Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on March 13, 2010 under Communication, Websites | 
If customers can’t find you – it is tough to build a relationship.
I recently learned a lesson from a group of young boys who had developed a band. They were being interviewed on a radio station and when the disc jockey asked where fans could find them on the Internet they said:
“Just remember BOY BAND. We are on Twitter @boyband, MySpace and Facebook @boyband and our website is www.boyband.com.”
(BoyBand is just a place holder, that wasn’t the name of the band – I can’t remember the name of the band.)
The point being – they were consistent with their name in every online venue. Are you using the same name every where or do you some times use your company name or your tag line or your slogan? How easy to just say “find me at @Putcustomers1st on every site on the web.”
Check out this great tool KnowEm which lists 350 social media sites. You enter your name and it will tell you if it is available on all those sites. It is a great way to create a consistent name so customers can easily find you.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on March 12, 2010 under Customer Moments, Listening, making a difference |
I recently received an email bringing my attention to an article focusing on 12 customer service lessons from the best customer service companies. Although I don’t believe there were any huge new “ah ha” moments, the list is a good one that focuses on the importance and value of building relationships with customers.
- Keep it personal
- Don’t make the customer work
- Foster Relationships
- Go Above and Beyond
- Be enthusiastic
- Be helpful without being annoying (good one!)
- Even online retailers need phone support (there’s nothing worse than going to a website and having to unravel the great mystery of figuring out how to contact them beyond the FAQ list!)
- Out-serve competitors (don’t bash them – just be better!)
- Be prompt
- Train employees
- Innovate
- Create a desire to belong (this is a great one – it is all about building communities – taking the customer relationship to the next level)
I would add LISTEN. Active listening should be the first key to successfully building relationships with our customers. Ask questions and get them talking! It is the only way to truly uncover what our customers need and how we can best help them.
Great list – thanks to Trevor Usken from Focus for bringing it to my attention.
If you were going to add to the list – what would you add?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on March 11, 2010 under Communication |
I had the pleasure of facilitating a communication workshop earlier this week and the results were riddled with “ah-ha” moments.
The group took a test to determine their “color” communication style and then they broke into groups to identify:
- key elements of their communication style
- pet peeves in communication
- topics they like to discuss
- tips for effectively communicating with them
Part of the group, identified as the BLUE communicators, like to tell stories and make people happy and were empathetic and don’t like to be cut off.
Another part of the group – the GOLD communicators, wanted “just the facts” and didn’t want the back story and couldn’t stand to listen to the drivel.
Oh my goodness – the two groups were shocked to discovered their opposite approaches and all of a sudden the conversation got derailed with people offering up times when they struggled to effectively communicate. I couldn’t have planned it better. The participants were saying things like “no wonder you interrupt when I’m talking” or “now I understand why you have to tell the back story to something rather than just getting to the point.”
The group learned that by sticking with their own comfortable way of communicating rather than trying to be sympathetic to other communication styles, they struggled to develop a relationship of trust and mutual respect.
We then broadened the conversation to include the customer. When a customer needs to tell a big long story and the sales associate just wants them to get to the point – we have a situation were the lack of patience and respect are felt and the customer doesn’t feel listened to or valued.
Bottom line: when communicating with our customers, our peers, our boss or our family members, we need to be aware of the fact that different people communicate differently. We need to try and mirror their communication style if we want to build relationships.
The one thing all four communication groups agreed upon: they all wanted to be respected when communicated with.
Great stuff! What is your communication style? Take the Color Communication Quiz.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on March 9, 2010 under Connecting Moments, Training, empathy |
In the March 1, 2010 edition of BusinessWeek there is an article entitled“Customer Service Champs: USAA’s Battle Plan.” USAA provides financial services for military families and they understand their customers inside and out. They use technology to allow service men and women to deposit checks no matter where they are stationed. They have programs specially designed for the unique nature of their customers. They address their customers by their military title. They have created a company that puts the specific needs of their customers first.
