Is Customer Service in Your 2015 Business Plan?

It's that time of year again, the "wrap up the old year, get ready for a new one" time. You, like most other professionals, have probably figured out your successes for 2014, areas of improvement for 2015 and have made a list of goals that you want to strategically tackle to take your business to the next level.  Good for you! And for you slackers reading this who haven't done it, get on it after you read this fascinating blog post.

Whether you're tweaking your business plan over the next several days or actually finally getting it in writing, be sure and map out your customer service plan for the new year.  What are your doing for your clients, the ones who are getting you to where you want to be? The ones who either buy or sell with you, refer you business or help your business run more efficiently by providing great service to you?  What are doing to attract and reward new customers?  What are you doing to ensure repeat business from past clients?  What are you doing daily to give, maintain and demonstrate customer service?  

Whatever your plan is, put it in writing, communicate it with your staff and make sure they know what's expected.  Hold them accountable to giving the type of service you want associated with your name and brand.  And then track your results by the number of referrals you're given, the answer to "How'd you hear about us", or amount of repeat business you receive.  And new business, hopefully, will be derived as well.

Start your new year and your new business plan off right with an action plan for customer service and watch 2015 become your best year.

What do you plan to do to make customer service a priority for your business?  Comments are welcomed!

Do You Park In Customer Parking...At Your Own Company?!

This should be a no brainer post, really.  I mean, common sense would tell you that people who work at a company don't park in customer parking.  Right?  Especially when customer parking is right up front and is clearly marked.

Would you agree?

You would be correct but you would also be sorely disappointed to find out that a lot of people are not as smart, nor as considerate as you and I are. I don't know what that is a statement of; selfishness, stupidity, out and out rudeness?

But it is not customer service. Wait, it is; it's bad customer service.

I've actually had experience with this one. At another firm I worked we had an agent who consistently everyday obtrusively parked their big old Mercedes front and center in the closest spot to the front door directly under the sign that plainly stated customer parking only. As if that wasn't rude enough, they also had vanity tags with both their name and the Realtor emblem emblazoned on said flashy Mercedes so that when customers did have to park on the other side and walk into the building, they could be sure and know that they reason they were walking past the spot reserved for them was because one of the Realtors wanted to park there.

Absolutely unbelievable and to add insult to injury, this Realtor was offended when I told them to stop parking there.

I scratched my head on this one, not able to fathom why no one there seemed to get this was just plain wrong.

Fast forward.....I had the privilege this week to attend a seminar on "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership". We were talking about characteristics of good leaders and qualities that weren't.  Not just the big things but the little things as well. And guess what circumstance came up that we said leaders, whether individual employees or the company itself, could really step and epitomize to the clients how much customer service means to them without ever saying a word?

Seeing who was parked in the customer parking spots, or more importantly, who was not.

I've witnessed various employees at many companies park in the customer spots and it tells me I am not important to them, their needs are more important than mine.  No customer needs that spot for five or ten minutes to run inside and give them business. The employee needs it for a few hours, all day, whatever.  It's a huge slap in the face and if they don't get it enough to figure out the parking space, where else could the customer service be lacking?

Speaking as a Realtor, if someone at my office parked in the space reserved for clients, one of which may be mine, I would be angry.  I would ask that they not to take those spots and mention that I don't like the message it sends.  Sadly, at the other place, agents were angry that I had said something. They didn't get what the real message was.

What does your parking lot say to your clients or the companies clients?  Customer service begins before you ever walk in the door.

Are people at your office killing customer service before you ever get the chance to show them yours?

Now THIS Is Customer Service!

Yes I realize I am probably showing my age with a picture of the 'Fonz leading off this post but so be it. I happen to think the inspiration I have for the post was pretty cool and I needed good ole Fonzie to kick things off.

I value good customer service and try to provide it in my business. I seem to think, though, that not everyone is as hung up on good service as I am because I certainly don't always receive it and I've heard horror stories from past clients recanting how they didn't receive it from previous Realtors they worked with.   

