Ideas for improving customer service

Discussion of the value of complaints

Recommendations on how to be a better customer

Most of the messages are organized into those categories. A few messages however took a different approach, and I believe this is where the real juice is. These folks reminds us that the people providing customer service are EMPLOYEES and if we're not treating them with honesty, respect and caring, how can we expect them to care for customers? If we're not providing them with opportunities for development and growth, how are they going to stay enthused about their work? And, if we aren't creating an overall climate of service to EVERYONE, then they definitely will not pass service along to customers.

From: Dia Rigden, drigden@home.com
I've been coaching a customer service group in the aerospace industry for a few years now and I can see the big picture behind service nightmares. First, do you know that the 4 most stressful jobs in the world are:
1. Air traffic controller
2. Inner city police officer
3. Inner city high school teacher
4. Corporate customer service representative.
Note that the first three all potentially involve life-threatening danger. Yet customer service is right up there with them because it involves daily, hourly pressure; a workload that grows faster than it can be handled, hence a feeling of never really accomplishing anything; verbal abuse from irate customers; fear of taking a holiday because of the mountain of work when you return; taking the blame for delays when the problem lies in other areas of the company; having your huge workload doubled when others are away because the company has a freeze on hiring. There's more, but you get the picture.

At first my group needed team-building and tender loving care. Under constant pressure, they had become distrustful, negative, resentful, angry, frustrated, cynical, and in some cases desperate or apathetic. After a year or so, that turned around and we saw some heart-warming changes for the better. They became a team, caring for and trusting one another. It wasn't heaven, and still isn't, but they learned how to support one another from within.

But in two more years of coaching, my role has changed to that of group therapy leader. The pressure is getting worse, not better. There are shocking dysfunctions in other areas like shipping and receiving, but nothing is done to correct them despite my groups' best efforts to make them known. Why? Partly because my group has an old stigma from years of unhappiness of being seen as complainers and over-reactors by their peers. This too, is changing slowly, as we work on their professionalism and political savvy within the company.

But the crux of the matter is this: there are cut-backs, hiring freezes, regular "riffs" or firings throughout the company -- all in an effort to keep the stock prices up. In order to keep the shareholder happy, there is tremendous fear and suffering at all levels of the company. The emphasis is not on customer serivce, though much lip service is paid to it, the emphasis is on the shareholder and fear is the motivator of employees. Customer service is instead the dumping ground for the entire company's difficulties because all parts of the company feed into it. Customer service then puts on a brave or apologetic face to the customer.

My group is now asked to make sales while serving the customer, which they do remarkably well, managing to make the numbers for their site each quarter. And so their responsibilities multiply again, but not the dollars they take home.

I have come to love the people in my group. They are mostly fine, highly responsible people who care deeply about doing a good job. And they do a great job as far as that is possible under their working conditions. Our work together rests upon the extremely important ethic of changing negatives into positives.

And that is the point I would like to make. If we can all take a spiritual approach to customer service, changing a negative into a positive wherever possible, we can help others and bring healing to the situation. Instead of getting enraged at a sales person or customer rep, remember that their apathy or insolence comes from a long chain of hardship and difficulty within the company. You have no idea what they suffer under a harsh supervisor, low pay, or fear of being tossed out. Customer abuse is the last straw for them. We can kindly point out dysfunctions in display or pricing, and ask them how to help get it fixed. Ask the sales person if they're having a bad day -- not sarcastically, but with sympathy and empathy. Ask them what would make their job better and put it into the suggestion box or write to sales and marketing executives, placing the onus on the company, not the workers who bear the brunt of greed on the stock exchange.

From: d.jewell@pecorp.com
In my experience, businesses that deal in service focus all their attention out, and rarely focus in on themselves and their own employees. As a result, people burn out.

For myself, I know that I can manage about a 12:1 ratio of thoughtful attention out vs. attention I receive. After that, I'm not worth being around.

I function even better if the ratio of listening:being-listened-to is closer to 1:1.

In my experience, people almost universally need to be listened to with attitudes of approval, delight, caring, confidence, commitment, respect, and a relaxed sense of high expecations in our ability to think and act well. (These are probably the characteristics Steven Covey is talking about when he refers to "listening with empathy.")

On the other hand, we frequently get listened to with a combination of advice, judgment, criticism, disapproval, impatience, or distractedness. Or, the listener is just waiting for us to stop so she/he can talk. None of these help us become better listeners to others.