I was especially intrigued by what the article refers to it as their Secret Sauce.
- Training for call center reps lasts up to six months BEFORE they hit the phones so they have a true understanding of the customer before fielding calls
- Employees don the attire of their military customer; walking “a mile” in their shoes, wearing Kevlar vest and eating military MREs (meals ready to eat)
- Top notch benefits – happy employees make for happy customers
- Huge Technology investment for both the customer service reps as well as state of the art mobile options for customers
Rarely do we find a company that is so customer-focused they require employees to “live the life” of their customers so they can understand their unique needs. What lessons can we learn?
If we step back from our business for a moment and turn our ENTIRE ATTENTION to the customer – their life style – their needs – would we find there were changes that need to be made in how we approach our business?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on February 25, 2010 under Connecting Moments, Greeting |
I was at lunch today with another woman business owner and we were talking about the different generations and their approach to communication, business and customer service.
She’d read that this newest generation was taking on traits of their grandparents; embracing the homemade handicrafts.
“They are looking to learn how to make or purchase things made especially for them,” she said.
Well, you know how sometimes you hear something and then later in the day it is confirmed by a different source?
I was reading the posts over at Small Business Trends (something I highly recommend you do) and ran across an article by Barry Moltz entitled the 10 Customer Service Trends of 2010.
One of the trends is called All About You:
It’s All About You. Technology has allowed companies to personalize my visit when I go to buy from their web site. When I visit Amazon’s site, they welcome me back by name and suggest things I might want to buy based on what I bought in the past. This is the type of personalization I come to expect when I go to any face to face retail establishment. When I check into a hotel, I want them to greet me by name if I have been there before or I am a member of their frequent buyer program. This always happens when I visit the Portland Paramount but at The Nineshotel in the same city, they never remember who I am. With the immediacy and personalization of this fast paced Internet world, great customer service is only what the customer says it is at a particular point in time.
Not homemade, but still that warm and fuzzy feeling of a simpler time when we knew our neighbors and the grocer greeted us by name.
I agree with Barry about the whole personalization thing. I know that when I go to my fitness center I’m going to be greeted by name at the front desk and in the workout room by the trainers. The swimming instructor knows my name too and makes you feel at home; like family.
I take advantage of the caller ID on my phone to greet my customers by name rather than with my standard “Thank you for calling AllWrite Ink, how may I help you.” Instead – with joy in my voice and a smile on my face – “Hi Chris! How are you?” hopefully makes my customers feel glad they gave me a call.
In what way can you add personalization to your relationship with your customers?
p.s. I made the little bear above using scraps from one of my father’s old shirts – a wonderful keepsake of someone I’ve lost – speaks to the desire for personal handicrafts.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on February 23, 2010 under First Impressions, Perceptions, making a difference |
I was visiting Custom Auto Body in North Canton last week for a meeting with Lance Runion, VP and General Manager. We are working on a project together and it was the first time I’d visited his shop. Expecting a typical auto repair store with worn carpet, car and truck magazines and ugly metal chairs I was pleased to walk into an inviting waiting area; warm, clean, comfortable.
Even better – the magazines were more to my liking with a recent copy of People Magazine. But before I could pick it up and delve into the latest Tiger Woods, Bragelina, Brittany scandal, my eyes fell upon a scrapbook/photo album.
I opened it to find page after page of before and after pictures of the cars they had repaired. Accompanying each picture was a handwritten thank you note from the customer.
If I was there for an estimate or to have my car repaired – what a wonderful validation that I had selected the right place to have my car fixed. The before and after pictures were a powerful marketing message that clearly showed their ability. The testimonials added to their credibility.
Sometimes we just need a little validation that the vendor we’ve selected is the right one. What simple visual tool can you put together to help your customers know the value you provide?
