Transcript Customer Service

The Equinox, Manchester Village, VT
Winning Customer Service…
Tools, Tips & More!
Presented By: Linda Wallingford
10460 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 287
St. Petersburg, FL 33716
727.324.3006
[email protected]
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Feature films
are the result
of years of
scientific
research and of
experience.
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Feature films
are the result
of years of
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Four Cornerstones of
Readership Growth
• Improving editorial and advertising content
• Building recognition and loyalty through
stronger brand promotion
• Reforming management and culture
• Providing superior customer service
5 Reasons Subscribers and Single
Copy Readers Continue To Read
Your Newspaper?
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Something to Think About…
• A typical business hears from only 4% of
its dissatisfied customers. The other 96%
just quietly go away and 91% will NEVER
come back!
This represents a serious financial loss for
those companies whose employees do not
know how to treat customers, and a
tremendous gain for those companies that do.
A survey on why customers never
come back found the following…
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3% move away
5% develop other loyalties
9% leave for competitive reasons
14% are dissatisfied with the product
• 68% quit because of an attitude of
indifference toward the customer by the
owner, manager or an employee.
• Only 5 years ago, a typical dissatisfied
customer would tell eight to 10 people
about his or her problem.
• One in 5 would tell 20.
• Now, with the internet, a dissatisfied
customer can tell the world about their
interaction with your newspaper!
Yours is a Very Bad Hotel
A graphic complaint prepared for:
Joseph Crosby
General Manager
Lisa Rinker
Front Desk Manager
DoubleTree Club Hotel
2828 Southwest Freeway
Houston, Texas
In the Early Morning Hours of
November 15, 2001, at the DoubleTree Club
Houston, We Were Treated Very Badly Indeed.
• We are Tom Farmer and Shane Atchison of Seattle,
Washington.
• We held guaranteed, confirmed reservations at the
DoubleTree Club for the night of November 14-15.
• These rooms were held for late arrival with a major
credit card.
• Tom is a card-carrying Hilton HHonors Gold VIP…
• Yet when we arrived at 2:00am… we were refused
rooms!
Refused Rooms… Even When We’re
“Confirmed” and “Guaranteed”?
• Mike, your Night Clerk, said the only rooms left
were off-limits because their plumbing and airconditioning had broken!
• He’d given away the last good rooms three hours
ago!
• He’d done nothing about finding us
accommodation elsewhere!
• And he was deeply unapologetic!
Quotations from Night Clerk Mike
“Most of our guests don’t arrive
at two o’clock in the morning.”
-- 2:08 am, November 15, 2001
Explaining why it was
OUR fault that the DoubleTree Club
could not honor our guaranteed reservation
We Discussed With Mike the
Meaning of the Term “Guarantee.”
guar·an·tee (g r n-t ), n.
1. Something that assures a particular outcome or
condition: Lack of interest is a guarantee of failure.
a. A promise or an assurance, especially one given in writing,
that attests to the quality or durability of a product or
service.
b. A pledge that something will be performed in a specified
manner.
(Save this for your future reference.)
Quotations from Night Clerk Mike
“I have nothing to apologize to you for.”
-- 2:10 am, November 15, 2001
Explaining why we were wrong
to be upset that our “guaranteed”
rooms weren’t saved for us
The Career Path of Night Clerk Mike
(He peaked last week.)
November 15, 2001:
Rude Hotel Clerk
1995:
Subway Sandwich
Maker
1985:
Paper Boy
2004:
McDonald’s
Sandwich Maker
2014:
Septic Tank
Cleaner
Mike Wasn’t Too Optimistic About
Finding Us a Place to Sleep.
• 2:15 in the morning is a heck of a time to
start looking for two spare hotel rooms!
• Mike slowly started dialing around town.
Quotations from Night Clerk Mike
“I don’t know if there ARE any
hotel rooms around here… all these
hotels are full.”
-- 2:12 am, November 15, 2001
Just starting to look for alternate
accommodation for us, even though he’d filled
his own house up by 11:00pm
Mapped Against Other Hospitality Providers, Your
DoubleTree Club Fared Badly on November 15, 2001.
GROWTH-ORIENTED
DESPISES &
MISTREATS
CUSTOMERS
TREATS
CUSTOMERS
WELL
HEADING FOR COLLAPSE
Mike Finally Found Us Rooms Here.
• Shoney’s Inn & Suites is a dump.
• It is six miles further away from downtown
Houston, which makes a difference in morning
rush-hour traffic.
