Customer Service
Using Games to Create a Better Customer Experience
A growing trend that I’ve been writing about recently is “gamification,” defined by Wikipedia as “the use of game-thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts in order to engage users.” Companies are using games to enhance the customer experience and engage with their customers, as well as their employees. It is a winning strategy for businesses—providing…
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A Competitive Advantage: Be Nice
The other night I did a speech that was more about motivation than it was about business and customer service. The audience included college students in their teens and 20’s, people in the prime of their business careers, and retired people. The client asked me to deliver a simple message about going from being average…
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Amazing Customer Service Gives a Competitive Edge
Customer service gives you the competitive edge. It’s that simple. If what you sell is the same as what your competitor sells, customer service can tip the scale in your favor. For the right level of customer service, some customers will drive further, wait longer, and even be willing to spend more money to get…
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Core Values are the Key to Customer Service
What are your company’s core values? If you can’t answer that, it’s worth taking some time to figure it out. One of my clients recently asked about how core values should come into play when hiring and firing, and it got me thinking about the importance of the overall concept. Core values affect the customer service…
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What’s Your Customer Service Legend
If you read it on the Internet, it must be true, right? Well . . .maybe. Some time ago, there was an incredible story about customer service making its way around the Internet, and yes, it is 100 percent true. You may have read about it—the customer service call that lasted nearly 10 hours. Numerous…
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Is Customer Service the New Marketing?
The line between customer service and marketing is becoming blurred, and some companies are even counting customer service as a marketing expense. Although in the past there were definitive marketing and customer service “departments,” it makes sense to acknowledge their relationship and interaction for the overall good of the company. An investment in customer service,…
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Firing the Customer
Is it ever appropriate for a business to “fire” a customer? Though it sounds counterproductive, there are instances in which ending a business relationship with a client or customer is the right decision. I read a great article in Inc. Magazine by Steve Cody titled Five Customers You Should Fire. In 18 years of doing…
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Meet the Newest Member of the C-Suite: The Chief Customer Officer
To be effective, customer service must go all the way to the top. It’s something I’ve been saying for a long time, and it’s catching on. In many companies, there is now a seat at the boardroom table for the Chief Customer Officer. The CCO has an important job: ensuring that everything the company does…
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You Can Be a Customer Service Hero (Don’t Miss the Opportunity!)
My 20-year-old daughter recently dropped her phone and shattered the screen. It happened as we were leaving a restaurant where we had lunch before taking her to the airport. She was catching a flight to the UK to spend a semester studying abroad. We still had a little time, so we went to the phone…
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Striving for Service Greatness
In 2015, Indeed Client Services focused on service excellence and what it means for Indeed. We defined it as “making the most of every client interaction,” and shared stories of how we saw one another exhibit service excellence in our work and day-to-day lives. In 2016, service excellence is our new baseline and expectation. “Customers…
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