Do you ask for testimonials? Think about your best customers – would they be willing to say something positive about your business? Follow these simple steps:
- Give them a call and ask if they’ll provide a quote.
- Offer to write it for them. (have them approve before you publish)
- Think of one specific thing you’d like the quote to be about and write the sentence with that focus (responsive, quality, knowledgeable, great listener, experienced)
- Amass a library of quotes; each one focused on a different aspect of your abilities
- Use the quotes in your email signature (rotate a different one each week/month)
- Put quotes on each of your website pages
- Include a quote in your e-newsletter
Make it easy for your prospects to decide to be your customer by giving them visual proof that others have been pleased. Do you have a creative way you use customer testimonials? Share it with us here!
For more ways to use your testimonials – read this article from Copyblogger offering ten ways to use your testimonials.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on February 22, 2010 under Employee Moments, Expectations, making a difference |
I’m a member of the Customer 1st LinkedIn group and about three months ago Teri Yanovitch posted this discussion starter:
Attitude of indifference by employees
Being treated with the attitude of indifference is as bad if not worse than being treated with rudeness.
Now usually someone will post a discussion point and there will be comments for a few days and then people move on to the next topic but this discussion has been continuing as one of the top items in the group for the entire three months. Everyone agrees that indifference is just as bad as outright rudeness. The discussions have talked more about the root of the problem. Some blame the economy or a lack of training or a lack of motivation or hiring the wrong people or bottom line management but the general consensus is that there is a growing problem with the attitude of our nation’s employees and how they treat customers.
My take? It is a culture thing. If the company culture is one that focuses on sales and profitability before customers – then sooner or later the customer becomes a distraction or an interruption in the day rather than our reason for being.
However, if everyone is dedicated to uncovering and resolving the customer’s needs then the sales and profitablity will take care of itself. Customers remember when they’ve truly been seen as important rather than cash in the register.
So I ask you – what do you think? Is it just this younger generation that doesn’t understand the value of the customer? Is it a lack of training and focus? Are we hiring indifferent people?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on February 16, 2010 under Customer Moments, making a difference |
If you are a parent, you’ll be able to relate.
“Mom, did I tell you I need to bring a copy of Treasure Island to school tomorrow?”
Okay, let me set the stage. It is snowing in blizzard proportions, it is 6pm on President’s Day and we’ve had all weekend to shop for the book. NOW she tells me? I was just starting supper. I was thinking about a glass of wine and maybe a fire in the fireplace. NOW?
I start by scouring the shelves of books we have and realize that the copy I am SURE WE HAVE SOMEWHERE can’t be found. So I call the local bookstore, The Learned Owl. As the phone is ringing, I tell my daughter – it is after 6pm on a holiday – they aren’t open.
“Good evening, thank you for calling the Learned Owl.”
YOU ARE OPEN??? Do you have Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson?
“For Mr. Standley’s 7th grade English class? Yes we do. We’ll be here until 8pm.”
Now I wish I could say that this is the first time this has happened, but sadly – it is apparently the only way both of my children operate because I’ve lived this same event at least 10 times in the last six years. And EVERY SINGLE TIME The Learned Owl has been there for me.
They partner with the teachers in our school system and have all of the books at great prices. Sure they are small. Perhaps they don’t have all of the books you’ll find at the mega-book stores. They don’t sell coffee and you won’t find a guitar player performing on a Friday night.
But they serve their community BEAUTIFULLY.
Not only do they partner with the English teachers to stock the latest required reading, they also work with the music/drama department and carry tickets to all of the school events at a pre-order rate. They sponsor book signings for local authors as well as nationally acclaimed authors.
They are first in line for community actitives to lead, sponsor and/or participate. Our town boasted the biggest Harry Potter celebrations thanks to Liz Murphy, the owner of the Learned Owl and her leadership of bringing together all of the other local businesses to make it a town event.
In this economy, so many small businesses are saying they can’t compete with the big box stores or Wal-Mart and yet here is a local shop that serves its community brilliantly.