• Had we wanted to stay at Shoney’s, we would
have called them in the first place.
• We could only get smoking rooms.
Even After We Left the DoubleTree Club, Our
Troubles Weren’t Over, as This Timeline Shows.
Jon, a colleague, was arriving in Houston on an overnight
flight …
and coming to join us at the DoubleTree Club first thing in
the morning. As we had to go stay elsewhere, we wrote
Jon a note and left it in care of Mike the Night Clerk.
We Are Very Unlikely to Return to the
DoubleTree Club Houston.
Lifetime chances of dying in a bathtub: 1 in 10,455
(National Safety Council)
Chance of Earth being ejected from the solar system by
the gravitational pull of a passing star: 1 in 2,200,000
(University of Michigan)
Chance of winning the UK Lottery: 1 in 13,983,816
(UK Lottery)
Chance of us returning to the DoubleTree Club
Houston: worse than any of those
(And what are the chances you’d save rooms for us anyway?)
The average business spends six times
more to attract new customers than it does
to keep old ones.
Yet customer loyalty is, in most cases,
worth ten times the price of a single
purchase!
Revenue Lost to the DoubleTree Club
Houston as a Result of our November 15 Incident
18,000
16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
Our firm's total
expenditures on
Houston-area lodging
Dollars we'll be
spending at the
DoubleTree Club
Houston
Calendar
2001
Calendar
2002
Shown in U.S. dollars
We’ll Be Sending This Presentation
to Promus Properties.
• And to some friends.
• We hope they’ll share it with their friends!
• If you’d like a hard copy, email us at:
[email protected].
• Good luck!
• And give our best to Mike!
Then there are…
• www.bestbuysux.org
• www.whypaypalsucks.com
• Don’t Buy a Kia http://members.tripod.com/~aiki_joe/
i_hate_kia/
5 Reasons Customers Stop
Subscribing/Purchasing Your
Newspaper
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Goal…
Increase Ad Revenue
• Recruitment
• Automotive
• Real Estate
• Private Party
Goal…
Gain and Retain Readers
• Reduce Churn
• Grow E-Z Pay
• Cost-Effective Marketing
• Added-value programs
???????????
• How easy is it to do business with us?
• What methods do we use to follow-up with
our readers?
• Do we measure reader satisfaction?
• What are we doing to position our brand
and image in our markets?
Customer service does
not begin and end in our
call centers!
A successful
newspaper is a
customer-driven
newspaper!
We don’t get a second chance
to make a first impression.
When customers feel good about that
first interaction with your newspaper,
they’ll come back for more - they will
become loyal customers and will tell
others about their satisfaction!
Circulation departments that
focus on their customers •
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Ask questions
Solve problems
Offer solutions
Don’t assume
Up sell Partial Subs
Seek feedback
• Are creative
• Communicate
• Plan ahead - work
their plan
• Know that actions
speak louder than
words
Let’s first define what superior
customer service means...
Dealing with any customer situation
efficiently, professionally and in a
manner that leaves customers
committed to your newspaper
and/or purchasing your products –
including your on-line and niche
publications.
There is a vast difference between
guessing and knowing what our
readers want.
We know what our readers want and,
moreover, we know what is
important to them!
• Our readers want:
- Excellent Content
- Timely Delivery
- Great Value
…
A genuine commitment to
providing what is truly important
to them!
For us to really listen and
communicate with them.
And, for us to do everything we
can to provide the level of
service they expect and deserve!
Keeping loyal readers who are
already familiar with our product
requires something as basic and
affordable as providing superior
customer service.
Some companies that get it…
They have a...
Company-wide
Service
Commitment
Workplace Culture
Staff members understand the
importance of their jobs in
contributing to the success of
their department and the
newspaper.
Communication is wide
open between all levels of
management, their staff and
among other departments.
Do your newspaper's various divisions
operate independently of one another?
PRODUCTION
EDITORIAL
CIRCULATION
ADVERTISING
INFO SYSTEMS
ACCOUNTING
MARKETING
The ”silo effect”…
• Lost revenue
• Duplicated efforts
• Missed promotional
opportunities
• Morale issues
• Employee turnover
It is critical that members from
different departments work on
problem-solving teams with one
another, thereby learning an
appreciation for the jobs or
responsibilities of others.
Lack of Motivation?
Is the newspaper’s mission
is clearly communicated to
employees at all levels and
their commitment secured?
Tell me and I’ll forget...
Show me and I'll remember...
Involve me and I'll understand.
