Recently in Customer Service Category

It's that time of year again. Everyone's busy, stressed out and short of time. It can be easy to forget to thank folks. It shouldn't be. However, sadly, it is.

We can usually remember to thank our customers. And we probably don't have any trouble thanking family. However there is a group of folks that are often left out of the "thank you" pile.

And that would be our co-workers. The folks we spend most of the day with side-by-side. In the spirit of the holidays, we at Telephone Doctor, dedicate this column to our inside customers. The folks that are thought of as our 'home away from home' family. Sure, we argue and disagree with co-workers just like our family. And that's OK, because most of us have a family environment in our office. We understand that. It's our office family. 

With this in mind, our column goes to our co-workers, our internal customers, this month.

1. Understand Your Role - Each employee should know the mission of their organization and the role they play. Those of us who are in a small department of a large company can often times miss the big picture. If you don't know the mission of your company, ask for it. Keep it at your desk. It will help you with the big picture. You may start to understand the 'why' of the things you're asked to do sometimes and 'why' internal customer service is everyone's responsibility from president to maintenance. If management isn't doing their part, often times the entire customer service program will go out the window. We don't want double standards. Remember it starts at the top! 

2. Respect Employee Differences - Cub fan? Cardinal fan? Republican? Democrat? Rock music, classical, whatever. Just because we don't agree with someone doesn't make us right. Differences are crucial for an organization. Differences are key to understanding people. If everyone thought the same way, most of us wouldn't be needed. It's not healthy to argue just because a co-worker isn't doing it the way you would or thinking the way you do. Learn to respect the differences. That's why we have chocolate and vanilla ice cream. 

3. Recognize the Personal Space of Others - Simply put, this boils down to the golden rule. Those who can work with a radio playing music may disturb others around them who aren't able to concentrate. Loud voices around someone who's on the phone with an external customer can be annoying also. If you're working in a cubical or sharing an office or area, we need to recognize there are others around you. Be sensitive to their wishes, as you would hope they would be to yours. 

4. Work to Resolve Conflicts - Who hasn't had unkind words with another employee? Or perhaps you and a co-worker strongly disagree on a project or idea. Not trying to make it work can only lead to more stress and frustration. Learn to work it out (notice I didn't say 'try' and work it out) even if you need to call in a professional in the area. Normally someone from HR or another trusted employee can usually be of help on conflict resolutions. 

5. Show Appreciation - We saved this for last because being appreciated, showing you care with a genuine 'thank you". It can be a note, a phone call or just stopping by an office and letting someone know they did a great job. This makes a huge difference in our internal relationships. There are surveys upon surveys that show how much a genuine pat on the back of appreciation is thought of as a way of special compensation.

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For a complimentary demo call 314.291.1012, email [email protected] or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

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"Listening is related to influence, such that those who are better listeners are more influential," says a 2012 Columbia Business School research study, LISTENING AND ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCE, CLICK HERE.

The study goes on to suggest that, "How well organizational members listen is positively associated with their tendencies to influence others, over and above how well they engage in expressive communications."

Listening is one of the most important, yet under developed skills, necessary for success in our personal and professional lives. However, if we're going to be honest, most of us take listening for granted and we aren't very good at it. Unfortunately, our schools don't recognize the significance of this reality. In addition, for those of you who are parents, when was the last time you thought your kids were listening to you, much less in school?

My friend and colleague, Executive Coach, Henry (Chip) Scholz, reminds me that Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Ford and Chrysler said more than thirty years ago that, "Business people need to listen at least as much as they talk. Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions."

Iacocca also said, "I only wish that I could find an institute that teaches people how to listen." The reality is that most schools don't offer classes nor teach listening skills.

Bernard T. Ferrari, dean of The Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School and accomplished corporate strategist and management consultant to Fortune 50 companies, says in his book Power Listening: Mastering the Most Critical Business Skill of All, that, "

Power listening-the art of probing and challenging the information garnered from others to improve its quality and quantity--is the key to building a knowledge base that generates fresh insights." What's wrong with this picture?

Many years ago while working for AT&T in Michigan, I hired Dr. Lyman Steil, then Chairman of the communication department at University of Minnesota and currently Chairman & CEO, Communication Development, Inc & International Listening Leadership, to help us improve the listening skills of mid-level managers and above.

This three-day (required) class became part of the catalyst for measuring AT&T's customer satisfaction (from the customer's perspective), rather than an internally created metric. Ironically, what was once thought of as the holy grail of business, customer service, has been displaced in today's marketplace by the importance of the customer's experience.

Kathy Doering, President of Ann Michaels & Associates, Ltd., one of the most sophisticated mystery shopping organizations in the U.S., understands the benefits of listening, more than most.

She says, "Your front line employees are an often untapped source of innovative ideas and information on what customers think about doing business with you. Lead by example-show them the of value good listening skills. Mentor those who need help in this area and reinforce it, then, watch your business prosper."

In the article "Listening and interpersonal influence," in the Journal of Research in Personality (2012), Author(s): Daniel Ames, Joel Brockner & Lily Benjamin said that, "The gold standard of good listening is not measured by how quiet you are, it's about doing things to let the other person know that you are seriously considering what he has to say:

"We might also do well to remember that the most highly crafted presentation in the world is useless, if no one is listening.

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Why You Have Bad Customers

Bad customers are everywhere. Showing up with coupons, but no cash. Wanting written estimates so they can price shop elsewhere. Bad customers make "frugal" a four letter word.

Even loyal and good customers are behaving badly -- how did it get so bad? Is it just this economy or has something else gone wrong?

Imagine that you sell and install "parts". You could sell auto parts, or you could sell specialized advice based on standard legal documents as an attorney or insurance broker.

Any business that has a specialized service component bundled with a standard good is a "parts" business. And most of us in North America and Europe are in this type of "parts" business.

Imagine your perfect "parts" customer. Call her "Maria". Why is Maria ideal? She is the perfect customer because;

  • She showed up for her regular appointments;
  • She accepted your service upgrades without hesitation, and;
  • She didn't haggle over the price of "parts" and service.

was good. For you and Maria.

Now, however, the "parts" business is getting hard.

On one hand, there are after market stores which will sell "replacement parts", even specialized IP is not immune to being sold as a "part". With their large, or on demand inventory, they can undercut you on the price of a "part".

On the other hand, is the rise of the "do it yourself mechanic", an unregulated body of individuals mimicking specialized work. The DIY crowd can "install parts" cheaper than you, given the right diagnostic.

/

And now, Maria is getting wise. She shows up, more often than not, asking only for a written diagnosis of her problem. Or she wants you to install "parts" she has bought from a competitor.

Maria has become a bottom feeder. Soon, you will only see her when, in desperation, you put out another ill conceived marketing offer - buy one and get one free, or a BOGO.

You don't want to turn down business. But, you would like to fire Maria. Except, so many of your customers are starting to look a lot like Maria.

One response is tempting. You can raise prices and drive out the bottom feeders. This response risks alienating your good customers - turning them into "Marias". You cannot afford that solution.

What do you do with a problem like Maria?

What You Need is a A Bad Customer Detector

No, what you want is a permanent or real solution- a Maria detector if you will.

Your strategic problem is this. You are being asked to give away confidential information - a diagnostic scan, a specialized legal opinion or insurance solution- to a user that is not yet committed as a customer.The user may thank-you for your valuable information and take it without paying.

You may respond by charging something for this confidential information. And, this may work for a short period of time -but it may also turn more of your loyal customers into price conscious shoppers - on the slippery slope to being a Maria.

So, what you need is a way to detect Bad Customers.

How Would This Work? Create A Specialized Bad Customer Training Exercise

If you knew a user was going to turn out to be a Maria, your staff could gently turn her request for confidential information down. Staff would explain that it is policy to only give away confidential information to proven and loyal customers.

How could you get a Bad Customer detector? How could you train your staff to play "Spot the Maria Game"- staff that were top notch Maria detectors? How much would you be willing to pay get train your staff with the Bad Customer detector?

(The "Spot the Maria" is a fairly simple variant of a well known negotiation training exercise. The logic of this strategy can be found by googling "deterrence" or "sub-perfect Nash equilibrium". But, you don't need to know why this games has attracted the attention of theorists; you just need to know that there is training exercise, which could be customized for your unique problem.)

Who Also Uses Negotiation Role Playing?

, there are cheaper solutions - the custom solution should prove to expensive. There are many excellent providers of standard negotiation training exercises. Most of these providers or their affiliates can address standard negotiation exercises and provide training that sticks to your staff.

Two top notch Universities are: Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management Dispute Resolution Research Center, and Harvard's Program on Negotiation, each which provide standard negotiation exercises, which you can review on line for free. Each has its own Linkedin Group, DRRC Linkedin Group, and PON Linkedin Group.

DRR and PON have free newsletters, seminars and useful resources. They also have for profit training seminars.

Here is a partial list of the DRCC and PON testimonials:

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Yes, our Telephone Doctor customer service and communication training covers this as well.

This subject gets covered a lot; however, we want to reiterate some key points on both email and live chat.

Points that will make life easier for those who use these methods of communication.

Live Chat

If your company is using live chat online, here are a few tips that will help you and the person on the other end.

A Telephone Doctor survey shows a live chat conversation will end up in a phone call nearly 50% of the time. What does that say to you? Well, it says to me, the conversation didn't go the right way. More help was needed. That's because the written word can often be mistaken for something it wasn't meant to be.

That being said, as many of you recall, Telephone Doctor started out as experts in telephone skills. As the other touch points of communication came along, we fine tuned our tips, skills, and techniques to help email, voice mail, snail mail, fax and face-to-face. (Texting is left out for now, because it's not in the mainstream just yet. Certainly there may be clients who prefer a text, but in the office/business world it's not "there" quite yet.)

Back to the live chat line. For those not familiar with live chat, simply put, it's servicing and communicating with customers, one-on-one, via a web-based site online. It's email in real time. In reading some of the printed live chats from clients and customers it was very clear to me, the biggest problem was: the personality is missing.

It appears the company person goes directly into a "robot mode." Yes. No. And a lot of one and two word answers. No smiley faces. Nothing that says, "Hey, I'm human" or "I care."

While we're not looking for answers that rival Gone with the Wind, we do know that three words make a sentence. We also know one word answers are considered rude and cold.

We found another BIG concern on live chat and email are the words many of us confuse day after day. Which is your albatross?

Here they are:

You're - Your

There - Their - They're

Grateful - Greatful

To - Too - Two

Hear - Here

Seamless - Seemless

Know - No - Now

Effect - Affect

When to use I vs. me

The list goes on and on. I'm about to give you the absolute best answer for never making these mistakes again. Ever!

WHEN IN DOUBT - LEAVE IT OUT!

If you're writing an email or doing live chat and aren't sure which 'word' is correct, use a totally different word.

Example. I found myself mixing up 'greatful' and "grateful'. As in: "It was a great party. Thank you" and "I am very grateful for this opportunity." So rather than worry if I used the right word or not, now I say, "It was a fabulous party. And I am so appreciative for this opportunity."

Remember, 'when in doubt, leave it out.' While we often don't think others will mind these errors, they do. They wonder about our credibility; our intelligence; our thoughtfulness.

If you're using live chat, think of the person you're communicating with as sitting right across the desk from you and talk with them. Not down to them.

Email

Do you know the top 5 email frustrations? Here they are:

1. Poor spelling and grammar

2. Unrelated subject lines

3. Forwarding unrelated messages (Ouch that can be bad!)

4. All caps. (It's OK when you're excited in a positive way; not necessary other times.)

5. Reply to all when not necessary and

5A. Messages that are way too long

We are all aware we could probably name five more offenses and frustrations. However, these top five keep coming up to the top time and time again. We believe they are the best of the worst. Keep them in mind as you email.

Ok, I promised this wouldn't be a long article. Hope you enjoyed. Love to hear from you on this or any topic you'd like to hear about.

# # #

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

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Most business owners know that customers will walk - take their business elsewhere if they're not treated as they'd like to be. But how does a business owner find out what the customer really likes or dislikes?

Well, as the Telephone Doctor, your customers have told us what they won't tell you. Here are TEN things only your best friend will tell you. (By the way, that would be us...The Telephone Doctor.)

Dear Telephone Doctor -

I'm not a person to be confrontational and cause a scene. However, there are several things that bother me when I call or walk into an establishment. If you pass this on to management, it couldn't hurt and probably would help. Thank you.

Dear Owner/Manager:

  1. Nobody greeted me when I walked into your store. No one said, "Hello," no one asked if they could help me, and no one said goodbye when I walked out. Well, at least I wasn't any trouble.
  2. Your sales staff looked tired. Yea, they did. Otherwise why wouldn't they greet me with a big smile and some enthusiasm? It didn't look like they even wanted me in the place.
  3. I bought a lot of stuff. I couldn't believe no one said, "Thank you." No one told me to enjoy my purchase. I did get a luke warm "Have a nice day." But it was said so routinely, it didn't mean anything to me.
  4. When I phoned for some information, my call was treated as an annoyance. I sensed very little desire to be of any real help. Know what I did then? I called a few more places until I found one who sounded as though they wanted my order.
  5. Whoever answered your phone never identified themselves. I happen to like to know who I'm talking with and when I don't, it hurts any trust I might give your company.
  6. During the phone call, the voice of whoever answered sounded aggressive and challenging. I didn't feel very welcomed.
  7. When I walked in, all your employees were talking and laughing amongst themselves and ignored me until I asked a question.
  8. There was no management around. Remember the old saying "when the boss is away, the mice will play." Guess what? They do!
  9. When I told your staff about my problem, which was important to me, no one sympathized with me. It was 'business as usual' for them.
  10. Everyone looked angry. No one was smiling. Remember, sometimes it's the things you 'don't do' that make me want to go elsewhere.

# # #

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

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The other night I had dinner at a favorite restaurant. Unfortunately, a bad customer service experience tainted the evening. The good news is that this event created a learning opportunity.

By the way, you don't have to be in the restaurant business to appreciate and learn from this story. As I take you through the story and the lessons we can take away from it, think about how they apply to your business.

On that evening I ordered the pasta dish that I've been ordering for years. It came out wrong. It had peas in it. Not just a few peas, but loaded with peas.

And I hate peas.

I picked up the menu and confirmed that I hadn't misread the description. Nowhere did it say peas. I motioned the server over and told her about the problem.

She had a great attitude and was happily going to take care of the situation.

But, just about then, the manager who had been observing, stepped in. I had never seen this manager before. He didn't apologize, and instead told me that they have two chefs and that this one likes to put peas in the pasta dishes. He said that most people find that the peas are a pleasant surprise.

Ah, that explains it. A pleasant surprise - not for me! And I nicely told him so. He just stared at me. I could tell how uncomfortable the server was at this interaction. She wanted to do something, but the manger had taken over, and he was blowing it.

Eventually, the manger asked if I would like to get a different pasta entree. I asked if they could make the same dish without the peas, as was on the menu. He finally took the dish away.

Several lessons come out of this incident:

  1. The server was handling things just fine. The manger got in the way of her taking care of me.
  2. The manager didn't respond with the same enthusiastic attitude of taking care of me, the way the server did. He didn't even apologize. Managers should set examples - good examples.
  3. The manager should have immediately taken the dish away. If you can get a problem out of the customer's sight, do it quickly. Once the dish has been taken away, then launch into recovery mode.
  4. The manager made an excuse rather than give an explanation. There is a fine line between excuses and explanations. An explanation comes with an apology and doesn't come across as defensive or aggressive.
  5. The manager wasn't listening to me. Why would he call the peas a pleasant surprise when he knew I didn't want them in the pasta? Because, he was defending the decision of his chef to change the ingredients. (Read that as changing a process if you aren't in the restaurant business.)
  6. Finally, the incident broke the consistency of prior experiences, which now leads to a lack of confidence. The next time I order this pasta dish I'm going to have to ask if it has peas, because you never know who's cooking in the back. Will it be the chef that likes to "pleasantly surprise" people with ingredients that aren't listed on the menu or the chef that follows the recipes I love - the ones that make me want to come back again and again.

The restaurant is great, and I'm going back, because I know this is an isolated incident. But, what if this was my first or second time at this restaurant? Given all of the good places there are to eat, would I want to spend my hard-earned money at a restaurant, or with any type of business, that makes mistakes?

My friend Tom Baldwin, former CEO of Morton's Steakhouse says, "Great service is mistakes handled well." That's great advice for any business.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314) 692-2200 or http://www.hyken.com.

For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to http://www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

(Copyright ©MMXII, Shep Hyken)

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Language underlies almost all other components of the customer experience. Yet, your company has probably given more thought to the language it uses in marketing campaigns than to the words employees use when having conversations face-to-face with customers.

That's a mistake, because customers don't generally get their make-or-break impressions of your company from high-minded branding exercises. They get them primarily from day-to-day conversations with you. And those are the impressions they spread to others.

If you haven't given much thought to selecting your company language--what your staff, signage, emails, voicemails, and web-based autoresponders should say, and should never say, to customers--it's time to do it now.

No brand is complete until a brand-appropriate style of speaking with customers is in place at all levels of the enterprise.

Which is why, whether I'm consulting with a law firm on building a client service initiative, speaking to a hospitality audience on building guest loyalty, or assisting a hospital in improving customer service for its patients, one of the first pieces of work I suggest we do together is focus on achieving a consistent style of service speech.

Develop a language lexicon.

A distinctive and consistent companywide style of service speech won't happen on its own. You'll need social engineering: that is, systematic training of employees.

Imagine, for example, that you've selected ten promising salespeople for your new high-end jewelry boutique.

You've provided them with uniforms and stylish haircuts and encouraged them to become your own brand's versions of a Mr. or Ms. Cartier, starting on opening day.

But they'll still speak with customers much the way they speak in their own homes: that is, until you've trained them in a different language style.

Happily, ''engineering'' a company-wide style of speech can be a positive, collaborative experience. If you approach this correctly, you won't need to put a gag on anybody or twist any arms.

Once everybody in an organization understands the reasons for language guidelines, it becomes a challenge, not a hindrance. The improved customer reactions and collaborative pride of mission are rewarding. As a consequence, it can be a relatively easy sell companywide.

What should be in your language lexicon?

Here, for example, are some good/bad language choices:


Bad: ''You owe . . .''
Good: ''Our records show a balance of . . .''

Bad: ''You need to . . .'' (This makes some customers think: ''I don't
need to do jack, buddy--I'm your customer!'')
Good: ''We find it usually works best when . . .''

Bad: ''Please hold.''
Good: ''May I briefly place you on hold?'' (and then actually listen
to the caller's answer)

The specifics of the lexicon you develop will vary depending on industry, clientele, and location. A cheerful ''No worries!'' sounds fine coming from the clerk at a Bose audio store in Portland (an informal business in an informal town) but bizarre if spoken by the concierge at the Four Seasons in Milan.

An alternative approach:

If this ''Say This While Avoiding That'' approach strikes you as too prescriptive
(or too much work), if you don't want to develop scripted phrases and specific
word choices for your employees, at least consider developing a brief ''Negative Lexicon.'' A Negative Lexicon is just a list of crucial language Thou Shalt Nots.

The Negative Lexicon is the Danny Meyer approach, the one used by that great New York restaurateur and master of hospitality. Meyer feels uncomfortable giving his staff a list of what to say, but he doesn't hesitate to specifically ban phrases that grate on his ears (''Are we still working on the lamb?'').

A Negative Lexicon can be kept short, sweet, and easy to learn. Of course, new problematic words and phrases are sure to crop up as time moves on.

Ideally, you'll update your Negative Lexicon as frequently as Wired magazine updates its ''Jargon Watch'' column.

P.S. For more on language engineering, learn about the Five Words You Can Never Say To A Customer

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All rights reserved, expressly overriding the creative commons license.

Auto repair dealers are held to a higher standard than doctors. And it effects customer service.

Make an appointment with your doctor for 10am. Show up, wait until 10:30 to be seen by a nurse. 10 minutes with her, wait another 10 minutes for the doctor. He tells you your knee pain is nothing serious, take some Tylenol. Two weeks later, no improvement. Make another appointment, go through same delays, doctor says let's run test, finds torn ligament, refers you to orthopedist.

How different from our automotive world!

In our world, the customer will complain if we are one minute past their appointment and their car is not in the bay. On the second visit, they would demand to be seen without an appointment, demand a refund for the first visit, and also insist the second visit be free!

Next, they would tell the doctor that they have a bump on their head that wasn't there before, so it must have been caused by the knee examination.

I wish I had a dime for every time a client withheld pertinent information about the symptoms of their vehicle--any problems with your brakes? No. Get in the car, pedal to the floor brake and abs lights on.

The disregard for the repair facility is startling. I have people double park in front of my center walk in, sneer and say "oil change". Would you do that in a restaurant? "Steak!"

Or they show up at 3:00pm on a Saturday with a serious engine performance issue needing to leave town on vacation Sunday morning first thing.

How long have you had this problem? Oh, a couple of months.

Then they are mad at you because you can't perform a miracle.

There really should be a manual for car repair customers--here are my four suggestions, feel free to add on.

1. Leave your car--be forthright and polite in describing your problem or need--have patience--don't expect miracles--understand that it is an "estimate" and is subject to change if other issues are discovered--

2. Don't show up right before closing expecting service--don't assume that just because a facility serviced your vehicle today, they are responsible for any and all issues you may develop until your next visit.

3. Don't bring your own parts--don't diagnose your own car--don't tell me after I diagnose your car that you have decided to take it to "your mechanic" or worse yet, your brother who knows about cars.

4. Don't presume I am dishonest or incompetent because you previously dealt with a dishonest or incompetent shop.

I could go on, buy you get the point. I am blessed because in 27 years at my location, I have developed relationships and gently "trained" many clients in the art of being a good customer.

In return, they get every benefit of the doubt I can provide when servicing their automobiles.

Recently a Telephone Doctor client said to me, "Nancy, congratulations. Some people take a simple idea and complicate it; you have taken a simple idea and kept it simple."

We don't believe you should scratch your head and wonder when you're being shown an idea or technique. That old KISS method (Keep it simple Simon) is the best. So we have purposely kept all of the material in our programs simple - yet very effective.

I've heard: "Hey what you do is just plain old common sense." You bet it is. You won't get an argument out of us. But you and I all know that common sense just isn't that common. If it were, everyone would be doing it and we know everyone isn't.