Thanks to the Learned Owl – it was just a short 20 minutes before I was back to my dinner and glass of wine and my daughter had a brand new copy of Treasure Island in her backpack!
Do you serve your local community as well? So often we try to reach the global community (be bigger than our britches, my grandma would say) when we can do so much more within our own backyard.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on February 15, 2010 under Customer Moments |
On Monday, February 14, 2005 I opened the doors of AllWrite Ink, a freelance writing business. Having worked in the corporate world more than 25 years I decided to give it a go as an entrepreneur. I had experience. Working side by side with Pearle Vision Franchise owners had taught me a lot. But oh, what I didn’t know then….
As I look back on five years a few lessons come to mind and since this is a customer relationship blog – I’m going to talk about the one big lesson I’ve learned.
PICK THE RIGHT CUSTOMERS
When you first start out – or even if you’ve been around awhile but times are tough – you want to say YES to any customer and to any project. Here are a few I said yes to than I learned quickly the error of my ways:
- A European company bringing an adult porn telephone service to the U.S. They needed content for their marketing material. At first I thought – one product is just like any other – it is all about the customer’s needs….that’s as far as I got. I realized that although the company sounded like it would be successful and the people I talked with were great – I wasn’t so sure I wanted to align my company name with theirs. So I quickly said “I wish you all the best but I’m not sure I’m the best writer for the project.” Lesson Learned: Align your company with those that match your mission, vision and values.
- A website project for a company managing liquidation sales. The guy was awesome. The company terrific. The challenge was in writing styles. He wanted Harvard Business Review and I offer People Magazine. We tried. But it was stressful for both us. We finally said “best of luck” and I gave him a recommendation for a different writer. Lesson Learned: There is such a thing as a “good fit.” Make sure you are the right solution for your customer – you’ll both be happier.
- A small business with a limited budget and big ideas. The scope of the project creeped and creeped until he wanted four times what we’d originally talked about for the original price. This was my fault. I didn’t set boundaries. I didn’t fully explain the value of the original project. I completed the project but the next time he called I was more confident about what I offer. We didn’t work together again. Lesson Learned: if I don’t value what I offer – neither will the customer.
One other lesson I learned was about positioning with my customers. As a writer I thought it made perfect sense to offer my services to web developers. One of the biggest complaints I hear from developers is that they are forever waiting on website content from their customers. It seemed like the perfect solution. I would offer that content. It never took off.
I was walking the track at the gym recently with a developer and said – why didn’t this idea make sense?
“What did you offer the developers?”
“Content.”
“Ahhh, that’s your problem.”
“But that’s what they need.”
“Yes, but you didn’t show WHY they can’t live without it. What you were really offering them was SALES.”
“How do you figure?,” man, sometimes I’m dense.
“If they have great content, the reader stays longer and then picks up the phone or emails or places an order, right?”
“Yes – that’s what I offer. Words People Read.”
“Nope. You are offering them sales. You didn’t position it right so that the customer truly understood what you could do for them.”
Ahhhhh.
Light Bulb. So I’m always learning. What has your business taught you about your customer relationships?
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on February 10, 2010 under Customer Moments, Websites |
Glenn Ross over at AllBusiness: The Customer Experience recently shared nine customer service blogs he likes to read. He offers up:
Amazingserviceguy By Kevin Stirz
Business Is Personal By Mark Riffey
Customers Rock! By Becky Carroll
CustServ By Meikah Delid
Maximum Customer Experience By Kelly Erickson
People2People Service By Maria Palma
QA QnA By Tom Vander Well
Return Customer By Joe Rawlinson (Joe and I both started customer service blogs in April 2005.)
Service Untitled By [Well, he never mentions his name so I won't:-)]
I would like to add a couple of my favorites that I follow from the Alltop Customer Service Page:
Do you have a favorite?