From: Organizational Learning Group, Orgcons4u@excite.com
We don't seem to get it: until our INTERNAL customers(employees)are taken care of, our EXTERNAL customers won't win, place or show. Not to plug a service, however, I've developed a process called VOICE : Visions of Internal Customers' Excellence that speaks clearly to this issue. Very often, internal customers need to be coached into another job at another place for them to be passionate about their work. If we're not...?

Ideas for improving customer service:

From: Michael W. Cline, mcline7@flash.net
How about we devise an International Standard for quality customer service processes (maybe ISO 2100). Then everyone who is service oriented could work to be "ISO 2100" Certified. To maintain and keep your certification, your customers (internal and external) provide feedback and you have to show continued innovation in customer service. How does this sound?

From: jeff hutner, concept@jetlink.net
a super service hall of fame and annual awards show like the oscars

From: Kathryn Miller, MichaelDTC@aol.com
Thanks for the request for ideas for "customer service". I like the two "primes" you gave. I find the simple "Thank you" and an explanation of what made the service I received special really helps to extend the relationship. Why not begin a column, syndicate it like a cartoon strip, of great customer service tales and run it on a weekly or monthly basis in newspapers across the country.

From: R. Sridhar, vijisri@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in
You could form a Customer Service company run by customers "For the Customers, of the Customers & by the customers". Customers become members by paying an annual fee. The mission of this community is to help customers get better customer service. In whatever business.

Operate this through the web. Ideas could be universal. Customers could share latest strategies that worked for them. So when I am stuck I look into the archives for inspiration from a success story and that could lead to an idea!

I am in love with this thought because it turns the whole thing upside down!! Imagine when this is successful! Every complaint opportunity could be an opportunity to get more service! Or build a relationship. Getting smart about customer service is actually in the interest of the customer. It is all about extracting more value out of the money you already spent. "Squeeze the waste & Stretch the value."

From: Marco Antonio Wong, mwong@enlace.net
* The Nobel Prize for Customer Service
* Develop the Gold Premium Award
* Email brief recognition to BEST HBCS (Human Being Customer Server)
* Design a conversational distinction on customer Service
* Develop the ISO for customer service performance
* The Quality performance pin
* "World Recognition Teams providing Recognition for Customer Satisfaction globally"
* Customer Service Ranks like in the military
* The Customer Satisfaction Provider State of mind

From: Anne Robinson, anniecreate@hotmail.com
I'm all for creating a super-service character to commend good service. But I'm also for creating a character representing SUB-SERVICE that could be mailed to the proper headquarters of the department or person giving the poor service -- with a note describing the poor service. If enough of these arrive at the same headquarters they MIGHT (notice the emphasis on might) make a difference. ANNE DURRUM ROBINSON (who could fill a book with abysmal service anecdotes)

From: Mike Healy, Mike_Healy@gactr.uga.edu
Hi - we have/had a $2 award that would be publically announce when it was awarded for any outstanding act of good customer service. The idea was announced with a little mystery. No one knew who's idea it was, who would "catch" the staff or management in the act of "doing good customer service," and no one knew where the money was coming from...but it worked.

From: Grover Partee, gpartee@hotmail.com
I have, on occasion, in response to what I felt was exceptional service, written a short thank-you on the back of one of my business cards. What I usually like to say is "Thank you. Who you are makes a difference."

From: Dr. Edward Rockey, erockey@pepperdine.edu
Innovative organizations create titles that reflect the essential mission of an executive or professional (such as Change-Master, Minister of Creativity, etc.).

Why not assign an "Ambassador for Superb Service" whose sole task is to travel about the organization, especially at customer-point-of-service spots, and invent or refine delightful ways of meeting customer needs?

Discussion on the value of complaints:

From: JaBarlow@aol.com
I don't think that telling negative customer service stories is necessarily a bad thing. I am the author of A Complaint Is a Gift, and I think all these stories are a gift waiting to be presented to the organization that created such bad examples. It's the only way they can improve, and I always learn what not to do when I read examples of bad customer service.

In fact, I would argue that our antipathy towards bad customer service (demonstrating by calling it whining) is part of the problem around complaints. We really do see them as negative and not as gifts in the least. We are all born of cultures that to at least some degree subscribe to the notion, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all." Without complaining, I ask, do we improve quality? Do we wait for the people who delivered this bad service to figure out it was bad service and fix it? Doesn't seem to me much will happen if we try that approach. In fact, I think it will only encourage the bad service because they will think the service is acceptable since no one said anything.