So, this article is for those that simply want basic, common sense, healthy, usable techniques. Below are 5 of our 10 basic skills that are ESSENTIAL for better communications and handling of customers and, believe it or not, each other.

1. Answering a Business Call

Well, what's so difficult about that? HUH? Right! It's not difficult. But if I called 100 people within your own organization, I'm betting I'd get a number of various ways that people answer the phone.

At Telephone Doctor we believe there should be one, uniformed method of greeting to answer the call by everyone, every time. Simple. To start, use buffer words that welcome the caller, such as, "Thanks for calling," then your company name and then your name. As in, "This is Sue." Then stop!

Anything after your name erases you name. "How can I help you" is simply NOT necessary on that initial greeting. You are there to help. That's why you answered the phone. It looks like this: "Thanks for calling Telephone Doctor's office. This is Nancy." Nice and simple, isn't it?

2. Thanking a Caller for Holding

Being put on hold remains one of the top 3 frustrations of the American public. That being said, it's something that often needs to be done during a phone call. Knowing how to put someone on hold is certainly important, but then so is thanking them for holding after you've come back to the phone.

Again, simple. But how often is it done.

I'm amazed at the number of times I'm put on hold and when the person comes back to the phone, they just start back in on the conversation like they weren't even gone. (Sort of like stepping on someone's toes and not says 'excuse me.')

And normally they're gone longer than they should be. So that "thank you for holding" sure would sound nice and would sure be appreciated. I always wonder why they don't thank me for taking the time to stay with them. Do you wonder that as well?

3. Monogramming the Call

For whatever reason, we all seem to like our name. Maybe not when we're children, but as we grow, we become used to our name and like it. I have many items on my desk and at home that have my name engraved on them. Some just initials. But it makes them 'mine' and I'd probably never pitch them in a cleaning out process.

Why? Because they have my name on it. Most people save things with their name or initials on them. Same thing should happen on a phone call. When you know the caller's name, use it. Don't abuse it, but do include it throughout the conversation. Most people like to hear their name. And they want to hear it pronounced properly and spelled right.

Don't be afraid to ask the caller the correct pronunciation of their name if you're not sure. They'll appreciate it! It's a heck of a lot better than you butchering their name. Don't assume on the spelling of a name.

ASK! Are you aware there are 19 different ways to spell the last name of NICHOLS in the New York phone directory? Not everyone spells their name the same way. Tom, Thom, Christy, Kristy, Charlie, Charley, John, Jon, Lynn, Lynne. Well, you get the idea. GET IT RIGHT!

4. Avoiding Mouth Noises

The telephone is a microphone. When you talk with something in your mouth, it sounds as though you have a mouthful of MUSH. Be it gum, candy or just finishing lunch. The only thing that should be in our mouth when you're on the phone is your tongue. Empty your mouth before you pick up the phone.

5. Leaving a Positive LAST Impression

Most of us have been taught about making that great first impression. And yes, that's so very important. That old saying, 'you don't get a second chance to make a great first impression' is so true. Well, consider making a great last impression as well.

Don't screw it up at the end of the call. Let the caller know, "It was nice to meet you by phone" or "thank you for calling" or "we appreciate your call." Something that will make that lasting positive impression, because when they hang up, they think to themselves either: Wow that was a great call. Or man, I'll never call there again.

How do you want your callers to remember you?

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Emotional Leakage - Getting at Mad at Peter and Taking it Out on Paul. Not right, not fair, not fun.

We've all seen it happen.

A co-worker comes into work storming angry; mouth turned down in a frown; walks through the office without saying hello to anyone; sits down at his desk and starts barking orders to his coworkers; doesn't come out of his office; and when his phone rings he picks it up and bellows out: "Yea?"

Sad isn't it? Something must have happened before he got to work and he carried it right inside the building. Telephone Doctor calls this "Emotional Leakage" and we cure it all the time.

Hey, it's no fun to get up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning. And it's sure not fun to get a flat tire on the way to work or to argue with someone before breakfast. It's unfortunate that some people aren't able to shake it off and move on about their business.

Emotional leakage is getting mad at Peter and taking it out on Paul. Not right, not fair, not fun. Taking a negative emotion out on someone who wasn't involved? How RUDE can you get?

If emotionally leaking on co-workers certainly isn't fair, then emotionally leaking on customers is even worse than not fair.

The customer or co-worker, in most cases, wasn't involved with whatever put you in a bad mood, so why take it out on them? Few things are more unfair and damaging to a relationship than emotional leaking a negative experience on someone who wasn't involved. And yet, unfortunately it happens every day. At home, in the office, on the streets, in the stores.

While shopping the other day, the person helping me was obviously not in a good mood at all. In fact, I think if she smiled her face would have cracked. She gave me one-word answers and usually none, she kept turning her head to see who was coming or going. (I wasn't sure.) She was throwing my vegetables and fruits into the bag - not caring how they landed.

Normally, I walk out on that type of service. It's just not worth my time to be treated like that. But this time, I was in a hurry and needed the product. So I did something I don't normally do...I asked her if everything was all right? Was she OK? I tried to make it sound as though I was interested (even though I wasn't.) But I sure didn't want her negative emotions leaking on me any longer.

With a big sigh, and a sad face, she told me she and her boyfriend had a big fight the night before and she was hoping he'd come by and apologize.

"Excuse me," I said, "was I with you?" Believe it or not she smiled and said, "Of course not." Then I nicely told her, "If I wasn't there, I don't want to be part of that argument."

She started to apologize, as well she should. Then I thought about a vase I had once. I dropped it. It broke into several pieces. My husband, Dick, and I talked about whether we should take it somewhere and have a professional put it back together. Dick said, "We can do that if you'd like, but it will never be the same. You'll always feel the cracks."

And so it is with our co-workers and customers. You can be in a bad mood...be it an argument, a flat tire or breaking your favorite item. And you can apologize, but people still remember how you treated them. How you made them feel. And they will - for a long time, too.

So how do we cure emotional leakage? It's a quick 4-step Telephone Doctor process.

  1. Stop what you're doing.
  2. Take a deep breath.
  3. Put on a phony smile (yes, you can).
  4. Regain your professional composure. And then talk with the person - in-person or on the phone.

Emotionally leaking on someone is NEVER right, NEVER fair and NEVER fun.

There are times others emotionally leak on us. Think how you feel when that happens to you and then remember to never emotionally leak on others.

Keep saying it...it's not right, it's not fair and it's not fun.

Thanks for reading and share away.

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Customer feedback programs are effective tools to learn how your customers perceive your business and provide you with feedback for improvements, but it doesn't come without limitations; response rate is important, and making sure you're not only receiving the "extremes" (highly positive or negative feedback only) also plays a factor in the success of your program.

One discussion across the industry is whether or not social media will become a new form, or completely replace, customer feedback programs in the future. Let's face it - people are more likely to voice their opinions on blogs, forums, and other sites than provide that feedback directly to the company. There is also a feeling of anonymity online that allows people to be more honest in these forums.

By not keeping tabs on social media surrounding your company, brands may be missing out on potential opportunity. For example, if you're not monitoring online conversations, you may miss the post of a dissatisfied customer. By not knowing this information and not being able to respond in some way, it can be a lost chance to reengage that customer and get them to return in the future.

Social media monitoring tools are more sophisticated than they were even a year ago. This development provides analytical data that can be incorporated into the more traditional customer feedback data. Why is this important?

First, it gives deeper information on what makes customers tick, and secondly, if can alert a company to potential challenges with their current feedback system. For example, if feedback is coming back at a 95% satisfaction rate, yet online conversations lend to a lower rate, it may be that you are only collecting feedback (or making it inviting enough) from the completely satisfied customers. Is there something you can be doing differently to encourage all customers, regardless of their experience, to share their thoughts?

It could be a case of asking the wrong questions. If the questions on a feedback survey are too general, or only focus on one aspect of your business, you may be missing out on valuable feedback. Take, for example, a restaurant's customer feedback survey. If it asks general questions about the service a customer received and the overall experience, that's all well and good. However, if social conversations are suggesting that customers are dissatisfied with the food quality or portion size, it may be time to take those issues to your customers in your formal feedback program. If you're not asking the right questions, you may not be getting full information and miss the opportunity for customer loyalty and retention.

With all of the talk about companies monitoring what people are saying online, taking further steps by analyzing the information coming in, and engaging with customers, I can see how this might complement, but not fully replace, customer feedback programs.

For now, companies can think of social media as yet another tool at their disposal to learn more about their customers and see their business from the customer's perception. It'll be interesting to watch social media evolve over the next few years; its evolution over the last two years has been quite remarkable alone!

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In a society where poor customer service is rampant, a well-trained company staff can shine if everyone adopts and commits to some simple service approaches.

The result can mean not only keeping your customers happy, but also keeping them period!

What is the biggest and most costly customer service mistake in business today?

My answer is simple - "We're just not friendly enough."

Customers should be treated as welcome guests when they call your office. Instead, they're often treated like an interruption or, even worse, an annoyance. More than 90 percent of all customer service starts with a telephone call. That said, customer service mistakes happen anytime and in many ways.

Customers can communicate with your company through any one of the six touch points of communication and any one of these touch points can damage a relationship, often permanently.

  • Email
  • Voice Mail
  • Snail Mail
  • Phone
  • Fax
  • Face-to-Face

(We left off texting on purpose. Let's leave that out for now. More on that later.)

Two of these communication tools are what is known as "synchronous;" the other four are "asynchronous."

Synchronous is instant communication, when two or more people are able to communicate immediately between each other, i.e., the telephone and in person.

Asynchronous is one-way information, with a lapse of time between initial contact and the response, i.e., email, snail mail, fax and voice mail.

With synchronous communications, you can easily signal your friendliness because you either have facial expressions or a tone of voice with which to befriend a member. With asynchronous, these relationship-building signals are not available, except perhaps for voice mail, when you can hear a smile. Thus, in written communications you must be an obviously friendly communicator. I'll focus on the telephone for now, but these tips and techniques are for all six modes of communication.

Over the years, Telephone Doctor customer service training programs have been presented to many conferences. It doesn't matter where I speak, someone from the audience, a member of the corporation, comes up to me afterwards and asks if I can bring a program to their company.

After a few needs analysis questions it pretty obvious training is needed. Read on.

Personal Note: I was a longtime member of an association and eventually became its president. Several years later, I decided not to renew. When I called to cancel my membership, all I heard was the perfunctory, "Okay, thanks." No one called. No one wrote to ask, "Why?" I figured no one cared - at least that's what I perceived.

Ya know what? It is NOT "okay" for a customer to be unhappy; to leave you without finding out WHY or what happened.

HINT: When someone calls to cancel an order or complain or not renew a membership, it is not "okay." It's often a failure attributable to disinterested treatment, rudeness, or generally poor customer service. I'm not saying the entire staff is bad, rude, or unfriendly, but what I hear most is that the little things - the things that customers expect (and rightfully should get) are missing.

We need to feel a cancellation, non-renewal or a complaint is like a death in the family.

Another common thread is the lack of an organized employee orientation program on customer service and telephone skills.

The usual scenario is: interview, hire, then train using trial by error - or worse, on-the-job training from someone else who may not have had any customer service training.

Let's dust off the Welcome Mat.

Here are some helpful customer service tips to help you start, or benchmark, your own customer service training program.

Bring your staff together at a time when everyone can attend and talk about any frustrating customer events. Discuss how they handled them versus how it could have been done. The meeting can be (and should be) short, maybe 15-20 minutes, and it doesn't need to be daily - but it does need to be done!

Not having a customer service training program in place can cost your company revenue and obviously customers. Also, poor service creates a negative image for the entire organization, no matter how wonderful the programs, products, or publications are that you offer.

Consider taking the serviceskills.com Tour. The 2:20 min Explainer Video.

And if staff has the attitude that no competition exists for the customer to go to, tell them that may be right, but if one customer tells another about a negative experience and so on down the line, you'll probably lose more customers. Then staff jobs will be lost, and eventually, bang - no company.

Take heed, it doesn't matter if the staff is large or small, they still need to be trained.

Here are three of the biggest mistakes in customer service:

MISTAKE 1: NOT SMILING

Solution: Smile! It sounds insanely simplistic, doesn't it? We're taught early on, that a smile can get us a lot. This is true even as adults, especially on the telephone. Since the telephone is the most commonly used mode of communication, your staff needs to understand why a smile works - because you can hear a smile. I recommend keeping a mirror by your desk, so when you pick up the receiver, you remember to smile and you can see yourself smiling.

Sometimes we don't feel like smiling. Smile anyway. The caller doesn't care if you feel like smiling or not. At Telephone Doctor, smiling before you pick up the phone is a condition of employment; not smiling is grounds for termination, and, yes, I have exercised that option. With customer service as our top priority, we simply don't tolerate not smiling before you pick up the phone. Frankly, I'd rather have the caller think your office is closed than to have you answer the phone in a negative mood. (YES, the caller CAN HEAR the smile.)

MISTAKE 2: NOT ACKNOWLEDGING A CALLER'S REQUEST

Solution: Rapid responses - RR. Use what we have called our 'mental stamp.' That means 'this request or piece of information needs an immediate and rapid response.' When we receive an email, fax or note, we immediately send that back to whoever sent it with the words, "Received and will handle." That way the person who asked for the information knows you got the request and everything is moving in the right direction. And it's good communication.

Another very good habit to get into is to ask the caller when they ask for something is: "And when would you be needing this information Mr. Jones?"

Our surveys found that when a caller is asked when he or she would like to receive the needed information, 80 percent of time they did not automatically respond, "I need it now," as you might expect. Thus, you don't have to promise, "I'll get that to you right away." Often, callers won't need something until tomorrow or next week. Asking for a timetable of delivery is good customer service. And remember, "as soon as possible" is not a time. Confirm a date.

MISTAKE 3: IMMEDIATE REJECTION OF A REQUEST

Solution: Be a "double-checker." It's so easy to tell people, "It's too late," or "We ran out of that report" or "we're out of widgets."

Instead, try: "Let me double-check on that for you." It's a wonderful way to defuse any disappointment about you not having what they called for in the first place. This simple statement of double checking immediately defuses some of the tension of not being able to fulfill a request completely. And often when we do double-check, we find a way to get what the person wanted after all.

You now have three techniques (simple as they are) to kick-start your customer service training program.

Remember, the entire staff, from president to maintenance needs to embrace the customer service program or it won't work. Be firm. The company's entire image is at stake since it is unlikely to get a second chance.

Don't have time? Make time. What or who is more important than customers? You'll be surprised at how much fun it is to hear a caller say, "Thanks, you've been super."

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For a complimentary copy of Nancy's eBook, Hidden Gems of Customer Service, please click here.

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, St. Louis, MO, is a popular KEYNOTE speaker at franchise, association and corporate conferences.

For a DEMO of Nancy in action, call 314-291-1012 or log on to: www.nancyfriedman.com or email her at [email protected].

In interviewing our customers, I found that there were several things they value.

Things they want even before the product or the service.

They boiled down to three basic wants comprising of what we now call the R-T-C factor: Relationship, Trust and Consistency.

Let's go over them:

1. R - - Relationship Building rapport is an overlooked art.

Call many companies and the first word shouted at you is: "Name?" No "nice to meet you by phone" or even a "good morning."

There's very little rapport building found in today's customer service. Relationship starts within the first 4 to 6 seconds of a phone call or within 30 seconds for an in-person visit. That sets the stage for the rest of the transaction.

Plus, it lays the groundwork for possible future business. Rapport building and relationships are vital to every communication exchange. It's a simple basic process.

2. T - - Trust If the customer is unable to trust what you say, the relationship will melt to zero.

Gaining the trust of your customer is the KEY to relationship. From following through when you promise to call or fulfilling the company's guarantee statement, creating trust is vital.

If those trusts are broken, it's a big fence to mend. Keep your word to gain the trust of your customer. They need to know they can count on you. Before any sale, a customer must buy "you."

3. C - - Consistency The McDonald's hamburger in Cancun, Mexico tastes the same as the one in Des Moines, Iowa. Why? Consistency. The taste will be the same in each of the stores.

A business should run with the same consistency. It shouldn't matter who the customer talks with. Personally, I'm skeptical when someone tells me to, "Be sure to talk to Joe. He's the best there is." I'd rather hear, "You can talk to anyone in our office."

In summary, the R - T- C Factor is what customers look for and deserve in any of their transactions. So, I ask you? Do you provide enough R-T-C to keep your customers satisfied? As we like to say, this is not rocket science, it's not major surgery. . . it's plain old common sense. Do it.

A recent IFA Annual Conference speaker, Nancy speaks at franchise meetings across the country.

Her passion for the small business is second only to her techniques on sales and customer service.

Her reviews at IFA were off the chart. Contact Nancy personally about your meetings.

314 291 1012 [email protected] or www.nancyfriedman.com

For a complimentary copy of Nancy's eBook, Hidden Gems of Customer Service, please click here.

Apple products are immensely popular with people.

And with me too.

You can't help but admire what Steve Jobs did with Apple the first time he built it.

Even better the second time when he was brought back and he re-invented it.

The products are great and easy for people to use.

I've had an iPhone for quite awhile and I moved to a MacBook Air in June 2013.

It's the best computer I have ever had.

  • Super easy to use
  • Very fast
  • Great design
  • Long battery life
  • Weighs just less than 3 lbs
  • Terrific telephone support

There's a lot of fun and useful things about the MacBook Air.

In June this year I had a problem with my MacBook.

The left speaker crackled intermittently. Which is not something you expect from an Apple product.

So I called AppleCare for help and they are almost always very good over the phone. The Apple tech agent walked me through the computer to do a reset and a computer share which didn't resolve the speaker problem.

AppleCare made an Apple Store appointment for me for the next day.

At the Apple Store it's an onslaught of hip Apple employees all dressed in official Apple tee-shirts with a super cool and relaxed demeanor.

After you get handed off to 3 very nicely trained people who can't help you then wait for the on-site tech who can.

Anyone who has been to the Apple Store knows it's loud. The decibel level has to be very high.

So I have a crackling speaker problem on a MacBook Air and the technician needs to hear it. Very lucky for me he does and they don't think I am imagining the problem.

That was good news.

The bad news was that they needed my MacBook for 3 days once the replacement speakers came in to the store. This meant I needed schlep back up to the Apple Store which is a 62 miles roundtrip and about one and 45 minutes of driving time if you catch a traffic break on I95. So my one trip to get my MacBook speakers up to speed would take 3 separate trips.

It was under warranty and Apple techs confirmed that there was a speaker crackling problem.

I followed the Apple servicing process and they fixed my MacBook Air's speakers. We tested it at the Apple Store and everything was as it should be.

Or so we thought.

Mid-September the same thing happens all over again. Speaker crackling and I call Apple Support. We run through their diagnostic process and reset. That fails. We schedule a visit to the Genius's at the Apple Store and I schlep up their once again. Where the Apple Genius wants to replace the speakers again and go through the MacBook to see if there is another problem.

They order new parts. And I go through the 3 trip drop off and retrieve Apple Process once again.

Not 4 weeks later speaker is crackling again.

I do the Apple Care telephone support and Genius Bar scheduling dance where I asked that a manager meet with me. I get to the Apple Store and go through the phalanx of Apple Tee-shirted people who can't help me and after waiting I meet with Helen the manager.

I explained to Helen that this now the 3rd time for my MacBook Air's speakers to fail. And I said that as good as the Apple Geniuses are they can't get my MacBook right and that it was a waste of my time to keep trudging back and forth to the Apple Store. Was it time for Helen to replace my MacBook Air with a new machine that fully functioned?

Helen convinces me to let her send the MacBook out to Apple's service center for better diagnostics and to a place that would have any part my computer would need. I agreed to it.

5 days go by and I receive my notification that the repairs were done.

This time Apple replaced the speakers (the 3rd time) and in addition a new Logic Board.

It didn't take but a few days and the speakers started to crackle again.

So I make the appointment and go to the store. I ask for Helen and I get Eileen. I tell Eileen the speaker story and she gets a Genius.

Let me take a break and tell you some of my observations of the Apple Store and the Apple Way. When things are easy to fix or user error the Apple Way works. And if you're buying something they have that down to perfection.

Apple team members have no last names and you can't tell a manager from a janitor since they all wear the very same hip Apple Tee-shirt. My thinking is you should not trust a company whose employees have no names. Apple has a reason for this and it's not to help you.

The Apple Way is designed to control you.

The hand off from employee to employee and queueing to wait for the Genius or manager.

The assault on your hearing with the noise levels and super bright lights.

The presence of uniformed and armed police.

The Stepford Wives trained all too nice staff.

Eileen and the Genius can't get the speaker to crackle and hear the noise. I suggest to Eileen that it is time to replace the MacBook. She wants the Genius tech to look it over.

The Genius complete's his inspection and another hip Apple employee tells me my options. Well there was only one option. Get a 4th set of speakers. To which I object ( the Apple hipsters do not like objections) and am told that maybe there really isn't a speaker problem.

Now I have been more than reasonable about a product that I love. But my Apple hipster has gone too far and I step it up a notch and she does not like it. She feigns a righteous indignation and runs off to get Eileen since she refuses to deal with me any longer if I am going to be difficult.

Eileen and I recap my MacBook speaker adventure and she now thinks it's a good idea to replace my MacBook right then and there. So back to the Genius Bar to set up the new MacBook and move my data.

So I won. I beat Apple. Just barely.

They were never going to offer a replacement Macbook. And they will make you earn it. The Apple Way is designed to suit Apple it's not about you.

After over 30 hours of my time and having driven 700 miles on this problem I am back to where I started with the exact same computer I originally bought.

If you haven't tried a MacBook Air I recommend it.

There is a huge difference between a problem and an inconvenience. You know it, I know it and your customers know it.

Listen to what happened to me the other day. We ordered a new copy machine at Telephone Doctor.

Gentleman brings the machine into the office. As he's installing the machine, one of the ladies sees the screen has a rather large crack on it and tells the installer. The young man who wheeled in the machine came looking for me to tell me and proudly exclaims, "Mrs. Friedman, we have a problem."

Because I am a problem solver I asked, "What is it?"

"Well," he says, "the screen on the copier machine is cracked."

I say, "Can it be fixed?" He says, "yes ma'am."

"Well, then," I tell him, "we don't have a problem, we have a minor inconvenience." He thought about that and then smiled.

"When can it be fixed?" I ask. "Oh, today for sure," he says.

