Customer Service – A Little Goes a Long Way
by Cindy Stradling CPC, CSP

Recently a friend of mine was sharing the excellent customer service experience she had during their annual Christmas function.  She told me how the catering company had taken care of every detail, including emery boards in the washroom.  As she was speaking a memory of a time I had were I felt so very taken care of, came to mind.  The entire incident came vividly back like it was yesterday.

I too was at a Christmas function at the Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto.  We were a very small group of about 50 people.  The meal was a buffet set up and waitresses walked around offering us champagne, wine or spirits to drink.  They were smiling and attentive, exactly what you would expect in a place as prestigious as the Royal York.  The food looked spectacular and the room was decorated in a classic Victorian style Christmas.   I was standing chatting with a colleague of mine when she offered me a piece of brie with cranberry on a cracker.  It looked delicious and I declined, explaining to her that I was gluten sensitive and didn’t want to take a chance on eating the cracker.

My colleague expressed her concern and how difficult it must be to eat out with such a sensitivity.  I said it really didn’t limit me; I just needed to be careful.    As we continued to chat, one of the waitresses came over to me and excused herself.  She explained that she had overheard my conversation and asked me if I would like her to get me a gluten free plate.  Both my colleague and I were so impressed with this young lady.  I gratefully accepted her offer and when she returned she gave me this wonderful plate of chicken, salads and cheeses, all very delicious and gluten free.

At the end of the evening I thanked her again and also found out who the manager was and told her the exceptional customer service experience I had that evening.  That incident happened over five years ago and I still remember the experience as though it was yesterday.  I learned so much from that short interaction and it has helped me with my level of customer service.

If we look at this situation, what can you and your customer service team learn from it.  What can you do in 2013 to create an experience that would be remembered five years later? 

What immediately comes to mind is go beyond what is expected.  Everyone expects good customer service, but having a commitment to give great or exceptional customer service can be the differentiator.  Look for small ways to make a difference.  Listen and pay attention to what your customers are saying and ask yourself “Is there something I can do here that could have an impact that will last 5+ year?”  There may or may not be something you can do every time, but by asking the question there is a higher likelihood over the year you will have absolutely delighted your customers on more occasions.

Think of a time when you have been delighted.  What made it so special?  What was your experience? How can you transfer that experience into your workplace? 

Remember this quote by Mother Teresa: 

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless.”

Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse c, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Tammy Sturge

In March 2006 a former alliance member was conducting a test pilot of a new program he had designed and invited me to attend.  The event was held in this state of the art training facility in Vaughan.  I was honoured to participate and arrived my usual fifteen minutes early.  I was seated next to a tall attractive lady, who I would soon learn was Tammy Sturge.  I recognized the name but not the face.  During our first break we started to chat and it was obvious to both of us we needed to talk more about her offerings and my alliance in a separate meeting.  We decided we would meet for a coffee at the end of the pilot.  I can see now looking back how much we both are “let’s do it now” people.

After we had been talking for a few minutes I realized why her name was so familiar, she was a seminar leader at one of the organizations where I had participated in some personal development programs.  I knew then Tammy was a master facilitator. We both left at the end of our meeting, knowing there were good things ahead.

It was less than a week from when Tammy first joined the alliance when I made my first introduction.  The customer was delighted and told me that she was one of the strongest facilitators he had ever experienced.  This company still calls her or one of her team members to work with them on various projects.  When I have a client that has really tough situations to address, I call Tammy first and she always has a relevant solutions.  A few of the programs I have had Tammy and her team help clients with include: creating and implementing strategic plans, creating powerful leadership teams, pay equity, off-site planning sessions, organizational development projects, managing change and many more.

Here is a link to Tammy’s profile:

 http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/tammy-sturge

For the month of September I thought I would make it “Ten Tips Month.”   I will share with our readers ten tips to enhance team building ideas, customer service skills, leadership development and sales coaching skills.  Some of these tips may be new ideas to you and others may be reminders of the importance of the things you are already doing.   As I say in my workshops “We all know things, what is most important is what we do with what we know.”

Customer Service

Building and maintaining excellent customer service takes focus and due diligence.  Every customer interaction has the opportunity to communicate how much your organization cares. 

1)      Good enough never is – I love this saying by the Debbi Fields the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies.  If you ever hear yourself say “good enough” stop and ask yourself “Has this been done to the best of my ability?” or “Has this been done the way it was meant to be done?”

2)      First impressions count – The saying “Your never get a second chance to make a positive first impression” is very true and I think companies need to have a great “first impression” attitude always.  Your relationship with your customers can never be taken for granted or assume once you have them they will be loyal to you.  A few bad experiences can undo a positive “first impression” very quickly.

3)      Sweetest sound – Our name – people love to hear their name.  When interacting with a customer use their name at least once during the conversation.  Caution here, do not over use or it can actually have an adverse effect.