VISION
An image of our
desired future.
VALUES
How we expect to travel to
where we want to go.
PURPOSE
MISSION
or
What our newspaper is here to do.
GOALS
Milestones we expect to
reach before too long.
Possible Attitudes Toward a Vision
• Genuine Compliance: Sees the benefits of the
vision. Does everything expected and more!
• Formal Compliance: On the whole, sees the
benefits of the vision. Does what is expected and
no more.
• Grudging Compliance: Does not see the
benefits of the vision. But also, does not want to
lose job. Does what he or she has to do, but also
lets it be known that he is not really on board.
Possible Attitudes Toward a Vision
• Non-Compliance: Does not see the
benefits of the vision and will not do what
is expected. “I won’t do it and you can’t
make me”.
• Apathy: Neither for nor against vision. No
interest. No energy. “Is it five o’clock
yet?”
What Are The Top 10 Attributes of
Successful Circulation Employee?
• Organization
• Flexibility
• Excellent Customer
Service Skills
• Accountability
• Follow Through
• Thoroughness
Top 10 Continued...
• An general understanding of other team
members’ duties.
• Excellent Communication Skills - Verbal
& Written
• Knowledge of accounts and key people
• The ability to partner with other team
members to increase their account base,
bring in additional revenue and build
relationships.
Empowerment!!!
Empowered people have the necessary information
to make the right decisions and act; they don’t have to
wait for multiple levels of approval.
Empowered people identify problems and fix them.
They do what it takes to keep customers happy. These
people don’t have time for turf battles because when
everyone shares power and a common goal, turf
becomes irrelevant and teamwork becomes
imperative.
I will.
I prefer.
I choose.
I will choose an appropriate
response.
I can create an effective
presentation.
I can choose a
different approach.
There’s nothing I can do.
That’s just the way I am.
He makes me so mad.
They won’t allow that.
I have to do that.
I can’t.
I must.
If only.
I control my own
feelings.
Let’s look at our alternatives.
Continual Training Is Imperative
• Telephone Techniques • Building Your
Interpersonal Skills
• How to Multi-Task
• Projecting a Positive
• Prioritization/Time
Attitude in a High Stress
Management
Environment
• Working Proactively
• Maximize Your
• Maximizing
Contribution to the
Productivity
newspaper and coworkers.
The more you know…
• …the more valuable to the organization you
become.
• …the more advancement opportunities
present themselves.
• …the more assistance you can provide to
your internal and external customers!
First Impressions Are
Lasting Impressions
5 seconds!
The clock is ticking…
• Do we look professional and
interested and engaged?
• Do we greet customers and
acknowledge their presence whether
on the phone or in person?
• Do we make customers feel welcome
and appreciated?
or…
• Do we treat customers like they are just
another inconvenience… interrupting your
conversation, thoughts, etc.
• Do we treat customers like they are just a
number?
• Are we desensitized to the customers’
needs...not willing to give them the level of
service they expect and deserve?
People don’t have to do
business with you!
Where else can they find news and ads?
Emotions Play a Role
• Readers want to feel welcome.
• Readers want to feel appreciated.
• Readers want to feel good about you and
the products and services your newspaper
provides!
Often overlooked!!!
• Our customers hear and see how we
interact with each other!
How much revenue has your
newspaper lost because of poor
telephone techniques?
Halllo… Oliver??
Would you believe…
Yes, Commissioner Gordon.
One ringy dingy…two ringy
dingies…three ringy dingies.
Have I reached the party to whom
I am speaking?
Answer Promptly!
If a caller has been waiting, THANK THEM for waiting. Answer
cheerfully. Use the caller’s name during the course of the
conversation to personalize the call.
Be Prepared.
Know your product. Be thoroughly informed, particularly about
any complaint procedures. If you don’t know the answers, ask
questions.
Personalize your voice.
Your personality IS NOT eliminated when you answer the
telephone. Smile, putting a natural smile in your voice is
contagious!
Really listen.
Actively listen to what your caller is saying. Avoid making a
customer repeat himself/herself. DO NOT interrupt the caller in
mid-sentence. Avoid using industry terms. The caller does not
know what they mean.
Use salesmanship.
Everybody sells. Give the customer all the facts. Anticipate
possible objections or concerns. Be of service to the customer.
Show an interest in the customer’s needs. Be enthusiastic and
sincere.
EVERBODY SELLS?
• You want to cancel your subscription? Sure…I
can take care of that…
• Starting delivery? We’ve got a deal on Sunday
only for 13 weeks. Why don’t you start with
that?
