Customer Service

The old saying goes that the three secrets to success in real estate are location, location, and location. But I have to say, the three secrets of customer service success are similar: consistency, consistency, and consistency. When you’re delivering a consistent, predictable experience, that creates customer confidence, which leads to trust and loyalty. In this…

When you think about companies that are “disruptive,” you probably think of huge companies that have disrupted entire industries, like Uber, Walmart, and Amazon. But you don’t have to be a big company to be disruptive! You just have to disrupt your competition, and do something noticeable that pulls customer to you. In this week’s…

The Director of Offering Management at IBM, Brian Chaput, has a great quote: “Your brand is the sum of all your customer interactions.” It’s so true! Every member of your team should know how they contribute to the customer experience, whether it’s direct interaction with customers or behind the scenes work—it all impacts the customer…

Do you remember the famous line from George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm? “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” I’m reminded of that line as I think about how businesses treat their customers. Do we treat all customers equally? Or are some customers treated, well, a little more equally? I…

Are you focused on solving your customer’s problems? Doing so can actually be a bit more complex than you might initially think. It’s not enough to know what you sell. You have to understand the “why” behind the “what.” Why do customers want what you’re selling? Don’t just identify the surface, immediate issue; look for…

Customers want and expect better customer service than ever before—because we taught them to. Customers don’t just compare your business’s service to your direct competitors; they compare your service to the best service they’ve ever experienced, anywhere, from anyone. The bar is constantly moving higher, and when a business fails to clear that bar, customers…

I believe in the Employee Golden Rule: Treat your employees like you want the customer to be treated (maybe even better). The simple truth is that to have a good customer experience, you must have a good employee experience. What’s happening on the inside of your company is going to be felt by customers on…

Two of the most powerful words you can use are “I’m sorry.” But don’t abuse those powerful words by using them as a substitute for “too bad!” We’ve probably all had experiences where we asked for something, and got an “I’m sorry” response that did double-duty as both an apology and a statement of, “Too…

If a customer talks to two of your employees and asks them both the same question about your products or services, will they give the same response? If not, you could have a big problem with consistency. Inconsistent answers lead to customer confusion and a lack of confidence, which is a killer for trust! I…

Do you see customer complaints as problems? Or as opportunities? No matter how hard we try, mistakes will happen. What’s important is preparing and training your team to respond appropriately. I have long recommended the 5 Step Service Recovery Process: Acknowledge the problem Apologize Fix it Have ownership of the problem Act with urgency I…