Don’t multi-task when helping your customer
by Kevin Stirtz
Kevin Stirtz’s Amazing Customer Service Rule #47
Don’t multi-task when you’re helping a customer
I know I’ll get some feedback on this.
“I have to multi-task” people will say. “Otherwise I can’t get all my work done.”
Another common response: “I can do other things while I listen and still provide good service.”
Yeah right. Maybe that’s true. But probably not.
Some people are very good at multi-tasking. And I know some people can listen while they are doing something else. But just because you CAN do something does NOT mean you should.
The fact is we all can listen better when we focus on listening to the person we are speaking with. The only way we can operate at our best is by focusing on the customer we’re with. If we are trying to do several things at once we risk doing none of them well. Maybe that’s okay if you’re ordering lunch or emptying the trash.
But it’s not okay if you’re helping a customer.
Because when we’re helping a customer we have to do everything we can to give them our best. We need to be on our “A” game 100% of the time we’re with customers. No exceptions and no excuses.
The bad news is, we’re all busy and we often feel if we don’t multi-task we’ll never get everything done. I completely understand. I’ve been there. Still am.
One way I deal with this is to focus on priorities. I consider what I need to do to accomplish my goals. Then I focus just on those tasks. This gives me “permission” to offload (or ignore) many things I might otherwise bury myself in. If they are important, they’ll re-surface.
The good news is, people will notice. When you focus just on your customer, they will notice. They will see and feel the difference. They will see how attentive you are. You’ll be more likely to connect. Your level of service will be better because you’ll be in a better position to understand and help them get what they want.
They’ll also see the difference between how you help them and how your competitors do. And, they’ll repay you with greater loyalty, more referrals and more business.
———-
Kevin Stirtz is the Amazing Service Guy, a speaker and trainer who helps companies increase revenue and profits by delivering Amazing Service. Stirtz has been quoted in such major media as BusinessWeek, the Boston Globe, Smart Money and the Chicago Sun Times. Get a free copy of his Amazing Service Toolkit.
Amazing Service Podcast #1 August 24, 2008
Here is the first installment for the Amazing Service Podcast. Eventually this will be a weekly program. But for now look for a new podcast about twice a month.
In part one of this program we talk about the importance of being flexible as we serve our customers and help them get what we want. Part two helps us remember the most important part of our jobs: helping our customers get what they want.
Enjoy!
Amazing Service Guy Podcast #1 [4:17m]: Help Your Customers by Being Flexible
by Kevin Stirtz
Kevin Stirtz’s Amazing Customer Service Rule #11
Be Flexible
In customer service, as with most things there is no one right answer. There is almost always more than one way to accomplish something. But we don’t always admit it. Too often we focus on one way to do something. Maybe it’s the only way we know. Maybe it’s the fastest, cheapest or easiest route to helping our customer. But that doesn’t make it the best.
Remember, our goal is to help our customers get what they want, within our ability. So we always need to look for alternatives. We need to be creative. We need to think beyond the first solution that comes to mind when we’re working with our customers.
Being flexible means being willing to try a different path. (This is good advice in life as well as business.) Always consider other options as possible ways to help your customer get what they came for.
It means offering customers more than one solution. By offering choices we’re making it more likely they’ll get what they want. There are few things worse than being a customer and someone says “that’s the only way you can do it”.
Being flexible also means being willing to try new things and go the extra mile for customers. It means being a problem solver rather than an order taker. Customers know the difference. Stay flexible as you provide solutions to your customers. They’ll thank you with their loyalty.
———-
Kevin Stirtz is the Amazing Service Guy, a speaker and trainer who helps companies increase revenue and profits by delivering Amazing Service. Stirtz has been quoted in such major media as BusinessWeek, the Boston Globe, Smart Money and the Chicago Sun Times. Get a free copy of his Amazing Service Toolkit.
Share Your Customer Service Horror Stories
by Kevin Stirtz
Bad customer service experiences are so common they’re cliché. They’re like bad breath in the morning. We all have them and they stink. But they are a fact of life. I believe most of us have far more bad customer service experiences than good.
My mission is to change that. Which is why I talk and write about how to improve customer service.
And one of the best ways to improve customer service is to look at example of where and why and how it’s gone wrong. So here’s your opportunity to help. Plus it’s a great way to vent. Very therapeutic!
Click here to share your customer service stories with the world.
By the way, they can be good or bad stories. It’s always nice to have a balance. I will use many of these stories in my articles, books and presentations.
Please be as factual and as accurate as possible. And remember, the purpose here is not to “blast” a person or company. It’s to help us all find ways to improve the customer service we offer.
———-
Kevin Stirtz is the Amazing Service Guy. He is a customer service speaker and trainer who helps companies increase revenue and profits by delivering Amazing Service. Kevin has spoken to thousands of people across the USA and in Europe about how to improve customer service. Get a free copy of Kevin’s Amazing Service Toolkit here.
Customer Service Carnivale
by Kevin Stirtz
This week I am hosting the Customer Service Carnivale so my friend Maria Palma can take a well-deserved break.
The idea behind a blog “carnival” is to show appreciation for other bloggers who write on a certain topic. It’s an aggregate of clips (and links) that point to other posts around the web that are all tied together by their topic: customer service.
The Customer Service Carnivale happens about every two weeks. You can find out more here .
Raymond, of Money Blue Book blog, addresses what can be a touchy topic: outsourcing and the customer service problems it can cause due to language differences. Read his post here.
Allison Nazarian offers useful advice on getting to know your customers. Read her helpful suggestions here on AllisonNazarian.com
Reminding us of the importance of understanding our customers, John Furst offers his thoughts for staying current with how your customers prefer to communicate. John blogs at the E-Biz Booster Blog.
Gavin Ingham writes about sales but clearly understands the need for delivering customer service to your customers. Catch his latest thoughts here at GavinIngham.com.
Dave Ratner, of Dave Ratner’s Blog, shares a wonderful example of how not to deliver customer service and why it’s important to never put the burden of service on our customers. We need to do the work for them whenever possible, as Dave demonstrates so well.
A foundation of great customer service is knowing what your customers want and how you’re doing in delivering it to them. John Crickett relives a story about a local bookstore that clearly does not live this by rule.
Last week I wrote about how Target got a black eye because a manager decided to focus on store policy rather than help a customer get what she wanted. This story has buzzed across the Internet with horrifying speed. I hope the big dogs at Target take notice and make amends soon.
Later this week I’ll be writing about customer service horror stories. If you have a shocking example of bad customer service you’d like to share, please send it to me before Friday August 22. Thanks!
———-
Kevin Stirtz is the Amazing Service Guy. He is a customer service speaker and trainer who helps companies increase revenue and profits by delivering Amazing Service. Kevin has spoken to thousands of people across the USA and in Europe about how to improve customer service. Get a free copy of Kevin’s Amazing Service Toolkit here.