Then I assured him, "We don't even have an inconvenience."

Why even use the word 'problem?' Why alert the customer to that? If you really need to let them know something isn't right. Use the word "inconvenience" and then to really simplify it, slice it into 'minor inconvenience' or 'major inconvenience.'

Customers are able to handle 'inconveniences.' Minor or major. They do not like problems. So avoid that word.

When you have a major inconvenience, be sure you have a major answer.

Remember Sales 101: When you're part of the problem, you need to be part of the solution.

Replace the word 'problem' with 'inconvenience.' Watch what happens - the entire situation goes down much better.

# # #

Nancy Friedman is a featured keynote customer service speaker covering communications skills and showing you how to capture & navigate the call.

Want Nancy to speak at your meeting? Call for a speaking demo & full information packet of Nancy - 314.291.1012, visit www.nancyfriedman.com or email [email protected].

Nancy is president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training and has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows.

The author of eight books on sales and customer service, Nancy is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs.

For a complimentary copy of Nancy's eBook, Hidden Gems of Customer Service, please click here.

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My entire career has been focused on developing ways to help companies communicate better with their customers.

Great customer service is sought by most everyone. Businesses go out of their way to give good customer service. Some make it; some don't.

Customers go out of their way looking for companies that give great customer service. Some find it; some don't.

We have tried so very hard to explain to both sides - the customer and the business, it's not rocket science; it's not brain surgery. It's plain old common sense. But you and I know common sense is not out there.

People love to vent. One of our books, Customer Service Nightmares, is proof of that. They love to report on how badly they've been handled.

I cannot count the number of articles out there on customer service. Some are good, some not; some have new ideas; some speak the old tried and true. And that's where Telephone Doctor customer service training comes into play; plain old customer service.

We call it 'Back to Basics.' You can imagine we have hundreds, if not thousands of ideas, tips, skills and techniques to share. Today we bring you 15; fifteen customer service tips that are good old common sense thoughts.

Short, sweet and to the point. Enjoy.

In no important order. They all should be #1.

  1. "Please" and "thank you" always have been, and always will be, powerful words. Seldom overused.
  2. "You're welcome" is the best replacement for "no problem."
  3. "Sorry 'bout that" is not an apology. It's a cliché. "My apologies" is much better.
  4. A frown is a smile upside down. Stand on your head if you must; but SMILE, darn it!
  5. You cannot do two things well at once. Pay attention to the call or the customer.
  6. One word answers on email or in person are considered cold and rude. Three words make a sentence.
  7. Learn what phrases frustrate your customers. They're probably the same ones that bother you.
  8. When was the last time you sent flowers to someone just because?
  9. Drop a personal handwritten note to a client and just say "thanks for being a good client."
  10. "Hey, how 'ya doing?" is not a great way to start up a conversation. It's not any way to start up a conversation. Period.
  11. Out with friends or family? Put the cell phone away. Talk for 30 minutes. (If you remember how.)
  12. Email manners? The same as phone and in person.
  13. The old "don't tell 'em what you can't do; tell 'em what you can do" applies to most, if not all, customer interactions.
  14. Get excited! Make sure you say something fun, nice and appropriate.
  15. Oh, and smile. That needed to be said twice. A phony smile is better than a real frown.

If you start with these tips, skills, ideas and techniques, you'll notice a big difference in how your customers respond.

Yes, there are many more; didn't want to overdose on this. More coming during the year. Thanks.

###

Nancy Friedman is a keynote speaker on customer service at franchise, corporate, and association meetings. The author of 8 books, Nancy's articles have appeared in Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other major dailies. President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, she can be reached at 314 291 1012 or www.nancyfriedman.com.

These days it's extra challenging to satisfy and keep customers. It's even more important than ever because customer loyalty is generally considered the primary engine today to retain sales levels and gain an advantage over the competition.

It's been this way for a long time; it's just getting more attention now. We just need to do things better.

There are hundreds of ways to do better.

Here are 9 we like:

1. Know your product and services . . . inside and out.

Not being knowledgeable frustrates customers. An uneducated employee is semi-useless to a customer. Job knowledge is key in any position. If for any reason your company doesn't offer job knowledge training, make it your own priority to find out as much as you can. Job knowledge is a key ingredient to serving customers.

2. Believe in your product and services 150%.

We know of a salesperson who has never had any formal sales training. However, based on the belief in the product, services and contagious enthusiasm, this person is a top seller. People LOVE to buy from people who get excited about their product. Customer service reps are salespeople!!!

3. Walk the walk, talk the talk. Practice what you preach.

A Ford dealer would not drive a GM car. Employees need to support their company's product or services before they can expect their customers to have confidence in them.

4. Keep your word.

Companies spend thousands, sometimes millions of dollars advertising their services and products. They tell the customer they are THE BEST, THE ONLY, they are NUMBER ONE. "WE GUARANTEE OUR WORK" isn't enough. Customers need to know that you'll do what you and your advertising says you will. If you claim to provide the 'best of anything,' make sure you keep your word. And be sure all employees keep their word. Telling a customer something will be to them in 7 working days, and then having it NOT show up is a credibility buster.

5. Return all calls and emails.

It boggles my mind when a call or an email is not returned. There's not an excuse in the world I could buy when that happens. Sure, some of us get way too many calls and aren't able to return them in a timely manner. Well, then have the call returned on your behalf! Not returning an email? How much work does that take? DUH?

6. Don't ever forget "who brought you to the dance."

In other words, there are always customers who were with you from the start. They helped make your business a success. They believed in you. A nice simple note once in a while is an ego booster to them and you'll feel good about it too.

7. Make NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE CALLS or NOTES.

Every once in a while, drop a note or make a phone call to customers (and prospective customers) without trying to 'sell' them something. Telephone Doctor labels those "no ulterior motive" calls. They're "just because" calls. . . and very welcomed. When was the last time you heard from a salesperson or a company just to say HI? (See what I mean?)

8. Be in a good mood.

All the time! Be the person that when the customer leaves or hangs up the phone, they think to themselves, "That was a great call/visit." Not in a good mood? Learn how to be. Remember one of our Telephone Doctor mottos: "A phony smile is better than a real frown." Do you really think the first runner up of the Ms. America contest is as "thrilled for the winner" as she says or shows she is? Talk about a great big phony smile!

9. Participate in customer service training programs at your company.

Sure you know how to be a good CSR. But everyone could use a refresher. And if there are no programs in place on customer service, ask for them. At best, you'll be ahead of the competition, and at worst, you'll at least be even with them. Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy. And it's for the entire company. Everyone needs to embrace it - or it doesn't work.

# # #

Nancy Friedman, president and founder of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, St. Louis MO, is a speaker at association, franchise and corporate meetings. She can be reached in St. Louis at 314 291 1012. Or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

I love to read short blogs sometimes and I love to write them too. Blogs don't always need to be long. This is one of those short ones. It's about strangers and customers.

We know we have paid customers.

We know we have internal customers.

We know we have potential future customers.

We even know we have lost customers.

But what about strangers as customers?

What do you mean, Nancy?

I mean, are strangers your customers?

Let me explain. We sit next to strangers on an airplane, in movie theaters, buses, trains, restaurants, all sorts of places. We interact with them. Often in depth. Some tell us their life story before we even get a name and sometimes we never do get a name. We often tell strangers our darkest secrets. Therapeutic that it is; strange isn't it?

We shop next to strangers, we talk to all sorts of strangers. Even though we were warned as a child NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS. Ever!

We say "excuse me" to strangers when we bump into them at the mall. We say "thank you" to a stranger who might help us carry a package or pick up something we dropped or hold a door for us. When a stranger says "thank you" to us, we invariably tell them "you're welcome."

There is even a great old movie called Strangers on a Train. Remember it? It is about two strangers who meet up on a train and decide they should kill each other's spouses. (I'm not saying it's a good idea; simply revealing the plot.)

Often times at Christmas there are folks running around giving money to strangers; people they don't know and will probably never see or talk with again. We donate money to strangers all the time. We tip strangers at restaurants. Sure, they do a job for us. But nevertheless they are still strangers.

So I ask you, are you nicer to strangers than you are your customers? Or are you strangers your customers?

# # #

To download our Ebook, Hidden Gems, click here

For a demo of Nancy in action, and full keynote speaking packet, call 314.291.1012 or visitwww.nancyfriedman.com.

Or email [email protected] See how quickly she replies

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a featured keynote speaker and subject matter expert on customer service, engagement opportunities and communications skills at franchise, association and corporate meetings.

Nancy has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows. She has been published in Wall Street Journal with her column, "Don't Strike Out with Your Customers."

The author of eight books on sales, communications skills and customer service, Nancy is a subject matter expert on these topics. She is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs.

As most of you are aware, all the stories we share with you at our onsite programs and in our newsletters, blogs, etc., are 'true.' Nothing is made up. They either happened to me personally, I witnessed them, or I verified the information if I am going to share it. Credibility is key to Telephone Doctor.

We don't make anything up. That being said, I want to share a story that happened to me the other weekend.

It's a clear example of WHY we don't need to agree with the customer all the time.

I went into my bank prepared to make some minor changes to a few accounts. It was a Saturday and the only other folks in the bank were the teller and the one lady (who never gave me her name and had no badge) who tried to help me.

I say 'tried' because it was a comedy of errors. Now, please know, just because I'm the Telephone Doctor I do not make a big deal out of poor service. I don't try and teach the person what to do on the spot when I don't agree. If they've done something not customer friendly I usually spank them with my wallet and go elsewhere. Very few people appreciate on the spot training. So I just take notes.

Anyway, after many faux pas in her service I get up to leave. I turned around to her and said (with a smile), "Oh, by the way, you're online banking stinks. It's not very user friendly."

Drum roll please.

Without missing a beat she says to me, "Oh yes, we hear that a lot." (Almost as though she was proud of it.)

All I could muster up was a blank stare. I released my shock and said, "OK, have a nice day." I got the same back.

While I didn't tell her what to say, I will tell you, our readers.

  • She never introduced herself. (I should have asked, but I waited to see if she would.)
  • She didn't ask for my name; just my account number.
  • She rarely smiled.
  • At the end when I asked, "I wonder, could I have done this over the phone?" She nicely said, "Sure you could have." (Why didn't she tell me that first?)

So again, I didn't try and 'fix' her on these points. But when I told her how bad the online banking was and have her tell me, "Yes, we hear that a lot." That floored me.

Where was: "Oh my goodness, tell me what happened."

Where was a pen and paper to jot my notes down as I told her my concerns about their online banking so she might share with whatever department to fix it?

Where was some sympathy? Had she ever had the same problems?

Why didn't she let me know, if this ever happens again, we can make it easier for you on the phone. You wouldn't need to make a special trip.

Where was her training?

Sorry folks, this is basic Customer Service 101.

Let's hear your own stories.

The 'BEST,' or shall we say, the worst will win a set of three (3) Telephone Doctor books.

Reminder: Listen to the customer. They aren't always looking for you to agree with them; sometimes they just need you to help them; to hear them; to see them; to listen to them.

Nancy Friedman , president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a featured keynote speaker, and subject matter expert on customer service and communications skills, at franchise, association and corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows. She has been published in Wall Street Journal with her column, "Don't Strike Out with Your Customers. Nancy is the author of eight books on sales, communications skills and customer service. She is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs.

For a demo and full keynote speaking packet of Nancy call 314.291.1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

To download our Ebook, click here

Love to get your feedback. [email protected] 

A recent email we received below gave us some good ammunition for this blog.

 

While the industry, as you can see, is in the legal profession, believe me, it can happen in every industry.

It's from an attorney, and Mike Webster tells me that this is par for the course.

 

1. Around 1:00 p.m. today I returned opposing counsel's telephone call from this morning.

2. The first person that answered the phone took my name and asked me to hold while he checked to see if she was back from lunch.

3. After a short hold, he came back on the line and transferred my call.

4. Now, at this point opposing counsel's assistant answered the phone.

5. She had to take  my name for the second time and then put me back on hold.

6. After holding a couple of minutes, opposing counsel's assistant came back on the line and asked if I could call back in twenty minutes!

7. I am sure that her assistant told opposing counsel that I am a jerk because I answered, "No, I am calling her back now."

 

How many .1 of an hour were billed for this non-communication do you think?

Everyone's busy, stressed out and short of time.  

Are we forgetting some people?  

We usually remember to thank our customers.

And we probably don't have any trouble thanking family.

However, there is a group of folks that are often left out of the "thank you" pile. 

And that would be our co-workers. 

Known as our INTERNAL customers.

The folks we spend most of the day with side-by-side. The folks that are thought of as our 'home away from home' family.  

Sure, we argue and disagree with co-workers just like our family. And that's OK, because most of us have a family environment in our office. We understand that.

It's our office family. 

Our word of the day is: WACTEO.  

No need to look it up . . . we made it up. Here are the ground rules for WACTEO: We Are Customers To Each Other: 

 

1.    Understand Your Role - Each employee should know the mission of their organization and the role they play. Those of us who are in a small department of a large company can often times miss the big picture. If you don't know the mission of your company, ask for it. Keep it at your desk. It will help you with the big picture. You may start to understand the 'why' of the things you're asked to do sometimes and 'why' internal customer service is everyone's responsibility from president to maintenance. If management isn't doing their part, often times the entire customer service program will go out the window. We don't want double standards. Remember it starts at the top!  

2.    Respect Employee Differences - Cub fan? Cardinal fan? Republican? Democrat? Rock music, classical, whatever. Just because we don't agree with someone doesn't make us right. Differences are crucial for an organization. Differences are key to understanding people. If everyone thought the same way, most of us wouldn't be needed. It's not healthy to argue just because a co-worker isn't doing it the way you would or thinking the way you do. Learn to respect the differences. That's why we have chocolate and vanilla ice cream.  

3.    Recognize the Personal Space of Others - Simply put, this boils down to the golden rule. Those who can work with a radio playing music may disturb others around them who aren't able to concentrate. Loud voices around someone who's on the phone with an external customer can be annoying also. If you're working in a cubical or sharing an office or area, we need to recognize there are others around you. Be sensitive to their wishes, as you would hope they would be to yours. 

4.    Work to Resolve Conflicts - Who hasn't had unkind words with another employee? Or perhaps you and a co-worker strongly disagree on a project or idea. Not trying to make it work can only lead to more stress and frustration. Learn to work it out (notice I didn't say 'try' and work it out), even if you need to call in a professional in the area. Normally someone from HR or another trusted employee can usually be of help on conflict resolutions.  

5.    Show Appreciation - We saved this for last because being appreciated, showing you care with a genuine 'thank you,' is critical to WACTEO. It can be a note, a phone call or just stopping by an office and letting someone know they did a great job. This makes a huge difference in our internal relationships. There are surveys upon surveys that show how much a genuine pat on the back of appreciation is thought of as a way of special compensation.

 

A recent IFA Annual Conference speaker, Nancy speaks at franchise meetings across the country.

Her passion for the small business is second only to her techniques on sales and customer service.

Her reviews at IFA were off the chart. Contact Nancy personally about your meetings.

What type of theatre experience have you ever had?

Why do I ask you that question?

Because if you have ever been on stage in a play, part of a band, chorus, dance group, stage manager, grip, sound, prompter, make up, lighting, director, or any form of theatre where the audience and other co-workers are depending on you, then you probably already know the answer to why I ask.

And you probably have a great background for customer service!

I have a professional theatre background and it has helped my career thrive immensely in the customer service arena. Now, it doesn't mean if you don't have a theatre background you won't be good in customer service, it just means you'll understand the mentality of customer service faster, and perhaps better.

Theatre 101, as I call it, is a perfect precursor to being in customer service. It prepares you in the best way for all these topics and many more.

I fibbed, there are more than 11 skills.

That's a good thing though. Here they are.

* Interacting with others

* Being on time

* Knowing priorities

* Learning how to say something even when you forget your lines

* Knowing how to have a phony smile even when you don't want to

* Understanding your problems are just that: your problems

* Learning to work well with others, even if you don't like them

* Understanding how it all 'comes' together

* Helping others when they forget or don't know what to say

* Learning the "show must go on" mentality

* Learning how to read a script without sounding like it

* Knowing the applause is for everyone

* No complaining!

* Keeping your lines sounding fresh no matter how many times you've said them

* Getting it right "the first time"

* Practice, practice and more practice

* Learning to go with the flow

Here's a real life example of "The Show Must Go On" skill:

On the day of one of our Saturday performances (we did a matinee and evening show) I got a bee sting on my foot. It swelled up and I couldn't put my shoe on that foot.

I had a show to do at 2 PM. What to do? What to do? Sure, I could go barefoot, but that might ruin the show for the others. And certainly for the audience. Theatre minds do not want to do that.

So the theatre mind in me said, "Figure it out, Nancy. Do something. You need to be at the theatre in 1 hour and 45 minutes."

Theatre minds are not necessarily logical minds. However, we are spontaneous. We are quick thinkers. We know something has to be done and we figure out how. My husband has a bigger foot than I do so that was not going to look very good if I wore his shoes. (Didn't go with my outfit anyway.)

What to do? What to do?

I believe I did what most fellow actors would do. I thought of something. The stinger of the bee was removed. I took two aspirins and took my own shoes for the show with me to the theatre. I got to the theatre in time for the 30 minute call and told the stage manager (theatre translation: The Boss) what happened. "However," I said, "I'll be ok. It feels a little bit better and I can squeeze into the shoe."

So that's what I did. I squeezed into the shoe and the show went on. The performance was great. The audience never knew anything was wrong.

Was I in pain? Yes. However, I knew I had a job to do. I wasn't going to let the other actors down and I certainly wouldn't let the audience down. In essence they were all my customers. They were depending on me.

QUESTION: If you got a bee sting on your foot, would you go to work? Would you be able to talk with customers and not let that affect you? Would you complain about it, talk about it until others were sick of hearing about it?

The theatre mind is one that thinks of the audience before themselves. In reality it's the same with your customers. Think of them before you. Remember, customer service is the 'stage.' The customers are your 'audience.' Make yourself a STAR.

Thanks for reading.... 

Nancy Friedman , president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a featured keynote speaker and subject matter expert on customer service and communications skills at franchise, association and corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal with her column, "Don't Strike Out with Your Customers." Nancy is the author of eight books on sales, communications skills and customer service. She is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs.

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

There are many, many words and phrases that can and will sabotage your business.

And, chances are, your staff is saying some of these now without your even knowing it - on the phone and in person.

And worse yet, you've probably even said some of these yourself (ouch)! That's the bad news.

The good news is we're able to bring to you the top five sabotaging phrases and then show you how to neutralize the effects. So get ready. You and your staff are about to be in a much better position to handle the Five Phrases to Sabotage Your Business today:

1. I Have No Idea

This is normally used as an excuse than anything else. It's a sure thing that the employee has not been shown how to explain something to the customer (i.e. no product training). This phrase is used as something to say when the employee doesn't know what to say.

When the customer hears "I have no idea" they immediately respond (usually silently) with, "You gotta be kidding me?" Interestingly enough, there normally is a certain blank stare accompanying this statement. Sad.

Instead, try "That's a great question, let me check and find out."

2. It's Not My Department

Well, then whose is it? Let's remember one of our Telephone Doctor mottos: Tell the customer what you CAN do, not what you CAN'T do. If you get a call and someone asks for something that you don't handle, it's far more effective to say, "Let me get you to someone in the area you need. I work in the paint department. You want electronics."

This is far more effective than telling someone it's not your department. And please don't say, "You have the wrong department."

3. I Wasn't Here That Day (or I was on vacation when that happened)

This one really makes me laugh. I don't remember asking them if they were there that day. Do you really think the customer cares if you weren't there when their problem happened? Honestly, they don't, so that's not even on the radar screen. Just tackle the problem head on. Apologize without telling them where you were...or weren't. Remember, you ARE the company whether you were at work or on vacation when the issue occurred.

4. I'm New

OHHHHHH! You're new? Now what? Does being 'new' allow you to be anything but super to the customer? When the customer hears this sabotaging statement, do you really think they say, "Oh, so you're new? That's why I'm getting bad service. Well, then that's okay...you're new. Now I understand."

Yes, even if you are new, the customer honestly believes you should know everything about your job.

Here's the answer on this one. Tell the customer, "Please bear with me, I've only been here a few weeks." That will buy you time and a bit of sympathy. For whatever reason, hearing the short length of time you are with the company means more to the customer than, "I'm new." Again, I'm new is more of an "excuse." Remember to state the length of time. It's a creditability enhancement. "I'm new" is a creditability buster.

5. Silence on the Phone or a Blank Stare in Person

I called the doctor's office the other day and asked to change my appointment. It went down like this:

"Hi, this is Nancy Friedman. I have a 9 a.m. appointment with Dr. Ring and I need to move it to later in the day."

Then NOTHING for about 10 - 15 seconds. Zip/nada/zilch.

So I said, "Hello? Are you there?"

A very irritated, annoyed voice came back with, "I'm checking."

Wouldn't it have been nice for her to tell me that? Ah, if the doctors only knew.

There are many more; these rose to the top!

Good luck!

# # #

To download our eBook, Hidden Gems, click here.

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a keynote speaker at association conferences and franchise and corporate meetings. She is the author of eight bestselling books. Call Nancy at 314‑291‑1012 for more information or visit her online at www.nancyfriedman.com. Follow or connect on LinkedIn.

Her specialty? Customer service and engaging the customer.

Email her at [email protected]. She replies to all emails (and quickly).

It's plain old theatre folks. Some like it; some don't. While we cannot defuse false anger (Nancy circa 1990), there are those who like to role play and feel it's one of the more successful techniques in customer service training.

I'm not a big fan of role playing. (More coming on that with a Regis Philben story when I appeared on his show.) However, there are those who are and I do want to give you some ideas for those that do enjoy role playing in their training.

The process involves the trainer presenting the role play scenario and asking for volunteers to play the roles. (Volunteers meaning YOU.) The trainer provides the ground rules. Then selected trainees act out the scenario and the entire class analyzes the role playing.

Consider two approaches:

In the first, the players can attempt to think, speak, and behave like someone else. Being an irate customer is a natural role play for customer service training. This can teach the trainees to identify with other people and their problems, and to appreciate different perspectives. But again, it's very difficult to defuse false anger.

In the second approach, the players are themselves and report a particularly frustrating experience they have had as customers. This makes is more 'real.'

