11 Ideas* for Companies and Customers (*An extra idea because times are tough!)

In these economic times, when our nerves are raw and we are stretched like a rubber-band ready to snap…we all need a kinder hand, a kinder voice…just plain more kindness in our life.

Much of how we help people deliver better customer service is with examples. These are fun and useful because we all have them (since we’re all customers.) And sometimes it helps to look at examples of things we shouldn’t say to customers. That is, if we want them to keep coming back.

So, here is my top 10 list of things you should never say to a customer:

1. “Now just calm down.”

It’s not always easy to keep a good attitude and a smiling face when we’re helping our customers.  We all have many stressors that can get in the way of staying positive and friendly. It’s especially hard when customers are rude, inconsiderate or just plain ornery.

Perhaps the hardest thing to do is to behave one way when we feel another. Acting upbeat when you’re feeling beat down is never easy. If I’m in  a bad mood it’s natural to let that show through my actions.

Sometimes people who focus on improving customer service forget that the lessons apply to everyone. This includes when we are customers. Here’s what I mean.

Remember, the three requirements of an Amazing customer experience are:

1. Treat me well
2. Help me accomplish what I want
3. Offer me value

When discussing a recent national security issue, President Obama offered a useful lesson for anyone who works with customers.

He focused his efforts on finding solutions rather than blame. And he took responsibility for moving toward a solution. Although the mistakes that happened were not his direct fault, he made it clear, national security was his responsibility.

We should all

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Give your customer a cookie

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

At my favorite coffee shop, they do a lot of things right for their customers. A recent example is how they handled a service recovery situation.

I had placed a lunch order and it didn’t get prepared and served right away like usual. Someone forgot to process the order. After I asked about it, the employee apologized and took care of it very quickly. And, she included a chocolate chip cookie in my order at no charge.

This might seem like

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

We choose our attitudes and our actions

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

In just about every customer service training session I do, I hear someone say this (or something like this):

“It’s hard to be cheerful all the time because some customers make me so angry.”

I’m usually not a fan of ad campaigns. But I do like Microsoft’s new ad campaign for Windows 7, “Made by me”. It features people (average, ordinary Windows users, we are supposed to believe) who talk about how Windows 7 has the features they want, because they TOLD Microsoft they wanted them.

Of course, this is fiction advertising, so we need to take it with a massive dose of skepticism.

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Only ask for what you need

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

A big complaint customers often have is when companies waste their time asking for irrelevant and unneeded information.

Here’s a good example of this. This company offers a handy resource (for no charge) to their readers.  Then they ask for a lot of information that is not necessary at this stage of their sales cycle. (It might be nice to have this information but it is not necessary.)

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Don’t hide important information

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

I had a document to print and I wanted it spiral bound for easier reading. So I pointed my web browser to Fedex Kinko’s to get pricing before I went to their nearby store to do the printing. What I found amazed me. Actually, what I DID NOT FIND amazed me. Nowhere did I find copy or printing prices on their web site.

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Be passionate about customer feedback

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

Recently I was chatting online with a guy who does web design and software development. I was evaluating one of his products. At one point I asked him if he wanted feedback and if so how he preferred to get it.

His response: “I want all feedback!”

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Your first contact sets the bar for customer expectations

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

Is it always a good idea to “wow” your customers the first time they do business with you? Maybe not.

Your first contact sets the bar for all future interactions. So if you really knock their socks off the first time, be ready to continue at that level.