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Newsletter | Fall 2009 • Volume 17 • Issue 3

Customer Service: Does It Still Exist?

Dear Readers,

In these tough economic times businesses are sometimes folding faster than an inexpensive card table. People are being pretty tight when it comes to spending money, especially discretionary income. They're also pretty particular when it even comes to the "necessities." They may actually be redefining what is necessary and what isn't.

Sometimes it bears repeating that customers are what keep businesses in business. As simple as that sounds, often businesses forget that. The trick is knowing how to get customers and then how to keep them. Losing them is actually pretty easy.

Many years ago I worked part time in a small retail store and the owner had a philosophy that crystallized the intent of mission statements: "The Customer Comes First." That's pretty clear. No need to discuss the meaning, wordsmith it, interpret it, or even put it on a plaque somewhere that no one really sees or reads.

We went out and interviewed several of our clients and discovered their "secrets." You'll find there really is no "secret," just good mastery of fundamentals.

Sincerely,

Dennis Hamilton
Editor

NEEDS AND PROBLEMS – YOUR BEST FRIENDS

Interview with Ron Milner, Inside Sales Representative, ADP

Ron Milner is an Inside Sales Representative for ADP, a company that provides work order forms for the auto industry. Ron has been involved in sales in a variety of industries since 1991.

We wanted to talk to Ron to see what his strategies are for acquiring customers and then keeping them.

Q: Ron, what is your first step in acquiring new customers?
Ron: Initially I get leads from a base line representative whose job it is to sell the computer hardware to automobile dealerships. That usually means contacting the office manager.

Q: What is your next step?
Ron: I then ask what the needs are. That may involve accounts payable checks, work orders, supplies and so forth. I never try to make a sale on the first phone call. I would come across as a telemarketer and I don't want to do that.

Q: Who else might you talk to?
Ron: I may need to establish a relationship with the parts manager, service manager, the finance person or the one in charge of the insurance. My main focus at this point is to find out who has the money to spend.

Q: What do you do then?
Ron: I must establish trust and work on building a relationship with the person. I let them know what my credentials are without being overbearing, and then I verify the needs.

Q: How do you get that trust?
Ron: It's all in following through on what they order. I absolutely have to make sure that first order goes through without a hitch, and then checking to make sure the customer received the order.

Q: Once you have your foot in the door, how do you retain the customer?
Ron: One of the things I initially do is send the customer a handwritten thank you card and I ask for his business card. Once I get that and see the quality of the card, I check with our printers to see if they could duplicate it, and then I get a price, which would probably be lower than what the customer could get locally.

I then get back to the customer, explain the price comparison and how I can set it up so he can order business cards from us at a lower price, and on his own without ever having to talk to me again. It usually works and now I've got add-on sales with no hassles.

Q: What if there is a problem? Aren't you in danger of losing the customer at that point?
Ron: Absolutely. But I look at problems as an opportunity to retain customers. I've found that most customers are pretty forgiving if you listen carefully to their complaint and let them vent. Then once you think you have a firm understanding of the situation, explain how you are going to solve it. Then, of course, follow through.

Q: That's a good way to look at customer problems.
Ron: My favorite customer is the one who calls on a Friday at 5:00PM and complains that he has been given the runaround and can't get an answer. That is a great opportunity for me to shine.

Ron's Formula

Identify Needs + Listening + Follow Through = Trust

A KEY TO GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

Interview with Cassie Turner, Member Relations Assistant
The Metropolitan Club of Chicago

Cassie is the face of The Metropolitan Club as Member Relations Assistant. She is most often found at the front desk, greeting members by name as they enter the club. She assists members in simple things like making reservations or helping them find a guest they are meeting whom they might not know by sight.

We talked with Cassie to discover her secret to making each and every member feel special.

Q: What do you think is good customer service?
Cassie: It’s treating people the way you want to be treated.

Q: How do you do that?
Cassie: I acknowledge people immediately, no matter where I am when I see them in the Club. In addition, I always give people warm welcomes, which includes a smile and eye contact so they know I am happy to see them, and am glad they are there. Whenever possible, I call the person by name. Using a person’s name as I greet them truly makes them feel special. Making a person feel special is the best customer service there is.

