Dissatisfied customers are dangerous customers. They're dangerous to the reputation of your company!
In this video, you'll learn what service recovery is and the steps needed to turn unhappy customers into raving fans. It's a preview clip from a DVD-based customer service training course available at TelephoneDoctor.com...
For the past year or two, many of us have complained about the U.S. airlines and their need to charge fees for every service.
But all we do is complain...
Why not just boycott the offenders? Why not just take the time to pack a lunch or buy food before the flight so you don't give your money to a greedy airline?
99.9% of the time I fly Southwest Airlines because I like to support companies that go against group thinking. All the other airlines want to copy each other and charge fees for food, checked baggage...What's next? Paying 25 cents to use the restroom?
Ok, well, we'll give kudos to US Airways for bringing back free non-alcoholic drinks...
I think it's time for consumers to stop allowing companies to bully them into handing over their hard-earned money. We don't tolerate bullies who steal kids' lunch money, right?
One of my favorite reads about social media is Chris Brogan's blog. As I was doing some weekend reading today, I was drawn to one of Chris' posts, It's All About You, where he says:
Welcome to "The Love" edition of the Customer Service Carnivale! Although Valentine's Day has come and gone, that shouldn't mean that we should we should stop celebrating love for one another...
And speaking of, I just want to take just one quick moment to thank all of you who read this blog and keep this carnivale alive!
Ok, so without further ado...
Tomorrow many of us will be celebrating Valentine's Day - a day in which we share our love for that special someone in our life...or show love for our kids or friends...or maybe even our pets!
But how about showing love for customers?
What can you do to show love for the people who keep you in business? These are the people who support you so that you can have a comfortable life...
Remember that you don't have to do anything extravagant to show your love. It's the little things that count in customer service.
So, here are five unique ways to show love for your customers:
1) If your customer is into social networking such as Facebook or Twitter, send them a birthday shout-out on their profile.
2) If you have a database of customer information (the last time you contacted them, what they bought, their address, email, etc.), try to learn something new about them the next time you come in contact with them. Make sure to make note of it. Build a relationship beyond the "transaction". Maybe you could find out their favorite color, what they like to do on the weekends, or perhaps you could find out their pet's name.
The key thing here is to remember these important details about people. Then when you see them in the future, you could say, "I know you like the color blue. Let me show you these new items we got in your favorite color..."
3) Offer customers concierge services where they can drop off their dry-cleaning. The next time they come to your business, they can pick up their dry-cleaning...
4) Remember that your employees are (internal) customers too! You send Thank You cards to customers - why not give cards to employees as well?
5) Many businesses fire their customers. How about showing unconditional love?
And there you have it. Five ways to show love for customers!
What would you add to the list?
Photo Credit: Ana
My love for Starbucks has been reignited. Today I'm blogging from the most comfortable Starbucks I've ever been in!
If you've been following me since CustomersAreAlways, you may recall that I have been a big fan of the coffee chain. During my first year of blogging I practically lived in Starbucks. Read more about my Starbucks adventures here...
So fast forward to today and I have to say that Starbucks has definitely stepped up their game. The company has reinvented itself - offering breakfast sandwiches, free Wifi, developed a membership program, value meals are in the works...and now...comfy, cushy couches.
I stepped into the Starbucks in Mission Valley (San Diego) and was taken back by the atmosphere. I was in awe of the decor! A big, comfy couch beckoned me to sit down and just relax as I worked. Drapes decorated tall windows and a stylish area rug added to the ambience.
Oh, but I can't get over this couch!
I'm not the only one experiencing a new and improved Starbucks. Cheryl Tardif shares her own adventure.
P.S. If you're on Twitter, follow @Starbucks!
Many banks that I have visited in the past (Washington Mutual is one that comes to mind) have play areas for kids to keep them busy as their parents wait to speak to the bank staff.
But how are the parents being entertained?
Well, they get magazines to read.
But what if they don't like to read magazines?
I happen to like reading, so I don't mind reading magazines, but what about other adults who don't like to read? How can they be entertained?
Scott Belskey of Behance shares something creative Jamba Juice is doing to entertain customers of all ages as they're waiting for their smoothies.
When I visit my parents in Lemoore, California, I like to go to a local coffee shop that has trivia cards at each table for entertainment. They even have sheets of paper with crayons for customers to doodle as well.
This week I challenge you to come up with ways to create an interactive experience for your customers. What can you do to keep them entertained?
Welcome to the Groundhog Day Edition of the Customer Service Carnivale! As many of us continue our winter season, there is plenty of time to get cozy with a cup of cocoa and our computers to read this very interesting edition ;)
Customer Service Tips
Rich Maltzman, PMP presents Identify your Stakeholders: by Heineken posted at Scope crêpe, saying, "Catch this funny and informative video on stakeholder identification masquerading as a Heineken TV commercial..."
If you're looking to hire customer service reps or agents, you may want to check out this article, The Hiring Push Checklist posted at Service Untitled. Having a good system in place helps you focus on what's most important: finding good candidates that will take care of your customers!
By the way, did you know that Customer Service is the Epicenter of the Universe?
Customer Service Stories
You gotta love a day in the life of a banquet manager. Banquet Manager presents The Bride That Couldn't Make a Floor Plan posted at So You Want To Be a Banquet Manager....
Jim McGuire presents You Don't Want No . . . posted at The Reading Workshop, saying, "This post tells a story that demonstrates why sometimes the most simple things make the biggest difference."
Other
If you're shopping around for a new bank, you may want to check out Jim's post, ING Direct Review, posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Interestingly enough, Raymond also presents a Review Of ING Direct Savings and Electric Orange Checking Accounts posted at Money Blue Book.
Although this next submission isn't directly related to customer service, I thought I'd share it because it offers some good advice. Besides, when we're dealing with customers we're always making decisions - which customer receives priority attention, what customer-related projects to focus on, etc. Ralph Jean-Paul presents How To Make Important Decisions Quickly posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, "Quick decision making is critical in just about every aspect of life. Every decision you make produces a result. In every line of business, quick decision making is crucial for success."
Submit your blog article to the next edition of customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
Thank you for reading!
Photo Credit: Matt MacGillivray
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