While role playing can be conducted in pairs or small subgroups, the procedures are quite effective when staged in front of the entire class. (Yes, scary if they're not use to, but get a life.) All trainees can normally, therefore, find ways to handle the roles. Alternative solutions can be tried which reflect company policies and various methods of dealing with customers.

To enhance role playing, use probing questions during the analysis of the scenario to guide trainees to arrive at workable solutions:

How well can you predict the reactions of the irate customers?

How else might the situation be managed?

What are effective approaches you have used?

In summary, what have we learned from this?

A ready list of subjects about customer problems from which the players can choose for role playing and discussion is helpful. Here are a few both in-person and on the phone.

  • The store employee has just told you the item you want is out of stock. That's all they said. Play the scene out.
  • In calling a company, you're trying to reach a human being and all you get is the automated attendant. Finally, someone answers. You want to know why you were not able to reach a human more quickly.
  • You're trying to purchase an item and the person assisting you only gives one-word answers.
  • You need someone to help you. After waiting in line for several minutes, you see that the clerk is fiddling with some paperwork, ignoring you. When asked if you could be helped, you're told to "hang on a sec. I'll be right with you."

If these role playing scenarios seem close to home, it's because most of us have experienced them. It brings everyday occurrences to the customer service training class. It's a way of making the training realistic.

Role playing demands some skill and practice on the part of the trainer. Deft handling of participants is needed. But you'll feel an enormous sense of accomplishment when you get an attendee, who may not have wanted to role play, up in front and being excited about pretending to be a customer!

There are those who might refuse or feel uncomfortable about role playing. If that's so, they may feel odd about handling a service 'experience' as well. Just saying.

# # #

Nancy Friedman , president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a featured keynote speaker and subject matter expert on customer service and communications skills at franchise, association and corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal with her column, "Don't Strike Out with Your Customers." Nancy is the author of eight books on sales, communications skills and customer service. She is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs.

A short, but ongoing course.

Are you really engaged?

Do you and your staff really know how to engage and interact with the customers? Do they even know what it means.

Seems as though every year there's a "new" word in Customer Service. And this year it's been "engagement."

Engage the customer.

What's it mean? Or better yet: What's does it not mean?

The answer to what it's NOT, is - - it's NOT the customer service experience. Don't confuse the two. They are quite different.

It is: Just as you might imagine....when you might have popped "the question," (or said "yes" if you were the one being asked), you normally went into what is called an 'engagement' period.

That's the time before the marriage. Time to better know and understand someone you're supposed to spend a lifetime with. Sometimes it's short and sometimes it's a longer period of time. But usually there's an 'engagement' period.

And so it is with our customers. Before they can "BUY," before they can become our customer (before we 'marry' them), we need to get 'engaged.' Make sense? Or starting to?

Right, you don't just walk up to someone and say, "Hello" and then head for the altar. It's the same idea in the sales and customer service world. There's an old sales saying: "The customer has to buy YOU first, before they buy the product." And it's true.

You need to spend a bit of time 'engaging the customer' before they buy or use your services. The Engagement is the time to wine and dine the customer; not physically - but mentally, and emotionally. Yes, to be on your best behavior. And you usually are. But as in marriage, it need not, and should not, must not, stop there.

I've never considered divorce (murder yes, not divorce.) However, those who have been through divorce coincidentally all shared a similar story to me. "They changed" I've been told. "They were so nice during the engagement period, but afterwards, it all changed."

I have always wondered why. Why be one way to get the customer and then another way after you get them? No wonder customers get upset. And when you think of it, in an engagement, you are each others 'customers.'

So to make it a bit easier for you to learn how to Engage a customer, below are a few (and only a few) ideas to 'get engaged' with your customer. There are many more. I will expound on them in another blog. And also I'll share more about the engagement. I wanted to keep this blog short, sweet and to the point.

To ENGAGE the customer one simply needs to follow these engagement guidelines:

* When a call comes in or a customer walks into your location, let them know they called or came into the right place! This is not brain surgery; just use those exact words.

* Names are critical, of course. To gain a customers name, you need to introduce yourself first; then ask theirs.

* Smiling is a condition of employment and grounds for termination. Can't make that strong enough! Not smiling is not an option.

* We need to remember, the customer is NOT always right; they always THINK they are right. Deal with the situation that way and it's much easier to handle.

* Don't argue with the customer. You'll lose every single time. You will never win.

* Watch out for Killer Words. These are words that will stop a conversation. Or even kill the conversation. A few killer words to beware of, from our surveys are: "No problem," "It's not our policy," "You don't seem to understand." We have plenty more of them to be sure. These happened to have gone right to the top.

* Be a double checker. No one likes to hear, "I don't know" or "We don't have that." Learn how to create the Telephone Doctor language of "positive statements at the top of the conversation." Once you do, the engagement period can start to move along.

* Please, thank you and you're welcome will never go out of style. EVER.

It's still not time to put the ring on the customers finger, but you'll be headed in the right direction with these steps or .... "Rules of Engagement".

I've been doing this a long time. It all works. More later.

 # # #

Nancy Friedman , President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a featured keynote speaker and subject matter expert on customer service, sales and communications skills, at franchise, association and corporate meetings.

As an "ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST", she has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows.

She has been published in Wall Street Journal with her column, "Don't Strike Out with Your Customers.

Nancy is the author of eight books on sales, communications skills and customer service. She is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs. For a demo and full keynote speaking packet of Nancy call 314.291.1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

Or see how fast she answers emails: [email protected]

My mother lived with me in her last years. We enjoyed her sense of humor.

Here's part of that - that made me realize how useless the phrase, "Hi How are you?" is.

The house phone rang. Esther answered.

The man says, "Hi, Mrs. Friedman, this is Dan from XXX, How are you?"

My mother says - without missing a beat:

"I'm so glad you called, I have a bad case of diarrhea, a terrible migraine, been vomiting all day, my pacemaker is running slower than normal, and I have a bad rash.... How are you?

He said, 'well, compared to you - a hell of a lot better" and hung up.

Point being; "Hi how are you" is semi useless" Especially to those we don't even know. I've seen folks pass in the halls, in a mall, in an office, everywhere... one says, "Hi how are you?" The other says "fine, how are you"?... no one stops...they're still walking - and nothing was accomplished.

I've removed "Hi How are you" from my vocabulary. It's been replaced with any one of these phrases and I share them with you:

  • Good to see you.
  • Hi, you're looking well.
  • Thanks for being here
  • You look super.
  • Nice to hear your voice (On phone)
  • I'm glad you called. (On phone)
  • You're sounding great. (On phone)

There are more.. I just got the ball rolling......anything, but "Hi, how are you?"

I've changed my mind. It's not semi useless. Just useless.

Watch what happens when you change your tune. People start really listening to you.

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

# # #

Nancy Friedman is a featured Keynote speaker and subject matter expert on Customer Service and Communications skills, at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. Nancy is the author of 8 books on sales and customer service and is the spokesperson in the popular DVD customer service training programs. For a demo of Nancy call 314 291 1012 or visit - www.nancyfriedman.com.

Of the many experiences we all have each day involving customer service, only a few may be memorably pleasant. Some may be okay. Some may even be abrasive. Shouldn't they all be great? 

Don't you think customers would be delighted in being treated one way, to have uniformly excellent service in each encounter? Wouldn't it be great to always receive "Business Friendly" customer service? Well, why isn't it that way? 

Bottom Line: The biggest mistake customer service professionals make is not treating customer's friendly enough. Somehow the cold, aloof, reserved, overly formal method of handling people has come to be considered "businesslike." But that's not true. It comes across like frostbite. To the customer it can sound curt, bored, and uncaring. It's costing companies billions of dollars in lost opportunities! 

"Business Friendly," simply put, is the middle ground between being too cold, impersonal, or uncaring, and the other extreme of being too familiar too fast. 

Want to deliver GREAT Business Friendly Customer Service? It involves the following: 

1. Treat every customer as unique; don't become desensitized. During a typical day you probably handle repetitive questions; the same thing over and over. Toward the end of the day the "lots of calls fatigue" syndrome sets in and your energy level begins to sag. This is when you need to avoid becoming desensitized, to avoid sounding bored and uncaring and unpleasant to customers. Every customer deserves the same uniform excellence, no matter what time of the day they call.

2. Solve the problem; don't argue! When a customer is wrong, and sometimes they are, it's not a good idea to tell them that they are wrong. Don't argue. Good "Business Friendly" customer service focuses on solving the problem, not identifying and placing the blame!

3. Show empathy; don't ignore what they say! Empathy is defined as the ability to share in another's emotions, thoughts, or feelings. When someone describes a problem or a situation, don't ignore it! Say something that shows you heard, understand, and share in the matter. Be empathetic. Reach out to involve yourself in the caller's experience. This indicates that you're being "Business Friendly."

4. Smile; don't be cold! A smile in your voice makes all the difference in the world. Yes, you can hear it! Without the smile in your voice, the listener's perception is that you aren't very friendly. It's like having a friendly expression on your face when you meet someone. Your smile is your friendly facial expression on the telephone. 

Simple as it sounds, these four steps will get you started on delivering great Business Friendly customer service. 

As a customer service professional, make it your goal to reach out and treat every customer with the same warm and caring manner. Your goal is uniform excellence. Make every contact memorably pleasant. To do that, make Telephone Doctor "Business Friendly" your goal. 

# # # 

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor, is a keynote speaker at association, franchise and corporate meetings. She is the author of eight books on customer service and sales, has appeared on Fox News, CNN, Oprah, and dozens of other radio and TV shows. You can talk with Nancy at 314-291-1012, email her at [email protected] or visit www.nancyfriedman.com

Name? Account number? Zip code? Mother's maiden name? Sort of sounds like a prison movie, doesn't it? 

Well, it's not. It's the start of a pretty average call in many a call center. Why? In most cases, the call center agent hasn't been shown another way to answer a call. 

his next story illustrates why it's important for agents to gather information from callers without sounding like Wanda the Witch or Warren the Warden! 

My wallet was stolen a few months ago. Fortunately, I remembered the names of the credit cards I was carrying. Unfortunately, my wallet with all the credit cards also had my checkbook. 

My first response was to list the cards that I knew were in my wallet. I then began the daunting task of calling each of the major credit card companies to report the loss. Perhaps because of the type of work I do every day and because of the horror stories I've heard, I have become "Mrs. Perfect Customer." I don't yell, I don't belittle, and I don't get angry. I smile and try to help the call along. I'm really a good customer. 

With this in mind, I picked up the phone and made my first call to one of the credit card companies. "Hi, my name is Nancy Friedman," I said. "I'm in Orlando,Florida, and my wallet with all my credit cards has just been stolen and I wanted to report it right away." 

"NAME?" said the agent with the voice of a warden. 

I always give my name up front, as I had this time. Obviously, the agent who answered the phone didn't hear it, didn't write it down or didn't remember it. So I repeated my name and spelled it for her. (I don't like to get mail to Nancy Freeman.) 

"ACCOUNT NUMBER?" 

I thought one of us had better have a sense of humor, and I could tell it wasn't coming from the other end, so I said, "Well, I have my phone number, address and birthday memorized. I never got around to memorizing all my credit card numbers, and if you recall, my wallet with that information was stolen." 

Dead silence. Then I heard, "PHONE NUMBER?" 

Well, it went downward from there. I won't burden you with the rest of the conversation. Suffice to say, I was disappointed. There wasn't one word of sympathy or empathy from this agent. She sure didn't have what I refer to as the 'care gene.' She had a job to do and by gosh, she was going to do it and in record time, too. 

I had six credit cards in my wallet. When I called to report the loss of each one of them, none of the credit card companies acknowledged my problem. It was hard for me to believe, too. Probably the worst experience I had was when I called the bank concerning my checks. When I told my saga to the bank, the woman I spoke with asked the questions as though I had been the one who stole the wallet.

What does the behavior of the agents at the bank and the credit card companies say to me, the customer? It says that maybe I should take my business somewhere else. 

To keep customers satisfied and loyal to your company, it is crucial that an agent build rapport with every customer at the beginning of each call, whether the customer is calling to discuss a problem, a concern or an inconvenience. 

The agent who answers the call should acknowledge what the customer is saying and use the same words that the customer says, as in the following example: 

Caller: "I just lost my wallet." Agent: "Your wallet? I'm so sorry. Let me get your name and we'll see how we can help." 

Learning how to build rapport is an art, not a science.

You may recall Yul Brynner, the great actor, who appeared in the musical "The King and I" in more than 2,000 performances. He said the same words, night after night. Yet each performance was award winning. Why? Because each performance he gave was to a different audience.

I imagine he got tired of the script sometimes. Yet because he knew the audience was new each night, he made his lines sound fresh every time. 

For call center agents, the telephone is the stage and the mouthpiece is the curtain. One of the best ways agents can be sure to convey empathy is to practice the lines they say most often so that they sound different every time. 

I sympathize with agents who work in centers that receive enormous numbers of calls. But I also hear all sorts of excuses. One of the most common is: "Gee,Nancy, we have to say the same thing over and over. It gets so boring." Or "Nancy, we're limited for time for each call." Or "Our policy is to get on and off the phone as quickly as possible." 

These are excuses. Not reasons. Although an agent may say the same thing over and over again, it's probably the caller's first time asking the question. And it isn't enough for agents to know the answers. They also have to reassure customers that they're ready to help them. When customers reach call center agents, they don't care how much they know - until they know how much they care. 

# # # 

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor, is a keynote speaker at association, franchise and corporate meetings. She is the author of eight books on customer service and sales, has appeared on Fox News, CNN, Oprah, and dozens of other radio and TV shows. You can talk with Nancy at 314-291-1012, email her at [email protected] or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

Here are the top cusotmer service solutions we teach, train, and practice to perfection at the Telephone Doctor.

  • Be a DOUBLE CHECKER.

Learn to use those words. Everyone loves it when you double check something for them. Even if you're pretty sure the item is out of stock or the appointment is filled or there's no room available, it sounds so good to hear, "Let me double check that for you."

  • PRETEND IT'S YOU

If you're working with a customer, either on the phone or in person, and they need something, pretend it's you. What would you want to have happen? What would make you happy? What would make you satisfied? Here's a great place to remember the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

  • GET INVOLVED

Let your customer know you're on their team. If you're ringing up a purchase for someone, mention how nice their choice is. If you're helping someone with a trip of some sort get excited with them. When customers feel as though you're part of the package they love it.

  • STAY FOCUSED

Eye contact is critical in delivering excellent customer service. Heads that turn on a spindle and look everywhere but at the customer get very few good marks in customer service. Eye contact shows you are listening. If you're on the phone, eye contact is definitely difficult. We can, however, learn to stay focused on the phone. Don't type unless it pertains to what you are doing. Don't read something while you're on the phone with a customer . . . STAY FOCUSED on the caller. We need to stay focused without eye contact.

  • DO SOMETHING EXTRA.

There's usually always 'something' you can do for the customer that's extra. In most of the cases it won't even cost very much. Example: Keep a stock of penny lollipops for kids when they come into your store with the moms. Or a balloon. Or coloring books. Spend a few dollars if you have the budget for those "giveaways." Nail clippers . . . key chains . . . customers LOVE that something extra, oddly enough, even if they can't use it. The thought of getting something FREE is very special to the customer.

  • SHOW YOUR TEETH.

(In Telephone Doctor language that means to smile.) There are many people who think they're smiling, but aren't. So Telephone Doctor's motto is: SHOW YOUR TEETH. Smiling is one of the best customer service techniques there is. It's so frustrating to walk into a store, or call some place and not see or hear a smile. (And, yes, you can hear a smile!)

  • ASK QUESTIONS

A super way to offer superior customer service is to ASK QUESTIONS. Build on what the customer is talking about. Listen for one or two words that you can ask something about. Even a simple, "Tell me more," will work. Once the customer is talking, you will be able to help them much better.

  • USE COMPLETE SENTENCES

One word answers are semi-useless in customer service. And one word answers are definitely perceived as RUDE. "Yes," "no," and the like, tell the customer "I'm not really interested in you or what you need."

  • CARE

Most people have what Telephone Doctor calls the CARE GENE. Some of us use it more than others. We just forget we have it. Learn to CARE what your customer's needs are. CARE what they are referring to. CARE about your customers and they will take CARE of you.

  • LAUGHTER

Laughter will lighten the load. Everyone likes to laugh. Some even in the darkest moments. Take the time to laugh and enjoy your customers. 

Put any one of these Telephone Doctor customer service skills and techniques tips into action and watch what happens. They intertwine with each other and make customer service special. Use all ten and expect more business.

Ask us about our instant customer service, team building, conflict resolution, leadership and communication training library.

Anyone can talk about customer service, but only the Telephone Doctor can train your staff.

When you need customer service training, get it from a training company.

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a Keynote speaker at association conferences, franchise and corporate meetings.

You need her to inspire you to better customer service. She has inspired thousands to do better & she can help you too.

So, call Nancy at 314‑291‑1012 to book her for your next Keynote, or visit her on line at www.nancyfriedman.com.

There are a lot of 'rules' in customer service, but few more important than the six we've listed here. Each makes a valid statement and will increase the satisfaction of your clients. 

Cardinal Rule #1 - Personal Responsibility/Accountability: Don't Pass the Buck 

In a recent survey, we found that "responsibility/accountability" is the number one characteristic employers want from their employees. 

Oh, there are lots of characteristics they'd like; however, the one that rose to the top consistently was responsibility/accountability. 

One of the most important attributes a team player can have is personal responsibility - personal accountability. Those that have it refuse to accuse, blame and complain. 

Those that do accuse, blame and complain break one of the most important cardinal rules. "Who" statements accuse and blame. "Who took my stapler?" A more positive manner might be: "I seem to have misplaced my stapler; has anyone seen it?" 

Remember to take full responsibility with the customer. The customer doesn't like to hear accusing, blaming and complaining statements. They know when you're passing the buck! 

Cardinal Rule #2 - People Before Paperwork 

When someone walks into your place of business or calls you while you're working on something, Cardinal Rule #2 says drop everything. Put what you're doing DOWN. Attend to that person. Remember, paperwork and other tasks can wait, people should not. Most of us have experienced being abused when we go shopping and have been ignored because the staffer is doing something else. We feel we're more important than whatever they're doing. Most of the time there isn't even any eye contact to say "one moment please" or "I'll be with you shortly." Which doesn't make it right; but at least there was some form of contact. 

Let's not abuse our own customers. Remember: People before paperwork. 

Cardinal Rule #3 - Don't RUSH Your Customers 

Sure, you may understand something real quick, but rushing the customer along will only lead to them feeling intimidated. Very often it's the first time the customer is hearing, learning or finding out about something that you've done over and over. 

And it's a good thing to remember to mirror their speed. A slow talker or a senior person won't take to being "done with" by you. Trying to be "done" with a customer as quickly as possible is seen as being rude and uncaring.

Rushing threatens customers. Take your time with each and every contact. 

Cardinal Rule #4 - Company Jargon 

Well we have text now so there are even more folks doing jargon. KWIM (Know what I Mean?); BRB (Be right back); IDK (I don't know). There is a BOOK of texting terms. It's a real OMG. 

Ever get a report from a company and not understand it? Some companies have company jargon, words and phrases that makes the CIA wonder what's up. Be very careful not to use your own company jargon on your customers. You and your employees may understand it very well, but the customer may not. And you'll only cause a lot of unnecessary confusion. Spell things out for your customers. Use easy words. Try not to abbreviate. As we say, remember, don't use military language on civilians. 

Cardinal Rule #5 - Don't Be Too Busy To Be Nice 

Hey, everyone's busy! That's what it's all about. Being busy does not give you carte blanche to be rude. Remember, you meet the same people going down as you do going up. They'll remember you. (What's worse than being busy? NOT being busy!) I kept this short because I figure it's easy to understand. The old golden rule: Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. 

Cardinal Rule # 6 - Be Friendly BEFORE You Know Who It Is 

There's a good lesson to be learned here. Telephone Doctor says: "Smile BEFORE you know who it is." Often times it's too late. Being friendly before you know who it is will earn you classic customer service points. The customer needs to know you want to work with them no matter who they are. Remember, sometimes it's way too late to smile and be friendly after you know who it is. 

Caller ID is not all it's cracked up to be. Many folks use other people's phones, extensions, etc. I have horror story after horror story about folks who picked up the phone "thinking" they knew who was on the line and said something inappropriate...only to find out...wrong person! 

Any one of these tips can boost your customer service! 

# # # #

 

Nancy Friedman, President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training is a featured speaker at franchise, association and corporate meetings around the world. She has appeared on OPRAH, Fox News, The Today Show, CNN, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning.

Her articles have been published in the Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, as well as hundreds of other print outlets. She is also the author of eight best-selling books.

For more information, log onto the www.nancyfriedman.com or call Nancy at 314 291 1012. You'll be glad you did.

Do you know what the number one skill in sales and service is?

I gave you a hint in the title. Right - listening skills.

Do we really LISTEN? Most of us 'hear,' but do we really listen to what people are saying?

What do you think the difference is between listening and hearing?

Bottom line: Hearing is physical. Listening is mental.

What do some folks do that others don't in order to be a good listener?

It's pretty simple. Take a TV commercial. Most of us normally hear it, but do we always listen to it? Probably not. Especially if it's about something we're not particularly interested in for ourselves.

Again, recall all the buzz about the Super Bowl ads.

We talk about the commercials before they're even on TV. How many can you remember now? My guess is you'll recall those that were of 'interest' to you. We probably 'heard' them. We may have watched them. But again, how many did we really listen to? Pay attention to?

Are there any methods, tricks, ideas, tips or techniques to make us better listeners?

Yes, there are. Listed below are 6 top skills of better listeners.

As with many things there are more for sure, but starting with these will help you a lot. Listen up!

1. Decide to be a Better Listener - That's like an attitude.

You can really decide to be a good listener. It's a decision.

Will everything be of interest or value to you? Maybe not, but not listening can be dangerous.

So make a mental decision to listen better to those you talk with; especially if you have asked them a question and they answer. We need to listen to them. We need to acknowledge. We can only intelligently answer and acknowledge if we are listening.

2. Welcome the Customer - On the phone, in person, in business or at a event.

We need to make the person feel welcomed. That in turn helps make you a much better listener. We need to be obviously friendly when we're talking with a customer. And it needs to be sincere. (Most folks can tell when you're not.) So bring a welcoming phrase to the table and use it to make the customer feel as though he's a long lost friend!

