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Customer Service
Excellence:
It’s in the Details
MP
Lisa Ford

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 Customer Service

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Excellence:
It’s in the Details
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Lisa Ford
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Coastal Training Technologies Corp.

500 Studio Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Customer Service Excellence:
It’s in the Details

Lisa Ford
Copyright ©1997 by Coastal Training Technologies Corp. and Lisa Ford

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to

the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the
publisher is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal
advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should
be sought.
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Credits:
Coastal Training Technologies Corp.: Arthur Bauer
Todd McDonald
Editor in Chief: Karen Massetti Miller
Designer: Gayle O’Brien
Cover Design and Illustration: Kevin Zdenek

Published by Coastal Training Technologies Corp.

500 Studio Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 97-77105

Ford, Lisa
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Customer Service Excellence: It’s in the Details

Printed in the United States of America

1999
ISBN 1-884926-83-5
Introduction

Many companies claim that customer service is their first priority, yet few follow
through on this promise. Providing exceptional customer service gives your
company a competitive edge. Exceptional customer service does not come from a
marketing brochure or from the company president’s speech. Exceptional

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customer service is given by each and every employee, each and every day. You are
the reason your company stands apart from the competition.

“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or
customer gets out of it.” Peter Drucker

Customer service means different things to different customers. For the busy
executive, it may mean prompt delivery at a reasonable price. For the office
manager, it may mean a reliable service plan. For the lonely retiree, it may mean
conversation and helpfulness. All of us would agree we want polite, courteous
service. But is that enough?
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Think of the people you have encountered who have delighted you with their
exceptional customer service. One of my favorite customer service stories involves
my business associates, Carla and Joe, who had driven several hours to attend a
business meeting in another state. They knew they would be late arrivals, so they
called three times to confirm that a hotel room would be held for them. But when
they arrived at the hotel, all the rooms were gone. However, the clerk did have a
suite on the concierge level available.

When Carla and Joe got to the suite, they entered the living area and opened the
door to the next room. To their surprise, they discovered another couple in the
bedroom! Carla called the front desk, and hotel staff explained that they were
sending a rollaway bed to the living area—this would be Carla and Joe’s “room.”
By this time, they were tired and furious.
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Joe headed back to the front desk to straighten out the situation. On his way, he
met a janitor in the elevator. The janitor could tell Joe was frustrated and took the
matter into his own hands. He apologized for the service Carla and Joe had
received so far and acquired the key from the front desk for another suite. He
then helped Carla and Joe move their suitcases to the new suite (complete with
bed). That janitor was a service superstar, not to mention Carla and Joe’s hero that
late evening. Service stars have something in common—they care!

In business today, a satisfied customer is your best strategy. Getting a customer is

easy. Keeping a customer is difficult. Let’s find out how you can make the
difference in your organization.
About the Author

Lisa Ford is a speaker and seminar leader with 18 years of experience presenting to
businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States
and internationally on the topics of customer service; customer retention; and
managing, hiring and training for service excellence. Lisa is the creator of the best-
selling business video series How to Give Exceptional Customer Service. She recently

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created the video Customer Service Excellence: It’s in the Details for Business
Advantage Inc.

Lisa’s customer service experience began when she started working part-time jobs
at age 14. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, she worked for a
consulting firm, and in 1983, she started her own business as an independent
speaker and seminar leader. Lisa is also actively involved with the National
Speakers Association and serves as a board member to the College of Arts and
Sciences at the University of Tennessee.
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● Table of Contents

Chapter One
Why Customer Service? 8
Who Are Your Customers? 9

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How Customer Service Has Changed 10
What Do Your Customers Want? 12
Creating Positive Points of Contact 15
Chapter Summary 17
Self-Check: Chapter One Review 18

Chapter Two
Creating a Positive Total Service Experience 20
Treating Your Customer as a Partner 21
MP Developing a Positive Attitude
Communicating Effectively with Your Customers
23
25
The Cost of an Unhappy Customer 28
Chapter Summary 29
Self-Check: Chapter Two Review 30

Chapter Three
Providing Service With Heart 32
Viewing Customers Positively 33
Building an Emotional Connection 35
Actively Listening to Your Customers 39
Chapter Summary 43
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Self-Check: Chapter Three Review 44

Chapter Four
Dealing With Challenging Customers 46
Why Customers Get Upset 46
Dealing With Customer Emotions 47
Chapter Summary 52
Self-Check: Chapter Four Review 54
 Table of Contents ●

Chapter Five
Solving Customer Problems 56
Managing Customer Expectations 56

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Solving Problems When They Arise 58
Dealing With the Customer Who Is Wrong 59
Delivering Bad News 62
When You Can’t Satisfy a Customer 63
Talking With the Boss 63
Chapter Summary 64
Self-Check: Chapter Five Review 65

Chapter Six
Helping Customers Over the Phone 66
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Providing One Voice for Your Customers 66
Transferring the Customer 67
Using the Hold Button 69
Chapter Summary 70
Self-Check: Chapter Six Review 71

Chapter Seven
Becoming a Customer Service Star 72
What Makes a Customer Service Star? 72
Taking Initiative 76
Keeping Your Attitude Up All Day Long 76
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Chapter Summary 79
Self-Check: Chapter Seven Review 80

Chapter Eight
The Team Approach to Customer Service 82
Developing Team Strategies 83
Delivering Outer-Circle Service 84
Cross-Selling and Up-Selling 87
Taking Small Steps 88
Chapter Summary 89
Self-Check: Chapter Eight Review 90

Answers to Selected Exercises 91

● Why Customer Service?

Chapter
One

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Why Customer Service?
Chapter Objectives
▲ Describe the difference between traditional and
exceptional customer service.

▲ Identify what a customer wants.

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perceptions of service.
▲ Predict how positive and negative points of contact
influence the customer’s perception.

oday, with more and more competitors vying for your

T customers’ attention, exceptional service is no longer
optional—it’s essential. When we think of customer service, we
traditionally think of businesses in the service sector, such as
restaurants, retailers or health car providers. Today, most
businesses have established customer service initiatives.
Customer service is a key issue for:
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Business
◆ Retail
◆ Business to business
◆ Professional
◆ Service and support

Government
◆ Local, state and federal agencies
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 Why Customer Service? ●

Not-for-profit agencies
◆ Community service
Health centers 1

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◆

◆ Volunteer organizations

Some people are surprised when they hear that government and
not-for-profit agencies are concerned about customer service, yet
it is both possible and appropriate for these organizations. The
American Cancer Society competes with other charities for both
fund-raising dollars and volunteers. They have an extensive
training program for volunteer leaders and staff on how to
creatively recruit and keep volunteers. And how do you think
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they keep volunteers? By treating them like valued customers.

Who Are Your Customers?

One of the first things any organization must do is identify their
customers. This is not always as easy as it seems, since most
organizations have two main sets of customers:
◆ Internal customers
◆ External customers

Both types of customers require exceptional customer service.