Today was different; today I witnessed first hand fabulous customer service! As I thought more about it, I realized that every time I enter this particular establishment I always receive great service as does everyone else who is in line.

And it's in the least likely place that you would ever expect to receive good, let alone great, customer service.  

The United States Post office. In Murfreesboro, TN.

Now let me set the background for you.  My post office in Acworth, GA was staffed completely with people that A) had little or no concept of customer service, B) didn't care that they had little or no concept of customer service and C) thrived, nay, prided themselves on being as slow and incompetent as they could be.  I can't tell you how many times I've nearly had an aneurism waiting in a line of at least ten deep only to get to the front of the line without having a stroke and the postal person puts up a sign that says "next window" and tells the whole line that is snaked outside the building, with an attitude thrown in for good measure, that it is time for their fifteen minute break. So I unfairly judged all post offices based on the horrible one I had before.

So imagine my surprise the first time when I went into the post office here and received a friendly face with a smile that welcomed me, asked me how my day was and waited on me quickly and efficiently.  I actually turned around to see who they were talking to and looked on the wall to ensure that I was in a post office I was so taken aback.  I was greeted and surprised by the African American woman who truly seemed to be glad that I was there.  And I noticed that she treated everyone who came to her line the same way.  "Hmm", I thought, "she must be getting ready to leave, or its her birthday or maybe today is the day she retires".  Needless to say, I was surprised yet skeptical.  But now, thinking back on other visits, each time I've gone in she's the same; always smiling, knowing some patrons by name, greeting others who come in even if they go to other lines because her window is full. Amazing! Today I went in and just watched while I stood in line. She personally greeted everyone with a hello, made anyone at her window feel welcomed and stopped to shake a gentleman's hand with a familiarity that showed she obviously knew and appreciated him, all while waiting on her own customers and making them feel special without missing a beat.

I was flabbergasted and slightly disappointed that I didn't get her window but she smiled as I walked to the next one and asked how I was.

Fabulous, over the top, customer service!

I've discovered several lessons from this dynamic civil servant and want to share them if you desire to give great customer service or client care to both those you work with and for:

You don't have to know their name but make them feel that you do by  recognizing them.

When you are with them make them feel like their your only client.

Always have a smile on your face-it backs up the fact that you care and that you enjoy what you do,

Be kind and aware.  I've seen this same lady wait on a woman with a severe handicap and patiently wait while she went through her purse, slowly and painstakingly, to find her debit card. While she did this, the postal worker assured her she was fine, not to hurry and talked to her like she was the only one there.  She treated her with dignity and kindness.

She may not as a little girl have grown up saying "I want to work at the post office" but she loves her job; you can see it by the way she smiles, talks to her fellow employees and goes out of her way to be helpful to anyone who comes in.

I have no idea if she goes to church or is a believer but I can tell you one thing; her window at the post office seems to be her own little mission field simply by the way she treats every customer that comes in.

Can your clients or customers say the same about you?  

Customer Service - The Rough and Rewarding

Hello readers;

I've had numerous posts in my head for quite some time but can't seem to sit still long enough to pen anything. And yes, I did reread my last post where I promised to blog more often. I'm working on my time management skills and have even time blocked off "blogging" on my calendar. Who knows, maybe you will see more posts on what is and isn't good customer service.

Speaking of, let me tell you a customer service incident that really rankled me this week.  Dave and I have relocated to the quaint little town of Murfreesboro, TN, just outside of Nash-Vegas.  I had lived her before in my previous life* and we returned for a job offer I had.**