3. Concentrate - Listening is not the time for multi-tasking.

And today, we can all turn to the left or right and catch someone texting and probably trying to have an in person conversation as well. One of these things will be in trouble.

We simply cannot do two things well at once.

Your concentration must be on the conversation - in person or on the phone.

Do nothing else but 'listen.' Don't text, don't hold side conversations, and keep your eyes (and ears) on the person talking.

4. Keep an Open Mind - Well, why do we need to do this?

I'll tell you why. There are some of us who think we know what the other person is going to say before they say it and so we interrupt (or interject) our comments before the person can answer.

That's not keeping an open mind.

That's not listening to what they're saying. Some of the times we're right.

And yes, we do know what the person will say, but it's important to put your teeth in your tongue and not interrupt. By keeping an open mind you'll gain more information as well. And your listening skills will be sharper.

5. Give Verbal Feedback - Talking with someone and not acknowledging what they're talking about is very frustrating for them, especially on the phone, because we don't even have body language to check out.

So come up with a few feedback lines. A few to start you off are: "I see." "Hmmm, that's good." "Ok." "Interesting."

A few simple words and phrases like that will help the person feel you're listening and listening well. In person, you have the ability to nod and smile, and they can SEE your expressions.

However, on the phone, we need verbal feedback. And be careful we're not saying the same word over and over. Like OK, OK, OK, OK. That's just boring.

6. Take Notes as You Talk - This is my favorite. And yes, even in person. That's perfectly acceptable!

Taking notes, lets the person know you're interested in what they're saying. It's a good sign of respect.

I do it all the time when I'm on the phone. I tell the client, "I'm taking notes so I can refer to them later and so I don't forget what you're saying."

No one has ever said, "Don't do that." Most say, "Thank you. That's great; that's super!"

Taking notes so you can refer back is also a big compliment. Don't forget to do it. It really helps your listening skills.

There you are. Six pretty easy steps to becoming a good listener.

(And watch how many times you need to say: "I'm sorry, what did you say?" That's not a great sign you're listening.)

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

A recent IFA Annual Conference speaker, Nancy speaks at franchise meetings across the country.

Her passion for the small business is second only to her techniques on sales and customer service.

Her reviews at IFA were off the chart. Contact Nancy personally about your meetings.

314 291 1012 [email protected] or www.nancyfriedman.com

You know that customer loyalty is the best way to get more sales & beat your competition.

There are hundreds, thousands of ways to gain loyal customers.

But, here are 9 easy ways to get better and more loyal customers.

Just start now - or give us a call if you need help.

1. Know your product and services . . . inside and out.

Not being knowledgeable frustrates customers. An uneducated employee is semi-useless to a customer. Job knowledge is key in any position. If for any reason your company doesn't offer job knowledge training, make it your own priority to find out as much as you can. Job knowledge is a key ingredient to serving customers.

2. Believe in your product and services 150%.

We know of a salesperson who has never had any formal sales training. However, based on the belief in the product, services and contagious enthusiasm, this person is a top seller. People LOVE to buy from people who get excited about their product. Customer service reps are salespeople!!!

3. Walk the walk, talk the talk. Practice what you preach.

A Ford dealer would not drive a GM car. Employees need to support their company's product or services before they can expect their customers to have confidence in them.

4. Keep your word.

Companies spend thousands, sometimes millions of dollars advertising their services and products. They tell the customer they are THE BEST, THE ONLY, they are NUMBER ONE. "WE GUARANTEE OUR WORK" isn't enough. Customers need to know that you'll do what you and your advertising says you will. If you claim to provide the 'best of anything,' make sure you keep your word. And be sure all employees keep their word. Telling a customer something will be to them in 7 working days, and then having it NOT show up is a credibility buster.

5. Return all calls and emails.

It boggles my mind when a call or an email is not returned. There's not an excuse in the world I could buy when that happens. Sure, some of us get way too many calls and aren't able to return them in a timely manner. Well, then have the call returned on your behalf! Not returning an email? How much work does that take? DUH?

6. Don't ever forget "who brought you to the dance."

In other words, there are always customers who were with you from the start. They helped make your business a success. They believed in you. A nice simple note once in a while is an ego booster to them and you'll feel good about it too.

7. Make NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE CALLS or NOTES.

Every once in a while, drop a note or make a phone call to customers (and prospective customers) without trying to 'sell' them something. Telephone Doctor labels those "no ulterior motive" calls. They're "just because" calls. . . and very welcomed. When was the last time you heard from a salesperson or a company just to say HI? (See what I mean?)

8. Be in a good mood.

All the time! Be the person that when the customer leaves or hangs up the phone, they think to themselves, "That was a great call/visit." Not in a good mood? Learn how to be. Remember one of our Telephone Doctor mottos: "A phony smile is better than a real frown." Do you really think the first runner up of the Ms. America contest is as "thrilled for the winner" as she says or shows she is? Talk about a great big phony smile!

9. Participate in customer service training programs at your company.

Sure you know how to be a good CSR. But everyone could use a refresher. And if there are no programs in place on customer service, ask for them. At best, you'll be ahead of the competition, and at worst, you'll at least be even with them. Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy. And it's for the entire company. Everyone needs to embrace it - or it doesn't work.

 

A recent IFA Annual Conference speaker, Nancy speaks at franchise meetings across the country.

Her passion for the small business is second only to her techniques on sales and customer service.

Her reviews at IFA were off the chart. Contact Nancy personally about your meetings.

314 291 1012   [email protected] or  www.nancyfriedman.com

 

In a recent major national survey of customers conducted by Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, 85% of the respondents said that good telephone courtesy on the part of businesses makes a lot of difference in willingness to purchase goods and services from them.

And almost half of these consumers indicated that they've refused to do business with companies because they received poor customer service over the phone.

The worst offense was being put on hold immediately when calls were answered:

And use of an automated attendant was the second biggest peeve: 62% reported they preferred to do business with organizations that use only real persons to answer their calls rather than listen to an automated attendant.

"But, says Nancy Friedman, President of Telephone Doctor, "it's not always the AA that's the frustration all the time...it's the frustrating phrase, "Your call is very important to me" that gets their goat!"

"The survey indicated that businesses should not underestimate the importance of providing good customer service over the telephone," said Nancy Friedman, president, and speaker at franchise, corporate and industry association meetings."

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

How do you make sure every customer's visit turns into the Almighty Customer Experience, the kind that creates a great lasting impression?

You start things off right! Here are the top 5 ways to set the stage with your customers at your establishment, right from the get-go!

And it doesn't matter what industry...the top 5 are the top 5!

Here's what your customers are looking for in those critical first moments:

1. A Proper Greeting

The first words a customer hears really do matter, so make them count! The most common greeting we seem to hear is, "Hi, how are ya?" While it's not the worst thing you can say, it's weak and ineffective. Why? Well, because it's social noise. Let's face it... most folks don't care how you are. And it's usually just returned with, "Fine, how are you?" Again, there's no substance, and therefore no basis to begin building rapport. Kick start that almighty customer experience with one of these:

• "Nice to see you!"

• "Glad you're here!"

• "Nice of you to stop in today!"

The list goes on. Anything but the dull, overused, "Hi, how are you?"

2. A Few Good Manners

Please. Thank you. You're welcome. Come on...your mother taught you these! But sadly, they're underused, replaced by casual, sloppy language and just plain bad manners.

• "No problem" is NOT "You're welcome"

• "Here ya go" is NOT "Thank you"

• Any instruction you give that doesn't begin or end with "please" is an order ("Pull forward to the next window.")

Please. Thank you. You're welcome. These are words that every customer needs to hear.

Add them into your conversations, phone calls, emails...wherever and whenever you're working with a customer.

Darn it, I shouldn't have to tell you this! It would be nice to hear a "Thank you for holding," when you come back after putting a caller on hold, too.

3. Turn Your Ears On

Your customers must believe they're being heard, and that means you need to listen! When a customer has to repeat themselves, they get frustrated. Why? Because they feel you're not listening.

So even if you need pen and paper to jot notes as they talk, be sure you've listened and heard what they have to say. Then ask questions. Building rapport begins with good listening skills. Your customers need to be heard.

4. Show What You Know (Job Knowledge)

Customers want to deal with people who know what they're doing, and that's why the phrase, "I don't know" must be banished from your vocabulary. As most of our Telephone Doctor clients know, "I don't know" is a forbidden phrase. It's not allowed. At Telephone Doctor, it's a condition of employment, grounds for termination. That's right, you will never hear, "I don't know" from a Telephone Doctor employee. You might hear, "Gee, that's a great question! Let me find out for you." Don't derail yourself with that one forbidden phrase! Show your customers that you're knowledgeable and competent.

5. Smile

Right, smile! You knew that, didn't you? And smiling means we want to see those pearly whites! (Otherwise, you're just grinning, and that makes you look goofy.) Here's the coolest thing about a smile...it's contagious! Once you start one, your customers catch it. Your co-workers catch it, and maybe even your grumpy ol' boss catches it! Pretty soon, you have a full-on smile epidemic, and the world is a better place!

The list of things that go into creating that Almighty Customer Experience goes on, but I promise you, these Top 5 Kick Starters will set you on the right path!

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nancy Friedman is a frequent speaker at association, corporate and franchise meetings. The author of 8 books on her service expertise, she has appeared on Fox News, CNN, Today Show, and Oprah, as well as many other shows. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today along with many major dailies. President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, she can be reached at 314-291-1012 or www.nancyfriedman.com.

If your job entails taking calls from unhappy, irate callers, you've got your work cut out for you. Employees who deal with callers are especially vulnerable to outbursts from customers who are going through an emotional, stressful time. 

Handling this type of customer takes time and training, but it can be accomplished effectively.

Here are some of the Telephone Doctor's best techniques for turning unhappy callers into satisfied customers. 

Get Off on the Right Foot 

Realize that upset angry customers are not unhappy with you, but with the situation. Don't take a caller's hostility personally. You are merely the rod that redirects the violent lightning. You can do a great deal to diffuse a caller's anger before you ever pick up the phone. How?

By smiling before you answer that call. You can really "hear" a smile over the phone. It's very difficult to be rude to someone who is warm and friendly. 

Anatomy of a Hostile Call 

There are four basic steps to handling an irate caller. Telephone Doctor calls them our ASAP techniques. 

A- Acknowledge the person's feelings and apologize for the inconvenience the customer has encountered. Make an effort to be sincere. In today's impersonal society, it's incredibly rare to hear the words, "I'm sorry that happened. Let me get the ball rolling to fix it." You'll probably spend about 80 percent of your time massaging the caller's feelings and 20 percent actually solving the problem. 

S - Sympathize and empathize with the caller. Phrases like "I can understand why you're upset" can help soothe ruffled feathers. Pretend it's you calling. Then get busy solving the problem. 

A - Accept 100 percent responsibility for the call. This is probably the toughest part. Chances are excellent that you had nothing to do with the problem. However, it's your job to take the responsibility and help initiate a solution. 

P - Prepare to help. Begin by re-introducing yourself - callers don't usually remember your name. State that you will be able to help. Use the caller's name, if possible. This helps to diffuse anger. A willing attitude is essential, because if the caller senses insincerity or indifference, it will cause them to stay angry. It's exasperating to file a complaint with someone who obviously doesn't care. 

1. Excuses 

Never make an excuse to a complaining caller. No one wants to hear "The computer is down" or "I'm the only one here." That is your problem, not the caller's. When you give an excuse, the caller automatically hears "I'm not going to help you" 

2. Transferring Calls 

Sometimes you're not able to solve the problem on the spot. Many times you need more information from another department. Perhaps the call needs to be handled by another person. Although these are legitimate courses of action, they usually upset your caller all over again. 

If you need more information, TELL the caller. Ask them if they're able to hold while you obtain it, or would they prefer a call back. "Joe, I need to check with our claims department in order to answer your question. It will take two or three minutes, are you able to hold/wait while I check?" Avoid untrue, frustrating phrases like "Hold on a second." Nothing takes a second. 

If you need to transfer a caller, if you can, let them know the name of the person they'll be speaking with. It's also good to explain a reason why you're bringing in a third party. "Joe, Mrs. Smith in our claims department is the real expert in resolving your type of situation. May I transfer you directly to her?" 

The ASAP technique works! Try it and see! 

# # # 

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

What Would You Do?

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I was at the St. Louis airport curbside checking bags waiting behind a man and woman with two large suitcases that needed to be weighed as they looked close to 50 lbs each. It was about 15 degrees.  

Skycap said to the couple with a friendly smile, "You're lucky; they're not overweight." The couple said "thanks" and walked away into the airport.  

I could see the surprise in the skycaps face because he didn't get a tip. I tapped the skycap on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, did that man not tip you?" 

The skycap shook his head and said, "No ma'am he didn't."  

What did I do?  

Pick one  

A. Shake my head in disbelief & mind my own business  

B. Call after the couple who didn't tip & suggest they do  

C. Open my wallet and give the skycap $2.00 and tell him he did a good job 

To those who know me, you know I did "C." The skycap didn't want to take the money at first; however, I asked him to please take it and pay it forward one day. He seemed to understand that. 

I also told him my bet was those folks probably didn't travel much and perhaps weren't aware of the premise of curbside check in. Those guys work hard in all types of weather. All this with a hard to miss sign that simply says "gratuities accepted."  

I really wanted to give the traveler the benefit of the doubt, but then again.... I wonder. 

What would you have done?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nancy Friedman is a frequent speaker at association, corporate and franchise meetings. The author of 8 books on her service expertise, she has appeared on Fox News, CNN, Today Show, and Oprah, as well as many other shows. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today along with many major dailies. President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, she can be reached at 314-291-1012 or www.nancyfriedman.com.

A few facts about customer service...

85% of consumers are dissatisfied with their phone experience, providing solid customer service via phone is key

81% of consumers are more likely to give a company repeated business after good service

• A 5% increase in customer retention equates to a 125% increase in profits

• Companies that prioritize the customer experience generate 60% higher profits than their competitors

• A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%

• On average, loyal customers are worth up to 10 X'S as much as their first purchase

• It is 7 X'S more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current one

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

Thank you for keeping our country safe.

You're doing a good job and America appreciates it.

We do have a favor to ask, though.  Just one.

It seems to us that we can be told to follow procedures with a smile, a "please" and a "thank you."

We're gonna bet your parents taught you basic manners, and that you know how to be polite.

We just don't understand why you're so rude and discourteous at work. 

And we're not sure when you last traveled as an airline passenger.

That might be very interesting for you to do. Take a flight. You need to EXPERIENCE IT.

Sort of like what we at The Telephone Doctor suggest to a business owner, when we tell them to call in and ask for themselves to see how their customers are handled.

We believe you're gonna be surprised, and feel as we do: 

Can't they smile? Can't they say "please" and "thank you?" Can't they just be a little nice?

To those agents who do take the time to be courteous, and those of you who do return our smiles, or even start one of your own, we as Americans give you a big shout out and say:

Please keep it up, and thank you for being nice while helping to keep us safe. It's much appreciated!

Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor and all the others you keep safe.

# # #

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

They come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. They are the 50 Shades of the Customer Service Experience! 

We all love a good story, and of course, Telephone Doctor loves good customer service. Put the two together and, well, it's a slice of heaven! Great service stories need to be shared with the world, so we're holding a contest. Send in your great customer service experience story, and you'll have a chance to win! 

For some folks it's one big thing. For others, it might be several little things that worked together to create that wonderful customer experience. We want to hear about it...the service experience that made you feel the WOW, the POW, the X, the Y, and the Z factor! 

We're not talking about Disney, the Ritz, Nordstrom, or any of the big dogs who've already staked their claim to superior customer service.

I want to hear from folks who've enjoyed a fabulous customer experience from companies or service providers who don't get much attention, but who just plain understand how to do it right! 

Your stories of real experiences can make the world a better place by helping all service providers see just what it takes to be good to the customer. Small or large, tell us about the experience that makes you want to return to that wonderful place, encounter that helpful person again, or re-live that special moment. 

Stories should be from 250-1,000 words. Telephone Doctor will publish the best 50 stories, so by entering this contest you consent to having your work published. Oh, and my team reserves the right to do a little editing if necessary (they do it to me all the time!), but we promise not to alter the content of your story.

If your story is chosen for 50 Shades of the Customer Service Experience, we'll send you a complimentary copy of the book. But wait! There's more!

The authors of the three best stories will win more prizes: 1st prize = iPad, 2nd prize = $250, 3rd prize = $100. 

Your odds of winning depend on how many of you submit a story. Anyone can send a story, and you can even send more than one, if you've been that lucky!

The contest is open throughout the whole month of February through March 15, 2014. I can't wait to read about your experiences, so get busy on that keyboard and send in your story today! 

50 Shades of the Customer Service Experience Contest At-A-Glance: 

Story criteria: Above-and-beyond customer experience stories (the really good ones!) 

Publishing: 50 Shades of the Customer Service Experience will be published. 

Eligibility: Anyone can enter as many stories as they like...no restrictions here! 

Prizes: All published story authors will receive a copy of 50 Shades of the Customer Service Experience. The top three stories will be awarded prizes: 1st prize = iPad, 2nd prize = $250, 3rd prize = $100. 

Contest dates: February 1 through March 15, 2014. 

How to enter: Send your story to [email protected], and please include your name, address, and best contact phone number (we promise not to call unless it's really, really important news about the contest!) 

Voice mail (business or cell) remains a large frustration in this busy business world.

And it's not just voice mail.

The automated attendant is also on the list. In an effort to help reduce voice mail frustration, here are the five most frustrating phrases that your callers don't want to hear.

(I'll discuss the auto attendant in another blog.)

Here are the big 5 Most Frustrating Voice Mail phrases. 

1. I'm not at my desk right now 

DUH? That's a hot lot of news. What a boring, semi useless statement. Live a little. Let your callers know where you ARE - not where you're not. Tell them, "I AM in the office all this week" OR "I'm in a sales meeting till 3 pm." Let them know if you do or don't check messages. Let them know when you will be back. 

2. Your call is very important to me 

OMG. Really? A big time waster. The caller is thinking, "Well, if I'm so darn important, where the heck are you?" And then again, think about it. Maybe the call isn't so important to you. You just don't need this phrase. Semi useless 

3. I'm sorry I missed your call 

How dull. Of course you are. (Although, there are probably some that you're not sorry to have missed.) OK to leave this phrase out! It's a given. Use the time and space for something more valuable. Like where you are and when you will return!! Or, who they can call for more information. 

4. I'll call you back as soon as possible 

Not interesting and not fun. Mainly because your as soon as possible and my as soon as possible may not and probably are not the same. And based on our Telephone Doctor surveys, probably not true. The truth is most people aren't returning their phone calls in a timely fashion. (if at all) If you're telling your callers you'll call them back, make sure you do. If you think you may not return the call...then try this: "Go ahead and leave your phone number and I'll DECIDE if I'll call you back or not." (Just kidding!) Unreturned phone calls rank high on the frustration list. "As soon as possible" is not an effective phrase. All you need is to say, "I will call you back." (Then do it! Or have it returned on your behalf.) Not returning a phone call is like not using your turn signal. Just rude. 

5. No escape 

Remember to tell callers to hit ZERO for the operator (or whoever) if they need more information. Or better yet, give them another name and extension. Although for the most part, that voice mail may come on also. (Then you're into what is called Voice Mail Jail!!!) Main point here is to offer an alternative if you're not there. Plus, you've bought back some time to say something more interesting or helpful to the caller.

# # #

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

"Do you want fries with that?"

Easily the most recognizable & classic upsell. But do you who invented the upsell?

Do you recognize these lines: "Shall I fill it up?"Or, "Would you like red or white wine with your dinner?"

I know you have heard "Sell the sizzle, not the steak."

Elmer Wheeler, whom I am pretty sure you haven't heard of, wrote these. He was one of the first to seriously study what happened in the gap between delivering an effective advertisement and getting the sale.

It is a great story- still relevant today.

Wheeler was working as newspaper man in the mid 30's. He knew that his clients, the advertisers, were only interested in increased sales. Any other measure or metric of "success" was irrelevant to this group.

And Wheeler was vexed. How could his advertising campaigns deliver traffic to a well stocked store, yet there be a failure to buy? How could people who started with an interest in buying be changed into tire kickers by the time they reached the store.

Wheeler was so vexed, he proposed a startling course of action to the publisher. They would experiment.

And, according Tom Sant, in The Giants of Sales: What Dale Carnegie, John Patterson, Elmer Wheeler, and Joe Girard Can Teach You About Real Sales Success , pages 125-126, what happened next was this:

"Wheeler gave 20 of the Baltimore News-Post reporters five dollars each, telling them to go to the May Company and buy as many men's shirts as the five dollars would purchase and the clerks would sell them. (Remember, this was back in the 1930's and five bucks went a long way, then. You could buy a quality men's shirt for less than a dollar.)"

The result?

These motivated buyers who had $100 to spend - could have bought 100 shirts.

How many shirts were sold to them? 90? 75? or only 60? (Remember, it wasn't their money. They didn't have to save any money.)

Nope, the customer service staff at the May Department Store extracted a whopping 5% of the total surplus value - 5 shirts. Yes, only 5 shirts were sold.

Sant writes:

"Wilbur May, [owner] instantly realized that although he may have a million-dollar establishment, with a million dollars worth of merchandise on the shelves, the real control of his business was in the hands of his minimum wage sales clerks."

And right then and there, Elmer Wheeler switched professions from advertising into customer service and sales!

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

Telephone Doctor Customer Service training has focused an entire career developing ways to help companies communicate better with their customers.  Telephone Doctors Customer Service is a training company, with over 25 dedicated employees.

We've helped thousands. How? With our simple, logical techniques that most folks already know and we bring them to the forefront.  

Most businesses go out of their way to attempt to give good customer service. Some make it; some don't.  

Customers go out of their way looking for companies that give great customer service. Some find it; some don't.  

We have tried so very hard to explain to both sides. It's not rocket science; it's not brain surgery. It's plain old common sense. But you and I know common sense is not out there. There is a mass of grey average out there. You don't wanna be in it. Rise above that mass of gray and come along with Telephone Doctor.  

Customers love to vent. They love to report on how badly they've been handled. And today with the internet, it's sad how stuff goes viral so quickly.  

I cannot count the number of articles out there on customer service. Some are good, some not; some have new ideas; some speak the old tried and true.

