Customer Service – Page 4 – thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World

A Tale of Two Retailers and Trust

April 13, 2015/0 Comments/in Books, Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Leaders who empower their team members get better results. They make faster decisions, have the ability to act, and create dramatically better experiences for customers. Here’s how you can empower your teams.

Today’s post is by Dianna Booher, author of What MORE Can I Say? (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

“Happy families are all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” observed the Russian philosopher and novelist Leo Tolstoy. The same might be said of large retailers. Successful retailers operate on the same principles to achieve happy customers. Struggling retailers fail for different reasons.

Recently, I had to replace two major household items in the same week: a clothes washer and a TV console. The experience at Retailer A to buy the washer proved a disaster. For starters, we asked the salesperson several questions before making our final decision: 1) Is the advertised in-store sales prices the same as the online price? 2) Can we get next-day delivery? 3) Are both colors available now? 4) Are the “pedestal” drawers deep enough to store typical detergent containers? She answered yes to all four questions.

As it turned out, Retailer A could not deliver our color choice for a month. We opted for second choice. When they delivered the washer, it was badly damaged. The optional purchase “pedestal” drawers were not deep enough to store even the shortest detergent containers. When we called to get the damaged machine replaced, the contractor who delivered it confirmed that Retailer A had a backlog of “at least” another month before they could replace it with another machine. And it took more than an hour on the phone with two levels of management in three different departments (warehouse, scheduling, credit) to get the paperwork handled and the replacement machine rescheduled for delivery.

But by comparison, the tale at Retailer B put Retailer A to shame.

To Supercharge Innovation, Map your Customer’s Processes

March 23, 2015/0 Comments/in Books, Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Innovation /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by David Hamme, author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

Remember when you had to purchase your music via CDs, records, or cassettes at brick and mortar record stores? Prior to the iPod’s arrival, there was always a delay between the intent to purchase the songs we wanted and the time when we could actually enjoy them. The delay was either the travel time to and from a store to buy the album or the time waiting for an order placed online to arrive from the post office. There definitely wasn’t instant gratification in the process.

The purchasing channels were rigid – requiring us to buy in increments of albums instead of choosing the exact songs we wanted. But there wasn’t an outcry from consumers. We learned to live with the shortcomings of the process.

But then came revolutionary change. Apple uniquely understood the customer inconveniences better than anyone else and developed a digital music library (iTunes) and a physical device (the iPod) to eliminate the delay in the customer’s receipt of music and that allowed the consumer to purchase exactly the songs they wanted. iPods were a huge improvement over the status quo and the customer responded enthusiastically. In effect, Apple reengineered the customer’s processes and by doing so redefined the music industry.

Innovators like Apple find and exploit game changing opportunities at a more rapid pace than their competition. The question is how to systematically identify those opportunities that move the market without relying on pure genius or an extraordinary leader – because Steve Jobs type geniuses are in short supply.

Setting Team Standards with a Simple Phrase

December 17, 2014/1 Comment/in Communications, Customer Service, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

As you lead your team and set direction, you have to first set standards. Let people know these are the expectations that you have of them for how they’re going to perform, especially when you’re not around.

These standards will typically take one of two forms. First, there are context-specific standards. Those relate to the role that you’re in and the role your team is operating in. The second type of standard is more behavioral standards that you’ll carry with you across roles. I’d like to focus on the context-specific standards today because those can rapidly improve and standardize the performance of your associates.

Allow me to offer an example of a context-specific standard. A long time ago, I ran in a large customer service organization and our associates were talking to customers by phone on a daily basis. I couldn’t be there to supervise them to listen in on every single call, nor could their managers.

We had two choices – either we could give our call center associates a long laundry list of “here are all the talk-offs that you should have for a specific customer and the situation they have” or we could have given them some rules for how we wanted them to behave. That rule was a leadership maxim (a principle or rule of conduct). The maxim I used was, “Is this right for the customer?” It was a very simple question.

We had it printed on mouse pads so it was right in front of that associate all the time. When they were on the phone with a customer, they could ask themselves “Is what I’m about to do right for the customer?” If the answer was yes, we wanted them to do that. If the answer was no, they needed to think of a different solution they could offer the customer that would satisfy the customer’s need.