Earlier this week I had a doctors appointment that I swear I had scheduled back in July when we first moved here and they earliest slot available was in late October.  Truth be told, that ticked me off a bit but hey, I needed a check up, I was in no eminent danger health wise so what they heck, yea, pencil me in for late October.  The day arrives and get there only to spend the next thirty minutes facing a  "fill out all these forms" delay. I sit in the waiting room waiting like a puppy to be called back to the exam room only to endure once back there being questioned like I was bringing ebola into the country and then wait, patiently I might add, for another 15 minutes.  Contrary to what Tom Petty says, the waiting is not the hardest part; it's the siting there in the paper gown you've put on backwards at the nurse's request in a room that 15 degrees below freezing.  I'm wondering what the heck is taking so long when a rather brusque nurse barges in and says "Sorry, the doctor had to leave for an emergency C section and you have to reschedule". I then asked was there another doctor who could see me since I had spent half a day there already, to which she replied, and I quote, "No, you are a new patient and we don't do that for new patients".  What?  Seriously?  Why would I ever want to be a regular patient if they can't earn my business as a new patient?  Yes, it's a doctor's office but please, have some customer service skills.  I'm a new patient, you are trying to lure me in and hope I stay a patient but yet you tell me new patients get no perks?  Are you kidding me?  I then declared, and I mean declared, that my time was just as valuable as the doctors and somebody had better see me PDQ because I had already waited over two months for the appointment.  They acted like they did me a favor "squeezing me in" the next day but I called 15 minutes before and cancelled it.  How you like them apples?  Doesn't feel so good when it happens to you, huh?  Probably didn't hurt them, they just went out and played golf, no doubt.  I then rescheduled and yep, you guess it, they have an opening for a "new patient" in late November!

My question for the OB GYN clinic at Murfreesboro Medical is this; are you trying to grow your business or do you feel you have enough and you really could care less about your new patients who are relocating to the area, looking for a different doctor or are just plain new?  That was really eye opening to me; here is this brand new, state of the art  medical center in a growing, bustling town and they don't do something as simple as assisting a new patient by trying to make their visit easy and convenient.  The customer service lesson here? Treat all your customers the same and if they are new, make them want to grow into your business.  Why would I ever want to go back when I have been pushed off, made to feel unvalued and second class simply because I am a "new patient'?  And don't push this off on Obabma care...this falls squarely on the shoulders of nurse Ratchet and the office who has this adopted this protocol.

On a positive note, I love me some Publix! OMG, the customer service, here in the booming metropolis of Murfreesboro anyway, is phenomenal and it was also like that at my Acworth store.  Try it out. Go in and ask anyone that works there where something is; they don't tell you, they walk you over to the item.  For real! And they're friendly while doing it. They say have a nice day and  glad to help you. I about fell out. I thought I had some super friendly freakazoid who got off walking strangers around the store but everyone there does it!  I will never hit a Kroger again...I walk into Publix, they say hello, everyone is friendly, cashiers are nice, bag people don't smash the bread, they put it in your car and bing bang boom, outta there! What more can you ask for?  And Publix always has everything perfect! Clean aisles, neat, well stocked shelves, everything out front. Great customer service both verbally and in person and great service from an intangible perspective too. Way to go, Publix!

What company has made your customer experience rough or rewarding?  And more importantly, what do you do to your clients that could be considered rough or rewarding?  Do they have to wait a long time to see you or have a call returned? Are new clients made to feel important?  And using the Publix example....do you lead and show or point and tell?  Hopefully it's leading and showing, not just physically but truly leading your client and showing them what's best for them.

Customer service is how you build you and your brand.  Let your approach bring them in and not push them away.

*Lived here for 17 years during my younger days
**Can't fit a square peg into a round hole; I am now back with the fabulous company of Keller Williams.  There is a reason they are the number one real estate company in America.  What was I thinking going to work for # 5?!

Is "Doing Your Job" Giving Good Customer Service?

Wow, it's been far too long between the first post and this one and it certainly wasn't intentional.  For you blog readers, that wasn't good customer service was it, to start a blog, throw out a post promising more in the near future and then disappear?  But I've had good reasons for the delay in posting, which I'll cover here and promise to update this little thingy once a week.  Happy?