And that's where Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training comes into play - plain old customer service. We call it 'Back to Basics.' You can imagine we have hundreds, if not thousands, of ideas, tips, skills and techniques to share.

To start the New Year out right, here are fifteen customer service tips that are good old common sense thoughts that bring you back to the basics. 

Here we go:  

1. "Please" and "thank you" always have been, and always will be, powerful words. Seldom overused.  

2. "You're welcome" is the best replacement for "no problem."  

3. "Sorry 'bout that" is not an apology. It's a cliché. "My apologies" is much better.  

4. A frown is a smile upside down. Stand on your head if you must; but SMILE, darn it!  

5. You cannot do two things well at once. Pay attention to the call or the customer.  

6. One word answers on email or in person are considered cold and rude. Three words make a sentence.  

7. Learn what phrases frustrate your customers. They're probably the same ones that bother you.  

8. When was the last time you sent flowers to someone just because?  

9. Drop a personal handwritten note to a client and just say "thanks for being a good client."  

10. "Hey how 'ya doing?" is not a great way to start up a conversation.  

11. Out with friends or family? Put the cell phone away. Talk for 30 minutes. (If you remember how.)  

12. Email manners? The same as phone and in person.  

13. The old "don't tell 'em what you can't do; tell 'em what you can do" applies to most, if not all, customer interactions.  

14. Get excited! 

15. Oh, and smile. That needed to be said twice.  

Have a great year and we'll be bringing you more articles, tips, skills and techniques for your reading pleasure and customer service improvement. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Nancy Friedman is a frequent speaker at association, corporate and franchise meetings. The author of 8 books on her service expertise, she has appeared on Fox News, CNN, Today Show, and Oprah, as well as many other shows.

She has been published in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today along with many major dailies. President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, she can be reached at 314-291-1012 or www.nancyfriedman.com. Call her when you are serious about customer training & need a speaker to inspire your staff.

I recently had an interesting experience with a large scale retailer, that is yet unresolved, at least in my opinion. I'm waiting to see how it plays out, but thought it was a good example of how asking for feedback can find the issues that are falling through the cracks within your company.

I received an email saying my online account with the company had been compromised, and as a precaution, they locked my account and cleared my saved payment options. They provided a link to reopen my account and change the password. While it looked authentic, I am always hesitant to take the emails as legitimate.

I went to the company's website (not through the link in the email) and found that not only could I access my account easily, but my settings were not changed at all. Out of an abundance of caution, I changed the password and removed anything that could potentially get in the wrong hands.

I called the toll free number, which led me through a long, drawn out, unclear path to be transferred to someone who might be able to help me. Once I found the right combination of numbers to press, the call was transferred. All I heard was some silence and the call disconnected. I did this two more times with the same result. Okay, I guess they don't want to talk to me.

So I went to the website to fill out a contact form on the website. This went unanswered for two days. On the third day, I received an email from the company asking for my feedback. They wanted to be sure that my issue was resolved and the customer service I received was satisfactory.

I was happy to provide feedback, including all of the information on my journey to have a simple question answered, and explained that as of the time of the survey, I have not received any information from their company.

Now, I'm waiting to see how long it takes the feedback to filter through and someone reaches out to try to help me - or not.

At first I was frustrated getting the feedback request when I have yet to receive another response. I felt like one hand (the feedback team) didn't know what the other hand (customer service) was doing. Then I realized this may very well be an automated system that sends out feedback requests within x number of days from the request, assuming that the issue would be resolved, or at least on its way, by that point.

If customers share feedback like I have, this is useful to companies.

First, it ensures that all issues are being addressed with customers. By receiving the type of feedback I provided, the company can look for trends to identify why issues may be falling through the cracks, where requests are being routed and which are being resolved vs not resolved, and do better.

Second, it gives the company a second chance to do good by the customer. I am hoping for a response from the company within 24 hours after leaving feedback; trying to stay positive, though if my issue wasn't addressed quickly, I'm not sure why I think someone will respond promptly to the feedback I've left.

It's a good experience to serve as a reminder to pay attention to feedback surveys. Reviewing them in as real time as possible is the best way to manage customer complaints while maintaining quality control over the customer service provided.

I will return to this story once it has time to play out. I am hoping to return with positive results... ... ...

Unfortunately, as of today a week later, I have not gotten any type of response, and my issue remains unresolved.

However, I have received several emails from the company, alerting me to specials, new products, and other promotional material!!

I guess this is one issue that will go unresolved. I'm left to wonder if there are people on the other side reading the responses to the feedback surveys, or if this is just too busy of a time for them to properly staff that department. Perhaps they only look at the quantitative data without reading the comments?

At any rate, it's been an interesting experience, and one that drives home my point about using follow up with feedback/inquiries/complaints to make sure there are no issues going unresolved.

This is a good example of what can happen if there is no quality control in place within a customer feedback department, and a good reminder for companies to continually review their processes in this area.

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

Tales of awful customer service are especially bothersome at this time of year. It seems everyone has a story or two. The retail clerk who doesn't know or doesn't care.  The airline automated attendant system with endless loops before you encounter a human being.  The angry fast food attendant who is mad at the world. Or even part-timers who may not be very well trained. You get the idea. 

It's easy to feel that the employment playing field has changed. For many businesses it's harder than ever to find really good team members. Sometimes it seems staff get hired because they're breathing, and not because they have the requisite skill set to be excellent with the public they were hired to serve.  Knowing you can't change who that organization put in place to assist you, is there anything you as the customer are able to do?  

There sure are.  Here are some reminders to help you get the level of customer service you should receive: 

1. Don't be shocked or put-off by obviously poor great service. You'll make it worse. Be realistic. In some cases it helps to lower your expectations temporarily.  You may be dealing with a new hire that may have received very little training.  They could have no experience. But there's hope. Read on.  

2. Understand that you can actually influence the type of service you get. The same way an angry customer can have negative emotions mirrored back their way, entering a service situation with a positive and upbeat demeanor can help influence the treatment you'll get back. We use this approach a lot. We were in Las Vegas and walked up to a visibly upset hostess. Instead of being insulted, demanding, or giving her back cold treatment, we said "Oh good! We're getting a cheery hostess who's going to take very good care of us!" She took a deep breath and we were rewarded with a big smile and helpful service. She may have just had the customer from hell. But she wasn't going to take it out on us. We weren't going to allow it. 

3. Plan how to win them over. In a perfect world it should be up to them to win you over. But for now, especially in the holiday season, the tables are often turned. Have a strategy and be ready to explain your situation clearly and confidently.  You may need to exert some effort if you want a pleasant experience.  

4. Sometimes it takes a second effort. Realize that the last few interactions your service provider endured or experienced may have been brutal. Do what you can to establish a friendly atmosphere. Smile and be in a positive frame of mind. Take control of the situation. By the end of the transaction, you'll probably be having a far more positive relationship. Be obviously friendly and smiling. It is contagious.

5. Accept the occasional situation where nothing works. Don't take it personally. And try not to get frustrated. Don't YOU be the bad guy. That salesperson or employee will be abrasive to the customers that follow you as he was to the ones before you.  

Before you enter into the next situation where you're depending on someone to provide you with service, think about ways you're able to affect the outcome.  A customer definitely can influence the service they receive. Take more responsibility to radiate your own good mood and attitude and see if you're not treated better.

# # #

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

What is Social Care?

Basically, it is customer service. It's simply customer service delivered online, usually through social networks.

Why is this essential in today's day and age?

More and more consumers are turning to the Internet to get their customer service issues resolved.

People would rather tweet about something or post it on Facebook than they would pick up the phone or send an email.

Often online social care is delivered much more quickly than standard customer care. Underlying this is the simple fact that issues posted online are public. You're not simply dealing with one person on the other end of the phone. Not at all. It's public. The whole world can see the issue, so if it's not resolved quickly, everyone knows about it.

For franchises this means that they not only need a system to provide customer care through social networks. They need to a system to provide customer care through social networks to all of their customers at any of their franchises world-wide. Your social care policy is this system.

Delivering good customer care is really quite simple.

It's a matter of:

●monitoring conversations;
●listening to what your audience is saying; and
●responding in a positive way.

Keep in mind that even negative criticism about your franchise can be positive if it is handled appropriately.

As part of your social care policy, it is important to have a customer care response guide in place.

First, this will define who is responsible for responding to online customer service issues: franchisor or franchisees. Second, it will ensure that whoever is handling it, whether it is the franchisor or franchisee or both, knows exactly how to respond in any given situation.

When you have a social care policy in place, you'll also know how to handle damage control when it's necessary. Whether it is damage control due to an employee or franchisee or to someone in your audience, it's crucial to know how you'll handle it in advance of things happening.

The reality is that people are talking about your franchise, whether you're there to hear it and respond or not. Be there. Monitor the conversations. Listen to what your audience is saying.

Then, have your social care policy in place so you know exactly where to take things from there. You'll find that this will bring you increased customer loyalty and more new customers.

There's absolutely no downside to good social care.

When you want to discuss some best pratices about social care for your franchisees, connect with me on LinkedIn and let's chat further.

I'm not just a speaker on customer service.

I've focused my entire career developing ways to help companies communicate better with their customers.

Great customer service is sought by most everyone.

Businesses go out of their way to give good customer service. Some make it; some don't.

Customers go out of their way looking for companies that give great customer service. Some find it; some don't.

We have tried so very hard to explain to both sides - the customer and the business, it's not rocket science; it's not brain surgery. It's plain old common sense.

But you and I know common sense is not out there.

Our book Customer Service Nightmares is proof that people love to vent. They love to report on how badly they've been handled.

I cannot count the number of articles out there on customer service. Some are good, some not; some have new ideas; some speak the old tried and true.

And that's where Telephone Doctor customer service training comes into play; plain old customer service.

We call it 'Back to Basics.' You can imagine I have hundreds, if not thousands of ideas, tips, skills and techniques to share.

Today we bring you 15; fifteen good customer service tips that are good old common sense thoughts.

Here we go:

  1. "Please" and "thank you" always have been, and always will be, powerful words. Seldom overused.
  2. "You're welcome" is the best replacement for "no problem."
  3. "Sorry 'bout that" is not an apology. It's a cliché. "My apologies" is much better.
  4. A frown is a smile upside down. Stand on your head if you must; but SMILE, darn it!
  5. You cannot do two things well at once. Pay attention to the call or the customer.
  6. One word answers on email or in person are considered cold and rude. Three words make a sentence.
  7. Learn what phrases frustrate your customers. They're probably the same ones that bother you.
  8. When was the last time you sent flowers to someone just because?
  9. Drop a personal handwritten note to a client and just say "thanks for being a good client."
  10. "Hey how 'ya doing?" is not a great way to start up a conversation.
  11. Out with friends or family? Put the cell phone away. Talk for 30 minutes. (If you remember how.)
  12. Email manners? The same as phone and in person.
  13. The old "don't tell 'em what you can't do; tell 'em what you can do" applies to most, if not all, customer interactions.
  14. Get excited!
  15. Oh, and smile. That needed to be said twice.

When you want a customer service training program that just works, connect with me on LinkedIn and let's talk.

# # #

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

Some franchisors will blame their customer service problems on their part-time help. They're saying that the part-timers are just that. "Part Timers." They don't want to take responsibility. They don't want to take ownership. They just want to take the money and run. They can't wait to get off work. Not, true.
 
In reality, what I've found are few franchisors have some sort of new employee orientation or training on customer service or telephone skills.

Sure, there's product training. ('Ya gotta know where everything is, don't ya.? ) But when it comes to the customer service Training, most simply tell the new employees to "smile and be nice."

If you're operating a franchise; ask yourself what type of customer relations training you have in your store. And if there's not one - Think again

The good news is, if you'll read on, we're going to give you a training program. Right here, on paper. All you'll need to do is gather the folks you've hired together - and explain you're doing a customer service training program.

"Gee, Nancy, I'm so busy doing other things. There's just no time for that type of training. . "That's not my job," I hear a lot of times from managers and owners. "We're just too busy to stop and train." Too busy to be nice? Too busy to teach your employees? Think again.

It's up to each and every owner or manager to provide some sort of customer service training.

Just putting them on the floor or at a counter and telling them to, "be nice" or "tell everyone to have a good day," is not customer service training.

Whether your customers call you or come into the store, or call you... following these Telephone Doctor ground rules can help make your store the one the customer wants to come back to.

It will give you the competitive edge.
 

Ground Rule # 1 - GREET CUSTOMERS FIRST

Make it a game. If a customer says "hello" first, you lose. It's amazing how often you can go into a store - any store - walk around - touch things - look at prices - and walk out. All without anyone saying anything to you. The minute a customer walks into the store - the sales staff needs to be the one to say hello first. It's their job to say hello first. It's not the customer's job to do it. That first friendly hello sets the stage - sets the tone to make sure the customer is in the right place.

Ground Rule #1 - A. DON"T JUST ASK "CAN I HELP YOU?"

And if your staff is simply saying, "Can I help you with anything?" As they say in the Sopranos'... fagetaboutit.

"Can I help you with anything?" is weak and ineffective.

Better to use, "so glad you're here - what in particular are you looking for that I can help you with." That will go much further than, "can I help you?" 
 
Ground Rule # 2 - SMILE

Right. It's that simple. Make smiling on the job a condition of employment...and grounds for termination. Tell your staff that item in the interview process. "We smile here." It's a simple statement - and a powerful sales tool. Don't relent on this one - ever! I recently heard about a young man, about 17, who quit his job 2 weeks after he started. When his folks asked, "Why?"... his answer was: "They drove me crazy...they wanted me to smile all the time."
 

Ground Rule # 3 - ENTHUSIASM COUNTS

Dale Carnegie said it first. And my father said it second. He used to tell me, "enthusiasm is a disease - let's start an epidemic." And how true that is. When a customer brings something to the counter for you to ring up... Or even tells you what they want on the phone: get excited. Let them know you care. When the customer sees, feels and hears your enthusiasm you'll ring up a lot more sales. And your enthusiasm is a great setup for up selling or cross selling.
 

Ground Rule # 4 - DON'T POINT - GO SHOW

How many times have you walked into a store, asked for something - and the sales person either just nods you to the item or only points to the direction without saying anything. When and if possible - walk with the customer to the area they need. If that becomes impossible...cheerfully direct the person to what they need...and give clear, easy, and most important - friendly directions. "Aisle 3, on your right" is clear and easy...but not very friendly.

This is friendly:

"The New widgets? Sure, we have them. They're great. You'll find them right past the flower section...in aisle 3 - it'll be on your right hand side. Right next to the Elephant Display. (Using landmarks helps.) Let me know if you're not able to locate them and I'll get someone to help you.'

Clear, easy and friendly directions. Pointing is plain rude. (Ask any waiter to direct you to the restroom and 100% of the time they point. It's possible to give clear directions to that area, too.)
 

Ground Rule # 5 - PLEASE, THANK YOU AND YOU'RE WELCOME

Yes...still the most favorite words to all customers. I used to be embarrassed in my training programs to remind the attendees to use those words. But every time I'm out shopping, I'm reminded that it needs to be taught. It still surprises me. Because those are the very first words a parent teaches a child.

There's not a 3 year old that hasn't been told - "Tell the lady thank you, Bobbie - go on - Bobbie, you can say it. Tell her thank you." Many parents won't let the other person go until the child has said "thank you."

We spend hours teaching our kids those words...and then at age 16 - what happens?
 

Ground Rule # 6 - PRETEND IT'S YOU

Ask your staff to make believe it's them walking into the store trying to purchase something. How would they like to be treated? Tell them every customer will go away thinking one of two ways. Either, "Hey those guys were great".... or "Hey, I'm never gonna go back there again." And if they think that's not their problem, tell them to think again. Because if the customers don't come back...you close up...and they're out of a job. Then it is their problem. Simple.
 

Ground Rule # 7 - GO BACK THROUGH GROUND RULE 1 - 6

You cannot go over these items too many times. If you - as a business owner/ manager do not currently have some sort of customer service training program for your staff in place as you read this, tear this article out - gather your staff together, and go over these items with them, before the store opens.

Consider posting this article in an area employees check. How about a bulletin board? Put this article in their paycheck. Have them read this aloud. They need to know you are serious about Customer Service. It's not just a passing fancy.

Franchising is challenging in the best of times. And in these demanding times, even more so. Be extra good to your customers.

Have a training program for your staff.

You're welcome.  But if you need more information about how to keep an effective customer training program going, drop me a line on LinkedIn using the business card below.  We have the right programs for you.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

There are many, many ways to sabotage your business. And, chances are, your staff is doing some of these now, without your even knowing it - on the phone and in person. And worse yet, you've probably even heard some of this yourself (ouch!). That's the bad news. 

The good news is we're able to bring to you the top five sabotage practices and then show you how to neutralize the effects.

So get ready. You and your staff are about to be in a much better position to handle the Five Ways to Sabotage Your Business today:  

       1. I Have No Idea 

This is normally used as an excuse more than anything else. It's a sure sign that the employee has not been shown how to explain something to the customer. This phrase is used as something to say when the employee doesn't know what to say.  

When the customer hears "I have no idea" they immediately respond (usually silently) with, "you gotta be kidding me?" Interestingly enough, there normally is a certain blank stare accompanying this statement. Sad.  

      2.   It's Not My Department  

Well, then whose is it? Let's remember one of our Telephone Doctor mottos: Tell the customer what you do, not what you DON'T do. If you get a call and someone asks for something that you don't handle, it's far more effective to say, "I work in the paint department. Let me get you to someone in the area you need." 

This is far more effective than telling someone it's not your department. And please don't say, "YOU have the wrong department." Take full responsibility with the "I" statement.  

      3.   I Wasn't Here That Day (or I was on vacation when that happened)  

This one really makes me laugh. Does that excuse the company? I don't remember asking them if they were there that day. Do you really think the customer cares if you weren't there when their problem happened? Honestly, they don't, so that's not even an issue to discuss. Just tackle the problem head on. Apologize without telling them where you were...or weren't. Remember, you ARE the company whether you were at work or on vacation when the issue occurred. 

    4.   I'm New

SO? Okay, you're new. Now what? Does being 'new' allow you to be anything but super to the customer? When the customer hears this sabotaging statement, do you really think they say, "Oh, so you're new? So that's why I'm getting bad service? Well, then that's okay...you're new. Now I understand."  

Yes, even if you are new, the customer honestly believes you should know everything about your job.  

Here's the Telephone Doctor answer on this one. Tell the customer, "Please bear with me, I've only been here a few weeks." That will buy you time. And a bit of sympathy. For whatever reason, hearing the short length of time you are with the company means more to the customer than, "I'm new." Again, I'm new is more of an "excuse." Remember to state the length of time. It's a creditability enhancement. "I'm new" is a creditability buster. 

      5.   Silence on the Phone or a Blank Stare in Person  

I called the doctor's office the other day and asked to change my appointment. It went down like this: 

"Hi, this is Nancy Friedman. I have a 9 a.m. appointment with Dr. Ring and I need to move it to later in the day." 

Then NOTHING for about 10 - 15 seconds. Zip/nada/zilch.  

So I said, "Hello? Are you there?" 

A very irritated voice came back with, "I'm checking." Wouldn't it have been nice for her to tell me that? Ah, if the doctors only knew. 

What's Next?  Why Not book Nancy as Keynote Speaker to Help You with Your Customer Service. Click here to BOOK HER TODAY! You'll be glad you did!

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

 

After survey after survey, we found these are the top five word phrases which kill sales.

They are conversation diverters. Just as ALWAYS and NEVER are conversation diverters, these five killer word phrases will make your customers and your potential customers veer away from the real point of your conversation. 

So best we eliminate them from our routine and vocabulary. It's not easy to do. If it were easy to do, everyone would be doing it...and we know everyone isn't doing it. 

Remove these 5 Killer word phrases from your sales.

"It's not our policy."- Ouch! Okay, okay, most every company has policies and it's something we need to deal with on a daily basis I'm sure. What we realized was it's not necessarily the policy that's frustrating, it's blurting out first and foremost, "It's not our policy" or in some cases it's "their" policy.

The policy needs to be rephrased so that it starts off in a more positive way. We like to say "rejecting gently." And rephrasing policies are a good way to explain what's not gonna happen. 

Next time you find yourself saying, "That's not our (their) policy." Stop. Regroup and reword. Buffer it with, "Let me see what we can do. Normally the policy of that company doesn't allow last minute changes. (The request MUST be stated so the customer hears that you're going to go to bat for them.) However, we can sure tackle this." 

What happens here is sometimes when we go back on behalf of the client, it works. And then sometimes it doesn't. But at least we double checked. And we didn't just slough it off with, "I'm sorry. It's not our/their policy." 

2. "Our computers are so slow." - Big excuse. Everyone's computer runs slow every once in a while. When you complain about your computer it's as though, you're complaining about your company. That's how it's perceived. And perception is reality. Take the time to say, "This might take a bit longer than I'd like it to. Tell me about..." and then ask a benign question that will take time and let the customer talk. 

While most people do understand slow computers, they don't like it. It kills the conversation. 

3. "Calm Down." - Oh man does that make the hair on the back of their neck stand up. In any movie or TV show I've watched lately when someone is told to "calm down," the next words are, "Don't you tell me to calm down." 

Bill O'Reilly said that to a guest the other night. And the guest slammed back at him "don't you tell me to calm down."

There are times when the client may need to vent. Your job is to listen and come in at the appropriate time with sympathetic and empathetic wording. Instructions on how to handle something is one of the last things they need. Get rid of "calm down." 

4. "No Problem." - And they're thinking, "When was I a problem?" Believe we can thank the 'islands' for this one. When we take a cruise and ask for anything, what's the first thing the waiter says? Right, "no problem." 

Well on the cruise it may be ok; however, back home it should be "you're welcome," "my pleasure," "happy to help," and a host of other ways to let the customer know you're glad to do that.

No problem appears to be a big problem with your customers. Lose it. It kills the conversation. 

5. "Yes, but..." - Hmm what's wrong with that? We all say it. Well, what's wrong with that is the minute we say "yes, but," the client knows something negative is coming. 

If you have ever said, "I love you so much, but..." There's a condition coming, isn't there? Here's one way to change that: "Yes, we can do that. There is, however, a $50 additional fee." Doesn't that sound better than, "Yes but..."? 

