If you’ve been in business very long, you’ve likely heard it all! You know, the irate customer who is going to sue you over the nineteen dollar product that they claim is bogus; the one that’s going to “shut your business down” because they conjure up in their minds that you might have breeched your privacy policy, or the one that takes complete advantage of your money-back guaranty. My favorite has to be the one that calls and screams vulgarities into the phone for apparently no reason.

It doesn’t happen often, but if you’re going to be in business, you will run across some nut cases from time to time. Some can be diffused, some can’t. That’s just the way things go in business.

There are some simple techniques for dealing with irate customers without burning yourself an ulcer over them and without telling them you hope they get cancer and die!

Here are some tips you may find useful…

1. Don’t take it personal

There is one thing that almost all nasty customers have in common. They try to attack you on a personal level. Name calling is not unusual. When you take it personal, you are likely to get into a yelling match with the customer which resolves nothing and only stands to make things worse. Try to diffuse the situation – kill the anger with kindness so to speak. If that doesn’t work, ask them to contact you again once they have calmed down and are willing to speak reasonably. Refuse to speak with a customer in an irate state. You don’t have to put up with abuse ever.

2. Don’t overdo the “customer is always right” concept

In customer service training you will always hear that the customer is always right. While that is true to some extent, sometimes they are just flat wrong. You should always try to accommodate a customer within reason, but do not allow that concept to go too far.

3. Realize it isn’t always your problem

Sometimes people just have a bad day and are looking for someone to take it out on. A hateful, ugly customer is often one of these people. If you listen to their ranting and raving, then respond kindly telling them you understand their frustration and you want to work with them to come to a resolution, you will often diffuse the anger and uncover the rational human being beneath it.

4. Don’t fall for fear invoking bluffs

In customer service some business people tend to do anything to avoid the potential harm of a threat even if it means losing money or giving in to irrational demands. When you are threatened, consider the validity of the threat. Do you really think someone is going to pay thousands of dollars in attorney fees to sue you over a low dollar transaction? Likely not. Again, do what you can to accommodate within reason but don’t give in to unsubstantiated threats.

5. Be prepared to decide whether or not a customer relationship is worth salvaging

You’ve heard it said that one happy customer tells one person about your business while an unhappy customer will tell 10 or more. Undoubtedly, word of mouth can be the best or the worst exposure for your business. This is the very basis of the “the customer is always right” concept. Of course it is best to salvage a customer relationship if you can, but again, do so within reason.

How to Alienate Customers, Loose Business and Look Foolish ? or ? Can You Spot The Difference?

Have you ever heard of Jet2 airlines? Don?t worry if you haven?t, it seems it?s not worth it. Mick Skee, a 47 year old disabled passenger who lost both his legs and booked a flight to Mallorca was told by the airline that his spare pair of prosthetic legs are excess baggage and he had to pay for it. Trying to appeal to common sense, humanity and customer service, Mick still fails: ?I have been told that Jet2 are not prepared to budge?. Jet2 said it did not want to comment on individual cases.

Now just how often can you shoot in your own foot? One should think that business people are intelligent enough to know that only a happy customer is a repeat customer, and it seems to me that especially in times like the current, where business isn?t necessarily booming, companies would do what they can to keep their customers. Here was a chance an opportunity for an airline to demonstrate greatness and with an empathic smile and common sense waive the fee and let this disabled man take his artificial limps on board. But greed eats brain. The airline chooses to insist making extra ? 20 over making a customer happy.

A wise decision? I think not. They have won ? 20 and lost a customer who certainly is worth more. Bad enough that Jet2 shop floor staff seems to suffer from a bad attitude and a lack of customer service training, but blowing a chance to make good by stating that they won?t budge is just goof. If they had nonchalantly apologised and offered a pair of complimentary tickets, it would have not been a big deal and they probably would have made friends for life. But Jet2?s PR skills seem to be as developed as their customer service skills and so Mr. Skee will travel with a kinder airline in future.

The interesting thing is that there are other, shiny examples of airlines that seem to have a far better talent for offering service experience.

Have you ever heard of ?Palmair European?? The tiny British airline with only one plane and just 50 staff has been named the third best in the world. Palmair, which flies its 34-year old Boeing 737 to 14 European destinations, beat giants like Virgin Atlantic and BA in a poll by Which?, the consumer magazine. Travellers were asked to rate the cleanliness of the airplanes, the amount of leg-room, catering quality and the cabin crew performance.

