Customer Service Information |
|
Communicating for Profit and Customer Satisfaction
The President of a 200+ store division of a major retailer learned of a serious communication problem and commented that 'this was to be expected in large organizations'. Well, that clears everything up. Many retail executives don't believe that communication is important enough to get it right by coming up with a methodology that will ensure accurate and timely communication to field personnel. They don't think communication is an issue that will affect the business one way or the other. They readily accept mediocrity in their communication methods because their organization is 'large'. How interesting. You've got to wonder?does this extend to other critical areas of their business such as customer service and product quality? Does it extend to their employment practices and their commitment to labor standards? Does 'large' mean cumbersome, ineffective and inefficient? Consumers know that customer service in the majority of retail stores is indifferent, at best. Of course, there are some retailers who treat their customers with respect and who work very hard to serve them well. I am not talking about those few. I am talking about the majority. Do you know why the majority are indifferent to their customers? It's because so many leaders are indifferent. Accountability for service at store level rests squarely on the shoulders of upper management. Let's look at a Store Manager who is an experienced, intelligent, customer service oriented individual. She wants to do a good job by providing customers with a good shopping experience; by providing the company's stakeholders with a return on their investment and by providing a decent lifestyle for her family. You may think this individual does not exist in retail, but she does. Unfortunately, the upper management of her company does not realize she is an important part of the organization. They think and say they do but, as evidenced by their actions, clearly they do not. This Store Manager must receive accurate and timely communication (which includes training) from her Head Office in order to do the job well. Yet she is close to the bottom of the list of people who are deemed worthy of receiving this communication. Below her on the list are the store associates. As backward as that sounds, it's true. Most customers interact with the Store Manager and associates. Hmmm?could this have something to do with the problems consumers encounter in retail stores every day? I think it has everything to do with it. Ineffective communication results in aggravated customers - let's say you receive a promotional offer in the mail and you take it to the store only to find out that the store personnel has no idea that the promotion is in effect. How that store personnel handles your situation will make the difference between satisfaction and aggravation. Hopefully, the store personnel will use good judgment and common sense and will find a way to satisfy you. If not, you are going to be an aggravated customer. You have been inconvenienced - you've wasted your time and, once again, you are let down by a retail organization. Ineffective communication results in high employee turnover - let's say the scenario mentioned above is just one more in, what seems to be, a never ending communication nightmare. The store personnel are embarrassed and made to look foolish through no fault of their own. They do not want to be continually badgered by disappointed customers. At some point, the management and staff decide to move on, having lost all confidence in their company's ability to get it together and keep them properly informed. No employee wants to appear uninformed. And, contrary to popular belief, there are many retail employees out there who really want to look after customers properly and who feel embarrassed when they don't have the information they need to do it. Ineffective communication results in lost sales - if the store staff doesn't have product information - features, delivery schedules, pricing, etc. - they can't advise and inform the customer. The more information they have, the better equipped they will be to influence buying decisions. Isn't it desirable to have associates who are able to positively influence the customer to purchase what the store has to offer? Every problem we encounter in a retail store, with the possible exception of rude behavior (and I do mean 'possible' exception), can be traced back to a lack of accurate and timely communication. It's time for retailers to embrace an effective communications methodology and stop accepting mediocrity just because their organization is 'large'. It's time for the self proclaimed 'highly important' people at the Head Office of the 'large' organization to be brought up to speed as to where, and by whom, sales are made and customers are satisfied. You can contact Dianne Miethner at dmiethner@dmsretail.com Dianne Miethner is an experienced senior Retail Manager with a passion and comittment to higher level customer service everywhere. She has written several books and articles about the topic. Some of her other publications and views can be found at http://www.dmsretail.com alternatively, you can reach Dianne miethner at dmiethner@dmsretail.com
