News : = iSpeak

by=20 Russ Peterson & Kevin = Karschnik

=93There=20 is only one boss=85 the customer. And he can fire = everybody in=20 the company from the chairman on down, simply by = spending his=20 money somewhere else.=94 - Sam=20 Walton

We=20 have all had a great customer service experience, as = well as a=20 bad customer experience. If you think = back on=20 what made each of those experiences either good or = bad, we=92ll=20 bet that it can be summed up in one = word=85=94expectations.=94 When we ask = our=20 workshop attendees what made those customer service=20 experiences so great=85we get the same response 90% of = the=20 time=85=94they went above and beyond.=94 While that = may be an=20 acceptable answer, we always like to ask the student a = follow=20 up question, =93Above and beyond what?=94 After some = intent=20 thinking, the response generally comes back=85=94they = went above=20 and beyond my = expectations.=94

The=20 response is really no different from our students when = we are=20 focusing on their negative customer service = experiences. The customer = was=20 extremely dissatisfied because their expectations were = not=20 being met. =20 According to research, in these cases of poor = customer=20 service, it will now take up to 12 positive = experiences to=20 make up for the one negative experience. These = negative=20 experiences can slowly destroy an organization through = customer attrition. =20 In fact, according to The Gartner Group, 68% = will=20 eventually take their business elsewhere when they = receive=20 poor service.

Customer=20 service, either good or bad all revolves around one=20 thing=85Expectations! =20 If you think about it, we=92ll bet that you = have gone to=20 see a movie in the past based on the reviews you had = heard=20 from others. =20 =93That is the funniest movie I have ever = seen! You HAVE to = go see=20 that movie!=94 = When=20 your review comes in=85you were less than = impressed. How can two = people=20 have such differing opinions? In some = cases it is=20 nothing more than expectations. The first = movie-goer=20 had either no or very low expectations. The second = movie-goer=20 was planning on the funniest movie of all time. Now that is = a tough=20 expectation to meet or beat!

So=20 how do you deliver high caliber customer service that = creates=20 passionate advocates for your company? The answer = lies in=20 their expectations! =20 Deliver top notch service to your customer that = consistently meets or beats their expectations. Studies show = that when=20 you consistently beat your customer=92s expectations = by going=20 =93above and beyond=94, you will create not only loyal = customers,=20 but passionate advocates (salespeople!) for your=20 organization.

So=20 the next question is, =93What makes up top notch = service?=94 Some may = say, =93I can=92t=20 define top quality service, but I know it when I see = it.=94 Based on his = research=20 at Texas=20 A&M=20 University in=20 1994, Dr. Leonard Berry describes five main service = factors=20 that contribute to customer satisfaction and loyalty. = These=20 are the key expectations of a customer when they = contact your=20 organization.

1) =20 Reliability=20 (dependable)

2) =20 Responsiveness=20 (willingness)

3) =20 Assurance=20 (knowledgeable)

4) =20 Empathy=20 (caring)

5) =20 Tangibles=20 (appearance)

Why=20 is top notch service so important? Because it = will=20 increase revenues while decreasing costs. Those are = two goals=20 that every business executive loves to hear = about. The = statistics behind=20 increasing revenues and decreasing costs with quality = customer=20 service can be quite an eye opener. =20

=A7 =20 It=20 costs ten times as much to sell to a new customer as = opposed=20 to an existing customer. =20

=A7 =20 7 of=20 10 customers who switch to the competition do so = because of=20 poor service.

=A7 =20 96=20 percent of unhappy customers will go to your = competition and=20 tell an average of 12 people.

=A7 =20 Only=20 4 percent of unhappy customers will complain and give = you the=20 chance to keep them.

=A7 =20 Resolving=20 a customer concern creates a more loyal customer than = if they=20 had no problems.

=A7 =20 Customers=20 will spend a 15% percent premium for the same product = or=20 service with better service.

In=20 summary, your company=92s long term success will be = dependent on=20 your ability to deliver service that meets and beats = your=20 customer=92s expectations. =20 Remember that Customer Service=20 is a philosophy, not a department, a program or a = policy.=20 It is a = philosophy that must be radiated by all members of an=20 organization. = By=20 believing in the concept to consistently meet or beat=20 expectations, you can create not only loyal customers, = but=20 passionate advocates that will happily sell for you by = telling=20 others about their WOW! experience with = you!

=93When our = customers=20 rate us better or worse than someone else, it=92s = never very=20 scientific =85 but it is always disastrous if you = score low!=94 -=20 Jack Welch

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