Palmair is lean and doesn?t sport posh building and large overheads. It has a member of staff who draws up the seating plans from her kitchen table and then greets the passengers as they board. Seats have been removed and the cabin and lavatories are brightened up be fresh flowers every day.
We can learn an awful lot from this small business. For example, that you don?t need to be big, have lots of resources or be a big brand to compete successfully in your market. If we forget our ego for a moment and just do what needs to be done, perhaps we could find it in us to carry out task that we usually fell would be below us, and also put in some extra hours at our kitchen table. It?s the little things that matter. Keeping your premises clean and putting up flowers is something everybody can afford doing. And perhaps we are reminded about what great customer services really means: Being a great host and make customer feel cared of, and not allowing greed to eat brain, and squeeze as many customer into an airplane as possible. No to forget that personal service matters: Palmair was founded by its late chairman Peter Bath in 1957 and until 2006, Mr. Bath made sure he was in the departure lounge for each flight to greet the passengers, and then stood on the Tarmac at Bournemouth Airport and waved off every single flight.

David Skillicorn, managing director of Palmair says “Singapore Airlines has 100 planes including the A380 which is the largest plane in service, on-board massages and a choice of DVDs. All we can offer is the choice of tea or coffee – that is why I feel so flattered.?

No matter in what line of business you are, it?s not the posh glass towers that make a great company, nor the latest and expensive equipment or the size of teams and budgets. It?s the attitude of the people that makes a great company, and just like David (Skillicorn) can beat Goliath, a great attitude and a hands-on approach can outperform multi-billion pound competitors. So, do we have any excuse left for not pulling our weight and not winning?

Eugene Rembor ? www.remborpartners.com

As I waited for an answer to my VCR inquiry from a stereo company, the recording stated a “customer care” representative would be available shortly. At that moment, I realized it’s finally catching on everywhere. With aging baby boomers, world events and additional pressures in today’s society; it is “customer care” that has evolved in our economy. We have moved from a manufacturing economy to a service economy and are currently leaning towards a “servicecare” economy. As we live in a high tech-high button touch environment, many personal contacts have been decreased making each customer interaction more important than ever to corporate imagery. For example, if you call for computer tech support, the representative often makes it a point to address you by first name. If it’s the bank credit card company, they may ask “How are you doing today?” This makes the customer feel less like a number and more like a human being. ?

The successful restauranteurs always took service one step further towards “care” because they understood restaurant customer service literally involves the immediate health of the patron– more so than any other industry (except for healthcare industry itself). A recent survey asked diners why they went out to eat and the main response was “to feel good.” (After all, the word “restaurant” has French origins meaning “to restore”). As a waiter for many years, I felt my job was to restore humanity, especially to diners arriving from a stressed out day.

In my past dining room work experiences, I remember certain actions lifting service to this higher level of “care.” One time a customer requested margarine that wasn’t available in the restaurant. The owner walked across the street to the grocery purchased the margarine and brought it tableside. The patron was delighted. There was a regular customer (diabetic) who always got immediate attention with some kind of bread or crackers to keep from feeling feint before her food arrived. If there was a baby present at a table, our staff ensured their food would come out as soon as possible to pacify. These kinds of actions create a lasting positive image for any company or establishment. The owner cared about his guests and it permeated thru the dining room and staff — even after he left to open other restaurants for the company.

Customer Service involves major 3 points:

1) Care and Concern for the Customer
2) Spontaneity and Flexibility of frontline workers which enhances the ability for on-the-spot problem-solving.
3) Recovery- making things right with the customer when the process has gone astray.

These 3 points should always be highlighted in any customer service training program. If they are kept in mind, then quality service will occur.

When it comes to business, the role effective customer care plays is paramount. It should be understood that the amount of importance one gives to customer service has a direct influence upon the success of a business as well as in generating the brand name that a business requires for a prominent foot in the market. Content customers would have a definite proclivity to a business that presents its best self, thus increasing the reach of the business to wider fronts. In simple terms, the better is the customer service; the better is the means with which a business can take charge into the business markets.

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Customer care has a crucial role to help generate the required audience for a business. It is usually effective in increasing the sales profit by as much as 50% without having much influence on the marketing budgets. Customer service begins with establishing a good team that excels in understanding the means to help a customer get what they want. Call centres and BPOs, for instance, are the best means to understand the importance of customer service.

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Training employees in a manner that they could tackle the issues of a customer is the primary criterion for bettering the customer service in a business. This team should have specific qualities such as quickness as well as effective solutions that could solve any of the problems; the customer might face with the service or a product.

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Furthermore, customer care is also important for relationship building. Although, it may seem that relationship building is a simple feature and may not have an immediate effect on the success of a business, the effect of managing good relationships with customers cannot be undermined. One single connection can be a big element for a business especially when the one link could bring forth tremendous influx of other potential clients and customers.

