under their employment. This makes absolute sense as the product they sell is very expensive and it relies on customer satisfaction to ensure consistent sales and positive word-of-mouth promotion. From this we learn that people are always going to be the key to customer service success and as a customer service manager you have to make sure that your staff is not only well trained and provided with the latest information and resources, but that they have quality personal interaction skills from the start. Your staff must be taught to understand that the future of any company rests on the ability to keep customers happy so that they will come back again and again. This formula is true whether you are running a small cell phone stand in Divisoria or a high end boutique in Shangri-La; customers are the lifeblood of your business and if you treat them well then your business will grow exponentially, treat them poorly and your company will whither and die. Remember: If you don’t take care of your customer; someone else will.
So then, we must look at keys of customer service and how this can be conveyed well to your staff.
First, your store and your staff must be prepared for the customer. Excellent customer service begins long before a prospective customer enters your shop or showroom, even if it is online. Make sure that your products and services are visually represented well, make sure that they are ready to fully demonstrate and prove the benefits to the customer. Is it easy for the customer to get around and find things out for themselves? Can they get information quickly and easily to make a buying decision either with or without a salesman guiding them? Make sure the staff are fully knowledgeable about the products or services themselves, how to process orders, how to provide them after the sale and that they are fully informed regarding add-on sales options and any promotions that may be in effect. Is your staff well groomed and presentable? Do they know how to carry themselves with authority or are they nervous and shy when talking to customers?
Secondly, make sure you can deliver everything you promise in the documentation and presentation process. If your product or service falls short of expectation then regardless of how well you have treated the customer during the sales and implementation process, they will have a negative customer service experience. Be ready to anticipate problems, teach your sales and support staff the fine art of listening to pick up on issues that a customer may be hesitant to tell plainly. For instance if your customer plans on buying an insurance policy to cover a home that is in a flood-prone area, make sure that the customer is fully informed regarding the process of issuing a claim and any limitations on coverage. An informed customer is always going to be a happy customer.
Lastly, when your customer has a problem you must be ready to address it quickly and efficiently. You must prepare in advance by brainstorming customer service scenarios wherein a customer is unhappy and think through the process of resolving the problem for the benefit of both the company and the customer. Learn when to be firm and polite when the issue is clearly the customer’s fault such as if they have dropped a brand new cell phone down a flight of stairs and demand a replacement under warranty. The customer is not always right, but they are always the reason your business exists.
Keeping a customer happy does not mean giving them everything they want or sacrificing company policies to smooth things over. You and your staff will need to learn the art of turning every problem into an opportunity. If a customer has a problem that you CAN fix under a warranty or within service guidelines then the first thing a customer should hear is “I’m sorry, let me take care of that for you right now…” and proceed to explain exactly what you intend to do. If the problem is the fault of the customer, is not covered under warranty or is not part of the service then you still begin with a softening phrase “I’m sorry that happened” or “I’m sorry to hear that” followed with “Unfortunately that is not part of our service” or “covered by our warranty” and then continue to suggest helpful alternatives such as a new item which is on sale, a different service that would cover the issue in the future or any number of things that your company can provide to seal the gap.
The best customer service happens when you turn a problem into a success; oftentimes customers will be willing to buy additional products or services when they have a problem if these additional purchases will prevent future problems.
So as you can see, customer service is not a separate part of business, it is something that must be woven into every aspect of what your business does when it deals with customers. This is the most important aspect of customer service management: Full service integration. From the first moment a customer steps into your business or enters your website; you must be a partner with them in an emotional and informational journey that results in their purchase of your product and service and continues on to implementation and lifetime support. Every interaction is a part of the customer service puzzle and it all has to match from the first “hello” to the last “goodbye” in order to give top quality service every time.
The only way that companies like Toyota and other car dealerships continue to excel is by treating customers like a lifetime investment rather than a one-time sale. If you do this every time and you will succeed in any business you choose to undertake.
Duston Barto is an accomplished sales trainer and customer service expert. He has more than 15 years in the sales and customer service industry and is available for corporate training events in the Philippines or nearby countries.