Customer service....ahhh, how many times in the last few weeks have I had the opportunity to experience it and didn't? Too many to count. I will have to say that there were a few times I had exceptional service and I will cover those in the next post (see, already setting expectations for next week.) But this one will be a gripe session, if you don't mind, because there were great chances for the customer reps to have gone above and beyond; no, forget that, to just do their stinking jobs, and that would have provided customer service.  If the employee chose to go above and beyond, wahoo, that would have left an impression.

I've got one specific incident I want to talk about while drawing the parallel to the above title....if an employee is doing their job, are they then providing good customer service?

See the picture here, the one with the dashingly handsome man and the effervescent young lady?  Well, that is yours truly and my then fiancé the day we went to the Cobb county court clerk's office in the great state of Georgia to get our marriage license. Just an aside, and I found this odd;  you can get a marriage license AND/OR a gun permit at the same counter and yes, I am serious.  Anyway, we saunter in, all sappy happy, smiling and probably looking sickeningly in love and say to the clerk who looked to be bored outta her skull, "we are here to get a marriage license."  Now at that point, in my humble opinion, it would have been awesome if she had A) acted a like she cared, B) was enthused or C) made us feel that we were not an interruption to her game of hearts she had going on her cell phone. She just said ok with no smile, no congratulations, no nothing.  She just did her job.  How much better could she have made the experience by just appearing to care.  She didn't even make eye contact;  just said here's the form, fill it out and include your driver's license. We did as instructed and still nothing.  I had to ask her to take the  photo and she did so begrudgingly but there was no zing, no zest.

Back to the question at hand; she did her job; we got a marriage licensee and as far as I can tell are legally married. But what if when she saw us walking in she had said "you two must be here for a marriage license?"  What if the office had a little dinger they rang for the newlyweds who proceed through there each day?  Or if she had offered to take our picture?  Instead, I was left with yet another bad impression of an employee who was just "doing their job."

So, what about you?  If you as an employee, manager, Realtor, teacher, sales person, whatever, are doing just your job, are you giving good customer service?  If we told our kids go to school and do the work would we want them to do the work or be involved in the work? Because as a employee or business owner, you have to be out there working it, wowing the crowds and keeping them coming back for more. Doing your job, going through the motions...these are synonymous with customer service today unfortunately.  The businesses or sales people who want to stand out, earn more, be more, receive more referrals, they are the ones who do their job but do it with passion, excitement, attention to the customer and what's going on with them and making them feel like they are the ONLY one who is there right now.

Doing your job is not good customer service and you're cheating yourself if that's all you're doing.  And most certainly, you're robbing your customer of the experience they deserve.

Customers and clients can always go elsewhere. Are you doing all you can in your business to ensure that they don't?

I Guess We'll Start Here

Hello Reader;

This blog is evolving because, sadly, I've discovered something; there is no customer service anymore.  Seriously. I remember growing up and going with my mother to a local dry cleaner and reading a big sign behind the counter that proclaimed, in big bold letters,  "The Customer  Is Always Right".  But alas, that no longer rings true.  The customer is not viewed as important anymore and is oftentimes treated as an interruption. It's mind blowing but customer service today sometimes seems non existent.  I rarely experience good, strong, "wow me" customer service, even in establishments that are high end and are assumed to care about that sort of thing. As a Realtor, broker and trainer, one thing I'm passionate about is service to the client.  I truly believe the way to a better deal with a client, a co-worker or anyone is strictly through providing better service to their needs.  I know from teaching about customer service that consumers today almost expect bad service from corporate America; and when they get even mediocre service they are elated What?! Is it just me or is that wrong? The purpose of this blog is to highlight great service, blast incompetence (oh, and blast I will) and get everyone to think more about customer service in their line of business; how you receive it and hopefully, how you give it. These posts are designed to educate about great service and who provides it, why it was great, and how you can implement it to your line of work. And in the process of of that,  I hope to make you laugh, because I'm nothing if I'm not funny.  So check back often and share your comments.  I promise you'll laugh, shake your head in disbelief, smile at the triumphs, think and hopefully want to up your game in your own endeavors.