The internal customer is the individual or department within The internal

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your organization who uses your products or services. By customer is the

enhancing your customer service skills, you develop better individual or
working relationships with the people within your organization, department
as in the following example: within your
organization
■ Steve is responsible for ordering forms and envelopes for the who uses your
mailing services department of his company. Although products or
ultimately his company’s customers are those people who services.
receive a mailing, Steve’s primary customers are internal—
members of the marketing department, word processors,
computer programmers, and employees in his own mailing
department. All his internal customers rely on Steve to
purchase the products they need in a timely fashion. If Steve
does not order the correct products, none of the internal
departments can serve their external customers. 9
 ● Why Customer Service?

The external
The external customer is the person or organization who
customer is the
purchases and uses your products and services. This is the
person or
customer we traditionally think of; the external customer is the
main focus of this book. In government and not-for-profit

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organization
who purchases
organizations, these are the people who use your services, along
and uses your
with the taxpayers and donors who support you. In business-to-
products and
business relationships, external customers may also be people
services.
with whom you are in a joint venture.

There is also another type of customer—one that many people

find surprising. I am talking about your former customer—that
person who, for one reason or another, does not do business
with your organization anymore.

Former customers are an important resource. They have a great

MP deal of information your organization can use to provide
exceptional service. They can tell you:
◆ What your organization did wrong.
◆ What your organization did right.
◆ What, and how, your organization can improve.

Former Former customers have one other important characteristic—

customers they are also potential future customers. Remember that, and
have a great reach out to them. Discuss with your coworkers how you might
deal of do so.
information
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your How Customer Service Has Changed

organization The nature of customer service has changed during the last 10
can use to years. In the past, we provided what I will call traditional
provide customer service. If customers needed service, they went to the
exceptional Customer Service Department. The unspoken message to the
service. customer was, “This department is the only place you’ll get
customer service in the company.”

Customers hoped that a customer service employee would be

able to meet their needs as competently and quickly as possible;
but often encountered a clerk who recited company policies
about why he or she couldn’t solve the problem. The clerk’s
main objective seemed to be helping the customer understand
10 the Customer Service Department’s limitations, not service.
 Why Customer Service? ●

Today’s customers expect something more than traditional

customer service. They demand exceptional customer service.
They want us to exceed their expectations, demonstrate that the
organization cares for them, and work immediately and 1

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decisively on their behalf.

At first glance, there may not seem to be that much of a

difference between traditional and exceptional customer service.
But as you read this book, you will understand that there are
critical differences. You will also begin to see how you, the
service professional, make the difference between merely
satisfying the customer and dazzling the customer with
exceptional customer service.

Your competitors may easily be able to copy your products, your

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prices—even your promotions. But they can’t copy you and the
service you provide. You are the key. To your customer, you’re the
voice and the personality of your organization. As the person
who deals with customers on a day-to-day basis, you come to
signify all that your company stands for, both good and bad.
The ultimate
The ultimate goal of exceptional customer service is to maintain goal of
and increase market share through increased customer exceptional
satisfaction. This means helping more customers, selling more customer
products, or providing more services. service is to
maintain and
As a service provider, you are an important part of this equation. increase
When customers are receiving service, they don’t know the end market share
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result. They don’t know whether you’re going to say yes or no, or through
whether you’re going to meet their time frame. But they do increased
know and observe how the service is being delivered. It is the customer
service delivery that matters! satisfaction.

There is only one boss—the customer. And he can fire

everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply
by spending his money somewhere else.
Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart

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 ● Why Customer Service?

Take a Moment
There are several roles you play when assisting the
customer. When you explain how a product or service

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works, you are a teacher. When you are trying to figure out
what a customer needs, you are a detective. Think about
the roles you play, and write down three roles you perform
when working with customers.

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________
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What Do Your Customers Want?
Let’s look at what the customers want—how they define
exceptional customer service. First, customers want you to
listen. This shows concern and respect. Customers also want you
to take responsibility. They do not want to hear what you
cannot do or whose fault it is. They want you to walk them
through the problem and to find a solution.

Customers expect you to pay attention to the details. Take notes

if possible while listening to the customer. Then, paraphrasing
the information, repeat back to the customer the key points.
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Make sure you have the details right, and give the customer an
Customers opportunity to correct or clarify any of the information.
want you to
remember that Customers want to know that they’re appreciated. Do not forget
they are the sincere “Thank you” and “We appreciate your business.”
spending their Although you may have said it to a hundred other customers
time and their that day, your current customer still needs to hear it.
money with
you, and that Finally, customers want you to remember that they are spending
both are their time and their money with you, and that both are valuable.
valuable. You’re not doing them a favor; they are doing you one.
Everything you do must be seen from the customer’s
perspective. After all, it is how the customer perceives you that
determines what level of service you are actually providing.
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 Why Customer Service? ●

Exceptional customer service is in the eyes of the customer. How

does the customer determine whether you have provided
exceptional customer service? It all depends on two things: the
customer’s expectations and the customer’s perception. 1

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Customer Expectations
Customer expectations are what a customer wants before a Customer
transaction. A customer forms expectations from several expectations
different sources: are what a
customer
◆ Advertising—Advertisements can set specific expectations wants before
for your company. For many years, Domino’s Pizza a transaction.
advertised that they would deliver your pizza within 30
minutes or the pizza was free. Your expectation was that you
would have a pizza at your door in fewer than 30 minutes
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◆ Previous experience—Your customers’ previous experiences
with your product, services, or organization can influence
their expectations about future service. If their last
experience was negative, they’ll expect the same in the future
and may therefore decide to take their business elsewhere. If
their last experience was positive, they’ll look forward to
more positive experiences when they bring you return
business.

◆ Word of mouth—What your customers say about the

quality of your service can build or ruin your organization’s
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reputation, as in the following example.

■ Cindy planned meetings at several different hotels. Most

hotels gave excellent or at least adequate service. But the
catering director at one hotel always gave Cindy a difficult
time. He reluctantly granted her requests and rarely
returned her calls. Cindy became so frustrated that she
began to dread every encounter at this hotel. Eventually,
she pulled all her company’s business. Unfortunately for
this hotel, Cindy also discouraged other meeting planners
from scheduling events there.

◆ The competition—Your competition can also set

expectations for your customer. If a competitor offers a
product at a certain price, or offers a free service, your
customers come to expect the same from you. 13
 ● Why Customer Service?

If customers Customer Perceptions

get more than Customer perceptions are created during and after a transaction.
they expected, A customer’s perception is based on how your service measured

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the end result up against her or his expectations. If customers get more than
is exceptional they expected, the end result is exceptional customer service.
customer
service. However, if customers get anything less than they expected, they
perceive a performance gap, and in that gap lies customer
disappointment.