MORE RESOURCES: When the customer is not always right Financial Times NTTA customer service, Tarrant County district clerk spar over mistaken charge The Dallas Morning News How did customer service get so bad? Financial Times Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority opens new PRC Customer Service Desk Cherokee One Feather Softbank commits to AI customer service Tech Monitor Realtor Lammert delivers customer service from the inside out Leader Publications ‘Honesty, integrity, and doing things right:’ Les Schwab Tire Center makes customer service a priority Canon City Daily Record New York State Alerts New Yorkers of Temporary Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Outage on Sunday, May 19, for ... Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance No, GPT-4o isn't going to kill teaching or customer service Business Insider Availity Wins Two Bronze Stevie® Awards in 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service Business Wire Verizon (VZ) Enhances Customer Service With GenAI Integration Zacks Investment Research Company Webinars; POS, Non-Agency Products; STRATMOR and Customer Service; Freddie and Fannie News Mortgage News Daily Cognigy Named a Leader in 2024 “Conversational AI For Customer Service” Report The Bakersfield Californian Verizon sharpens GenAI tools to impro... Mobile World Live What Consumers are Saying About AI and Customer Service Customer Think ICICI Bank has an important warning on 'customer service frauds': Shares these tips to spot such scams The Times of India Opinion: If it's not dead already, customer service is certainly on life support • Asheville Watchdog Asheville Watchdog How customer service factors into the claims experience Canadian Underwriter Frequently asked questions and customer service CSPI Newsroom Poll workers emphasize election confidence, customer service • Indiana Capital Chronicle Indiana Capital Chronicle Verizon unveils human-assisted GenAI tools for customer service Telecompaper EN Top Banks Offering 24/7 Customer Service in 2024 Business Insider Customer Service & Support Hillsborough County (.gov) They've got your back: Meet American's system customer service managers - American Airlines Newsroom They've got your back: Meet American's system customer service managers American Airlines Newsroom Rebuilding the IRS Improves Customer Service and Reduces the Tax Gap Center For American Progress The Marriott Maze: Navigating Customer Service Over $11, When Does It Stop Being Worth It? View from the Wing Senate Passes FAA Bill on Air Safety and Customer Service – The Presidential Prayer Team The Presidential Prayer Team Porsche claims first place for customer service among premium car owners in J.D. Power Study Porsche Newsroom AI enhances flexibility and efficiency for customer service centers, new research reveals | Binghamton News Binghamton University How AI can enhance customer service The Keyword | Google Product and Technology News The correct airline customer service numbers to help avoid scams The Washington Post Forbes Recognizes Regions Bank for Best Customer Service Regions Financial Corporation Customer Assistance Programs DC Water Lee Michaels’ Scott Berg: How to make unhappy customers happy Greater Baton Rouge Business Report How to contact Amazon UK Customer Service About Amazon.co.uk Customer Support GE Aerospace Contact SEA Customer Care portseattle.org Genesys & ServiceNow join forces to revolutionise customer service ChannelLife Australia Buccaneers Continue to Excel in Season Pass Member Customer Service Experience, Voted No. 1 for Sixth ... Buccaneers.com Recent Developments That Could Impact How Companies Offer AI-Based Customer Service Chatbots | Insights Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP What Your Business Can Learn From Southwest Airlines Business.com Child Support Services Division Mass.gov AI is replacing customer service jobs across the globe The Washington Post Customer Service Center - Recreation & Wellbeing University of California, Berkeley Adani Wilmar tops Kirana Club report for stellar customer service and order fulfillment Indiantelevision.com Verizon Down? Users Report Service Outage, Call Dropping | Ways To Troubleshoot And Customer Support Times Now Social media customer service statistics to know in 2024 Sprout Social |
RELATED ARTICLES
Customer No Service - How to Lose a Loyal Customer! So today was the day where I almost stopped going to my favorite supermarket here in Milwaukee. If you're in Milwaukee, you know the one I'm talking about: the cool one downtown that has 1000 different types of produce, and a whole aisle dedicated to gourmet coffee and teas. Dont Forget your Existing Clients Quest for new clients shouldn't ignore those who pay the billsAcquisition. It's a big word in small business marketing. Whats Love Got To Do With It? Customer Loyalty, we all want it. Don't we?Some people say it's dead - they say that customers are fickle, that they don't want loyalty, that they just want the lowest price and the fastest way to get it. Whats For Lunch? As an entrepreneur, I'm always intrigued by small businesses, home-based or not, that exceed the expectations of their customers in a big way.Let me tell you about one of them. Five Ways To Wow Your Client Running a business is about providing