Q: How does giving a warm welcome add to good customer service?
Cassie: It allows people to know their needs are important to me. A warm welcome also indicates I am willing to help the person in any way possible. If I can’t provide the service they need myself, I find someone who can.

Q: How do you handle someone who is unpleasant?
Cassie: I kill the person with kindness. I love unpleasant people because I love to kill them with kindness, as it works very well all the time. Sometimes I think I make the person feel bad to see how nice I can be no matter how nasty they are.

Q: Are there other tips for handling someone who is unpleasant?
Cassie: Sometimes the person is unpleasant because they are uncomfortable. I can usually recognize when someone is uncomfortable and I try to resolve the problem for them.

Q: I know you spend a lot of time with members and potential members on the phone. What tips do you have concerning customer service on the phone?
Cassie: I always continue to smile. Although the person on the other end of the phone can’t see me smile, they can hear it in my voice. Members have told me they can hear my “smiley voice” over the phone and like it.

Cassie’s Final Words: You have to believe the customer is always right. Even if you know they are wrong, you have to believe in the way you treat them that they are right. Members and their guests respect you when you treat them right.

BUILDING ON GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

Discussions on Making a Memorable Experience 

Providing the best customer service is not always quite enough. Often it’s important to go one step beyond that great service to maintain and grow customer loyalty.

Q: How would you describe what it means to go beyond good customer service?

Teresa Hall Bartels, outgoing President of United Way International and former Manpower of Lake County franchisee: I believe you need to consistently exceed customer expectations to make every experience with your company positively memorable. When the customer has a positively memorable experience, they will continue to want to work with you.

Q: Using Teresa’s concept of making every experience positively memorable, we asked a number of clients that we’ve known over the years how they achieve that.

Lafayette Ford, Senior Vice President, Market Executive-Great Plains Region, Bank of America: It’s paying attention to the details. For instance, when planning a large function for your clients, it’s not just putting people at the “right” table and next to someone they will be able to talk with. You need to also make sure that at each table you have someone who will be able to keep the conversation going when it falters. You don’t want to have embarrassing moments when people are just looking at each other. They will remember that moment long after the event is over.

Nancy Briney, hostess extraordinaire: Nancy concurs with Lafayette. You want to always invite people who will “hold up their corners” and keep the conversation going.

Sharon Lawrence, Vice President of Human Resources, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare: I agree that it’s paying attention to the details. How you present yourself sends a message to your client that you respect and value the client enough to watch those details. For instance, when having a meeting over breakfast or lunch, I recommend you eat beforehand so that you can concentrate on the client rather than on eating your meal.

Teresa: You need to understand, anticipate and satisfy the customer’s needs. Getting to know the customer is the best way to find out what those needs are before they become needs!

Joyce Watts, formerly with Clark Poynton: I make an effort to get to know the customer from the beginning of our first interaction. I look around their office to see if I can find clues as to what they are interested in or things they have done that brought them recognition. Plaques showing awards they have earned, pictures of family, pets, all that type of thing provides me with an opening to talk with them and find out what they are most interested in. Once I know what they are interested in, I am on my way to getting to know them and building a relationship.

Dale Grossman, formerly with LaSalle Bank: You continue to build on a relationship with a customer by letting them know you are thinking of them even when not working directly with them. If you send a funny e-mail, a small gift, or a phone call at unusual times, the customer knows you are thinking of them. It’s going beyond the necessary interactions that build the relationships.

Mark Shadle, Deputy President, Midwest Region and Managing Director of US Corporate Practice, Edelman: Over the years, Edelman has found that trust is a primary component of building and maintaining good customer relationships. If the customer trusts you and feels you have their best interests at heart, they will be more than willing to foster an ongoing relationship with you. However, it can be very difficult to earn a client’s trust once they have formed negative perceptions.

Past Issues

Summer 2009 Newsletter

Spring 2009 Newsletter

December 2008 Announcement

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