Exceptional Customer Service = Perception - Expectations

Disappointed customers will leave your organization and take

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responsible for much of the disappointment experienced by
customers:

◆ The Forum Corporation reports that 70% of the identifiable

reasons why customers stop doing business with an
organization has nothing to do with product. Customers
surveyed reported that they left because they received a lack
of personal attention, were treated rudely or found an
employee unhelpful.

◆ Another study done by the White House Office of

Consumer Affairs and Technical Assistance Research
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Program (TARP) suggests that 68% of customers who quit

doing business with an organization do so because of
perceived indifference on the part of employees.

Once a customer becomes dissatisfied with your organization, it

can be difficult to win him or her back. Research suggests that it
takes 12 positive incidents to make up for one negative incident
in the eyes of a customer. Replacing dissatisfied customers with
new customers is also difficult. It costs five times as much to
attract a new customer as it does to keep a current customer.

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 Why Customer Service? ●

Take a Moment
Think about a positive customer service experience. What
impressed you the most? How can you give the same type 1

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of experience to your customer? Now think about a negative
service experience. Have you ever delivered this type of
service? What can you do to avoid providing negative
service again?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
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Creating Positive Points of Contact
In doing business with your organization, customers have many
points of contact, and they have a chance to form an impression
of your organization at each point. These impressions can be
good (positive or winning points of contact) or bad (negative or
breaking points of contact). Examples of negative points of Customers
contact include letting your phone ring five or six times before form an
answering it or leaving the customer on hold for a long period impression
of time. This says, “We don’t value your time.” Long lines, out- of your
of-stock items, faded signs, and dirty surroundings give organization
customers the impression that your organization doesn’t care at each point
about them. The customer may also wonder whether you care of contact.
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about the product or service.

A caring and friendly atmosphere, ownership of problems, and

quick solutions all create positive points of contact. Clean, neat
surroundings, whether in an office, store, or restaurant, say, “We
pay attention to details.” Accurate invoices, shipping by dates
promised, and returning phone calls promptly also convey a
positive impression.

Make sure that all of your points of contact with customers are
positive ones. Give all of your customers special attention,
regardless of the size of their purchases. After all, the customer
who makes a small purchase today might make a large purchase
tomorrow. All of your customers deserve exceptional service. 15
● Why Customer Service?

Take a Moment
Rate your customer service. Suggested responses appear
on page 91.

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1. What type(s) of customers do you deal with?
a. Internal customers
b. External customers
c. Both

2. How do your customers feel after dealing with you?

a. Better about your organization
b. Worse
c. Both

3. If a customer has a problem or concern, how quickly do

MP you return his or her phone call?
a. By the end of the business day
b. Within 24 hours
c. Within 48 hours
d. Within 72 hours
e. Within a week
f. No set time

4. The old slogan says that the customer is always right. In

reality, what do you feel customers are?
a. Always right
b. Sometimes right
c. Generally wrong
d. Misguided or misinformed
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5. When you are delivering your organization’s product or

service, what is the most important thing?
a. Price
b. Customer Service
c. Product or service effectiveness
d. Repeat business
e. Customer perception
f. Marketing strategies

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 Why Customer Service? ●

Chapter Summary
Customer service has become a key issue for business,
government, and not-for-profit agencies. Your internal customers
1

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are the individuals or departments within your organization
who use your products or services. Your external customers are
the persons or organizations who purchase and use your
products and services.

When we provide traditional customer service, we meet customer

expectations as competently and quickly as possible. When we
provide exceptional customer service, we exceed customer
expectations, demonstrate that the organization cares for the
customer, and work immediately and decisively on the
customer’s behalf. The ultimate goal of exceptional customer
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service is to maintain and increase market share through
increased customer satisfaction.

Customers determine that you have provided exceptional

customer service based on their expectations and their perceptions.
Customer expectations are what a customer wants before a
transaction. Customer perceptions are based on how your
service measures up against customer expectations.

Customers have the chance to form impressions of your

organization whenever they have a point of contact with an
employee. When those points of contact are negative, customers
form bad impressions; when those points of contact are positive,
customers form good impressions. A caring and friendly
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atmosphere, ownership of problems, and quick solutions are all

positive points of contact that work to create a good impression.

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● Why Customer Service?

✓ Self-Check: Chapter One Review

Answers to the following questions appear on pages 91 and 92.

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1. Define internal customers.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

2. Define external customers.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
MP 3. How do we provide exceptional customer service?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

4. What are customer expectations?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

5. What are customer perceptions?

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_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

6. Fill in the following equation:

Exceptional Customer Service = __________ - __________

7. Describe an example of a positive point of contact a

customer can have with an organization.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
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 Why Customer Service? ●

Notes

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● Creating a Positive Total Service Experience

Chapter
Two

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Creating a Positive Total
Service Experience
Chapter Objectives
▲ Define the total service experience.
▲ Treat customers as partners by putting their needs first.
MP ▲ Create a positive attitude by engaging in positive
self-talk.
▲ Build strong customer relationships through effective
communication.

s we saw in Chapter 1, every interaction you have with a

A customer is a point of contact. Customers can perceive
those points of contact as positive or negative. As customers
have more and more contacts with your organization, they
combine their perceptions of those contacts into an overall
impression of your organization’s customer service. This
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impression is the customer’s total service experience.

The best way to ensure that customers remain loyal to your

organization is to be sure that they have a positive total service
experience—and that can be a challenge. After all, the customer
is the one who decides whether a point of contact with your
company has been positive or negative. Creating the total service
experience is like a game in which the customer makes all the
rules and keeps score. Whether you and your organization win,
or even get to keep playing, is completely up to the customer.

As a customer service representative, your job is to provide

service that will help your customers have a positive total service
experience. Although there is no guarantee that a customer will
20 perceive a specific point of contact as positive, there are three
 Creating a Positive Total Service Experience ●

basic techniques that customer service professionals practice to

create the best impression possible:

◆ Treat your customer as a partner.

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◆ Maintain a positive attitude.
◆ Communicate effectively with your customer.
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Treating Your Customer as a Partner
■ Bob knew he needed to talk with his customer service
representative about his order: It was a day late, and he needed
the merchandise immediately. But he dreaded making the call.
It would just be the same old runaround. He could almost hear
his rep now: “I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything about that.
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Here’s why...”

Customers sometimes perceive customer service representatives as

standing between them and the solution to their problems. This
type of attitude is based on the traditional customer service model
we discussed earlier in which the customer service representative
focused on explaining the organization’s limitations.

Providing exceptional customer service means working with your Providing

customer to create a solution for his or her problem. There are exceptional
several ways you can treat your customer as a partner in the customer
problem-solving process. The first is to ask yourself two key service means
questions: working with
your customer
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◆ What results does my customer want? to create a

solution for his
◆ How can I help my customer get these results? or her
problem.
Keep these questions in mind as you talk to your customer. Focus
on what needs to be done to meet your customer’s needs instead
of explaining what the organization cannot do.

