Love is great thing. When you're in love with someone, you go to great lengths to show how much you love them. You tell this person, "I love you" and you go out of your way to make sure that they understand how much you care for them.
Wouldn't it be nice to show that same love for your customers?
Ok, I'm not talking about the lovey-dovey kind of love. I'm talking about just showing genuine care for another human being. I'm talking about treating customers like they are your kids, best friend, or grandma - not like a sale or lead.
I was reminded of this topic when I read Andrew Dumont's post, "The 'Customer Love' Effect". It's an excellent article with tips on how to transform everyday customer service into "Customer Love".
Last year I wrote a post about 5 unique ways to show love to customers if you need more ideas!
Do you have a story to share about how you showed love for a customer? What other tips would you add? Leave a comment!
Photo Credit: Team Sticker Giant
Do you know what your customers expect when they do business with you?
Last week I was a guest blogger over at Service Untitled ("Are You Meeting Your Customers' Service Expectations?") where I offer thoughts on what you can do to determine your customers' expectations.
Check out the article and leave a comment about your thoughts on the subject. Did I leave anything out? What does your company do to get feedback from customers?
Will a new name for Comcast's services really disguise it's bad customer service reputation?
Cecilia King of The Washington Post shares the news that Comcast has plans to make over its image with a new name: Xfinity.
Comcast's customer service really took a nosedive a few years ago when a Comcast customer filmed a Comcast technician sleeping on the couch as he waited on the phone with Comcast's central office.
Here's the clip if you've never seen it:
Let's see if the company will do anything about changing their customer service philosophy and culture. If you change your name without changing the way you do business, it won't be long before you're back to square one. You can offer all this fancy new technology, but if people still have to wait an hour to talk to customer service, what's the point?
Here are other bloggers' thoughts about Comcast's "new" brand:
Welcome to the Good Stories edition of the Customer Service Carnivale! In this edition, everyone has a customer service story to share along with tips and lessons learned along the way.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy!
- Get a small glimpse into why The Ritz Carlton is considered one of the best hotel chains in the world. I find it fascinating that the company has a procedures manual that contains 1,000 examples of potential problems an employee may have to deal with!
- Gavin Ingham shares a few interesting sales stories that readers of his blog have emailed in. I especially enjoy the first story about the linen napkins. It's a great example of how making connections with customers is more important than a sales script.
- Shaun Sayers analyzes the age-old question: Great service or a low price? We get a glimpse of a low-budget airline's attitude regarding this question. I agree with Shaun when he says, "So far as service is concerned it often costs little or no more to be nice than to be indifferent." Just because you have low prices doesn't mean you can't be nice to your customers!
- Kellen Von Houser says that we should lower our expectation of what you will accomplish when calling customer service in Kellevision: Customer "Care" and Other Exercises in Futility. I'm not sure that I completely agree with that. I think that's what got us in this mess in the first place. Our expectations have lowered and getting the run-around when we call into customer service has become acceptable. Waiting 20 minutes to talk to someone has become "standard".
- Deb Bixler shares an experience with a direct sales company that gives other network marketers a bad name. Are you guilty of not taking "No" for an answer?
- If you've ever wondered why Lee Jeans has been able to stay in business so long, read Bucksome's post, Customer Service Story: Lee Jeans.
That concludes this edition. 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.
Would you like to host an upcoming carnivale? Contact me: maria [at] people2peopleservice [dot] com
Well, I just happened to be on Twitter one day and saw a tweet by Becky Carroll announcing her Customers Rock! Radio show. I'm really excited that more and more conversations are happening around the topic of customer service. I can't tell you how many podcasts about selling I've listened to, but to have customer service as the sole focus of a show is very rare.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Becky Carroll several years ago. She actually lives in San Diego as well. Her blog, Customers Rock, has seen tremendous growth as more people are awakening to the idea that customer service really and truly is the key to business success.
Becky's radio show airs every Monday at 4 pm PST. Click here to listen to past shows.
Follow Becky on Twitter or connect with her on Facebook.
Welcome to the Interesting Mix edition of the Customer Service Carnivale! This edition does provide an interesting mix of customer service stories, news, and tips. I appreciate all the submissions from regular contributors as well as the contributions of new readers.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Customer Service Stories
Banquet Manager shares an interesting story: Restaurant Refused To Give Man a Toothpick!
Customer Service News
Heidi Miller offers some worthwhile reading in: Top 5 Customer Service Links: What customers really want
"If we are not happy with the level and quality of service we receive from the airlines or the government, why do we continue to reward them with our loyalty?" This is one of the questions Steven and Debra asks in Airline Passenger Profiling: Why Not Do It Yourself (DIY)?
Customer Service Tips
Received bad customer service from a company? Find out How to Write a Complaint Letter.
Did you know that a customer who has a bad experience gets prompt, effective response to their problems will be a more loyal customer than a customer who had no bad experience at all? Find out why in Recovery Theory Customer Service.
Steve Patterson shares a few tips on How To Choose The Right Reverse Cell Phone Search Service.
Ryan Taft reminds us of the importance of customer service in Attention Small Business Owners, Customer Service is Crucial.
That concludes this edition. 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.