4)      Everyone is your brand 24/7 – sometimes in a workshop when I say this people look at me like I am crazy.  Think about it, you work all day in a company and you sing their praises, then go out for drinks with colleagues and bash and complain about the company.  What are you communicating to your colleagues or anyone else who might be listening?  It is my personal belief when you represent a company (we are all really in customer service) we need to be responsible about what we say both at work and during our time off – 24/7.

5)      Train your employees – give your employees the adequate training and resources to effectively manage all situations that may arise to satisfy any customer issues.  If there is the occasional situation that needs special attention, make sure your employees know the proper channels to go to so they can get things resolved quickly.

6)      Keep in the loop – most customers are understanding when things go wrong.  It is not so much that a problem has occurred, more important how it is handled.  If the situation takes time to resolve make sure you keep the customer updated daily so they are never left with the feeling that no one cares or you have forgotten them.

7)      Online reviews – customers may not complain to you directly and if you have a place for feedback on your website, they may feel more comfortable letting you know this way.  It is also a great practice to perform periodic satisfaction surveys.

8)      Track challenges – when there has been a challenge it is a good practice to debrief what happened and explore ways to change processes to prevent another occurrence.  By tracking and monitoring changes you will have an audit trail of your improvements.  Also letting a customer know that you have addressed the issue will show them you take their loyalty seriously.

9)      Apologize first – when there is a customer complaint – apologize first, then correct the problem.   By telling the customer you are sorry they had this experience, it will show you are willing to take responsibility and it also lets the customer know they were heard.  In some situations the customer may be wrong but they should always have the feeling that you are there to support them.

10)   Employee input – often managers miss the opportunity to solve some of their customer service issues by not asking employees their input.  I learned this the hard way, years ago when I was a Customer Service Manager of a manufacturing company.  I thought I had to have all the answers and solutions.  Not so.  Once I started to ask for suggestions, things moved a lot smoother and new procedures were implemented much quicker when the ideas came from the employees.

By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

For the month of September I thought I would make it “Ten Tips Month.”   I will share with our readers ten tips to enhance team building ideas, customer service skills, leadership development and sales coaching skills.  Some of these tips may be new ideas to you and others may be reminders of the importance of the things you are already doing.

Building Powerful Teams

Often companies will take their team offsite for team building exercises.  There are many activities for building teams at the workplace and while these events are very effective, it doesn’t stop there.   To build a powerful team requires a congruent message from management back at the office too. I have listed ten ways to build stronger teams:

 1)  Clearly defined goals – employees need to have the company and manager’s performance expectations defined in a way that the employees know what is expected of them and have the support and resources to their job effectively.

2)  Know area of responsibility – strong teams are built with the support of many people and it is critical that each person knows their area of responsibility.  It also helps employee motivation when they understand how their contribution affects the success of the whole company.

3)  Regular feedback – effective managers know the importance of regular feedback versus waiting for the annual review.   Acknowledging for a job well done will communicate to the employee they are a valued member of the team.

4)  Have regular meetings – getting your team together periodically to update status is another effective way to keep the lines of communication open.  It is important the meetings are scheduled, relevant, have an agenda and stay on track for people to be motivated to attend.

5)  Set reasonable due dates/deadlines – make sure when you are setting timelines for projects that timelines are reasonable.   If the majority of your projects have reasonable timelines then when you need your employees to go above and beyond they are more likely to jump in and go the extra mile.

6)   Encourage activities that develop relationships – regularly conduct activities (possibly after hours) where employees can socialize and get to know one another.

7)  Reward and Recognize – have a program to reward and recognize performance and tenure.   Many companies have programs to publically recognize outstanding achievements and years of service.  Effective managers don’t wait for these events and will recognize accomplishments regularly.

8)  Empowerment and Encouragement – having employees who feel empowered in their positions and managers that encourage (mentor/coach) them will increase employee engagement.  Often employees don’t feel like they are heard.  While you may not be able to implement everyone’s suggestions, having employees who feel they are contributing will increase engagement.

9)  Ongoing training – ensuring your employees have the skills to do their job is critical.  Often when employees are promoted from within they don’t get the proper training to succeed.   Regularly scheduled training for all employees is another great way to communicate their importance to the organization.

10)  Be open to feedback – effective managers are not perfect and sometimes they may do things that negatively impact their team.  Be open to hearing from your team areas were you too can improve your performance and leadership.

By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

The Many Faces of Customer Service

I have had many requests over the years for customer service training.  We pride ourselves in our ability to tailor every training program to meet the specific needs of our clients.  I spend the time needed up front during the assessment stage to ensure I clearly understand the objectives and desired outcomes from the program.