A second technique that will help you treat your customer as a

partner is to respond to problems quickly. On-the-spot resolution
is best. When you handle a problem on the spot, customer
satisfaction increases. If you need to get assistance from a
supervisor, explain to the customer that you need to get additional
information and will return with an answer. Give the customer a
specific time you will call back with the information, 21
 ● Creating a Positive Total Service Experience

Respond to and make sure you meet the deadline. The ironclad law of
your customers customer feedback says to respond within 24 to 48 hours. Even
within 24-48 if you don’t have a complete answer, let the customer know that
progress is being made, and more importantly, that attention is

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hours.
being paid.

Is the responsive approach effective? Research clearly shows that

if customers believe you are responsive to a problem, they will
do business with your organization again 82 to 95% of the time.
In fact, loyalty to you will actually increase because you were so
responsive. When you value their business and show you care,
customers return.

A third technique for partnering with your customers is to beg

for complaints. That’s right—encourage your customers to bring
MP their complaints to you. If you find out what your customers
think, you can make your service even better. After you have
heard a customer’s concerns or suggestions on how your
organization can improve its service or product, analyze the
information. If you are unable to do anything about the
suggestion yourself, pass the information along to the
appropriate people—they will appreciate the input. If the
suggestion involves something you can change, put together an
action plan to make the appropriate improvements. This can be
a formal written plan or just a reminder written on your
calendar to follow through with a customer request.

Take a Moment
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List the top five reasons you think customers buy from you
rather than from the competition:

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________

Once you have completed this list, ask two or three

customers why they buy from you. Compare their responses
22
to the responses above.
 Creating a Positive Total Service Experience ●

Developing a Positive Attitude

People who give exceptional customer service have a positive, can-
do attitude. A positive attitude is not necessarily something you’re

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born with. That’s good news because it means that even if your
attitude is currently negative, you can create an attitude that is
helpful and dedicated to being exceptional.
It may sound simplistic, but the first step toward creating a positive 2
attitude is to begin thinking positive thoughts about ourselves and
others. The second step is to reflect those thoughts in positive
self-talk.
Self-talk is something that happens inside, whether you are aware of
it or not. We all talk to ourselves, and this self-talk can have a
tremendous effect on your attitude. Positive self-talk can help you
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build a positive, winning attitude, while negative self-talk can do
just the opposite.
Unfortunately, much of our self-talk is negative. We become our
own worst enemies by telling ourselves things like:
Positive self-
■ “I’ll never be any good at this.” talk can help
■ “I look terrible today.” you build a
positive,
■ “I’m sure that person hates me.” winning
attitude, while
We need to change our self-talk to reflect positive thoughts and negative self-
emotions. Think how much better you’d feel if you replace the talk can do just
statements above with these: the opposite.
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■ “I’m sure I can do this with just a little practice.”

■ “I look and feel great today.”
■ “I’m sure that person will like me once he gets to know me.”

As your positive attitude develops, you’ll find yourself wanting to

improve your customer service performance. Customer service stars
continually look for ways they can improve by asking themselves:
■ “How am I doing?”
■ “How can I improve?”
■ “What should I be doing differently?”

Their answers to these questions help them provide their customers 23

with a positive total service experience.
● Creating a Positive Total Service Experience

Take a Moment
For the next week, begin every morning by answering the
following questions:

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How am I doing?

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

How can I improve?

______________________________________________

______________________________________________
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If there were one thing I could do differently, what would it
be?

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Providing exceptional customer service has a hidden beauty all

its own that will help you maintain a positive attitude. You’ll feel
it at the end of the day when the last customer has been served
and you’re on the way out the door. You’ll be energized, more
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positive in your overall attitude, and happier. You see,

exceptional customer service is not only good for business, but a
far more enjoyable and satisfying way to work.

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow

bring out the best in ourselves.
William Arthur Ward

24
 Creating a Positive Total Service Experience ●

Communicating Effectively With

Your Customers
In every point of contact with the customer, you communicate

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something—but unfortunately, it may not be the right thing.
Consider the following example:
■ Consuela had just purchased a new printer for her computer.
She tried to hook up the printer to her system, but she
2
discovered that the cable that came with the printer was not
the type she needed. She returned to the computer store and
spoke with a clerk at the customer service counter.

“Yes, we can help you,” the customer service representative

said in a monotone. “Just leave the old cable here with me and
go back and pick out a new one,” she added, without looking
MPup from her paperwork.

Consuela felt uncomfortable as she walked back to pick out a

new cable. She was relieved that the store would give her the
cable she needed, but the way the customer service
representative spoke to her made her wonder if they really
valued her business.

When we think about communicating, we usually think of the

words we say. But as the previous example illustrates, your body
language, tone of voice, and words must match in order for your
communication to be effective.

Body Language People are

SA

more likely to
Does your body language support what your words say? You believe
may tell a customer that you are happy to help him or her, but if nonverbal
you frown, slump, or refuse to make eye contact, the customer signals, such
will not believe you. This is because people are more likely to as a frown,
believe nonverbal signals, such as a frown, than words. than words.

Use these simple tips to convey your concern for customers

through your body language:

◆ Smile and nod your head to encourage the customer

to speak.

◆ Lean slightly forward and maintain eye contact with the

customer to show that you are interested in what she or he 25
has to say.
 ● Creating a Positive Total Service Experience

◆ Avoid crossing your arms, legs, ankles or wrists when talking

to a customer. Crossing them suggests that you are closed to
what the customer is saying; remaining open suggests that
you are interested.

LE
Watch your
customers and Watch your customers and try to gauge their moods through
try to gauge their body language. Does the mother in the checkout line look
their moods tired and worn out? How can you provide service that will make
through their
her time with you as pleasant as possible? Something as simple
as distracting her child for a moment while she pays for her
body language.
purchase or offering to help her carry something could turn
your time with her into a positive contact point for your
organization.

Take a Moment
MP Have a coworker say the following items while frowning:

• “We are committed to giving top-quality service.”

• “I’m glad you chose to do business with us today.”

• “What can I do to help you?”

Now have them repeat the same messages with a smile.

Listen and look at them. Are different messages
communicated to the customer? Even when we are on the
phone, a customer can “hear” when we are smiling.
SA

26
 Creating a Positive Total Service Experience ●

Tone of Voice
When you speak, customers listen to the tone you use as well as
your words. Are you sincere? Do you show empathy and

LE
concern for their needs? A positive and caring tone says, “I
understand how you feel. I’d be frustrated, too, if that happened
to me.” Here are some guidelines for using your voice
effectively:
2
◆ Use a steady, moderate rate of speech. Speaking too fast
could suggest to the customer that you are nervous or in a
hurry; speaking too slowly could signal that you’re bored.