But to your point to put a more positive spin on these negative stories might be interesting to look at what would be creative solutions to the most outrageous examples of bad service. (Janelle Barlow, Ph.D. is the coauthor of "A Complaint Is a Gift")

From: MRTD, mrtd@chorus.ne>
There is value in group "venting", for example:

1- the complainer feels better (if only a little)
2- you read that you are NOT the only one being treated shabbily
3- you learn which companies/businesses to avoid

Consumers have the money and, therefore, the power. Even if the offending party is a governmental agency, you have recourse. After all, your tax dollars are paying those people's salaries. Too often, we consumers don't fully exercise our power.

A long time ago, I began documenting my experiences in writing. All but a few businesses these days use some kind of survey to determine customer satisfaction. I fill out those surveys all the time.

If an employee has been particularly efficient, knowledgeable, or helpful, I list them by name and say how wonderful they were. Nearly all businesses require their employees to wear name tags of some sort these days. I figure good customer service behavior should be reinforced (and, hopefully, rewarded by the employer).

Likewise, if the service provided by an employee was lacking, I list the name of the offending employee. If the situation was particularly horrendous, I write a letter to the senior-ranking company official who has invited me to complete the customer service survey (surveys these days generally contain such a name).

You can tell -- by the response you get -- which companies are interested in improving their service and your continued business. I have received free meal coupons, one day's free lodging at hotels, "apology" gifts, the list goes on and on.

When I don't hear back from a company -- not even so much as a form letter signed by a flunky -- I blackball the company. I refuse to do business with them again; generally, there is competition looking for my business. And with the internet today, the competition may be located across the country but it's really only a mouse-click away. I tell all my friends and acquaintances of my horrible experience and urge them away from the offending company. And, depending on the circumstance, I may report them to the Better Business Bureau or consumer protection agency in my state. I also make sure the mutual funds I invest in are not buying stock from the offending company. (This last step is reserved for only the most obnoxious of companies that happens to publicly traded.)

As you point out, I am also a service provider. I know, first hand, how infuriating poor service is. I simply won't do that to other people. In fact, because of my sensitivity to this issue, I may overcompensate. In my book, that's okay. I have the letters of thanks from customers to show that I'm on the right track.

The people I supervise have their own good sense and my example to follow. As their supervisor, I made my service expectations clear to them from the beginning. I see that they get the training they need. I also give them an out: if a situation is overwhelming, consult with me. Perhaps I can help; at least let me try.

I suppose all this can be summed up as follows: I refuse to allow the supporters of poor service to win.

Customer Behavior recommendations: the following are variations on the
"be nice to them and they'll be nice to you" theme --

From: "Connery, Margaret", mconnery@CalOPTIMA.ORG
Several years ago, I worked temporarily for a district manager of a contract service provider. My job was to survey customers of businesses where we had a contract to assess levels of satisfaction. I would collect data, analyze it, and write a report with recommendations. The work was interesting at first, because I learned a lot about the contractor-customer relationship.

After a few months, the district manager offered me a permanent position, which I turned down. As I explained to him, he could take the names of all his customers and plug them into any of the reports I had already written, and still have valid and useful recommendations. The reason? Every instance of high customer satisfaction was due to a positive relationship with the contract manager. Every instance of poor customer satisfaction was due to the failure of the contract manager to build and foster a relationship.

Companies like to look for high-tech solutions, for glitzy and glamorous ways to attract new customers and dazzle existing ones. My experience taught me that, if you build a relationship with your customers, you will be busy listening to them and working to give them what they need. And that relationship guarantees that mistakes, when they occur, are more likely to be forgiven, and the service provider given another chance to deliver satisfaction.

Relationships are the key!

From: HONEYWARD@aol.com
First, treat service people the way most of us like to be treated, with respect and a generous spirit-- say hello, look the person in the eye, ask how his/her day is going. And be sincere about it.

Next, be clear in your communications-- few of us are mind readers. If you have a very specific request, make sure it gets across. And don't be too shy in making requests-- if you lower your expectations because you fear they won't be met, you can be sure they won't. And you'll end up blaming the establishment for your dissatisfaction. Not fair!

When servers do a good job, tell the employee and his/her boss.

If there is a problem, tell the service person first, and give him/her a chance to fix it. If the problem remains, tell management.

Sincerely express your gratitude-- we all love to be appreciated.

From: Margaret Russell, grandmar3@yahoo.com
I make a point of complimenting acceptable service and effort, and fin that it usually sustains good service. It takes only a few seconds and makes both of us feel good about ourselves and each other. I really try to find something to justify positive feedback and am often surprised at the improved attitude and service when the service opportunity recurs. I also have resolved to pass on any compliment I hear about somebody else. Everybody enjoys being appreciated, and compliments are too rare.