Most people have phrases and sayings they don't like or that aggravate them. Keep a list of your killer words (along with ours) and avoid them.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

OK! OK! Yes, there are certainly more than 21 ways to gain the Customer Experience, but rather than overwhelm you, we wanted to start out with a palatable number.

And 21 sounded like a good number to me. Any one of these tips will produce better relations in your customer service.

The idea is to bring UNEXPECTED GREAT customer service. Things that most other folks don't do!   

1.      Smile! All the time. Right. Don't kid yourself. Just as it can be seen in person, it can be heard on the phone. So as NIKE says...Just Do It!  

2.      Say something nice at least once a day to someone. I was at the St. Louis airport a while back and the skycap came up to me and said, "Are you going first class or does it just look that way?" That was over 10 years ago and it still seems like yesterday. People remember nice things, just as they remember the not so nice things. 

3.      Don't ever argue with a customer. You'll lose every single time. Don't even get into the ring with them. "Maybe you're right" is a great saying.  

4.      If you're sending something to a customer via any method, consider add a short personal note. Items received without any note or mention of transaction is perceived as cold and rude. A simple "Thank you" on company notepaper will do the trick. It says you stopped to do something special. 

5.      Use "WE" statements when possible rather than YOU. We is consultative and feels friendlier. And it's far less confrontational. 

6.       See someone walking into your store/branch/location/office? Say "HELLO" loud and clear. Ignoring people, even fellow employees, isn't good customer service. 

7.       Keep the fences in your organization low. We all know there needs to be rules, guidelines and policies. However, when there are so many of them, they can make doing business difficult. It's not worth it.  

8.        Be a double checker. Often, we can miss something or not know all the details. Most people appreciate hearing, "The last time I checked, we were out of stock on that; however, let me DOUBLE CHECK for you." That particular statement is so comforting. Everyone loves a double checker. 

9.        We cannot do 2 things well at once. If you're working with a customer, on the phone or in person, then focus on that person. Trying to type, or file, or do some paperwork while you're communicating with a customer is dangerous and rude. 

10.      If your attitude stinks, change it. No one - absolutely no one - wants to be connected with someone with a bad or negative attitude.  

11.      Respond rapidly. When you receive information from a client, it's a good thing to let them know you did receive it and will be working on it. That's good communication. 

12.      Extend a firm handshake when being introduced to a customer. And FIRM is the key word. That loose, fish like handshake is not a sign of confidence. FIRM is key. 

13.      Thank you notes are still thought of as GREAT. Take the time to jot several off a day to new, or better yet, older clients. Email thank you's are just OK. Unexpected is a personal note.  

14.      Use your name when you answer the phone. Everyone likes to know who they're talking with.  

15.      Use your listening skills more often. We all like to talk, mainly to show off how much we know. But listening to what the customer knows is much better. Let others have the stage. 

16.      It shouldn't take 2 people to give good customer service. Learn how to handle the situation yourself rather than trying to get rid of it by shipping it off to a co-worker or supervisor.  

17.      Show some empathy or sympathy when a customer complains. Doing or saying nothing when they feel they have a problem will put you in the doghouse fast. 

18.      Learn to say, "I apologize for what happened." Do something that will allow the customer to feel that you are apologizing. That quick, "Sorry 'bout that" statement sounds as though you're throwing the statement away.  

19.      Be prepared. If you're in customer service, or any front line position, expect things to happen. Be prepared is not just for the Boy Scouts. It's for anyone who works with customers. Prepare for the unexpected. 

20.     When in doubt, leave it out. Writing a letter to a client or calling them? If you're in doubt of using a certain word, leave it out or use something else. 

21.    Monogram the experience. Know their name; use their name.  Everyone likes to hear their name pronounced correctly.  Make sure you get it right. 

PS - Thanks for taking time to read and share this article.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

There are really more, we know that.

But what we have found after a fun survey from our clients is these five killer words always seem to rise to the top. 

They are conversation diverters. Just as ALWAYS and NEVER are conversation diverters, these five killer words will make your customers and your potential customers veer away from the real point of your conversation.  

So best we eliminate them from our routine and vocabulary. It's not easy to do. If it were easy to do, everyone would be doing it...and we know everyone isn't doing it.  

Remove these 5 Killer Words from your sales and presentations and watch the scene go smoother. 

1.      "It's not our policy." - Ouch! Okay, okay, most every company has policies and it's something we need to deal with on a daily basis I'm sure. What we realized was it's not necessarily the policy that's frustrating, it's blurting out first and foremost, "It's not our policy" or in some cases it's "their" policy. 

      The policy needs to be rephrased so that it starts off in a more positive way. We like to say "rejecting gently." And rephrasing policies are a good way to explain what's not gonna happen.  

      Next time you find yourself saying, "That's not our (their) policy." Stop. Regroup and reword. Buffer it with, "Let me see what we can do. Normally the policy of that company doesn't allow last minute changes. (The request MUST be stated so the customer hears that you're going to go to bat for them.) However, we can sure tackle this." 

      What happens here is sometimes when we go back on behalf of the client, it works. And then sometimes it doesn't. But at least we double checked. And we didn't just slough it off with, "I'm sorry. It's not our/their policy." 

2.   "Our computers are so slow." - Big excuse. Everyone's computer runs slow every once in a while. When you complain about your computer it's as though, you're complaining about your company. That's how it's perceived. And perception is reality. Take the time to say, "This might take a bit longer than I'd like it to. Tell me about..." and then ask a benign question that will take time and let the customer talk.  

      While most people do understand slow computers, they don't like it. It kills the conversation.  

3.   "Calm Down." - Oh man does that make the hair on the back of their neck stand up. In any movie or TV show I've watched lately when someone is told to "calm down," the next words are, "Don't you tell me to calm down."  

      Bill O'Reilly said that to a guest the other night. And the guest slammed back at him "don't you tell me to calm down."  

      There are times when the client may need to vent. Your job is to listen and come in at the appropriate time with sympathetic and empathetic wording. Instructions on how to handle something is one of the last things they need. Get rid of "calm down."  

4.   "No Problem." - And they're thinking, "When was I a problem?" Believe we can thank the 'islands' for this one. When we take a cruise and ask for anything, what's the first thing the waiter says? Right, "no problem."  

      Well on the cruise it may be ok; however, back home it should be "you're welcome," "my pleasure," "happy to help," and a host of other ways to let the customer know you're glad to do that.  

      No problem appears to be a big problem with your customers. Lose it. It kills the conversation. 

5.   "Yes, but..." - Hmm what's wrong with that? We all say it. Well, what's wrong with that is the minute we say "yes, but," the client knows something negative is coming.  

      If you have ever said, "I love you so much, but..." There's a condition coming, isn't there? Here's one way to change that: "Yes, we can do that. There is, however, a $50 additional fee." Doesn't that sound better than, "Yes but..."?  

Most people have phrases and sayings they don't like or that aggravate them. Keep a list of your killer words (along with ours) and avoid them. 

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

Frustrations with Cell phone remains high.

In a recent Telephone Doctor survey, we received the following cell phone 'frustrations' from all over the country.

Is yours on this list?

There were more; however, these were at the top of the list.

  • Talking on a cell phone while conducting business. 
  • Answering a cell phone while talking to someone else in person. 
  • Talking loudly in a store/restaurant. 
  • Not using the vibrate feature when at work or in a public place. 
  • Talking on your cell phone when you're in the car with others. 
  • Using your speakerphone in public. 
  • Initiating a cell phone call when others are present. 
  • Talking on your cell phone and landline at the same time. 
  • Using call waiting. What? I'm not important enough to finish our conversation? 
  • People with 'awful' voice mail messages. 
  • Not answering when called when we know you're there. 
  • When the first thing a person asks is, "Where are you?" 
  • Having to listen to the chirps and weird rings and tones some cell phones make.

So then what are the 5 voice mail frustrations which are probably on your cell phone voice mail right now?

  1. Hi, I'm not here/ or not available right now. (DUH. That's a hot lot of news. We know that. That's why your voice mail answered) 
  2. Your call is very important to me. (Right, then why aren't you there?) 
  3. I'm sorry I missed your call. (Well sometimes we're not. Besides that's a pretty useless statement.) 
  4. I'll call you back as soon as possible. (Now what's wrong with that? Well... Your ASAP may be different from my ASAP and we'll never exceed anyone's expectation with ASAP. Simply state "And I will return the call." 
  5. Not giving caller an 'out' or another way to reach the party; i.e. Another phone number, a person, or an email to locate them.

When was the last time you checked your own message? Probably time to do that.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

Do your customers care?  I'm willing to bet they do when it comes to themselves.  While that may sound selfish, lets keep in mind that your customers buy from you based on what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.  The problem is that many business people seem to forget that.

I was at a local electronics retailer the other day looking for an item that was advertised in their flyer.  When I got there, the item was nowhere to be found.  When I asked about it, the guy behind the counter went on in great lengths how the factory in the US shipped it late and it went to the head office instead of the store, and on and on.

Do I need to know this?  Of course not.  Did this make me feel better about leaving empty handed?  No way.  And to make matters worse, he couldn't tell me when the item would actually arrive.

"But the sale will be over in two days." I said.  "Can I at least get a rain check so I can purchase it at the sale price when it arrives?"

What would you have said if you were the guy behind the counter?  A no brainer, huh?  Well this is what he told me: "Sorry sir, but we don't do rain checks.  It's our policy."  He then went on to explain that this item has been known to go on sale more than once throughout the year.  Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind.

A true story.

While you may have handled the situation differently, there are still times when we expect our customers to show sympathy when we are unable to provide five star service.  Sure, things beyond our control will happen that impact on our ability to keep our promises. 

Just don't expect your customers to care about them.

Instead, just deal with it head on.  Put yourself in the shoes of your customer.  Sometimes a "sorry" is enough.  Other times, some form of compensation may be appropriate.

Here's five questions to ask yourself next time one of your customers asks for something:

  1. Is my customer unhappy as a result of a transaction with my company?
  2. Could this customer potentially buy from me again?
  3. What is my cost in dollars to make this customer happy?  (It may be less that you think)
  4. How can I turn this situation into a win-win experience?  (Make this your top motivator)
  5. What would I want this person to say if asked of their experience with my company?

The most important thing any customer can give you is their trust.  If they believe that you will right any wrong and look out for them, they will be your customers for life.  And no amount of advertising will get you that.

By the way, I ended up taking the flyer to a national electronics retailer that had the product in stock and matched the sale price.

Marc Gordon is a professional speaker and marketing consultant based in Toronto, Ontario. His firm, Fourword Marketing, specializes in helping businesses create a brand identity and developing effective marketing campaigns.  Marc can be reached at (416) 238-7811 or visit his website, by clicking here

Recently a Telephone Doctor client said to me, "Nancy, congratulations. Some people take a simple idea and complicate it; you have taken a simple idea and kept it simple."

We don't believe you should scratch your head and wonder when you're being shown an idea or technique. That old KISS method (Keep it Simple Simon) is the best. So we have purposely kept all of the material in our programs simple - yet very effective.

I've heard: "Hey what you do is just plain old common sense." You bet it is. You won't get an argument out of us. But you and I all know that common sense just isn't that common. If it were, everyone would be doing it and we know everyone isn't.

Our DVD program ESSENTIAL TELEPHONE SKILLS is just that. A basic, common sense program - uncomplicated, yet effective. Ideas, tips, skills and techniques that everyone should be doing, but they're not.

So, this article is for those that simply want basic, common sense, healthy, usable techniques. Below are 5 of our 10 basic skills that are ESSENTIAL for better communications and handling of customers and, believe it or not, each other.

1. Answering a Business Call

Well, what's so difficult about that? HUH? Right! It's not difficult. But if I called 100 people within your own organization, I'm betting I'd get a number of various ways that people answer the phone.

At Telephone Doctor we believe there should be one, uniformed method of greeting to answer the call by everyone, every time. Simple.

To start, use buffer words that welcome the caller, such as, "Thanks for calling," then your company name and then your name.

As in, "This is Sue." Then stop! Anything after your name erases you name.

"How can I help you" is simply NOT necessary on that initial greeting. You are there to help. That's why you answered the phone. It looks like this: "Thanks for calling Telephone Doctor's office. This is Nancy." Nice and simple, isn't it?

2. Thanking a Caller for Holding

Being put on hold remains one of the top 3 frustrations of the American public. That being said, it's something that often needs to be done during a phone call. Knowing how to put someone on hold is certainly important, but then so is thanking them for holding after you've come back to the phone. Again, simple.

But how often is it done. I'm amazed at the number of times I'm put on hold and when the person comes back to the phone, they just start back in on the conversation like they weren't even gone. (Sort of like stepping on someone's toes and not says 'excuse me.')

And normally they're gone longer than they should be.

So that "thank you for holding" sure would sound nice and would sure be appreciated. I always wonder why they don't thank me for taking the time to stay with them. Do you wonder that as well?

3. Monogramming the Call

For whatever reason, we all seem to like our name. Maybe not when we're children, but as we grow, we become used to our name and like it. I have many items on my desk and at home that have my name engraved on them. Some just initials. But it makes them 'mine' and I'd probably never pitch them in a cleaning out process.

Why? Because they have my name on it. Most people save things with their name or initials on them. Same thing should happen on a phone call. When you know the caller's name, use it.

Don't abuse it, but do include it throughout the conversation. Most people like to hear their name. And they want to hear it pronounced properly and spelled right.

Don't be afraid to ask the caller the correct pronunciation of their name if you're not sure. They'll appreciate it! It's a heck of a lot better than you butchering their name.

Don't assume on the spelling of a name. ASK! Are you aware there are 19 different ways to spell the last name of NICHOLS in the New York phone directory? Not everyone spells their name the same way. Tom, Thom, Christy, Kristy, Charlie, Charley, John, Jon, Lynn, Lynne. Well, you get the idea. GET IT RIGHT!

4. Avoiding Mouth Noises

The telephone is a microphone. When you talk with something in your mouth, it sounds as though you have a mouthful of MUSH. Be it gum, candy or just finishing lunch. The only thing that should be in our mouth when you're on the phone is your tongue. Rule #1: EMPTY YOUR MOUTH BEFORE YOU PICK UP THE PHONE!

5. Leaving a Positive LAST Impression

Most of us have been taught about making that great first impression. And yes, that's so very important. That old saying, 'you don't get a second chance to make a great first impression' is so true. Well, consider making a great last impression as well. Don't screw it up at the end of the call. Let the caller know, "It was nice to meet you by phone" or "thank you for calling" or "we appreciate your call." Something that will make that lasting positive impression, because when they hang up, they think to themselves either:

Wow that was a great call. Or man, I'll never call there again. How do you want your callers to remember you?

These are 5 great, simple, basic skills for you.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

While being interviewed on a local radio show, one of the co-hosts posed this question - "Errol, exactly what is customer service?" 

I don't ever remember being asked that particular question but here's my reply -"Customer service is a methodology that when put in motion, creates a customer's experience."  This definition is not specific to any particular industry nor does the size of the organization matter.

Now someone is probably wondering what I mean by methodology. When defining customer service as a methodology, I'm speaking of the systems that an organization chooses to put in place to provide a customer experience.

Ok, now someone may be asking "Errol, now what systems are you referring to? Allow me to explain.

When determining what your organization's customer service methodology will be, you are actually determining the experience your customer will receive when interacting with those within your organization. For instance, when your customer calls and your inbound call methodology dictates that persons answering calls will perform certain tasks while on the call and do so within a certain time frame, those requirements lead to the customer's experience.

When that person's performance review and salary increase is tied to their success in meeting the goals of that inbound call strategy, this too determines the customer's experience with your organization. If your strategy induces this person to be more concerned with meeting goals than taking the necessary steps and time for each customer's situation, this too creates an experience.

When creating core values for your organization, you are creating an experience for your customer. If words such as integrity, honesty, respect and valued are included in your core values, your customer should experience these words when interacting with your organization. Core values are the frame-work from which your customer service methodology is created. Every component of your strategy should be grounded in your core values.

When choosing your training methodology, once again you're creating an experience for your customer. Your customer is depending upon customer contact personnel to be experts on your products and services. Keep the customer's experience in mind when developing training programs. I suggest focusing on creating ambassadors for your organization.

Are customer contact personnel educated on your various products or services?

Have they actually utilized or experienced your products or services for themselves in order to gain the customer's perspective?

What tools will they need to provide a great customer experience?  

Be sure to equip them with basic soft skills training as one's ability to be pleasant and professional goes a long way in creating a positive customer experience.

When choosing who get's the opportunity to be the face of your organization through your hiring methodology, here again you're creating an experience for your customer. It's important to carefully establish your hiring criteria. What characteristics are critical for your customer contact personnel? Is industry experience more important than personality traits? Remember, you're attempting to create a great customer experience. Your hiring choices will bear fruit! Make sure it's good fruit!

When exercising your personnel management methodology, remember that this too creates an experience for your customer. Just as you must strive to make sound customer contact personnel hiring decisions, it's even more important to utilize sound management practices. Make sure managers have the proper tools required for this position - people skills, products and services knowledge, coaching skills, leadership skills and a good comprehensive understanding of the organization.

Should your customer contact personnel become frustrated with management practices, your customer will eventually be impacted. Employee turnover, discontent and low productivity all  create an experience for your customer. Manage employees in a way that will certainly lead to a great customer experience.

When developing complaint resolution methodology - you got it - you're creating an experience for your customer. We all know that sometimes mistakes are made or things get left undone.

When these errors happen, the need for a quick and thorough resolution is paramount. Is your methodology in this area customer friendly? 

Does every resolution require a supervisor/manager's approval or are your customer contact personnel equipped with options for a speedy resolution?

Are you tracking customer complaints for patterns and trends?

Doing so allows one to identify possible operational issues which once corrected will alleviate repeat complaints which in turn - you guessed it - creates a positive customer experience.

When choosing the methodology to get your customer's opinion regarding your products or services - one more time - you're creating an experience for your customer.

We all know the value in getting the customer's opinion. Most love the opportunity to let you know exactly what they think of your organization.

Make it easy for them to do so as the more customer feedback you receive, the more data you have to make decisions. Do you need to make adjustments to your product or services? Do your customer contact personnel need additional training? Provide regular feedback opportunities  in order to stay current on what's important to your customer.

 These various methodology components create an organizational customer service system which in turn creates customer experiences. Examine your methodologies to insure that they all are geared toward providing what's important to your customer. Now put them all in motion and create great customer experiences!

Long ago a good friend once told me, "Nancy, the training your company provides is common sense that's actually NOT very common!"

There's a lot of truth to that statement. Yet years later, rudeness and low service levels still plague franchises.

We hope you enjoy taking this customer service quiz to test how common your common sense is. 

  1. "How can I help you?" belongs:
    1. In the initial greeting.
    2. In the message taking scenario.
    3. Nowhere. I'm not able to help anyone.
  2. When I'm not able to help a customer, I should:
    1. Tell them honestly & thank them for their business and hang up.
    2. Give whatever information I can, right or wrong. Wrong information is better than no information.
    3. Get help immediately and advise the person help is on the way.
  3. When I'm having a bad day, I should:
    1. Not bother coming into work.
    2. Leave my troubles at the doorstep like the song says.
    3. Tell all my co-workers my troubles to get it off my back.
  4. Chewing gum at work is:
    1. OK.
    2. A bad breath refresher.
    3. Downright rude and obnoxious. Fugetaboutit!
  5. A mirror at my desk will:
    1. Keep my ego in check.
    2. Remind me to smile BEFORE I pick up the phone.
    3. Give me bad luck if it breaks.
  6. Basic customer service skills are important to me because:
    1. Everyone needs a refresher.
    2. I need a lot of help.
    3. I never learned any.
  7. Internal customer service means:
    1. Be nice to others who come into my office.
    2. The customer is giving me a stomachache.
    3. Treating my co-workers as customers.
  8. When using voice mail and leaving a message I should:
    1. Leave my phone number twice and slowly.
    2. Leave a good clean joke to keep them smiling.
    3. Not leave a message...just call back till I reach them.
  9. Irate callers/customers are important to our company because:
    1. It's fun to handle those kinds of calls.
    2. At least we get a second chance to make it right.
    3. I finally get to yell back.
  10. Asking questions of the customer will:
    1. Aggravate them.
    2. Show I'm interested in helping.
    3. Be considered being too nosy.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

I have been giving you some powerful tips about customer service, which I hope you have been able to implement.  If changing your customer service culturre has been hard, we do have a system for you that just plain works.

ServiceSkills.com is a powerful web-based learning platform which offers your team access to a complete library of customer service and communication training resources. This system features streaming video chapters, quizzes, post-quiz feedback, key points reminders and certificates of completion. An administrative management system is also included.

ServiceSkills.com is a hosted solution, meaning there's no hardware to buy or software to install on your network. Your team will sharpen skills and improve performance using any web browser. The platform is intuitive to operate which reduces the hassles common with other online learning.

Content is powered by Telephone Doctor, America's favorite customer service training brand, which has helped over 30,000 organizations improve the way they communicate. ServiceSkills.com is available via an annual, all-inclusive subscription and pricing is based on the usage tier level that fits your needs.

Here is a short introduction to the platform. We will ask you for your email about a 1 minute into the video, but do review the entire video before you decide to get on our mailing list. We are interested in those franchises with a serious intent to train and implement new customer service skills.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

There are many costly mistakes in business. With this challenging environment; don't make these mistakes.

We're only listing five right; there are many more.  But, let's start here.

MISTAKE 1: NOT SMILING

Insanely simplistic. On the phone or in person, we need to understand a smile works. In person yes, you can see it...and on the phone, yes, you can hear a smile. Don't feel like smiling? Well, smile anyway. The customer doesn't care if you feel like smiling or not. It's better to have the customer think your office is closed than to have the phone answered or greet someone in person without a smile and in a negative mood.

MISTAKE 2: NOT ACKNOWLEDGING A CUSTOMER'S REQUEST OR PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY.

Requests and problems need to be handled sooner than later. Delaying a request or at least not immediately acknowledging it can cause more problems than the original request. Delaying handling a problem makes the problem bigger. Use Telephone Doctors' Rapid Response mentality.

MISTAKE 3: IMMEDIATE REJECTION OF A REQUEST

Be a "double-checker." It's easy to tell people, "We don't have it", "Sorry, it's past the deadline" or "We ran out of that." Instead, use a soft rejection: Something like: "The last time I checked it wasn't available, let me double-check for you." This simple statement immediately defuses some of the tension of not being able to fulfill a request. And often when we do double-check, we find a way to get what the person wanted after all. Be a double checker.