Several years ago we delivered customer service training to a local funeral home.  Initially it was for the people who interacted with the families of the deceased.  The pilot was so successful that they decided to roll it out company wide.  This included delivering to the grave diggers.  I remember calling David (the alliance partner who delivered this program) one day and he said he was on his way to visit the grave diggers to have a better understanding of their jobs and how they interact with the customers.  The program was a huge success years later they have experienced sustained changes in how they interact with their customers.

I was called by an existing client who has results from a customer service survey they wanted to discuss with me.  The survey results revealed that for the most part the customers were happy with the service they received.  There were however, several comments made about the way the truck drivers interacted with their staff.  Comments were made that the language, tone and sometimes tardiness of drivers were frustrating.  I immediately connected them to David and together they designed a program that not only addressed all the concerns of their customers, it also included a number of ways to take all their customer service initiatives to a new level.  When I spoke with the VP of Human Resources recently she was excited by the participation and the feedback she received.  Management is committed that this level of service is maintained and they are very optimistic that the next survey will deliver much more favorable results.

Often when we think of customer service, we just think of our external customers.  I have a client who was concerned about the way the employees interacted with each other, in particular the accounting department.  She shared with me that she constantly got complaints from other departments on the way the accounting staff treated and reacted to the other departments.  She was not sure what to do about it.  I suggested she provide the members of the accounting team with customer service training from the perspective of working with internal customers.  At first she wasn’t sure.  I introduced her to David and he outlined what a program like this would look like and shared the success he had had in the past.  She was then clear this was the way to address the issue.  I spoke with her several months after the program had been delivered and she said she had received positive feedback from, both, the other employees and the members of the accounting department.  Having the tools to handle the sometimes difficult conversations made all the difference.

These experiences confirm for me that everyone is in customer service, no matter what job or role in the organization.

 By Cindy Stradling CPC, CSP

From Manager to Coach

One of the many things I love about the training and development world is being given the opportunity to contribute to another person’s development.  Recently I was in a meeting with a client and she was explaining to me that they were having difficulty getting their account reps to embrace a new attitude towards selling.

This company historically had not expected their account representatives to do any sales activities, simply manage the accounts and provide great customer service.  Several years ago that changed and president felt they were missing huge opportunities by not having the account reps letting their clients know of their many offerings and the other options available to them.

The client explained to me that when they decided to make this change they provided the account reps with a sales training program.  This program was delivered by a gentleman who was very familiar in their industry and was able to customize a program that was most applicable (someone not in our alliance).  She shared the information from the program and it was an excellent design.  She said nothing had changed since the training and the senior folks were frustrated.  She asked me if I had any suggestions.

The first I wanted to know was if the managers had attended the training with the reps.  She said yes they had so they would be familiar with what was covered in the program.  Then I asked her if the managers changed anything about the way they managed the account reps.  She said not that she knew of.

I shared with her that I thought there is a big difference in managing a group of managers and managing a group of sales people.  I suggested the managers needed to change how they interacted with their account reps and be clear on the new expectations.  I suggested that they learn a sales coaching model that would help them interact differently, ask different questions and set the parameters around metrics and accountability.  She thought it was a great idea.

We did a one day Manager as Sales Coach program to provide the managers with a general overview and some coaching tools.  This session was followed up with six telephone training sessions to role play, conduct actual coaching sessions and to focus on specific areas needed to support them becoming powerful coaches (i.e. listening, asking questions).  While most of the managers have embraced the coaching mindset, a few are still skeptical. 

During the last call one manager shared that he had actively started to use some of the new tools and happily reported it was slowly making a difference.  I debriefed the others and they too were experimenting with their new tools.  We have three phone sessions left and I am confident the managers will transition into becoming effective sales managers.  It is often slow to transition from old ways of doing things, the key is to stay committed to the results you want and take necessary actions required to get there.

By Cindy Stradling CPC, CSP

Inside the Magic Kingdom

Several years ago I read the book “Inside the Magic Kingdom” by Tom Connellan for a project I was working on for a client. Recently I picked up the book again and had a hard time putting it down!  There is so much wisdom in this book on how to provide extraordinary customer experiences every time.  For the next seven weeks I am going to share with you the seven lessons outlined in this book.  At the back of the book Tom has provided questions for each lesson that each reader can apply to their own situation and I will include them as well. The book gives the readers permission to use the information provided proper credit is given to the author. 

Continued from previous week…

LESSON 3

Everyone walks the talk.

If you are like me you have most likely had the experience of going into a business and received inconsistent treatment.  They use the term “aggressively friendly” at Disney.  All staff are trained to stop everything when they see a guest in need. (I wish the staff would do that at the home reno store when I am standing there looking confused and not sure what to do – lol)  The Disney culture says Everyone walks the talk always!  The real point here is more about the way you do your job.  Think about this statement: “Every time a customer comes in contact with your company, you have an opportunity to create value.  Capitalize on that opportunity and you win.  Waste it and you lose…it is a simple as that!  The guest is always in charge.