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One may be surprised to note the brand loyalty of a customer if they receive the right customer service that could tackle their causes. Measures such as responding to the query of a customer, sending birthday wishes, thank you greetings, as well as regular reminders may look like a corny move but they help to strike the chord with the intended audience.

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ites job is so much more than just caring for the queries and details of customers. It helps a business develop a prominent presence over the markets, thus, helping the business to register a marked increase in popularity as well as integrity. It is not a mere coincidence that brands like Google and Coca Cola have a big appeal and audience-follow. The work of customer care has profound influences on audiences, which helps in minimal energy to spend on marketing. A satisfied customer is more likely to try a new product with enthusiasm than a person who could not gain the benefits of a customer service.

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A business cannot stand against the throes of dissatisfied customers, and it will only be a matter of time until its demise. Understanding the importance of customer service would only boost the foundations of a business.

As I have been finalizing my chapter on “WOW! Customer Service” in the upcoming book “Blueprint for Success and Survival” with Dr. Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard, (Look for in Bookstores in 2008) I have been reviewing my field notes from working with business clients who have successfully propelled their business from Now to WOW! They are Businesses, large and small who have transformed their organizations and dramatically increased their revenues by having a renewed love affair with their customers!

Okay, let’s start with the ingredients of a love affair—Yes that infatuation and head spinning awe, personal love letters and flowers that leave you catching your breath. Where did this incredible creature come from who seems to adore you? Now switch for a moment and think about that couple you see, who seems to have lost the magic they surely must have had at one time– limiting their appreciation of each other to a once a year Hallmark Greeting.

When I look at businesses, with poor customer service, apathetic employees and usually a resulting flat or declining bottom line, I see organizations that need to re-ignite their love affair with the customer. Over the years, they have gotten comfortable with the way they do things and accordingly have fallen into that “got to make the donuts” rut. They have ceased to look at the customer experience with “brand new eyes”.

So if you’re looking at your sales, your service quality and your employees grumbling around the water cooler about everything they have to do today…..Consider these 5 ways to “Spice up your Customer Love Life”

1. Ten Positive Customer Touch Points: Hello! if the only time a customer hears from you is when you send your monthly bill or there’s a problem– you’ve got that Hallmark Greeting problem. Your customers are going to find someone (your competitor) who “shows them the love” in a much more personal way on a regular basis. A key to providing WOW customer service is to examine your points of customer contact and seek 10 positive communications with customers to every 1 negative touch point and yes your invoice is considered a negative.

2. Show the Love to Your Employees: Case studies demonstrate that the way you “show the love” and treat your employees is passed on to customers! Note: the principle of 10 positive touch points applies to coaching and motivating front line customer service employees. One good practice is for every negative you provide to an employee be sure you give them 10 positives as well. Nothing worse, than the boss who is always pointing out what you do wrong versus expressing appreciation for what you do right. Has your team gone out of it’s way recently to beat a deadline or retain an account? Why not Surprise and Romance them with 10 minute chair massages? Note: Keep in mind that in romance, surprises are always the best, which is why I hate those ordinary “employee of the month programs” that become expected, non-special and just plain boring.

3. Examine all of Your Love Letters and Communications to Customers: The first thing I do in working with business clients is to look at everything their customers sees, feels , hears and touches with my brand new eyes. Do your client bills just say Thank YOU! or do you include inspired and heartfelt appreciation of the customer’s value? Does your web-site grab them in 7 seconds? That’s all the time you have! Are your marketing materials written to appeal to all 4 personality and 3 learning styles. If not, maybe you need to hire a “Cyrano Word Smith” to romance your customers.

4. Save them Time and Money: There are two things that are sure-fire Cupid’s arrows with customers. Save them Time and Money and communicate how you’re doing that on a regular basis. In business and in life, time and money are the two forms of energy we never have enough of.

5. You know…. It’s not about You! Think of that blind date where the person sitting across from you is droning on and on about themselves. You want to scream “Did you think it’s not always about you? Sometimes It’s about me?”. As I review web-sites, listen to “telephone hold messages” and review marketing materials, I am amazed how businesses focus on their own features verses the customers needs. I was hooting and hollering in reviewing one web-site: The home page was a photo album titled “This is where it all began” followed by baby pictures and a history of the principles. Who cares? This is why in sales and customer service training, the skill of “listening” and “adapting to individual customer needs and communication styles” are critical. No Bob, it’s not about you! It’s about the Customer!

So perhaps it’s time to evaluate your Customer Love Life before your competitor does it for you!