11 Commandments of Outstanding Client Service

December 3, 2014/2 Comments/in Career, Communications, Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

If you’re looking to run a successful business that takes great care of its clients, you’d do well to read the following commandments of client service.

These are values, beliefs, and rules I’ve picked up in over a decade of running a client-facing organization. And I serve some pretty outstanding (and demanding) clients!

Lately I’ve had a lot of friends and colleagues ask for advice on things they should do or think of as they get ready to strike out on their own and start their own businesses. Since I’m getting tired of saying the same thing on the phone every single time, I figure I’ll get efficient, write it here once, then refer anyone else who asks to this blog post. Being an entrepreneur is all about being efficient.

1. Never keep a client waiting. Honestly, if you show up late, don’t expect them to stay a client very long. Sure this means spending a lot of time in waiting areas because you got somewhere early. Bring a book. Read a blog. Collect your thoughts before the meeting. Heck – I actually started writing this very blog post while I sat waiting for a client to arrive. Just do not be late. Ever. You would be shocked and appalled at how many people violate this all the time. No. It’s not all right to do so.

2. The client is always right unless they’re wrong. Clients aren’t always right. Many times they are. Sometimes you’re both right. Ask yourself if it’s worth falling on your sword to be right. If not, shut up. But if they are wrong and being wrong is going to be harmful to them, see the next commandment. Don’t always tell the client what they want to hear. Tell them what they need to hear.

How to Avoid the Transparency Trap

May 21, 2014/0 Comments/in Communications, Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Victor Prince, one of our thoughtLEADERS instructors.

“Transparency” has become a hot buzzword over the last several years among business leaders and consultants. We have all probably heard something like this from someone with a big job title – “We have got to be more transparent!” Fast forward through a ton of meetings, reams of slide decks and maybe even some significant consulting fees that ensue and what do you have to show for your efforts? If all you can point to is a bunch of shiny new pretty pictures and paragraphs about your business on your website but no meaningful business results, you have probably been the victim of the Transparency Trap.

The Transparency Trap is what happens when you do transparency for transparency’s sake, not for your customers’ stake. You talk about what you want to talk about instead of answering the questions your customers care about.

As the big transparency initiative rolls down through your organization, employees will translate it into a “let me show you how complex and hard it is to do my job so you are impressed.” You end up putting up a cloud of information that is interesting to your staff but irrelevant to your customers. Your website is now stuffed with lots of nice pictures and profiles of your people – that nobody outside your walls ever clicks on.

Best case, you have burned a lot of organizational calories without any benefit. Worst case, you have frustrated your customers who cannot find the answers to the few key pieces of information they need. They just wanted to know what they would get, when they would get it, and how much it would cost them. You couldn’t tell them that, but somehow you had time to make a snazzy video of your production line. If they wanted that, they would have asked for a tour. It makes your organization seem like an out of touch narcissist with too much time on its hands.

Is your business ready to expand overseas?

May 12, 2014/0 Comments/in Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Sales, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Sloan McKinney who has a passion for helping companies expand their global footprint.

Introducing a business to a new country is very much like starting from scratch with a brand new company. Though a company may have experienced wild success on a much smaller level, the array of factors that could make – or break – an expansion make the process far more daunting than many are comfortable admitting.

Taking time to contemplate the advantages and disadvantages of expanding is easy. Contemplating the logistics of expansion are a different matter entirely.

Before you take the plunge and decide to establish an international presence, it’s vital to consider every possible expense and to create contingency plans that can account for anything that goes wrong. Deciding if you expand to reach new markets is a process in and of itself. When a business expands to cover new markets, a great deal of stress is put on the company.

Where is the highest demand for my product?

If that isn’t abundantly clear, then consider where the demand can be highest. Check out competitors and their respective products in the areas, and compare it to what your company has to offer.

Consider the average income of citizens in the targeted country. Can the citizens in the target country afford to purchase what you have to offer? Understanding the structure of the community, and the targeted audience in the country you are bringing your product are crucial aspects of the planning process.

Can your company adapt its product to the particular wants and needs in the targeted country?

Read more

Building Successful Brands: Real Purpose Isn’t Built in a Day

October 30, 2013/1 Comment/in Communications, Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Chuck Wall, author of Customer CEO: How to Profit from the Power of Your Customers (CLICK HERE to get your copy). Here’s Chuck…

Tired of hearing brands blather on about how much they really care about their customers? Wouldn’t it be a lot more honest if they would just admit their real passion is to separate people from as much of their money as possible for stuff they don’t really need?