Questions for discussion with your team:

1. Think about the way people do their jobs here.  Could we adapt the “aggressively friendly” concept to our company’s environment?
2. How might we expand customer service from a department to a tradition?
3. How could we individually do an even better job of “walking the talk” than we do right now?
4. What does “walking the talk” mean around here?
5. How would a customer’s experience be different if everyone here “walked the talk?”

Why Managers Keep their Eyes Shut so Tightly

by Sharone Bar-David

By the time George missed the big deadline, his manager, Juliana, had already gone through several months of pretending there was no problem. Her longstanding positive relationship with George prevented her from addressing the decline in the quality of his work, his lateness and withdrawal.  Now, faced with a problem to which she couldn’t turn a blind eye, Juliana cringed at the idea of having to take action.

Much like Juliana, many managers avoid dealing with performance problems.  Unfortunately, the HR professionals who support them are often slow to diagnose the problem and to provide timely assistance.

When the performance of a long-time employee or one with a solid track record declines, many managers fall right into the Procrastination Trap. Other times, they procrastinate because they know the employee is struggling with difficult personal circumstances.  Or because they have a personal relationship with the person.  Or because they fear that they’ll endanger the employee’s future.  Or they worry about damaging their relationship with him or her.  Or they’re paralyzed by the fear of handling the conversation in an unskilled way.

Meanwhile, things on the ground get worse.  The performance deteriorates further, other team members begin questioning the manager’s leadership and customer service suffers.

If I’m Good, I Shouldn’t be Bad

Most of us think of ourselves as good, decent human beings, and managers are no exception.  The possibility of confronting performance issues triggers a debilitating unconscious conflict.  Somewhere deep within, the matter gets translated into: “If I can do this to a fellow human being, it means I’m a bad person”.  Once this happens, anxiety and avoidance kick in.

Like Juliana, managers will unconsciously invent a host of excuses that will justify not dealing with the performance problem.  These excuses alleviate their discomfort and allow them to maintain their internal sense of decency.  They ignore changes in the employee’s performance while telling themselves that ‘it will pass’ or that ‘it isn’t really all that serious’.  Or they persuade themselves that they have more pressing priorities.

Beyond Procrastination

Let’s face it, dealing with performance issues is right up there on any manager’s list of ‘most despised tasks’.  And it can be pretty lonely out in the battlefield. True, most organizations offer clear processes for progressive discipline.  But they fall short on providing their leaders with essential strategies for assessing and intervening before things get really bad.  Managers are left to figure it our on their own, with scarce tools on which to rely.  A good managers’ training program can provide a solid framework, skills and confidence that will help managers stop procrastinating.  In addition to training, HR professionals can provide support by offering managers the following guidance:

1. Action is more helpful than procrastination.  Become present to the paradox inherent in the fact that your procrastination is not helpful to the employee, in fact it is harmful.  If you don’t act and things become worse, you might eventually have to take more drastic measures.  By intervening early, you are respectfully providing the person with the opportunity to self-correct.
2. Record.  Take detailed notes pertaining to the problem behaviours.  These notes will allow you see reality more clearly and help you determine if, how and when to intervene.  Make sure to record observations (things a video camera would capture), not some form of unqualified diagnosis.  For example, don’t record “George was defensive”.  Instead, record “when Mary inquired about a late report, George yelled at her”.  This way, when you raise the issue with the employee, you’re equipped with real data, rather than a ‘diagnoses’ that might induce a defensive response and make you an even worse procrastinator.  After all, if you tell George that he had been “aggressive and uncooperative” you can pretty much bet that he will become aggressive and uncooperative before your very eyes.
3. Consult.  Get another person’s perspective.  In addition to HR, people such as your own manager or a seasoned colleague will readily share their experience and help you gain clarity and confidence.
4. Acquire skills.  Dealing with performance issues is part of one’s developmental journey as a leader.  You need to get good at this, no matter how uncomfortable it may seem.  Read, role-play with someone, or pursue training – do whatever works for you.
5. Have a solid plan for the conversation with the employee.  At the very least, your plan should include the following elements:

• Clarity about the desired outcome – usually it should be “arrive at an agreed-upon plan that will get George’s performance back on track”.
  • A clear structure that you can rely on when things become tense or you feel you own anxiety rising
  • A detailed list of the performance problems, articulated in video-camera terms
  • Familiarity with the resources available to assist the person
  • A willingness to listen and truly engage in dialogue

Taking action early will prevent things from getting worse and empowers a shift from a position of reactivate management to one of supportive leadership.  This will prevent much angst on all fronts and allow for issues to be resolved smoothly and effectively.