MISTAKE 4. GIVING A PRICE WHEN THEY CALL or WALK IN.

"Hi, how much is a widget"? Answer: $10.75. "Ok, thanks, bye". DANGEROUS! Try not to ever give a price at the top of the conversation. Consider: "We have several types of widgets. Which were you interested in hearing about?' Or, 'Our widgets come in a variety of shapes and colors. Tell me what you're looking for". Or "how many did you need? There's a nice discount with 3″. Anything but giving the price right out at the top of the conversation- if you can help it.

MISTAKE 5. FORGETTING WHAT MOM TAUGHT YOU.

You're right. Not using Please, thank you and you're welcome will lose business for you in a hurry. No matter how much or how little money someone has, they all need and want to be appreciated and treated well. Those three little phrases are critically important to today's business world. See, I told you "mom was right". Thanks Mom.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.


A few years ago, I interviewed and subsequently hired a woman for a position on the phones at our office. At Telephone Doctor, our customer service techniques are a condition of employment.

In this particular case, the young lady we interviewed was spectacular. She said the right thing. She looked right. She was the most positive, upbeat, happy individual we'd seen in a long time. We laughed and had a wonderful interview. Her laugh seemed contagious. Her beautiful smile was constant. Her positive mental attitude was perfect. She had faced much adversity in her life and she explained how she handled it with the same great mentality.

Her name was Carol.

I was impressed. After she left I thought about her. "Gee," I thought to myself, "what a special person this could be for us." Carol came back a day or so later for the 2nd interview. Again, the same wonderful personality. Her friendliness was so natural, so outgoing you wanted to bottle it. Bingo - Carol was hired on the spot. Everyone I introduced her to was very excited.

She went into our training program with gusto. She learned the Telephone Doctor products quickly and after three or four weeks we put Carol on the phones, to call our clients.

One day, shortly after she was put on the phones, I was walking past her office. I paused to listen to her thinking how great she'd be. Well, I almost fell over. Here was the same lady, but her entire personality had changed. The voice I heard was downbeat; almost depressing. There sure was no smile in her voice. The conversation she had going with a client was stilted and cold. One word answers. It was, to put it mildly, shocking and frankly, embarrassing.

I quickly called Carol into my office. "Carol," I said, "what happened? When we interviewed you a few weeks ago, you were wonderful. You were so cheerful, so happy, so full of life. Your voice had a personality I wanted to bottle. And now, while I was listening to you, it seemed as though you were an entirely different person. Your voice was down, there was no personality. You seemed cold and unfriendly. What happened?"

"Oh," she said without missing a beat and very firmly, "when we interviewed - that was different. We're like friends. That was fun. These are business calls. That's different."

"Wrong" I said, "these are our business friends and they need to be treated as such." I told her if she was going to give me half her personality I'd give her half her pay.

P.S. - Carol doesn't work here anymore.

Think about your interview. Did you tell the person you interviewed with you loved people? That you're a "people" person? That you loved to be busy? Did you smile during the interview to impress them? Why be any different to your customers?

Remember, customers are our business friends and deserve the same treatment as that 'great' interview you gave.

Don't be a "Carol." Be you. Be the person they interviewed. All the time.

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

What unprofessional behavior irritates you the most when, as a consumer, you are interacting with another company? At Telephone Doctor we hear a lot of what bothers the public.

It's important to know that customer service that is perceived as rude is not always intentional and often is the result of absent-mindedness or carelessness on behalf of an employee. Either way, bad customer service can translate into lower sales and lost business.

Based on Telephone Doctor surveys, we've compiled 15 customer service NO NO's. They are listed below along with Telephone Doctor's guidelines on how to do it better. Believe me, there are plenty more. These are at the top of the list.

If any of your folks are guilty of these, it's time for some action. Otherwise you may have an image problem that could sabotage your effort to produce and market great products.

15 TOP NO NO's

1. Employees are having a bad day and their foul mood carries over in conversations with customers. (Yes, everyone has bad days every once in a while, but employees need to keep theirs to themselves.)

2. Your employees hang up on angry customers. (Ironclad rule: We never hang up on anyone. When we hang up on someone, we label ourselves as rude.)

3. Phone calls or voice mail messages are not returned. (All calls are to be returned or have calls returned on your behalf.)

4. Employees put callers on hold without asking them first, if they are able to hold . . . as a courtesy. (Ask customers politely if you can put them on hold; very few will complain or say "No way!")

5. Employees put callers on a speakerphone without asking if it's OK first. (It's the nice thing to do, as a courtesy.)

6. Employees eat, drink or chew gum while talking with customers on the phone or face-to-face. (Chew away from the customer. And save that stick of gum for break time by yourself.)

7. Employees make personal calls (or text) on cell phones while working with customers. (RUDE, RUDE, RUDE!)

8. Employees forget to use the words "please," "thank you," or "you're welcome." (Your mother was right. Please use these words generously. Thank you.)

9. Employees hold side conversations with friends or each other while talking to customers. (A big customer frustration.)

10. Employees seem incapable of offering more than one-word answers. (One-word answers come across as rude and uncaring.)

11. Employees use a lot of words that are grounded in company or industry jargon that many customers don't understand. (If you sell tech products, for example, don't casually drop in abbreviations such as APIs, ISVs, SMTP or TCP/IP.)

12. Employees request that customers call them back when it's 'not so busy.' (Customers should never be told to call back. Request the customer's number instead and you call them back.)

13. Employees rush customers, forcing them off the phone or out the door at the earliest opportunity. (Rushing threatens customers - take your time.)

14. Employees obnoxiously bellow, "What's this in reference to?" effectively humbling customers and belittling their requests. (Screening techniques can be used with a little more warmth and finesse. If a caller/customer has mistakenly come your way, do your best to point them in the right direction. And yes, with a smile.)

15. Employees freely admit to customers that they hate their jobs. (This simply makes the entire company look bad. And don't think such a moment of candor or lapse in judgment won't get back to the boss.)

In defense of employees, customers can be rude too. And customer service jobs can often be thankless with little motivation or incentive to do the job right.  

Sadly, yes, customers can be rude and get away with it. Employees cannot if they want to help their companies succeed and keep their jobs as well. It is what it is.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

Doesn't matter what you're selling or providing, if you're a franchise owner and have a staff you have the same concerns.

How do we keep our clients (customers) or whatever you want to call them, you name it, happy and coming back? That's the big question.

Sadly there's not just one skill and definitely there are more than 3, but in order to get you off on the right foot here are 3 big ones you can start with today.

1. Listening Skills - "HUH?" "WHAT DID YA SAY?" and other caustic phases like that won't do. Every time you ask a customer what they said is a red flag to them. It simply says "I wasn't paying any attention to you."

Getting their order wrong says you weren't listening/paying attention. Sending the wrong information says you weren't listening/paying attention. And that goes for whether you're a fast food or a service provider.

Remember. We hear, but are we really listening? Are we paying attention?

2. Sympathy and Empathy - And being sure they know the difference.

* Sympathy - Sincerely feeling badly something happened and acknowledging it.

* Empathy - Understanding how a customer feels that something happened and acknowledging it.

Not acknowledging a situation is big cause for your customer to take their business elsewhere.

3. The Ability to Apologize Properly - Believe me, "SORRY 'bout that" is not an apology. When we screw up, make a mistake, or do something wrong, the words need to be, "My apologies." Not, "Sorry 'bout that."

Wrong change, wrong order, or wrong information is "MY APOLOGIES."

They say employees can only grasp 3 items at one time and for your information, it takes 21 days to change a habit. These are not overnight changes.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

The other day, someone asked me, "What's Customer Experience, Nancy?"

They had not heard the expression yet. And as I went on to explain, I realized it's not just one item, it's many things. How can you put the entire 'experience' into one word? Not sure we can.

And since 'customer experience' seems to be the new hot buzz word of the day, we wanted to share a few of the tips that will help make a better customer experience for you and your customer. Common sense that they are, they're not often done.

1. "No problem" is not a substitute for the gold standard of "you're welcome." "My pleasure" or "glad to help" will save the day and make a better customer experience.

2. "Sorry 'bout that" is not a replacement for "I apologize." When an error occurs, "sorry 'bout that" won't work. "I apologize" always helps make a better customer experience.

3. "Hey, how ya doing?" is not a good greeting, on the phone or in person. "How nice to talk/or see you/or meet you" brings the customer experience to the forefront.

4. Want to spoil a good customer experience quickly? Chew gum, crack your knuckles, cough or sneeze without covering your mouth and not saying excuse me. All these will ruin a good customer experience.

5. Just being 'nice' isn't going to create a great customer experience. You're suppose to be nice! Say or do something extra special to make it great.

6. Being on your cell phone or texting while helping a customer will completely ruin a good customer experience.

7. "Please," "thank you" and "you're welcome" will never go out of style. Use them often for that great customer experience.

8. Listening skills is one of the, if not THE, most important customer experience skill you can have.

9. Ownership (not passing the buck) is one of the best personal skills you can have when it comes to making a great customer experience.

10. No excuses help make a great customer experience. Excuses only say, "I'm not going to help you now."

11. We don't let the customer leave the store or off the phone until they're happy. We stick with it.

12. We stand up if we're sitting down when the customer comes into the store or we're at a tradeshow booth. We don't just stay seated. That's not a good customer experience.

13. While 13 is usually thought of as unlucky, this tip is the luckiest and I'm betting you already know what it is. YUP - smile! On the phone or in person, it can be heard. Your customers want to work with happy, upbeat people. That's what makes a great customer experience.

So you ask, what is customer experience? As you see, it's a whole lot of things. What it is NOT is brain surgery or rocket science.

There are hundreds of things that help make a great customer experience.

For the 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Franchising, a weekly report, click here & sign up.

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Reprinted with permission of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. Nancy Friedman is a featured speaker at franchise, association & corporate meetings. She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning & many others. For more information, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.

We  all will pay more for better service! So if you're a small business owner and if you're looking for ways to improve, read on. 

To get off on the right foot with your customers, whether you're a large or small retailer, whether your customers come to you via the phone or in person, here are the Telephone Doctor's Six Cardinal Rules of Customer Service.

Adapting these easy steps will make your day, and more importantly, make the customer's day a better experience for you and your company. 

Cardinal Rule # 1 - People Before Paperwork

When someone walks into your place of business, or calls you while you're working on something, drop everything for that person. Remember, paper can wait, people should not. We've all been abused when we go shopping and been ignored and we know how that feels. Let's not abuse our own customers. Remember: People before paperwork. 

Cardinal Rule # 2 - Rushing Threatens Customers

Sure, you may understand something real quick, but rushing the customer along will only lead to them feeling intimidated and you won't see them coming back to you. Take it easy. Remember, speed is not success! Trying to be "done" with a customer as quickly as possible is seen as being rude and uncaring. Take your time with each and every contact. 

Cardinal Rule # 3 - Company Jargon

Ever get a report from a company and not understand it? Some companies have company jargon that makes the CIA wonder what's up. Be very careful not to use your own company jargon on your customers. You and your employees may understand it very well, but the customer may not. And you'll only cause a lot of unnecessary confusion. Spell things out for your customers. Don't abbreviate. Remember, don't use military language on civilians. 

Cardinal Rule # 4 - Don't Be Too Busy To Be Nice

Hey, everyone's busy! That's what it's all about. Being busy does not give you carte blanche to be rude. Remember, you meet the same people coming down, as you do going up. They'll remember you. (What's worse than being busy? NOT being busy.) 

Cardinal Rule # 5 - "Uh huh" is not 'Thank You' -- "There ya go" is not 'You're Welcome'

How often do you hear these slang phrases? We need to remember 'Thank you' and 'You're welcome' are beautiful words. The customer cannot hear them too often. However, if you're telling your customers to "have a nice day," please say it with meaning! I recently had a checkout clerk tell the FLOOR to have a nice day. She wouldn't look at me. Make eye contact when you're saying something nice. 

Cardinal Rule # 6 - Be Friendly BEFORE You Know Who It Is

There's a good lesson to be learned here. The Telephone Doctor motto is: SMILE BEFORE you know who it is. It will earn you many classic customer service points. The customer needs to know you want to work with them, no matter who they are. Remember, sometimes it's way too late to smile and be friendly after you know who it is. 

Any one of these tips can boost your customer service!

Telephone Doctor, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, believes in helping small businesses get better at communicating with their customers.  Nancy Friedman, President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training is available to speak at your meetings.   314 291 1012 or www.nancyfriedman.com

We love Santa. The idea of a chubby old man shimmying down a chimney to bring toys to little girls and boys is awesome.

Santa is the freaking man.

He has flying reindeer, defies laws of space and time on Christmas Eve, and still maintains his rotund figure despite constant work-related stress. Additionally Santa possesses some sort of omniscience that allows him to determine the 'niceness' or 'naughtiness' of every living child. He also ages remarkably well and is able to coax the world's elf population to maintain a scalable enterprise without, apparently, much of a profit.

All of these things--and a host of others--make Santa really cool. Santa does all of this while maintaining a legendary secrecy. He is accountable to know one. Santa is a law unto himself.

It has come to my attention, however, that Santa hates call tracking.

Why?

Well, call tracking is about visibility. It is about allowing marketers to see into their performance. It is about holding marketing accountable and proving ROI. Call tracking is about determining if your marketing is actually making you money (or just wasting it).

Santa despises all these things. His so-called 'workshop' operation doesn't care about profits or losses. Nor does it care about ROI.

Santa only cares about creating toys for the world's children. Any tool that holds him accountable for his marketing spend is something that Santa does NOT support.

Are these appearances in malls actually useful marketing for Santa? Do they generate any new business for him? What about his occasional appearances in jewelry, Coca-Cola, or car commercials? Do any of these costly marketing efforts produce a Return-On-Investment?

Santa doesn't want to find out the answer to these potentially damning questions.

He wants the mall visits and the commercials to continue. He's treated like royalty when he makes these visits. Have you seen his gigantic throne at the mall? He gets free food and Mrs. Claus gets free swag. The attention and the rockstar treatment is addictive. Santa simply doesn't want to know if all of this so-called marketing is actually working.

He hates call tracking.

So, as much as we love Santa, we have to confess that we don't have much in common. We want to track the effectiveness of our marketing. We demand that every marketing tactic is measurable and quantifable with real data and real analytics. We don't engage in costly marketing activities and simply hope they work. We measure, optimize and improve.

Our clients don't have anything in common with Santa either. Sure they enjoy the jolly old elf as much as anyone, but when it comes to measuring marketing performance and proving ROI, our clients simply disagree with Santa. They don't understand his aversion to metrics.

Santa we love you but, you need to move into the new age of analytics. Ditch the 'brand and hope' strategy. Let's try to some real performance and metric based marketing.

Santa, stop hating. Please use call tracking to find out who has been naughty and nice. Don't play Scrooge and do read Our Secrets to Tracking Calls for Fun and Profit  (To conform with FTC regulations, Santa Claus did not write this post.  McKay Allen of LogMyCalls is responsible and you can contact me below.  Thanks.)

Let me first start by saying, I HATE buying cars.  Not a car guy, never have been, nor will I ever be.     That being said, it was time for the company to get a new vehicle.   I wasn’t sure what I wanted, or where to go, so I did what I only thought sensible. . . . I asked a couple of friends who had just bought vehicles.

A couple of them had used a car broker, who purchased vehicles from the US, but not knowing what I wanted, this seemed a little scary to me.    Another friend told me to go to the local auto mall and just drive vehicles until I found something I liked.   Boy, if you ever want to be ignored, go to a car lot and just look in windows of cars hoping for someone to come and ask you if you need help.  . . what an amazing experience.

And then a friend of mine told me to go see his friends at Brown Bros. Ford.     When I asked him why, he said because they took care of me.   Okay, it was worth a call or at least an email.  

Surprisingly enough, I got a response from the sales manager whom I was referred to within 15 minutes.  We talked on the phone, booked a meeting for the next day and when I showed up, he had a sales guy there to meet me and was already asking me all the right questions.

The long and short of the conversation is that I bought from Mike ([email protected]), not because they had a particular model on the lot, but because they took the time to ask questions, walk me through the options and answer my concerns without a lot of sales hype.

I ended up buying a car for more than I originally planned and purchased the extended warranty to go with it.

WHY?   Because these people practice customer service marketing.    I was handed off from one department to the other seemlessly.   I felt that I was being taken care of and not just another car that needed to be sold that day to make quota.    I was introduced to the service manager and explained how things work there and three days later I had a mailer mailed to me with a thank you note and a rewards card for continued client warranty.

These people realize that they received my business because someone else recommended me to them and that by treating me the same way, I will do the same.

Think of the experience you provide your clients.    What emotions are you creating?   What long term bonds are you forming and are you creating opportunities to develop brand champions?

Brown Bros. Ford does and it will earn them long term, profitable clients.

I am pleased to Get Them Noticed!

Is Your Restaurant Management Staff Social Media Proactive or Reactive? 

Delicately handling customer service issues has always been a skill restaurant managers have had to develop to be effective in their roles. 

Comforting complainers and fixing flaws in guests’ orders put all of the skills a manager has to the test. Successful managers are the ones who have a good mixture of quick thinking, empathy and a personal touch. 

But what happens when the world of restaurant customer service goes digitized? Will you have a manager who is savvy enough to know how the world is changing online and that even a quiet dining room could be booming with customer complaints? 

Restaurants are slowly but surely getting into the social media game, some using it as the main thrust of their marketing campaigns, while others are still in the dabbling phase. But no matter what the philosophy of your business is, the managers that you hire should have their eyes on the future and at least have some understanding the role the Internet plays in customer service. 

No matter how engaged your restaurant is in the social web, don’t hire someone who doesn’t understand anything about the online world of guest service. 

A new restaurant manager, especially one who is going to deal with customers on the front line and be able to satisfy the dissatisfied, has to bring some knowledge to the table about the use of social media by consumers. 

Customers who are highly engaged in the social web are now using their phones as the No. 1 way to voice complaints about customer service. They may not say a peep about it out loud to a waiter, host or manager, but they will let their friends and followers know. And for highly influential users in small and mid-sized towns, that could blow a hole in your business that you never saw coming. 

When interviewing prospective managers, ask them what they know about not just Twitter and Facebook, but review sites like Yelp!, check-in sites like FourSquare as well as YouTube, LinkedIn and others. What you are looking for is not so much expertise, but that they have an understanding of how the web is impacting the business. If they shrug their shoulders or say that they are going to just ignore it, it could be a sign of their level of concern for seeking out and correcting any problems that their diners have. 

What they should talk about is listening. The social web is best for that, even you if your business’ level of engagement is not very active. You and your managers should be keeping their ears out for any issues that arise, whether that is from someone sending their food back to the kitchen or someone Tweeting a message about not having any napkins. 

This has been a guest post by  Brian Bruce.  Brian Bruce is Vice President and Executive Restaurant Recruiter with Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City. Author of articles published online and in industry trade publications, he has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Executive Restaurant Recruiting. He can be reached at 877-948-4001, by email at [email protected] , or on his blog at HeadHunterBrian.com . 

Putting the Internet to Work was published in the Spring of 1997. Today, 14 years later, Putting the Internet to Work remains both current and relevant. More than anything, the passage of time shows that while technology may continue to advance, basic business principles do not change. Looking back from today, it is surprising how long it takes society to adapt to these technological changes.

Other than slight changes to current terminology and references to companies no longer in existence, this White Paper could have been written today. Back then there was a battle between "push" and "pull" technologies for distributing news. While the technology for distributing news is no longer in flux, it remains unclear just who will survive in this new era and who will bear the ongoing costs of gathering the news. Companies that were giants of their day, such as America Online (AOL), are now shadows of their former selves while new entrants such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Groupon are all working to ensure that they do not suffer the same fate as earlier Internet casualties. While all these companies appear to be commercial successes today, most have yet to prove they serve a viable long term purpose for which individuals (or businesses) will continue to pay for access.

Throughout my career, I have worked with many different businesses in multiple industries. A couple of these businesses warrant mention as being successful at utilizing Internet technology. I am particularly proud to have led the team that envisioned, developed and implemented the business model for distributing press releases online. This model, first introduced by Canadian Corporate News (now Marketwire) in 1996 has since been adopted by other newswire companies throughout North America.

Other information companies that have been successful at transitioning their services to the Internet include Lexis-Nexis, CCH, Reed Elsevier and Thompson Reuters, to name just a few. What these companies have in common is that all have adapted to the Internet without devaluing their content. The success of these companies should be studied.

Their success contrasts with the experience of the newspaper industry which continues to see declining revenues resulting from how they first decided to use the Internet more than fifteen years ago.

Of all the companies I have worked with during my career, the one that has most impressed me with their longevity and ongoing viability is Inquiry Management Systems (IMS). This business provides support services to the publishing industry. Throughout my 20+ year relationship with this company, I have seen the benefits of their long term commitment to understanding and utilizing the Internet throughout its business operations.

To my knowledge, they have never focused on Internet fads that are of questionable value. A low tech data gathering operation when it first started in 1979, IMS invested the time and resources to figure out the best way to integrate computer and Internet technologies to improve their internal operations and as a delivery mechanism for their clients. Their continued success is a testament to this strategy. Had I written this White Paper today, it probably would have focused on how IMS has embraced these technologies.

This White Paper continues to present a current look at how companies can make effective use of the Internet. While the Internet of 2011 is a vastly different mechanism than in 1997, it is clear that many businesses have been slow to understand how they can utilize this technology as an integral part of their internal operations, marketing strategy and for customer service.

There is an important lesson here for franchisors. The Internet is far more than an advertising medium or mechanism for bringing customers through the doors of their franchised businesses. I consider this to be the low hanging fruit for those that fail to understand the true potential of the Internet. It provides a short term justification for "embracing" the Internet without really understanding the true value of this medium. Advertising may even be effective for some businesses.

However, the more valuable benefits of "embracing" the Internet require more effort. Improved internal operations, better internal communications and enhanced customer relations are all more likely to lead to long term success than short term advertising initiatives. Those that invest in these opportunities are more likely to succeed even if the Internet is found not to be an effective advertising medium for their businesses.

I have chosen to republish  Putting the Internet to Work as an aid to Franchisors in understanding how the Internet can be better utilized within their businesses.  Hope you enjoy it.

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