◆ Never allow your voice to become overly loud or shrill. If a

customer is yelling at you, you may be tempted to yell back,
but don’t. Maintaining a moderate volume and rate of
MPspeech can help calm an upset customer.
The smile on
◆ Keep a smile in your voice. The smile on your face is your face is
reflected in the sound of your voice. Keep smiling, even if reflected in the
you’re speaking on the phone. Your customers will hear the sound of your
difference. voice. Keep
smiling, even
◆ Increase the energy in your voice when speaking on the if you’re
phone. The telephone can rob your voice of some of its speaking on
natural expressiveness and energy, so be sure to compensate. the phone.
And once again, smile—your customers can hear it.

The Right Words

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As you work to create a positive impression through body

language and tone of voice, don’t discount the importance of the
words you use. Choose positive words, even if your message is
negative. When you cannot do what the customer wants, tell
him or her what you will do for him rather than what you won’t
do.

◆ Instead of saying, “We don’t have that in black,” say, “We

have that in gray, brown, and navy.”

◆ Instead of saying, “I can’t get that for you until Friday,” say,
“We’ll have that for you on Friday. I’ll call you if it comes in
earlier.”
27
 ● Creating a Positive Total Service Experience

◆ Instead of saying, “We don’t give refunds,” say, “I can offer

you an exchange or credit toward a future purchase.”

◆ Instead of saying, “May I help you?” or “Can I help you?”

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say, “How can I help you?”

The Cost of an Unhappy Customer

How important is treating your customer like a partner, having
A lost customer
a positive attitude, and practicing good communication skills?
is never just
Remember our statistics from Chapter 1—more customers leave
one sale, or
an organization because of poor customer service than because
even just one
of dissatisfaction with a product. And a lost customer is never
customer.
just one sale, or even just one customer.
MP When you lose a customer, that customer tells 10 to 12 others,
possibly building on the story each time. The unhappy customer
tells people who might have been perfectly happy with you or
planning on doing business with you in the future. Now, these
other customers are not so sure, and your organization’s future is
not so bright.

But remember, customers don’t want to be lost. They want to be

delighted! And you have every opportunity to do just that. Your
customers know what they want, when they want it, and how
they want it—and that’s the only thing they want. Listen to
them, and do your best to meet their needs.

See your service through your customer’s eyes. You can be clever,
SA

you can be smart, you can even be right; but none of that will
matter to the customer unless your ultimate goal is to
understand the problem, resolve the conflict, and respond to the
customer’s concern, and make him or her feel better. This is the
only way to give the kind of customer service that builds a
positive total service experience for your customers.

It doesn’t matter whether customers are wrong or right; it

matters how they feel when they hang up the phone.
Patti Wysocki

28
 Creating a Positive Total Service Experience ●

Chapter Summary
As customers have more and more contact with your
organization, they combine their perceptions of those contacts

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into an overall impression of your organization’s customer
service. This impression is the customer’s total service experience.
The best way to ensure that customers remain loyal to your
organization is to make sure that they have a positive total
service experience. Some basic techniques that customer service
2
stars use to create the best impression possible include:

◆ Treating your customer as a partner

◆ Maintaining a positive attitude

Communicating effectively with your customer

◆
MP
Following these guidelines will help you provide the kind of
total service experience that will delight your customers and
build a positive total service experience for them.
SA

29
● Creating a Positive Total Service Experience

✓ Self-Check: Chapter Two Review

Answers to these questions appear on page 92.

LE
1. What is the total service experience?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

2. Who decides if a point of contact with your organization has

been positive or negative?

_______________________________________________
MP _______________________________________________

3. What two key questions will help you treat your customer as
a partner?

a._____________________________________________

b._____________________________________________

4. Positive self-talk will help you create a _________________

______________________.

5. True or false?
SA

Yelling at an upset customer is an effective way to get his or

her attention and resolve the problem.

30
 Creating a Positive Total Service Experience ●

Notes

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2

MP
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● Providing Service With Heart

Chapter
Three

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Providing Service With Heart
Chapter Objectives
▲ Discuss how negative self-talk can interfere with
positive customer relationships.

▲ Follow six steps for establishing an emotional

connection with your customers.
MP ▲ List the five steps of active listening.

ruly exceptional customer service is service with heart. When

T you give service with heart, you feel empathy for your
customers, and your actions express your concern for them.
Service with heart focuses on what the customer thinks, wants,
and feels. Service with heart always puts the customer first.

Providing service with heart isn’t always easy, even for service
professionals. We are people, too, after all. We must deal with
our moods, our emotions, and life’s little distractions. We have
both good days and bad days—and all these things affect our
SA

attitude. It’s hard to be all smiles on the outside when you’re

worked up on the inside.

We can provide service with heart more consistently if we follow

these three important guidelines:

◆ View all customers positively.

◆ Establish an emotional connection with your customers.

◆ Listen actively to all customer concerns.

32
 Providing Service With Heart

Viewing Customers Positively

■ Roberto waited with dread as the next customer made her way
to the customer service desk. The woman was frowning so

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sternly he thought her face might crack. “Oh, no,” he said to
himself as she plunked down her package on the counter, “it
looks like I’ve got another fight on my hands.”

You can’t provide service with heart unless you maintain a

positive attitude toward all of your customers. In Chapter 2, we
discussed self-talk and how it can help you develop a more
positive attitude. Now let’s look at how negative self-talk can
have a detrimental effect on customer relationships. 3
Picture a challenging customer in your mind. If you usually
work on the phone, hear his voice. If you wait on customers in Negative self-
MP
person, watch her come through the door. What is your internal talk interferes
with your
voice saying? Are you thinking, “Oh, no!” or “Not again!”? How
do you think the rest of the transaction will go after that ability to
negative send-off? Negative self-talk interferes with your ability develop an
to develop an emotional connection with your customer. emotional
connection
On the other hand, how do you think your customer with your
interactions would go if you engaged in positive self-talk about customer.
your customers? Let’s return to our first example and see:

■ Roberto smiled with sympathy as the next customer made her

way to the customer service desk. The woman looked tired,
and she was carrying what looked like a very heavy package.
SA

“I’ll bet it was a struggle for her to get her package down here
today,” he said to himself as she plunked down her package on
the counter. “How can I help make this experience a little
easier for her?”

Roberto’s interaction in the second example will probably go

much more smoothly than the first because he is going into the
situation with a desire to help his customer.

Does it seem that certain members of your team always get the
tough customers, the rude customer, or the “wrong” customers?
Even if it appears to be true, it isn’t. If someone else had handled
that customer—someone with a different attitude—things
probably would have turned out differently. A poor customer
service attitude creates difficult customers. Listen to your 33
● Providing Service With Heart

self-talk for biases and prejudices. This can also affect how you
serve some of your customers.