Maybe that’s a bridge too far, but there’s clearly something different happening in this social era. In Customer CEO: How to Profit from the Power of Your Customers, I write about what I call the Power of Purpose. This customer power confronts every business leader with a new reality; that today’s customer is thirsting to do business with brands they can really believe and believe in.

In my customer research work over the years, I have heard people say “Just do the right thing” more times than I can count. What customers are saying is they want to share values with the companies they do business with. These values have nothing to do with price. They are talking about being honest, showing integrity, providing fair treatment, demonstrating a caring attitude, being loyal, and doing it consistently.

Let’s be frank: for many companies facing the complexities of modern business, it is too much work to create, teach, and live values. They often cut corners and look the other way. Leadership either refuses to lead with values or tolerates poor values in their management ranks. Many customer-facing employees are left in their jobs far too long. The customer experience becomes a bad joke. This is why there is such a huge disconnect between the flawed advertising spewing forth from these brands; it hardly resembles the reality the customer encounters on a daily basis. Read more

How to Lead Your Way to Customer Loyalty

October 17, 2013/3 Comments/in Books, Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Susan Baroncini-Moe, author of Business in Blue Jeans: How to Have a Successful Business on Your Own terms, in Your Own Style (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

There’s no disputing that retaining customers is far more cost-effective to a business than recruiting new ones. But it’s getting harder and harder to develop customer loyalty. On the flip side, some companies seem to be able to get it right from the start. What does it take to create loyalty so strong that your customers keep coming back for more?

The Three E’s

1. Empowered Employees

Your first loyalty is to your employees. Why do they come first? Because your employees are on the front lines. They’re the ones serving your clients and customers directly and they’re the face of your business, representing your brand every single day. If you want your customers to be happy, you’d better make sure your employees are happy. How do you create a happy work force?

Hire Well. You start by hiring well. Hire people who fit into the corporate culture and who will be team players. It’s not just their skill set that matters—skills can be learned. What you can’t teach or train so easily is the soft skills—people skills—and the way people think. Focus on hiring for culture and personality and put people in the right positions where they can succeed, then worry about any additional skills training.

Compensate Well. Make sure your compensation structure is competitive. The first, best way to retain top talent is to offer generous salaries and compensation packages, because employees who aren’t paid well tend to look at their jobs as “just a way to pay the bills,” rather than being truly invested in how well they do their jobs. When employees are paid well, compensated in a variety of ways, and shown appreciation for their efforts, they tend to perform well in their jobs and to care about the results they get for their customers and for their company.

10 Uncommon Annual Planning Actions that Drive Customer and Employee Growth

July 3, 2013/3 Comments/in Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Strategy, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Jeanne Bliss, author of Chief Customer Officer and I Love You More than My Dog (CLICK HERE to get your copies).

Annual planning is the Achilles heel of driving a united customer culture. Every silo or department determines how much money they have to spend, then each creates their individual plans and correlating score cards. Activities frequently focus only on the money – not on the behavior of the organization and what they want to stand for and show up as in the marketplace – based on their decisions and actions.

As you begin your annual planning cycle, here are 10 actions that business leaders and their organizations should focus on first – before the financial planning cycle – to increase customer loyalty and drive profitable business growth.

1. Believe in the integrity of your customers. The majority of business policies and rules are created to protect business from the minority of customers. Be bold, like Connecticut Griffin Hospital, which began sharing hospital records with patients and saw claims against the hospital drop by more than 43 percent. Take a leap of faith and believe that trust is reciprocated by customers when they feel that you trust them.

2. Invest in employee trust. Show your employees that you believe in them. Beloved company Wegmans invests in its employees by training them in the skills that remove rules, regulations, policies, and procedures that pen employees in. This enables Wegmans to throw away the rule book and live by this one edict: “No customer goes away unhappy.” As a result, its margins are higher and profitability more steady because the grocer’s turnover is only 7 percent of employees versus the 19 percent average in its industry.

3. Practice democratic decision making. Give good ideas a chance to prosper no matter where they come from in your organizational chart. Innovation and marketplace differentiation come when employees are respected as part of achieving a mission greater than their set of tasks. W.L. Gore has become a $2.7 billion dollar company, and earned a place on Fortune magazine’s best companies to work for list since its inception, because of how the company unleashes its employees’ spirit and ideas.

