Hundreds if not thousands of books, blogs, trainings, and even pamphlets have been written about customer service.  There is ample opportunity for any company owner, manager or any associate to seize enough customer service facts and findings to improve their current customer service status.  However, have you ever wondered with all this information available why do so many companies get it wrong over and over again?

Is it possible that the same companies are reading all this available information while other companies are leaving themselves in the dark?  Perhaps there are a variety of companies reading this information, but only a few actually apply it.  Where does your company rate on customer service?

Customer Service goes beyond a simple smile and “Thank you”….although those simple gestures are important. Superior customer service is achieved by not only taking the appropriate steps to solve problems, but by going the extra mile to see if such problems can be prevented in the future.  Superior Customer service must be a team effort with everyone working toward the same goal.

One of the most critical pieces companies overlook or bypass when defining or improving Customer Service is asking customers their opinion and what they really want from the service provided.  After a company knows and understands what gives customer satisfaction, the better their unique needs are able to be met.

There are many areas that can affect Customer Service:

• Systems and Procedures
• Communication (internally and externally)
• Conquering Resistance and Difficult Encounters
• Turning Complaints into Opportunities
• Telephone Techniques

These are some of the areas that should be evaluated when addressing Customer Service.  If you would like assistance in evaluating your Customer Service, developing an Action Plan or training staff, please contact our office.

Every day we communicate with others both verbally and non-verbally. Every time we smile at another person, say “Hi” to someone, carry on a conversation or even purposely ignore someone, we are communicating.

Effective communication is a critical piece of our personal and professional lives. However, most of us rarely take the time to examine carefully just how we communicate and if we could have said it better. We often neglect simple communication tools and techniques despite their simplicity and availability.

Some people take control of conversations in a good way. They are precise and to the point. Getting your point across is important to successful business relationships. However, since good communication can be difficult because of time, patience, and effort it requires many people tend to say more than they should say.

I was interviewing a very qualified woman. On paper she appeared to be exactly what our team was looking for. However, the interview gave my team and I more insight and it was not exactly positive. The purpose of interview questions such as “Tell me a little bit about yourself,” is not an invitation to have a therapy session about your divorce, custody battle, or even your college fun adventures. Sometimes too much information can hurt you. In most of these cases it’s not about what you said, but rather about what you didn’t say.

It is okay to be a man (woman) of few words, just be sure your words are well selected and to the point.

Tips to help you get to the point:

• Be Prepared
• Stay focused on your conversation
• Maintain eye contact with your listeners
• Ensure your listeners understand by asking for questions or feedback
• Avoid becoming over-emotional or letting your temper/anger show
• Be concise and clear when speaking
• Avoid rambling ~ think what is my point
• Speak calmly and avoid raising your voice
• Be honest and tactful
• Be kind, compassionate and empathetic
• Maintain your confidence when speaking and listening

Utilizing these tips will help you to communicate with others in a more concise manner and avoid the get to the point eye roll or sigh.