Your attitude toward your customer isn’t the only thing that can

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affect your customer contact. If some other aspect of your life is
bothering you, it can affect the way you interact with your
client, as in this example:

■ Bette was chronically ill and had spent many years in and out
of health care facilities. Bette observed that the nurses
sometimes brought their problems to work. Although they gave
polite and courteous service, they gave off what Bette referred
to as “negative vibes.” What Bette was “hearing” was reflected
in their tone of voice and body language.

I am sure you have experienced “negative vibes” before—think

MP about an experience in which a coworker or family member had
a bad day. Did it destroy your good attitude to be around that
person? Did you begin to wonder what you had done to upset
him or her? The truth is that you probably didn’t do anything.
The other person became upset long before you encountered
him or her; you were just hit with the fallout.

Service with heart requires an exceptional service attitude.

Whether your negative thoughts are based on something that
happened to you earlier that day or in negative expectations you
have regarding a particular customer, replace them with these
positive ones:
SA

■ “I love helping customers.”

■ “I’m eager to help.”

■ “Problem solving is fun.”

■ “I like connecting with customers.”

■ “My customer is my partner. When she succeeds, I succeed.”

Attitude is the reflection of a person, and our world mirrors

our attitude.
Earl Nightingale

34
 Providing Service With Heart

Your new attitude says, “Service with heart is what I give day in
and day out.” Positive self-talk and attitude influence the way
we communicate.

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Take a Moment
Jot down the answers to these questions after your next
customer contact. Try it again two more times today.

1. How did you feel when you were dealing with your
customer?
3
___________________________________________

___________________________________________
MP
2. What was your attitude?

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

3. What emotions were affecting you from other parts of

your life?

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

4. How did your internal dialogue affect the service

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you gave?

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

Building an Emotional Connection

Establishing an emotional connection with your customers is a
key factor in providing service with heart. Begin by giving the
customer your undivided attention. Then use these six strategies
to build rapport.
35
● Providing Service With Heart

◆ Use the customer’s name and title. Learn your customer’s

name and title (Ms. Smith or Dr. Jones) and immediately
begin using it. If the customer wants to be less formal and
move to a first-name basis, follow her or his lead.

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What if the customer’s name is difficult to pronounce? Begin
to pronounce the name, and the customer will usually help
you. Repeat the name immediately after he or she says it to
help you remember it. When you know you’ll be working
with the customer again, jot down a phonetic pronunciation
of his or her name on an index card:

■ Mr. Grzanich (GRAZ-in-itch)

Ms. Sychra (see-CHAW-raw)
MP British Airways had all their employees use customers’ names
in every transaction for three months. At the end of the
period, they surveyed their customers. Customer satisfaction
rose 60%. Although using the customer’s name probably
wasn’t the sole reason for the increase, their customers
perceived British Airways as being more attentive. This
made it easier to build rapport with customers.

◆ Break the ice. Think about how you connect with friends
and coworkers every day. Use the same types of icebreakers
with your customers. Here are some examples:

■ Previous experience with products: “I see that you

tried our new inventory management software. How do
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you like it?”

■ Common interests: “How many rounds of golf have you

played this summer?”

■ Recent events: “Bob told me you just got back from

vacation. How was the cruise?”

■ Children and pets: “You have a five-year-old? What a

wonderful age—I remember when my son Aaron was
that age.”

Or the old standby—

■ The weather: “It’s really been cold in your part of the

36 country. Did that blackout affect your plant?”
 Providing Service With Heart

When you are serving a repeat customer and have created a If a word or
previous connection, use small talk or icebreakers to ease phrase isn’t
into a conversation and help you reestablish rapport. Keep to common
topics that are not offensive—and not too personal.

LE
knowledge,
don’t use it
◆ Avoid jargon. If a word or phrase isn’t common knowledge, with a
or you wouldn’t use it in everyday conversation with people customer.
outside your organization, don’t use it with a customer. You
understand what you’re trying to say, but your words may
confuse your customers, and they may be too embarrassed to
ask for the meaning. If you must use an abbreviation or
industry language, be ready to follow up with the definition. 3
When you use vocabulary or jargon unfamiliar to customers,
you risk failing to connect.
MPTake a Moment
Jargon consists of words and phrases that are unique to
your organization or industry, such as download, ASAP,
eighty-six, and stats. By yourself or with members of your
team, list all the abbreviations, words and acronyms you
use in your everyday contacts with the customer that could
be classified as jargon. Provide the list to current and new
employees.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
SA

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

◆ Display confidence. Customers will be more eager to work

with you if they believe that you know what’s going on.
Instead of saying “I don’t know,” say, “Let me get that
information for you.”

When we are not sure what to say, we often fill the silence
with noise by saying um, uh and okay. Your customer may
become distracted by this filler noise and perceive it as
showing a lack of confidence.
37
 ● Providing Service With Heart

Remember that filler noise is different from the affirmations

we give customers during active listening. Affirmations have
a purpose—to assure the customer we are processing what
Be sensitive to she or he is saying. Fillers occupy empty space but add

LE
your nothing meaningful to the conversation.
customer’s
feelings and ◆ Show empathy. When you are empathetic, you are sensitive
thoughts. to your customer’s feelings and thoughts. Try to put yourself
in your customer’s shoes, and solve the problem the way you
would want it solved. In other words, follow the Golden
Rule—treat others the way you would want to be treated.
Here’s an example of what happened when one customer
service professional showed empathy for her customer:

■ One Memorial Day weekend, our neighbor Mary was

MP having problems with her phone and needed to use ours.
When she finished talking to the customer service
representative, she was quite impressed by the service she
had received. After Mary registered her complaint about
the phone service, the representative said, “I apologize for
your inconvenience, especially since this is your holiday
weekend. I know this isn’t something you wanted to deal
with.” After apologizing for the inconvenience caused by the
poor telephone service, the representative began to collect
the information she needed from Mary. She made an
emotional connection with Mary through an empathetic
statement before she began to solve Mary’s problem.
SA

Caution: Carefully choose your words when empathizing

with a customer. Avoid blaming others or giving the
customer too much information. When you share too much
information, you run the risk of making the customer
angrier. For instance, you customer does not need to know
that 10 other customers called today with the same
complaint. Instead, give a simple and sincere apology: “I’m
sorry you were inconvenienced. I would have been frustrated
if that happened to me.”

◆ Mirror the customer’s speaking style and body language. If

your communication style is too different from your
customer’s style, you will not have credibility. This invites
customers to think or say, “No, you don’t understand.”
38 Matching your speaking style and body language to the
customer’s will help you connect with your customer.
 Providing Service With Heart

If the customer is extremely friendly, show friendliness. If the

customer sounds as if she is dealing with an emergency, show
urgency. If the customer looks angry, show concern. Match
the quality of your customers’ emotions, but never match

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their hostility or anger.