From: "Thompson, Trina", thompson@edc.gsph.pitt.edu
Feedback makes a huge impact on service and letting someone know they did a good job typically makes a person beam! It also doesn't hurt to make the person's boss aware of it. So I suggest making feedback easy. How about computer terminals to enter feedback immediately--for instance, strategically placed in the store or business. Make it quick and easy too, no complicated stuff. No PC's? No problem. Boxes on the wall with short forms (and a writing utensil as well) to log your input. The comments should go to the supervisor AND the employee.

From: R. Sridhar, vijisri@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in
The best way to get good customer service is to teach Customers as to how to get good customer service.

Look at it this way; all things being equal who would you like to help? The person who is cribbing all the time or the person who is nice and courteous. It might be a truism that only crying babies get milk, but I think the nicer babies get the chocolate too.

I have tried this with banks, hotels & airlines. Just be nice. Acknowledge that they are perople with feelings. Show empathy. It is worth the effort because they deliver better service. In very few instances I have found this failing. (There are a few hard nuts to crack.)

I have a friend who tips the hotel staff up front!! He is treated like royalty. If Customers get Smart & understand How to get better customer service rather than waiting for it as a matter of rights things will be better.

And of course we could have a big market for these kind of How to books. "How to get good customer service from Airlines" " How to...banks" "How to.. telecom companies" "How to..Credit Cards etc" I am sure the smart companies will read these & get ready for customer action.

The principle is simple. Customers should take charge of their service & not leave it to the companies.

From: REBreisch@aol.com
We could simply look others in the eye and say, with deep sincerity, "Thank You."

From: Alethea Raspa, A_Raspa@hotmail.com
There is nothing like the thrill of rewarding good service immediately to the individual's supervisor.

We did this recently after a lovely experience at a local hotel and the manager got all excited that her clerk was being praised. I don't think we realise how good all the employees feel when we praise one of their work-mates -- and it made us feel good too!

From: "Wiley-Jones, Rhonda", rwiley@iastate.edu
Joyce, to admit a mistake, laugh about it, and correct it is one thing but to admit it publicly is saintly. Kudos to you to who does so much that you are due a small goof every once in a while. Thanks for your vigilant work with and for us.

What can we do to positively impact the service industry? 1) Smile when we give service. And smile when we demand good service and when someone else cannot or will not provide good service. Don't allow their negativity to affect our attitude negatively. 2) Brag on those who do provide good service-- especially to their supervisors. I wrote a letter to my doctor's supervisor acknowledging his excellent care and his caring attitude, which is unusual in today's health care environment. He told me at my next visit, that he sent a copy of my letter to his mother. Wow, compliments still win our hearts!

From: "Manzi, Felicia", MANZIF@coned.com
How can we positively impact customer service? On the theory that we create the universe in our own image, why not put energy into heightening our own courtesy/consideration levels.

From: "White, Mel", MWhite@ci.garland.tx.us
(g) I have to admit that as a Silent Reader, I looked at the "gripe about customer service" message and was puzzled about why this was a good and innovative idea.

Let me tell you about the other side of the coin: My husband and I have lived in this town for the past 16 years, and we eat out frequently. I tip well for good service, and when our waiter or waitress has done a super job, I will stop and tell the front desk people or the manager (if I can find them.) I always smile, look the server in the eyes, and acknowledge them as a person when they come to take our order.

And we have never, EVER gotten bad service at any restaurants anywhere (including restaurants in foreign countries.) We seldom get bad service from anyone, in fact. On the rare occasions when we complain, we get prompt response from management.

The first step of getting outstanding service from any worker in a service industry is to look them in the eyes and understand that "there, but for the grace of God go I." Treat them as you would want to be treated; understand that they are not robots and may have bad days or may be at the end of a very long workday on their feet. When something isn't right, we don't start shouting and blaming, we say "This isn't right... could you fix it, please?" A calm and pleasant tone (and the expectation that yes, they're going to fix it Right Now) works more wonders than the most irritable growl.

And, y'know, you get your problems resolved much more quickly with a lot less fuss and a lot less stress on both you and the service person than if you stood around and fumed.

From: Cathy Severson, cathys997@yahoo.com
I think the best way to ensure positive customer service is to value the people providing it. I am committed to always being a good customer. I go out of my way to be friendly and respectful of the people I am working with. Usually the individuals that work with the public are on the bottom rung of the hierarchical ladder. but you can tell the companies that value and cultivate professionalism with these individuals. If they are viewed as expendable and pawns, it is usually reflected in the way they treat the customer. IF they are treated like they are the most important people in the company, it is likewise reflected in their behavior.