• Would you like us to bill you?
• We’ve got 30 people waiting, I’m taking my
lunch. They’ll call back. They always do.
I Don’t Know.
Find out.
“I’ll find someone who can help.”
We Can’t Do That.
Tell people what you can do.
You’ll Have To.
Use “you’ll need to” instead.
No.
The word “NO” should never begin a
sentence. Offer a positive alternative.
Positive Trigger Words
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Important
Effective
Exclusive
Immediate
Easy
The Latest
Advantages
Affordable
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Confidence
Right Now
Benefits
Exclusive
Dependable
Economical
Available
Valuable
•PLEASE.
•YOUR WELCOME.
•THANK YOU.
•HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
•WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?
•THAT’S NO PROBLEM.
•THERE SHOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM.
•SURE!
•CERTAINLY!
•YES!
•I’D BE HAPPY TO...
•I’D LOVE TO...
•YES, I CAN...
•YES, WE CAN...
•I’D LIKE TO SIGN YOU UP FOR...
•LET ME GET YOU STARTED FOR...
•LET’S SET YOU UP FOR...
•I’D HATE TO SEE YOU CANCEL.
•I’D HATE TO HAVE YOU CANCEL.
•I UNDERSTAND.
•I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY.
•I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION.
•I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
•I’LL SEE TO IT, THAT...
•I’LL MAKE SURE THAT...
•I HAVE YOUR INFORMATION, AND WILL
SEE TO IT...
•I’LL CERTAINLY FIND OUT FOR YOU.
•I’D BE HAPPY TO FIND OUT FOR
PROBLEMS ARISE.
•HERE’S WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU.
•HERE’S WHAT WE CAN DO.
•LET ME DO THIS.
•LET’S DO THIS.
How to Transfer a Telephone Call
Explain to the caller that you would be happy to connect them to the
appropriate department/person they are trying to reach.
Identify the party or department to whom you are transferring the caller to
before you attempt the transfer.
Example:
I will connect you with the classified inside sales department. In case we are
disconnected and for your convenience, the number is 216-999-5555. One
moment please while I connect your call.
Or
I will connect you to Ms. Maxwell's office. In case we are disconnected and
for your convenience, Ms. Maxwell's number is 216-999-1234. One moment
please while I connect your call.
Then…
Connect the call. Stay on the line if at all possible until the customer has
reached the appropriate party/department. If you have the caller's name
and/or reason for the transfer, give that information to the party/department
to whom you are connecting the call.
When the person/department you are connecting the caller to answers the
phone…
Identify yourself and announce the call.
Example:
Hello. This is Mary from Editorial. I am transferring Mrs. Smith to you. She
wants to place a classified ad. Go ahead Mrs. Smith. You have the Classified
Advertising department on the line.
Or
Hello. This is Susan from Promotions. I have Mr. Rogers on the line for Ms.
Maxwell. One moment while I connect the call. Go ahead Mr. Rogers. You
have Ms. Maxwell's office.
Rephrase the caller’s
words to let them know that
YOU understand what the
call is about. If there is a
need to call the customer
back, make sure you have a
number where they can be
reached during the day!
Ideally, all customer
concerns should be
addressed within 24 hours.
A caller’s perception of a
problem is their reality.
No matter how small their
concern might seem to you,
it is important. Show the
caller that you appreciate
the fact that they cared
enough about your product
to call. After all, if it were
not for them, you would not
be in business.
Avoid making excuses
such as, the computer was
down, it’s not my
department’s fault, he/she
didn’t follow through, etc.
Excuses exasperate any
situation and are a
tremendous waste of
everyone’s time.
Ask questions to insure
that you have the necessary
information to resolve the
caller’s concern(s).
It’s too late after you
disconnect the call!
Be thorough and accurate
when writing messages and
conveying a customer’s
wants and needs to other
individuals.
Take ownership. Once
you hear the caller’s
concern, it becomes...
YOUR CONCERN!
Resolve it! You’ll feel
great about your efforts
and the customer will feel
great about you and your
company.
How to Calm the Upset Customer
Customers, in general, are not angry at
you!
They are angry or upset about a
situation or an event.
Sorry…seems to be the hardest word.
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Apologize
Empathize
Reassure
Ask the customer what will satisfy them.
Tell them that you VALUE them and the
relationship.
Internal Customer Service
+
External Customer Service
=
THE ETERNAL CUSTOMER
Why does improving internal
customer service matter?