Getting people to like you is only the other side of liking them.
Norman Vincent Peale

Actively Listening to Your Customers 3

Customers have needs beyond completing a simple business
transaction—they have emotional needs as well. They need to
MP
feel welcome, important, valued and understood. And there is
no better or easier way to show your customers respect, concern
and understanding than by really listening to them.
If you don’t
An old saying states, “There’s a difference between listening and actively listen
waiting for your turn to talk.” If you don’t actively listen to your to your
customers, you may assume that you know what they want, but customers, you
you could be wrong. Don’t conclude that you know what a may assume
customer wants after the first few sentences. You may need to that you know
ask for clarification before you fully understand the situation. what they
want, but you
Listening is not the same as hearing. Hearing is the physical act could be
of processing sounds. Active listening means trying to find the wrong.
real meaning of the words as well as the unspoken message
SA

behind them. In addition to the facts, you evaluate the speaker’s

tone of voice, body language, emotional state, and the context
of the situation. Your goal is not just to hear words, but to
understand the other person and let him or her know that you
understand. That’s how we let customers know we care—the
essence of service with heart. Five guidelines that will help
improve our active listening skills are listed on the next page.

39
 ● Providing Service With Heart

Five Steps of Active Listening

1. Be ready to listen. Have paper and a pencil handy, or have
your computer cleared and ready for the next customer

LE
contact.

2. Be ready to take notes when appropriate. If you are on the

phone, let the customer know you are taking notes. Say, “I’m
concerned about this, so I’m writing it down.” When
customers know you are taking notes, they are less likely to
repeat themselves. This may also help them organize their
thoughts.

3. Show that you are listening. If you are speaking to the

customer in person, use your body language, stance, posture
and eye contact to show attentive silence. When talking on
MP the phone, use attentive words, like “okay” or “I
understand,” to provide verbal reinforcement. This lets the
customer know you are listening.

Your goal is to 4. Ask questions. Your goal is to get the customer to talk to
get the you. Find out what he or she really wants. If things don’t
customer to work out, help the customer vent some anger and
talk to you. frustration.

5. Restate the customer’s points. Don’t just repeat what the

customer said—repeating is condescending and patronizing.
Put the message in your own words, and don’t restate the
entire idea. Instead, emphasize the main points. Restating
SA

also invites corrections for the customer. This way you will
know when you’re on the right course.

Let’s see how these guidelines work in the following case study:

■ Gary, your customer, has just called with a complaint about his
order for Neon Sprockets. Gary placed his order a week ago
Case and assumed he would have his merchandise by now. He is
Study very concerned and more than a little irritated. Let’s listen to
Gary describe the situation:

Hello, this is Gary from Top-Notch Manufacturing. I placed

a big order for Neon Sprockets last Wednesday, and I
haven’t heard anything from your company since. Don’t you
40 know I needed those sprockets yesterday? My
 Providing Service With Heart

production line is being held up because of you. Your

salesman said he’d put a rush on this order. If this is your
idea of a “rush,” I can’t believe you’re still in business.

LE
1. First, list the information you have so far:

• Customer’s name: _____________________________

• Customer’s company: __________________________

• Product ordered: ______________________________

• When product was ordered: _____________________ 3

• Special instructions: ___________________________
MP
2. Next, follow through with this customer:

• Empathize with Gary. “I can understand why you’re

concerned. I’d be frustrated, too, if my production was
being held up. I’m sorry for this delay.”

• Match his anger with urgency. “I’ll take immediate action

on this.”

• Check on Gary’s order with shipping. If it is going to

take more than a minute to get your answer, get Gary’s
phone number and tell him a specific time when you will
call him back.
SA

• Follow through. When you have the information from

shipping, give Gary options—tell him what you can do for
him. “Gary, your order has been filled and is ready to go
out on today’s truck. However, I talked to Tom in shipping,
and we can run your sprockets over to the factory
immediately. If this is acceptable, we’ll have your order to
you in two hours.”

41
● Providing Service With Heart

Note: Avoid phrases like “We’ll put a rush on this,” or “As soon
as possible.” Your interpretation of “rush” may differ from your
customer’s, causing confusion and misunderstandings.
Instead, give the customer an exact time and date when the

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order will be delivered or when you will deal with a situation.

Your total communication, including your body language, tone

of voice, and choice of words, will help you deal with situations
like the case study above. But as important as your responses to
your customers are, don’t overlook the most important part of
communication—listening. By listening attentively and making
a real effort to understand your customer’s concerns, you show
the respect and understanding that are important parts of
providing service with heart.
MP Take a Moment
How well do you listen?
To test yourself, tape-record your responses in customer
service conversations over the course of the day.

1. At the end of the day, play back the tape, skipping the
first 10 minutes (this is when you still remembered the
tape was recording).

2. Notice the words you chose—were they positive or

negative?

3. Did you listen more than you spoke?

SA

Important: Save this tape for use in a later exercise.

If it is not practical for you to tape yourself, ask a coworker
to monitor your actions. At the end of the day, ask the same
questions.

42
 Providing Service With Heart

Chapter Summary
Truly exceptional service is service with heart. Service with heart
involves feeling empathy and concern for your customers;

LE
focusing on what the customer thinks, wants and feels; and
always putting the customer first.

You can provide service with heart more consistently if you view
all customers positively. Engaging in positive self-talk with help
you overcome negative attitudes and interact positively with
your customers.
3
A key factor in providing service with heart is to establish an
emotional connection with your customers. You can do this by:
◆ Using the customer’s name and title.
◆
MPBuilding rapport with your customers.
◆ Avoiding jargon when you speak to customers.
◆ Displaying confidence to your customers.
◆ Showing empathy for your customers.
◆ Mirroring the customer’s speech and body language.

Actively listening to customers is another important part of

providing service with heart. You can listen more effectively to
customers by:
SA

◆ Being ready to listen.

◆ Being ready to take notes when appropriate.
◆ Showing your customer that you’re listening.
◆ Asking questions.
◆ Restating the customer’s points.

43
● Providing Service With Heart

✓
Self-Check: Chapter Three Review
Answers to these questions appear on pages 92 and 93.

LE
1. Service with heart focuses on what the customer

_____________________, ______________________

and _________________________.

2. You can’t provide service with heart unless you maintain a

_________________ __________________ toward your

customers.
MP 3. List three things you can do to build an emotional
connection with your customers?

a._____________________________________________

b._____________________________________________

c._____________________________________________

4. ____________________ is the physical act of processing

sounds. ___________________ __________________

means trying to find the real meaning of the words and the
unspoken message behind them.
SA

5. The five steps of active listening are:

a._____________________________________________

b._____________________________________________

c._____________________________________________

d._____________________________________________

e._____________________________________________

44
 Providing Service With Heart

Notes

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3
MP
SA
● Dealing With Challenging Customers

Chapter
Four

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Dealing With Challenging
Customers
Chapter Objectives
▲ List four reasons why customers become upset.

