customer service
How to Care More About the Customer Than the Sale
Shep Hyken | March 17, 2021
By Shep Hyken It seems that most of the companies that customers love to do business with have something in common. They focus more on the customer than they do the sale. Sure, they want to make the sale, add more revenue and get higher ratings. What company doesn’t want that? But when they focus on the customer’s needs, the rest seems to fall into place. A great example of this comes from Dawn Mushill, one of our Shepard Letter subscribers. She emailed me a great story worth sharing. The short version is this: Dawn ordered a product from a vendor. Since she is working remotely, she gave her home address. The company recognized t...
Frontline Staff Training: From Customer Service to Entertainment
EHL | February 3, 2021
The role of frontline staff is changing within the hospitality industry. Staff members are now expected to have an expanded role with additional service skills at their disposal. If you’re hoping to get into this industry, you should know that on top of proper customer service skills, you’ll need to up your game to deliver an entertaining experience to your guests. This is what gives modern guests the immersive experience they crave. Why has the industry changed? Hotels didn’t always need to provide an entertainment experience, as they were generally seen as a home base for relaxing and resting between going out to other destina...
Be a Goldfish
Shep Hyken | January 27, 2021
By Shep Hyken I was recently asked what three traits I think are most important for someone in customer service to have. I’d like to broaden the topic to anyone dealing with someone else’s problem or question, be it a customer or another person inside the organization, also known as an inside customer. My response to the question was quick: Empathy, which I have chosen as The Word of the Year. More than ever, our customers need to feel a connection. Good communications skills, which includes listening and also ties back to empathy. If you miscommunicate with customers, that could lead to them saying something like, “I...
Small Improvements in Customer Service Create Big Wins
Shep Hyken | January 20, 2021
By Shep Hyken Little successes added together make for large success down the road. Small successes add up. To put it in baseball terms, you don’t need to hit a home run every time it’s your turn at bat. So, here’s the question to consider: What small change will enhance the experience for the customer, even if it is just by 1%? My friend and client, Jason Bradshaw of Volkswagen in Australia, was tasked with improving the customer experience for the VW dealerships. Within two years he had made big strides. It didn’t happen with big sweeping changes. It happened with little ones. Even “tiny” ones that he referred to as...
Customer Service and Recovery via Social Media
Ana McFee | January 19, 2021
By Ana McFee More than half of the world’s population currently uses social media. People turn to the various platforms to connect with friends and businesses alike. They read stories that interest them, share news, and even investigate companies that they might be interested in buying from. Social media, in many ways, has become the world's watercooler. This is where customers go to discuss the issues that matter the most to them. In a world where customers control much of the early process of the buyer’s journey, including taking the initiative to uncover companies and product solutions that might help them solve their pain point...
The Customer Service Experience Doesn’t Begin With the Greeting
Shep Hyken | December 23, 2020
By Shep Hyken In the world of show business and live entertainment, every act has an “opening.” Most people think it’s the first words that come out of the actors’ mouths, but it’s more than that. It’s the moment the audience sees the actors walking onto the stage. It’s how they are dressed, how they make eye contact with the audience, the anticipation they create, and more. So, when the actors speak their opening lines, it is actually the end of the opening. It’s the same in business. You call the customer service hotline. A pleasant customer support agent picks up the phone and enthusiastically greets you, ready t...
Customer Service Lessons From the Best Unknown Companies
Shep Hyken | December 16, 2020
By Shep Hyken I’m often asked what the best way to disrupt the competition is. The answer is to not compare yourself to the competition, but to the best companies from other industries. In my customer service speeches, I’ll sometimes ask the audience to share who their favorite and easiest companies are to do business with. The typical answers are Amazon, Zappos, Walmart and other recognizable brands. Once in a while, an audience member will mention a local business. Sometimes it’s a restaurant or a car dealership. It really doesn’t matter whether you know the company well or not. It’s the fact that the company offers a...
Employees Love the Story, Too
Shep Hyken | December 10, 2020
By Shep Hyken Last week, I covered the idea of the story. Customers love to read the stories of other customers using the products they are interested in purchasing. Reviews are where they start. High ratings can turn into high interest. Customer commentary in the review—as in how much they are enjoying the product and how they are using the product—can push a potential customer to make the purchase. There is a similar benefit to employees reading reviews. While they may not be buying the product, the reviews help them buy into the company they work for. It provides validation, credibility and even a sense of pride. One of...
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