• when employees think of customers they usually
think external customers – readers,
advertisers…the community at large.
• the quality of service provided by staff dealing
directly with external customers is, to a large
extent, dependent on the quality of support
provided to them internally
• for internal customer service to thrive in an
organization it must be demonstrated by
everyone… in every aspect of there work whether
they deal with external customers or not.
Internal Customers
• Our Co-workers
• Other Departments
• How do you treat coworkers?
• Do you share
successes and
failures?
• Do you try to make
others look bad…
thinking you’ll get
ahead?
How do we treat each other?
• You do it…that’s not my job.
• Who do they think they are… asking me
for help?
• That’s their problem…not mine.
• I’m not getting paid for that…why should I
care?
Leaders Care About the Team!
• They ask if anyone needs helps and will
accept assistance from others.
• Work well with others to accomplish set
goals and objectives.
• Have no time for turf battles and gossip
…they are irrelevant.
• Leaders are often the first to be promoted!
For internal customer service to
thrive in an organization it must be
demonstrated by everyone… in every
aspect of there work whether they
deal with external customers or not.
• Acknowledgment. Excellence in internal customer
service delivery by individuals and teams should be
acknowledged and rewarded.
• Long-term commitment. Internal service delivery
improvements will not happen overnight and requires a
continuous effort by all departments and employees.
Ask Yourself These Questions…
(from a Governmental task force on internal customer service.)
• When you answer the phone, do you identify
yourself and your department?
• Do you apply the same levels of urgency and
service to internal vs. external e-mails, phone
calls, correspondence?
• When other departments contact you for help,
do you regard it as a worthwhile and important
use of your time?
• Do you enjoy working with other departments at
the newspaper?
• Can you see the greater good that comes
from helping other departments solve their
problems or fulfill their needs?
• Do you provide information or advice to other
departments on time?
• Do you arrive on time for internal meetings?
• Do you provide regular updates and briefings
on your work to the rest of your department/
newspaper?
How can we incorporate superior
internal customer service in
our day-to-day operation?
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People you
work with...
…and there is always ego •
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The Chronic Complainer
The Rule-Breaker
The Annoying Braggart
The Lone-Wolf
The Greedy Employee
The Joker
The Leader
The Loud Mouth
The Busy Body
The Happy Employee
The Disgruntled Employee
The Information Specialist
Keeper of the Nuts
The New Guy
The Expert
The Supervisor
The Mole
The Frustrated Employee
And
Tadaaaa…
Da BOSS !!!!
Da Boss’ Wife
The Boss’ Kid
the best time
of the year…
VACATION!
Are you in sales?
Yes!!!!
A solid grasp of product and company knowledge,
along with continual training, will give you and
your team the tools necessary to increase revenue
by gaining and retaining advertisers!
The Importance of Product and
Company Knowledge
You can’t sell and service
what you don’t know!
Training…
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Features and Benefits
Overcoming Objections
What’s New
Role Playing
Tools…
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Scavenger Hunts
Daily Challenge
Morning Snapshot
Operation Smile
Mystery Callers
Monitoring
What is your Product or Products?
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Who is your audience/market?
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List 10 things you KNOW about
your product?
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List 10 things you KNOW about
your company?
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What obstacles do you face in providing superior
customer service to the internal and external
customer?
What are some of the positive steps YOU can
take to overcome some of these obstacles?
Maslow’s Levels of Competency
#4 Unconscious Competency
You no longer need to think on a conscious
level how to perform a specific action. At the
point of unconscious competency a habit is
formed. We can get good at things that serve us
or good at things that don’t.
Creating Raving Fans
Creating Raving Fans
- Blanchard and Bowles
Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is
doing better.
Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business,
you have to create “raving fans.”
Harvey Mackay
When a customer complains,
you know you are hearing the
truth ... their perception is
their reality.
When a customer is silent or
says “fine” with a slight smile,
perk up your ears--you’ve got
a real problem.
Consistency
Creates
Credibility
Customers who have been burned
before don’t trust easily.
You are trying to pull them in and
they are trying to resist.
Consistency will overcome
resistance.
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Those who believe that the
newspaper can succeed are
instrumental to that success. It only
takes one negative person to destroy
part of your customer base and chip
away at any continued growth.
You can make a difference! There is much more to customer
service than meets the eye. Dedication, commitment, goals and
emotions play an important role in the level of customer
service you and your organization
provides to your customers!
