| |
| |
|
Customer Service Information |
|
|
|
What's in a Name?
Different people call their Customers by different names. If they don't have Customers, they have Clients, purchasers, licensees, users, patients, members, franchisees, or buyers. Each of these words carries meaning to those who say them. And those meanings say something about the health and long term success of the enterprise. What do I mean? Take a minute to do this right now. Write down the word or phrase that you use for your "Customer". Then write down all of the connections or associations you make to that word. Write down everything that comes to your mind. After completing your list, take a look at the resulting list of words and phrases. This list speaks volumes about how you feel about and think about those people who give you money for your products and services. Would you be pleased and proud to have those people read your list? Replicate this exercise with others on your team or in your organization. Compare other people's lists of words and phrases with your own. Then have a discussion about what you find. What do you learn from this exercise? My Experience While I didn't do the exercise, I came to a conclusion earlier this year. In the past, I used a couple of different words interchangeably. I talked about Customer and Clients, sometimes in the same sentence. I started to notice confusion on the faces of people on my team. Eventually we had a conversation where I learned that for others the words Client and Customer meant two different things. I learned that, in the minds of others, a Customer might buy a product one time, but a Client implied a long term relationship. While these meanings weren't my meanings, I quickly applied them for myself. Why? Because I want every person or firm who buys from us to be a Client for life, not a one time purchaser - and just as importantly, I want everyone on my team to be thinking that way too. Just this week, I read a quote from Harris Ginsberg, IBM's director of global executive and organizational capability who said, "A customer is transactional. A client is somebody with whom you have a longstanding relationship and a personal investment." Apparently others agree with my team's definitions. Your Conversation The names and labels matter, but not as much as the common definitions. If you are in a medical practice it is fine to use the word patients, as long as everyone on the team has a clear understanding of what that means and how important patients are within your practice. Once you've had a conversation in your organization about the language you use and definitions you share, as a leader you need to solidify and communicate the right definitions and meanings for your organization so that everyone is truly on the same page. Here are some specific steps you can take once you have opened this conversation: 1. Talk to people about how important the Customer (Client, etc.) is to your business. (How important are they? Make sure that every person understands that the people that purchase your products or services that write their paychecks - they are that important!) 2. Discuss how you want these VIPs to experience your organization. 3. Talk about work processes that may be keeping you from providing that kind of experience and service. 4. If your Customers are typically one time buyers, think about what you can do strategically to change that. 5. Review everyone's daily routines. If your goal is to develop long term relationships, then make sure your daily actions are in step with this goal, and that your language supports these goals. The words we choose are the words we use and they play a powerful role in our beliefs and actions. I encourage you to think about your Customer language. If there is a disconnect within your organization, this exercise can begin to close those gaps and improve your results. If everyone does agree on terminology and meaning, these questions will re-invigorate your efforts to make your Clients/Customers/Purchasers yours forever. p.s. I've capitalized the word Customer throughout this page to let you know how important Customers are. Capitalizing the word is just one way we can remind ourselves of the great importance Customers have for our businesses. After all, without them, we wouldn't be in business. Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe.
MORE RESOURCES:
Customer-Service - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Win the Hearts of Your Customers and Friends Those of us doing business over the internet have to become especially adept at our listening and speaking skills since we don't have the luxury of talking with our customers face to face. It's especially important to give those on the phone extra attention - listening to their voice, because that is the only thing you have to go on, to sense their emotion. Customer Neglect What have you done for your existing customers lately? Probably not much, if you are like most businesses.I know that hunting new business is more of an adrenaline rush than working the business you already have, but it is not as crucial to your long-term success. What Every Manager Should Know About Seeing the World from Where the Customer Is Standing It is important to remember that the customer doesn't necessarily see things in the same way we do. This point was brought home to me one day while I was shopping with my daughter, Stefanie, who was two years old at the time. 11 Moments of Truth These moments come when a customer or client?1. Hears someone else praise you or your work. Customer Service: Why Bears Make Bad Customers Every business owner should have a picture of his or her ideal customer. When I picture my ideal customer, I see a business owner struggling to find time for all that needs to be done, someone passionate about what they do, someone striving to find answers to make their business run better. Stand Out in Business the Write Way When was the last time you received a handwritten note from a business associate? It may be that it was too long ago for you to remember. On the other hand, if you have gotten one lately, you know exactly who sent it and when. How to Keep Customers Who was it that said - "The customer is always right"? Well for those of you who can't get through the day without knowing, it was H Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridges's department store in London.The question I want answered is; did he ever work with customers on day-to-day basis and if so, was he some kind of saint?Let's face it; customers can be a real pain in the neck. Do You Want More Profits? - Follow The Golden Rules Of Providing Good Customer Service Last night I was at my computer and a Skype chat window opened up with a link in it from a stranger. I clicked the link and was taken to one of those "You would have to be crazy to pass up this business opportunity" sites. Customer Service: Everyone is Fighting Their Own Personal Battles Relationships.. What To Do When Youve Blown It It's bound to happen sooner or later - yes, even to you and your business. Sometime or other, you will make a blunder that upsets a customer. What You Need to Know About CRM 1. It's all about the customer. Hit The Jackpot With Customer Complaints Our most powerful instinct is to avoid customer complaints, but they may be the best thing that happens to your business. Here's why. Sales Marketing: 10 High Impact Ways To Improve Your Customer Service If you want to last a long time in business and succeed, you must learn how to make your customers happy.You have to know who are your customers, what they want and keep in touch with them and their needs. Create Win-Win Deals With Your Competitors In the competitive world of the 20th century, we generally viewed competitors as the enemy. And a competitor was anyone who sold to the same target audience as us - even if they sold a different item. The Art of Giving Great Service Sales is tough to get right, and depends on retaining those customers, yet people do it badly and unprofessionally all the time. It's really not difficult to learn the art of good service, and if you get it perfect, you will see those rewards. Your Voice Print "Mountains are built one pebble at a time and climbed one step at a time." This is a quote of mine that I personally put into practice each day as I progress towards fulfilling my WHY in life. The Marvelous World of Metaphors Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more insight into your own innovation. Nobody can do it better than you can!A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that means one thing is used to describe an object or ideas to which it is not literally applicable -- a ship is said to plow the sea. The Great American Customer Service Unawareness Campaign Q: I'm so sick of you so-called business experts always saying the customer is always right. This is my business, not the customer's, so I'm the one who's always right. Revealed - A Simple Formula For Success! Exceeding Expectations Delight = Customer Expectation plus 1. This was the simple formula for delighting your customers that Ken Blanchard informed us of in his book "Raving Fans" For me this is a great formula, but in itself it also raises a number of questions. Customer No Service - How to Lose a Loyal Customer! So today was the day where I almost stopped going to my favorite supermarket here in Milwaukee. If you're in Milwaukee, you know the one I'm talking about: the cool one downtown that has 1000 different types of produce, and a whole aisle dedicated to gourmet coffee and teas.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 |