How Being Relevant Creates Competitive Advantage

April 3, 2013/3 Comments/in Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today, Robert Murray, author of It’s Already Inside (CLICK HERE to get your copy) shares thoughts on how your organization can build a competitive advantage.

Lots gets said and written about leadership and strategy. Complex theories and models abound. Leaders (usually the ones with some sort of inferiority complex) use really big words and acronyms that only confuse things even more. No wonder most businesses today languish in a constant state of mediocrity.

I once worked with a PhD from one of the finest business schools in the world that would often say; “We’re not doing that. It’s too simple.” The results were a culture that was reduced to a toxic tar pit and a customer base that slipped 17% in one year – eroding $200MM in shareholder value.

Here’s the secret sauce (so to speak) though – be relevant. Be relevant to your people, partners and your customers. It is the competitive advantage that will set you apart from the crowd.

What does “being relevant” mean?

When business leaders get complicated with their models and convoluted mumbo jumbo, it always comes from what they teach in business schools and it is all left brain thinking.

People, on the other hand, make all their decisions from an emotionally based perception of their own reality, which is all right brain thinking. It is different for each individual – there is no one size fits all.

What Zappos Can Teach You About Competing and Winning

July 25, 2012/2 Comments/in Books, Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Strategy, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s an honor and a privilege to bring you some thoughts from bestselling author Dr. Joseph Michelli (author of The Zappos Experience and The Starbucks Experience) on how to reduce the risk of becoming a commodity. Enough of me… here’s Joseph.

Every business is at risk of becoming a commodity. So how is it that some travel agents still thrive after the advent of Priceline and Travelocity? Why do some companies maintain premium pricing while similar businesses have to resort to discounting to attract price sensitive consumers? And the most important question of all, how can YOU assure that YOUR business doesn’t fall into the commodization trap?

The recent recession has only reinforced the economic truth that brands that “wow” customers – thrive and survive! Conversely, brands that simply satisfy consumers are at the risk of extinction! While the lessons, I’m sharing here could’ve just as easily been drawn from my books about Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton, the Pike Place Fish Market, or the UCLA Health System, I’ll offer insights and tools courtesy of Zappos (The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage and WOW).

Zappos is an online retailer who defied the odds and built an Internet empire, initially as a virtual shoe store and now expanding its inventory well beyond shoes alone. Zappos has always charged top dollar for its products and has succeeded primarily because they innovated an experience that consistently exceeds the expectations of customers, vendors, and people who simply encounter the brand.

To help you appreciate how Zappos might serve as a provocative benchmark for your customer experience, let me cover the 5 principles outlined in The Zappos Experience:

Business Ethics Ain’t Rocket Science

April 4, 2012/7 Comments/in Communications, Customer Service, Guest Blogger /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Allen Laudenslager and Bryan Neva Sr. You can learn more about them at the end of the post.

The famous U.S. Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf once said, “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do… the hard part is doing it!” Likewise, the answer to most business problems is usually obvious as well.

Consider this – when was the last time you were really stumped for a solution to a problem? In most cases, the hardest things about solving the problem were the obstacles of personalities, politics, or cost. Taken together, these obstacles usually make the obvious solution very hard if not impossible to implement. These are failures of an organization’s values, guiding principles, and ethics.

Twenty years ago, my elderly mother came to live with me due to her declining health. She sold her home and hired a moving company to move her furniture and transport her car via trailer from New England to Virginia (primarily to minimize the mileage). When the moving van and car arrived, it was obvious that the car had not been transported but driven instead. When questioned, the driver admitted that they had driven the car and not transported it as they had been contracted to do.

When I called the moving company’s main office to complain, the representative asked what I wanted them to do about it. My only reply was “What would you expect someone to do if it was your mother!” Shortly thereafter, the driver came back to tell us that they were refunding the cost of transporting the car.

When a customer calls about a problem with your product or service. You generally know right off hand what the right thing to do is: either fix it, replace it, or refund their money. But company management may complain that “if we fix every problem for every customer then how are we supposed to make a profit?” Well, if your company’s product or service has so many customer problems that fixing them impacts profits, then fix the product or service! It ain’t rocket science!