Raving Fan
1. __________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________
The Lifetime Value
of a Customer
Revenue Lost to the DoubleTree Club
Houston as a Result of our November 15 Incident
18,000
16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
Our firm's total
expenditures on
Houston-area lodging
Dollars we'll be
spending at the
DoubleTree Club
Houston
Calendar
2001
Calendar
2002
Shown in U.S. dollars
Understanding the Lifetime
Value of the Customer
Retail Advertising…
If a customer runs a full page
b/w ad in your newspaper once
a year for 10 years, how much
will they have spent with the
newspaper ?
Friday-Sunday Home Delivery
A home delivered subscriber (based on current Friday
thru Sunday home delivery rates) takes the newspaper
for 20 years.
How much money will that customer pay the
newspaper?
Single Copy Sunday
• Mrs. Smith purchases a Sunday newspaper
from her local store every Sunday. She has
been doing so for the past three years.
How much money has she spent?
26 seven-day subscribers cancelled
today because of poor service
• How much revenue is will be lost annually?
My Top 10 Learns As An
Advertising and Circulation Manager
1. Training should be continual and
mandatory. While some organizations
will tell they have neither the budget nor
the ability to spare the time to train their
employees, my message to them is you
can’t afford not to!
2. Product and Company Knowledge.
Simply put, you can’t sell and service
what you don’t know.
3. Communication must be wide open between
all levels of management, their staff and
among other departments.
Call center staffs are often the last to know
about important changes in the product or
company.
Because these folks are a vital link between
readers/advertisers and the company it is
imperative that they be informed and trained
immediately on any pending product
enhancements, changes, etc.
4. Recognition means more than money.
The staff wants to be recognized and
appreciated for the effort put forth day-in
and day-out.
Working in a newspaper’s advertising or
circulation department can be very
intense. Every customer must be treated
as if they are your only customer.
When a representative is on their 30th
call of the day, the ability to make a
reader/advertiser feel appreciated and
valued requires dedication, commitment
and talent!
5. Challenge. Implement programs such as “the
daily challenge” or form teams to help achieve
certain goals. Everyday should be as exciting
as the previous day. The staff will look
forward to coming to work because they won’t
want to miss out on the excitement!
6. Competition is healthy. Share with the staff
information about other like-size newspapers
…answered call percentages, ad revenue
gains/losses, benchmarking studies. Let them
know where they stand.
Involve them in developing the road map to
becoming #1.
7.
Everybody Sells! There is a huge difference between
an operator and a well-trained customer service
representative. An operator answers the telephone
and transfers the call. A customer service
representative is employed to sell –gain and retain!
Gone are the days of the “phone boards”. Skilled call
center reps have a tremendous impact on our ability
to gain and retain advertisers and readers as well as
bring in revenue.
8.
Avoid Burnout. It is a manager’s DUTY to make
sure his/her staff does not burn out. Burn out creates
employee turnover, morale issues and customer
dissatisfaction.
9.
Work the Floor. You can’t manage your operation
sitting in your office. Walk the floor…listen to
calls…take calls. Talk to your staff! You’ll be
surprised at the difference it will make and how much
more engaged they will become.
10. Have Fun! When conducting on-site training
throughout the country, the one thing that I hear
continually is that “work is not fun anymore”.
Why? Because we are often consumed with the
“bottom-line”, we fail to realize that our staffs
are not smiling…not happy. Simple solutions
are easy to implement. You and your staff will
be glad you did!
A Customer Is...
The most important person to come into
this organization whether
in person, on the phone,
or by mail.
The person who ultimately pays my
paycheck.
I really work for her.
Not someone with whom I should argue.
Dale Carnegie said:
“The only way to get the best of an
argument is to avoid it”-especially with customers.
Someone with whom
I will learn patience,
even though he is not
always patient with me.
Someone who has biases
and prejudices just like I do.
He may not like my hair;
I may not like his clothes.
Yet he is a special human being
and my customer.
Someone I take care not to offend.
Even when she is wrong, I point out the
mistake indirectly and politely.
Someone who is sometimes a challenge.
I embrace the challenge and am glad
when I can turn a frown into a smile.
Someone who is very special.
She is my customer for a few short
minutes and I focus on
serving her needs 100%
when I am helping her.
Someone who can make or break my day,
depending upon how I react
to her comments.
I can easily control my life
by controlling how I
respond to situations.
Someone with whom I will go
the “extra mile.”
He may not realize it, but I realize
that the difference between
mediocre and excellent is just 10%.
Rebecca L. Morgan
Winners make things
happen…
losers let things happen.