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Customer Service – How you doing?

Guest post by: Manny Nowak

Article Overview: Does the way you treat your customers stand out. I mean stand out in a positive way so that the customer will tell others about it. In a positive way that the clients keep thinking about it. In a memorable way that they cannot get it off their minds.

Customer Service – How you doing?

How much outstanding customer service have you seen in the past year?

Today, I have to share with you a great story of outstanding customer service. It all started recently when my mom had a spend some time at the University of Penn Cardiac Center. The service she received in that place was some of the best I have ever seen in all my years of searching for outstanding customer service.

You see, the service was just plain outstanding. From the doctors, to the physician assistants, to the nurses, to the clerks, to the people who made the beds, to the people who clean the rooms and everyone in between. It was the same excellent service. Service that started when you ask a question or you needed something. The person stopped what they were doing, turned to you, made eye contact and was ready to listen. The University of Penn Cardiac Center clearly gets the award for outstanding customer service from Coach Manny. What a model.

Does your treatment of your customers reflect this same type of model? Really?

I want to cover 3 simple points in this article today that are key as you move your organization to outstanding customer service.

1. Positively memorable

Does the way you treat your customers stand out. I mean stand out in a positive way so that the customer will tell others about it. In a positive way that the clients keep thinking about it. In a memorable way that they cannot get it off their minds. I cannot help but relate my story above to person after person. Do your customers do that for you? What if they did?

Think about the last time you got that kind of service. Many talk about outstanding service. They might even deliver excellent customer service. But excellent customer service is not outstanding. It is like being almost there, but not.

2. Is it totally engulfed by our organization

Ever call your company and see how the service really is? You might just be surprised.

Totally engulfed means that the receptionist, the professionals, the production workers, the sales people and all the rest of the staff treat customers the same. It means that if you meet people in work or outside work, it is always the same. It means that on the phone, on the internet, in email, or face to face, it is always the same. When I talk to people, it is always the same, outstanding.

If I ask your customers, will they paint that picture for me?

3. Do you measure?

One complaint is to much. Your goal must be zero tolerance for anything less than outstanding. The customer must be excited. Compromise in customer service is just not acceptable. The same service you expect is the same service you give. Plus you give it every time.

But how do you know?

Are you doing surveys. Are you asking. Are you monitoring. Are you motivating. Are you checking attitude. Are you keeping track. Have you educated your team. Have you laid out your expectations to the staff? Have you tracked actual to expected and done something about it.

No matter how big your organization is, or how small it is. Customer service is key to your success.

Customers are already sold, so please service them.

Simply remember this and watch what happens:

It is so much easier, cheaper and profitable to service a customer outstandingly, than to sell a new one.

Don't settle for anything less than outstanding customer service.

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Article Tags: coaching, customer service, customer success, manny nowak



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