Best customer service

Best customer service formula

The recipe for best customer service has never been published yet many organisations claim to know the secret formula. By performing a key word density analysis on a number of relevant pages we have come up with the secret formula from the customer point of view:

29% - deliver a result: give the customer what he wants and that will be a key driver of satisfaction
25% - being helpful: all about attitude and clearly trying to help the customer resolve their queries
11% - speed: giving a solution quickly is appreciated by customers
10% - listening: listening to the customer is a mark of respect and will help understand his/her "case"
7% - learning: customers want companies to learn from previous situations so bad stuff does not happen again
4% - experienced and skilled staff: clients want to deal with competent staff
3% - social media presence: for some customers, social media will help deliver the best customer service
3% - excellence: quality of service has a role to play in the overall customer service process
3% - marketing: the promise of good customer service actually contributes. It shows the company commitment to deliver the very best customer service
2% - rules: some rules help sometimes - consumer rights, warranties, service levels, compensation?
2% - privacy: important to keep customers matters confidential
2% - care: empathy, and care can matter enormously in some situations

What do you think? Is this the right formula for best customer service?
Please let us have your opinion by taking part in the best service poll in the right side-bar or post your suggestions on Twitter using the hashtag #bestservice or notifying @verybestservice. Thank you

Customer service culture

Customer service culture

Establishing the right customer service culture is a vital part of any customer service policy and a pre-requisite for delivering the best service possible. Companies want to make sure that their employees behaviours are conditioned by a set of values and beliefs which will protect the interests of all customers during their sales, marketing and servicing efforts. Internal communication programmes are put in place and incentives scheme designed to make sure that the customer service culture permeates everything that the company does. One factor is often missed though as it is also important to adjust the service delivery to regions and countries in which the company operates. Trying to deploy the home culture in overseas market might be perceived to be charming and original for a while but is rarely sustainable. Similarly, using overseas servicing centres for the home market is often prone to cultural challenges. So when next discussing customer service culture, don't forget to include the culture of your customers as a key parameter.

Customer service week 2013

It is customer service week 7-13 October 2013. Time to celebrate.
Surely this week is an opportunity to communicate to your employees and customers and ask then to join in a celebration of customer service. Only a few days to go so if you have not planned ahead here are a few ideas of things you could do. Please make sure that you take part in this 2013 customer service week, more and more of your customers are expecting you to. If you are already well ahead, please do not hesitate to add your suggestion so that the list can be even more comprehensive for next year.


Agenda

• Chairman back on the shop floor - @Centrom @AskaHomes
• Call for nomination of members of staff who go the extra mile - @GreaterAnglia
• Free Breakfast and afternoon tea for clients (Avanta Offices) @AvantaOffices
• Asking students for their feedback on the university - @LeedsMet
• Call for supporting the entry to a customer service award @NikonatGrays
• Members of staff tweeting about their work @BrightonHoveCC
• Free breakfast goodies (Stagecoach bus) @StagecoachEScot
• Looking for their customer service champion (@The_MMO)
• Manager serving on Front Desk (@TimeTideMuseum)
• NVQ certificate presentation to staff members - @DuploUK
• Bitesize Gober Sessions for staff and Partners (@YourGuinness)
• "If you were an animal?" (reverse) game/survey/prize draw (Sureflap) @sureflapnews
• A selection of passenger focused activities - @EMTrains
• Surprise gifts for customers who visit shops - @Airtel_life
• Team activity day with treasure hunt (@Moathomes)
• CEO joining in for charity (@HawksfordGroup)
• All members of staff involved in doing a customer service survey by telephone - @DuploUK
• Customer service team partaking in a community impact day - @Moathomes
• Speaking engagement at customer service week event - @RFClimited
• Staff job swaps (Stagecoach Bus)
• Collecting smiles via Instagram - @nationalexpress
• Appreciation - meet the customer service employees - @SmartSign
• Asking travellers what song they would like being played on trains (@SouthernRailUK)
• Visit by local MP to hear advisers in action - @hellosanctuary

And many more....

If you have other customer service celebration ideas, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below and don't forget to capture customers' ideas for customer service week next year...

Treat your customers like Royalty

Treat your customers like Royalty

Should you treat all your customers like Royalty? We have written previously about whether to offer a standard customer service to all or tailor it to individual customers or group of customers. The debate rages on as tailored customer service will obviously be much more expensive to deliver. There is even an argument that tailoring is not actually required. Most customers need similar things, it is just a matter of anticipating all the possible needs well and standardise the service to accomodate them. Irrespective of the choice made, there is one constant theme, customers should all be treated like royalty, whether they are important in terms of money spend with your company or not. Indeed, the so-called small customers might have rapidly increasing orders or may know a huge number of large customers and become a major referal source for your business.

Customer service: could your reputation go up in smoke?

Customer service reputation

One critical aspect of good customer service management is to be well aware of all the smoke signals sent by customer though all available channels including social media. If they are carefully monitored, captured and acted upon they can help create a positive feedback loop initiated by customers for the long term benefit of the company. A thorough handling of complaints for example is an easy to achieve step which could led you a long way towards achieving great results. On the other hand, if a company ignores them or thinks that all the customer feedback is unfair or inaccurate, it runs the risk of seeing a gradual deterioration of its trade and see its reputation go up in smoke.

Customer service at low tide

Customer service at low tide

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked". This quote from Warren Buffet says it all. It can easily be applied to the field of customer service and every organisation should anticipate predictable changes in the environment they operate in and assess the impact they may have on their customer service performance.