goods and services to human beings. Their experience with you can make the difference between a good day, a terrible day, a nothing-special day, and a "WOW" day for them! Wouldn't you like to be the reason a client's day changes from boring to "WOW?"The benefits of this approach are good for everyone involved. Tips for Curing Bad Customer Service Bad customer service is everywhere these days - unmanned front desks, surly servers, clueless staff, employees talking on the phone, and managers who refuse to acknowledge a customer. It's no longer an exception . Dissatisfied or Rude Customers Can Be Satisfied Customers On a recent airline flight I was an upset customer. I was arriving on a late inbound flight and connecting with the last flight out on the same airline, but the connecting flight left without me! At first, I was furious when told to wait in a line of 300 people to resolve my problem. How to Win the Hearts of Your Customers and Friends Those of us doing business over the internet have to become especially adept at our listening and speaking skills since we don't have the luxury of talking with our customers face to face. It's especially important to give those on the phone extra attention - listening to their voice, because that is the only thing you have to go on, to sense their emotion. Finding Out Why a Potential Customer is Calling On You Our challenge as the business owner/sales person answering the telephone, is to build rapport with the caller, quickly and easily.In most cases, the caller has been told something about you and your product or service. Should I Have My Company Mystery Shopped? I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, "Oh, you do Mystery Shopping; I always wanted to do that!" I think most people do find the thought of posing as a customer and reporting back on how they were treated, rather intriguing. But there is a lot more to it that skulking around in a trench coat and spy glass!I believe most companies have taken the plunge and decided that it really is important to conduct frequent "mystery or secret shops" of their businesses. Say It With Humor When you own a business, you may find yourself in situations that may be a little tricky to handle. Dealing with customers who steal is one of them. Small Business Customer Service Can Work Against You Is the special treatment you designed specifically to keep customers coming back working against you?A local jeweler offers free lifetime battery replacement for any watch he sells. It's a good hook to keep customers walking back in the store on a regular basis and increases his sales volume. How To Keep Your Customers Coming Back -- Understanding Customer Retention Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth coffee for free?These businesses understand that a customer retention program is a fantastic way to ensure that customers keep coming back. The most recognized customer retention programs are those loyalty programs used by retailers, but this same principal can be applied to any business that wishes to maintain a loyal customer base. The Number 1 Rule for Businesses - Be Professional Have you ever walked into a store and things looked sloppy? Stores should have nice neat displays, right? Normally, yes, but sometimes they get a bit messy on busy days and we all understand how that can happen.But what if you were to walk into a store as soon as it opened in the morning and the place looked liked it had been ransacked? What would you think?You'd probably think it wasn't very professional-looking. Have You Hugged a Customer Today? It all started a couple of weeks ago when a friend asked me if I could scan and print some of her slides. No problem, I said. Developing A Customer Complaint System BackgroundThe company was experiencing an increase in the number of customer complaints and an increase in the cost of processing them and we were hired to analyze the current situation and develop recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the process of administering and resolving the complaints.Identify Customer Requirements A consultant was assigned to the design of customer service systems and complaint processes, and who had done extensive work in QFD (Quality Function Deployment), which is a methodology that analyzes the needs of the customer and integrates them with the company processes to ensure the needs are met. From Disgruntled to Champion - How to Turn an Unhappy Client Into Your Best Customer It's a salesperson's worst nightmare- the phone call that comes in from a disgruntled customer. Not only does it create extra work for you, but it cuts into your valuable selling time. 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. CRM For Beginners - Customer Relationship Management Basics In order to maintain a successful business, the business must understand and maintain a positive relationship with its customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the process of bringing the customer and the company closer together. Customer Service, the Internets Primary Neglected Business Concern Customer service is everything to a business. Just look at big, successful retail chains: They let you return perfectly good merchandise just because you changed your mind. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |