| |
| |
|
Customer Service Information |
|
|
|
Who Says the Customer is Always Right?
We all know the old adage, "The Customer is Always Right." If you are an online business owner or offline for that matter, you are on both sides of the subject almost everyday. Before I started my online business, I was just on one side... the customer. I whole-heartedly believed in the above adage and never questioned it at all. In fact, I would get rather perturbed at ANY business owner, manager, or supervisor that would disagree with any complaint I had. When I started my own online business back in 1997, I slowly began to learn the "other side." My business products are all downloadable. If your business includes downloaded material, you know where I'm going with this one. I get NUMEROUS complaints EVERYDAY about usernames and passwords not working, corrupt downloads, and the big one... "I can't open the download." Now I always reply in a very helpful gesture, but my first question is always, "Are you entering the username and password exactly as shown?" This seems to be one of the "biggies" with newbies. They do not understand "case-sensitive" -- heck -- they don't even know what that means! But it doesn't matter HOW simple I make the instructions and overall download process, I STILL get these everyday. I am accused of being a "scammer" at least 4 - 5 times a week... and that's on a GOOD week! :o) The whole point of the above example is NOT that customers are wrong -- that's not the problem at all. Many of them are very new to the internet and sadly, they do not read through the directions most of the time. I have found that I basically have to put myself back into the "newbie" frame of mind -- as hard as that is to do! I don't remember NOT knowing how to download, enter case-sensitive passwords, etc. You MUST try to understand that customer... at the point of contact, whether by email or phone, they have probably sat there for HOURS trying to figure it out. They are irritated, angry, and they've pretty much decided at that point that you scammed them. Yes, it's irritating getting these "dumb" questions and emails even when you have them broken down so simply in the instructions. But face it, you're going to get them and you will get them often as more and more climb on the "web wagon." When I get a very insulting email (yes, I HAVE been called the "B-word," the "MF-word," and recently a new one that I have never heard before... it was quite disgusting), I do not answer it immediately. I let my initial anger subside. When I can read through it and giggle... it's time to answer. I find that 80 - 90% of the time, the customer is VERY embarrassed of their initial email by the time I have helped them courteously through their problems. I had to learn this process through time. Believe me... I am a VERY sensitive person and I used to take these to heart. It HURT! I had to revert back to my "customer side" as well as the "newbie" frame of mind and do my best to understand the person's anger. One angry customer can lead to thousands if not millions in lost business revenue! Especially on the internet. That one customer tells one friend who in turn tells another and so on a so forth. You COULD get a real "psycho" customer that decides to start a website all about YOUR company and YOUR poor service or product. Watch that one spread like a virus! :o) On the other hand, exercise great customer service (get those emails answered within 24 hours, folks) and watch the *praise* of your company spread! I guarantee that you just GAINED thousands in sales! MOST importantly remember these three things: ** LOVE YOUR CUSTOMER ** UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER ** VALUE YOUR CUSTOMER You are NOTHING without them. Treat them like gold and you will RECEIVE gold in return! Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane
MORE RESOURCES:
Court Staff Receiving Customer Service Training - Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service
Customer-Service - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Reality of Customer Service in America and Best Efforts in Franchising, We Can Do Better Yesterday I went to buy a sandwich at a franchised outlet. I thought while driving up would the owner be there to help out and save some money on labor, knowing a holiday weekend is hard to get labor. Is Your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System Doomed To Fail? "Right, People. Let's blast out that mail campaign we've been planning for so long. What To Do When Youve Blown It It's bound to happen sooner or later - yes, even to you and your business. Sometime or other, you will make a blunder that upsets a customer. Loyal Customers Take Commitment In today's competitive world of retail, many stores are implementing external marketing programs designed to attract new business.Unfortunately, the cost can be very high with little return on investment. The 3 Rs of Customer Service What I am about to tell you may seem very obvious - you may even say DUH!!! but the fact is, - many company's forget the 3 R's of good customer service- Respect your Customer, Take Responsibility for Your Actions and Products and give your Customers a Full REFUND when it just isn't right. I promise you that if you follow these 3 simple rules you will never have to run after the same customer again!Respect the customer! Just about as plain as the nose on your face Right? Wrong!How many times have you been greeted in a less than courteous manner or worse yet- not at all!! Never lose the opportunity to make a great first impression- very rarely do you have a second chance to undo the damage done by that first encounter. Reducing Customer Resistance to Your Product or Service Resistance has to do with putting up blocks that prevent us from doing, being, or accomplishing what we want for our business. There are many reasons for feeling resistance including fear of new things or change, fear of failure or success or even fear of not being perfect. Provide Exceptional Value - Grow Your Business The primary objective of a business is to get and keep customers. Growing a profitable business requires providing exemplary customer service and products or services of exceptional value. The Great American Customer Service Unawareness Campaign Q: I'm so sick of you so-called business experts always saying the customer is always right. This is my business, not the customer's, so I'm the one who's always right. Boomerang Customers- What You Might NOT Think Brings Them Back! With all of the calendars and PDA's and lists I make I recently did a really dumb thing. I forgot my best friend's birthday and her anniversary. What Every Manager Should Know About How to Win the Loyalty of Customers Dr. Michael LeBoeuf, in his cassette album entitled, Win Customers and Keep Them for Life presents twelve principles that will transform the workplace into a customer-driven, highly motivational team. What Every Employee Should Know About How to See Customers Problems from Their Creative Side Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing to the customer and a curse to you, the employee. At least so it seems. One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day What happened to the old saying, the customer is always right? I'll bet every one of you reading this article has a "customer service nightmare" story to tell. My most recent nightmare experience took place recently when my business partner and I went in to a wireless phone store to purchase two new pda wireless phones. Clients - What They Want from You A growing number of individuals are finding themselves called to help others and go on to fulfil this call by training to become a practitioner in one of the healing arts.The range of conventional, traditional, holistic, complementary and alternative therapies is extensive with new thoughts on old themes being introduced almost daily. The Marvelous World of Metaphors Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more insight into your own innovation. Nobody can do it better than you can!A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that means one thing is used to describe an object or ideas to which it is not literally applicable -- a ship is said to plow the sea. Transforming Disgruntled Customers into Your Biggest Advocates "I am writing to complain about the widget I bought from your site the other day."Sell anything and eventually you will be on the receiving end of a sentence like this. Putting The Service Back In Customer Service The future of customer service is here. Technology has made seeking out support faster and easier than ever. I Wont Tell My Lawyer but I Will Tell You A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told us about his experience talking to an interviewer who had called to discuss his satisfaction level with his outside law firm. He had been using the services of a "high end, expensive" law firm out of New York. Renewing Customer Loyalty Every business loses customers, but not many do much about getting them back. And that is a big mistake. Dealing with People - Words to Avoid You probably realise how the wrong tone of voice and negative body language can cause problems when dealing with other people, particularly customers and staff. However, using the wrong words can also cause problems. Establishing Yourself as an Expert in the Eyes of Your Customers The most important aspect of a successful business is developing the correct mindset toward your customers. And this is not the over used phrase The customer is always right.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