Feel free to contact him for quotes or schedules at: Sales.Unchained@gmail.com
One of the primary reasons that car sales ranks high is because of the caliber of people they employ; car dealerships screen through many layers to ensure that they get only the highest quality of sales and support staff under their employment. This makes absolute sense as the product they sell is very expensive and it relies on customer satisfaction to ensure consistent sales and positive word-of-mouth promotion. From this we learn that people are always going to be the key to customer service success and as a customer service manager you have to make sure that your staff is not only well trained and provided with the latest information and resources, but that they have quality personal interaction skills from the start. Your staff must be taught to understand that the future of any company rests on the ability to keep customers happy so that they will come back again and again. This formula is true whether you are running a small cell phone stand in Divisoria or a high end boutique in Shangri-La; customers are the lifeblood of your business and if you treat them well then your business will grow exponentially, treat them poorly and your company will whither and die. Remember: If you don’t take care of your customer; someone else will.
So then, we must look at keys of customer service and how this can be conveyed well to your staff.
First, your store and your staff must be prepared for the customer. Excellent customer service begins long before a prospective customer enters your shop or showroom, even if it is online. Make sure that your products and services are visually represented well, make sure that they are ready to fully demonstrate and prove the benefits to the customer. Is it easy for the customer to get around and find things out for themselves? Can they get information quickly and easily to make a buying decision either with or without a salesman guiding them? Make sure the staff are fully knowledgeable about the products or services themselves, how to process orders, how to provide them after the sale and that they are fully informed regarding add-on sales options and any promotions that may be in effect. Is your staff well groomed and presentable? Do they know how to carry themselves with authority or are they nervous and shy when talking to customers?
Secondly, make sure you can deliver everything you promise in the documentation and presentation process. If your product or service falls short of expectation then regardless of how well you have treated the customer during the sales and implementation process, they will have a negative customer service experience. Be ready to anticipate problems, teach your sales and support staff the fine art of listening to pick up on issues that a customer may be hesitant to tell plainly. For instance if your customer plans on buying an insurance policy to cover a home that is in a flood-prone area, make sure that the customer is fully informed regarding the process of issuing a claim and any limitations on coverage. An informed customer is always going to be a happy customer.
Lastly, when your customer has a problem you must be ready to address it quickly and efficiently. You must prepare in advance by brainstorming customer service scenarios wherein a customer is unhappy and think through the process of resolving the problem for the benefit of both the company and the customer. Learn when to be firm and polite when the issue is clearly the customer’s fault such as if they have dropped a brand new cell phone down a flight of stairs and demand a replacement under warranty. The customer is not always right, but they are always the reason your business exists.
Keeping a customer happy does not mean giving them everything they want or sacrificing company policies to smooth things over. You and your staff will need to learn the art of turning every problem into an opportunity. If a customer has a problem that you CAN fix under a warranty or within service guidelines then the first thing a customer should hear is “I’m sorry, let me take care of that for you right now…” and proceed to explain exactly what you intend to do. If the problem is the fault of the customer, is not covered under warranty or is not part of the service then you still begin with a softening phrase “I’m sorry that happened” or “I’m sorry to hear that” followed with “Unfortunately that is not part of our service” or “covered by our warranty” and then continue to suggest helpful alternatives such as a new item which is on sale, a different service that would cover the issue in the future or any number of things that your company can provide to seal the gap.
The best customer service happens when you turn a problem into a success; oftentimes customers will be willing to buy additional products or services when they have a problem if these additional purchases will prevent future problems.
So as you can see, customer service is not a separate part of business, it is something that must be woven into every aspect of what your business does when it deals with customers. This is the most important aspect of customer service management: Full service integration. From the first moment a customer steps into your business or enters your website; you must be a partner with them in an emotional and informational journey that results in their purchase of your product and service and continues on to implementation and lifetime support. Every interaction is a part of the customer service puzzle and it all has to match from the first “hello” to the last “goodbye” in order to give top quality service every time.
The only way that companies like Toyota and other car dealerships continue to excel is by treating customers like a lifetime investment rather than a one-time sale. If you do this every time and you will succeed in any business you choose to undertake.
Duston Barto is an accomplished sales trainer and customer service expert. He has more than 15 years in the sales and customer service industry and is available for corporate training events in the Philippines or nearby countries.
Feel free to contact him for quotes or schedules at: Sales.Unchained@gmail.com