Customer Service is No Accident

It’s true that the buck stops with the leader of an
organization, but when the buck stops because the customer
stops walking in the door, it can be a little too late to
start asking why they’re going to our competitors, not
renewing contracts, or worse still not wanting to do
business with us again.  But go on, be brave ASK your
customers what they think – they will still respect you in
the morning…

There is little doubt that the ability to prepare and
deliver excellent customer service is one of the most
important skill sets that is necessary to succeed in any
business. Therefore in order to be a profitable and
effective business we need a number of strategic plans in
place to be well positioned for success – especially when
financial success is part of the deal.

Yes, we need a marketing plan, a communications plan, a
strategic plan, and a sometimes we even have a planning day
to plan the future…. Yet one plan that is often not
prepared or even thought of is a Customer Service Plan.
Your Interaction with your customer needs to be well
prepared and thought through, strategic and personalized –
demonstrating you not only share a common vision with that
of your client but are considering what rates high on their
list of priorities.

It is no accident when it comes to the delivery of
exceptional customer service – the pain comes from failing
to prepare, anticipate or respond to the changing needs of
the customer who are now more savvy and have greater
expectations. Try answering the following 5 actionable
strategies for delivering powerful levels of Customer
Service in your business, and see the results in the
responses you get from your customers.

The purpose of this interaction with my customer is to…
The 3-5 main points I will ensure my customer is aware of
when we leave this meeting will be… The most difficult
questions I am likely to be asked after or during my
discussion with my customer are… After my interaction with
my customer I would like them to feel…, I would like them
to action…, I would like them to do… I will measure the
impact of effectiveness of my discussion by…

The decision to purchase from a financial service provider
happen because something in the customer’s business has
changed or a need has been identified. So here is the
service provider’s opportunity to focus on that need and
respond to it in a timely way. To have your clients say “We
buy or want to do business with you because you use the
skills you talk about and take action appropriately” is not
only a great compliment to hear, but testimony to the fact
that people want to work with people who share and
demonstrate common values and ethics.

When your Customer Service extends beyond the delivery of
the product and beyond the delivery of the everyday service
to include respect and care, your customers will come back,
refer you to others and build opportunities for further
business. People often remember the emotion behind the
situation and it is up to us to acknowledge and respect
that emotion.

Your customer’s satisfaction is the true measurement of
your service and the true litmus test on service is how you
look after them. So it is perhaps immaterial how you see
your service. What is important is how your customer
perceives (rightly or wrongly) the level of your service.
And clearly, you can’t argue with the perceptions or their
truths unless you demonstrate alternative actions. The more
you know about their experiences, their needs and the
impact you are having on their outcomes the more equipped
you will be to anticipate what their changing needs may be,
how you can best on sell other products, handle difficult
or challenging situations and perhaps most important of
all, look after their bottom line.

The very nature of the financial services industry points
to the impact of this bottom line – both for the customer
and for you. The bottom line determines your profits, your
losses, and your future. However the relationship between
bottom line and customer relationship means more than the
present financial situation. Data submitted from my recent
Customer Service business survey indicate when a personal
as well as professional connection exist between the
supplier and the client s the willingness to do and
continue to do business can be seen in the bottom line of
both businesses.

A recent example of this comes from ANZ Customer Call
Centres where ANZ have been voted best Service provider for
2004 and 2005. They have been able, under the leadership of
Vicki Shields to dramatically improve customer satisfaction
levels up by close to 30% in three years, improve staff
satisfaction by over 20% and at the same time reduce costs.

Yes, it takes time to walk the floor, talk to people, find
out what they want and what they need – but it takes more
time to repair the damage to businesses or build
opportunities because we have lost sight of what is really
important to our customer – both internal and external.

You are in the business of business and your service goes
beyond the delivery of the product. You become the brand
and the image of the business. What you do to create that
image is everything from your appearance and tonality of
your voice to your values and emotional intelligence. This
extends to our own internal customer service with the
people that we work with daily.

These are the elements that keep your customers coming back
and wanting you to continue to service them. Your
engagement with your customer depends on your ability to
stay fresh and interested in the other party and never
become complacent in how you relate to them. In fact the
longer you do business with people the more important to
focus on anticipating what is coming next rather than what
was.

One of the most effective ways to achieve excellent
customer service is to keep the dialogue simple, the
actions open, focus on people first and the responses in
real time. It is no accident that customers do business
with us, but it can cause us serious damage if they leave.
Safety first – be prepared and stay prepared. Make the
right choices that underpin your customer service – and
make the right ones. But don’t think you have all the right
answers.

But go on, be brave – ask your customers what they think –
they will still respect you in the morning.

—————————————————-
Ricky Nowak CSP MAICD MCEOI, Certified Speaking
Professional | Corporate Trainer | Executive Coach,
Director, Confident Communications, Ricky Nowak, The
Communication Catalyst, builds top performing teams and
individuals by delivering programs, innovative solutions
and accelerated coaching techniques.
http://www.rickynowak.com  | +613 9500 9886 |
ricky@rickynowak.com
PO Box 2047 Wattletree Road East Malvern Victoria 3145