▲ Identify your individual stress signals and use the

S.T.O.P. method to remain calm.
MP ▲ Establish ways to deal with the challenging, and
sometimes angry, customer by using a professional
and capable approach.

nyone can be nice to a nice customer. Dealing effectively

A with difficult customers is what separates the service
professional from the mere amateur. Let’s face it, some
customers are going to be challenging. They’re going to
complain, get angry, and demand satisfaction on their terms. To
understand why customers sometimes present these challenges,
let’s take a look at the roots of customer dissatisfaction.
SA

Why Customers Get Upset

Although there are many different reasons why customers may
become dissatisfied, they generally have one thing in common:
the perceived value of your product or service was less than the
customer expected. Here are four shortcomings that can cause a
customer to view your product or service negatively:

◆ The customer didn’t get what was promised or what was

expected. To overcome this, you must raise the quality of
the product, or in some cases, work to make the customer’s
expectations more realistic.

46
 Dealing With Challenging

◆ Someone was rude to the customer. Whether the employee

knew it or not, this was the customer’s perception.
◆ Someone was indifferent to the customer. An employee

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projected a “can’t-do” attitude.
◆ No one listened to the customer. Of all four reasons, this is
the most troubling. Failing to listen to a customer is a tragic
waste of an opportunity for the feedback your organization
needs to improve processes, products or services.

Take a Moment
Try to recall the last time you complained about a product or
service. Did your complaint fall into one of the categories
just described? If so, which one? If not, how would you
MP describe the nature of your complaint? 4
_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it

literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were
created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into
an opportunity.
Joseph Sugarman
SA

Dealing With Customer Emotions

An angry
When customers are dissatisfied, they can become difficult, customer
frustrated and quick to anger. What you as a service professional doesn’t
must realize is that an angry customer doesn’t respond to logic. respond to
In fact, the more logical you are, the angrier the customer will logic.
probably become. No matter what you say and no matter how
you phrase it, you simply will not be able to penetrate the
customer’s emotional barrier. Stating, “Now just calm down,”
will only escalate the customer’s anger. Before you can work on
the customer’s problem, you need to deal with the customer’s
emotions. 47
 ● Dealing With Challenging Customers

Calming Yourself
To calm an angry customer, you must stay calm yourself.
To calm an Relaxation techniques can help, but this is easier said than done.

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angry Try to keep your voice open and relaxed. When you hear your
customer, you voice sounding rushed or panicked, take a few deep breaths and
must stay calm use positive self-talk to help you gain composure. Say, “I can
yourself. handle this. I am in control.”

Use the S.T.O.P. method to help you deal with stressful

situations. S.T.O.P. stands for:
◆ Signal

◆ Take Control
MP ◆ Opposite
◆ Practice

◆ Signal
Look for your own early-warning signals of stress. Do you
clench your jaws? Does your heart pound? Does tension
build in your neck and shoulders? Does your temperature
rise and your face flush? Any of these are signs that you are
feeling anxious. If you aren’t sure what your signal is, ask
your coworkers or family. Children are especially good at
identifying stress signals.
◆ Take control
After you have identified your early-warning signals, you can
SA

take control of your own mind and body.

◆ Opposite
Do the opposite of your early-warning signal. If your jaw is
clenched, relax your face muscles. If your pulse is racing,
breathe slowly and deeply. . If you feel yourself overheating,
drink something cool (not cold) or lukewarm. The act of
swallowing will also help relax your throat muscles and
relieve a dry mouth.
◆ Practice
Practice these actions whenever you feel tense, whether at
work, on the drive home during rush hour, or during a
family emergency.

48
 Dealing With Challenging

Take a Moment
What are your stress signals? What actions can you take
that are opposite to those stress signals?

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_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Calming the Upset Customer

Once your emotions are under control, turn your attention to
calming your customer by following these steps;

1. Remain calm yourself. Do not react emotionally, no matter

how upset the customer gets.
MP 4
2. Let the customer vent. Actively listen and let the customer
know you are listening.

◆ Don’t interrupt. Have you ever been so angry that you

practiced what you were going to say? The customer is
no different. The customer has a list of items to cover,
and if you interrupt, she or he will just start at the
beginning again.
◆ Wait until the venting finishes. You might hear a sigh or
sense that the customer is winding down. Avoid saying,
“Are you finished yet?” It will do nothing to improve the
situation. Be patient. Although you may be tempted to
give the customer a solution to the problem, he or she is
SA

not yet ready to hear it.

3. Deal with emotions first. You must resolve the customer’s

emotions before you can begin to solve his or her problem.
You must
Acknowledging the customer’s emotions makes the customer
resolve the
feel valued and allows you to develop a partnership with the
customer’s
customer. This partnership is the foundation for the
emotions
problem-solving task you are about to begin. There are three
before you can
ways to acknowledge your customer’s emotions:
begin to solve
◆ Restate what the customer said. By paraphrasing, you let his or her
the customer know you heard and you give the customer problem.
the opportunity to clarify her or his concerns.
49
● Dealing With Challenging Customers

◆ Show empathy. When you show empathy, you show

concern. This is not the same as agreement. Statements
such as “I can understand why you feel that way,” or “I’d
be upset if that happened to me,” allow you to empathize

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with the customer but do not place blame on anyone in
your organization.
◆ Find agreement. When you find agreement, you clearly
identify the real problem, and working in partnership,
you get on the same side as the customer. The enemy is
now the problem, not you.
4. Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your
attention.
5. Avoid emotional trigger phrase. When you use a trigger or
“no” phrase, you run the risk of damaging an already fragile
MP relationship. If you’ve done everything right so far in the
damage-control area, the use of calming or “yes” phrases
further strengthens the partnership you have developed with
the customer. Use calming phrases to describe what you can
do for the customer to solve his or her problem.

Trigger Phrases Calming Phrases

Policy Here’s what we can do...

Here’s how we can handle
this... (quote the policy,
just don’t call it “policy”)

Can’t Can
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Sorry Thank you

No/I don’t know I can find out

But And

You should have Let’s do this (move to the

future, not the past)

Why didn’t you I can see why

The only thing we can do The best option, I think

50
 Dealing With Challenging

6. Set limits with abusive customers. In rare circumstances,

you will have a customer who is loud or abusive, or cannot
be calmed down. In this case, gently set limits with the
abusive customer.

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◆ If you know the customer’s name, use it.

◆ Use a sympathetic tone of voice to request the customer’s

cooperation and include a help statement.

■ Example: “Mr. Young, I really want to help you. I am finding

it difficult as long as you continue to use this language. I
can help you resolve this. Will you let me help you?”

This type of statement clearly and respectfully

communicates your desire to help if the customer will
MP let you. 4
7. As a last resort, delay action or seek a second opinion. By
delaying action, you give yourself and the customer a needed
time-out. You also show the customer that you’re taking his
cause to a higher level. This alone may have a calming effect
on the customer.
An angry
◆ Get back to the customer as promised. If necessary, bring customer will
your manager or supervisor in on the conversation. remember that
you handled a
An angry customer will remember that you handled a complaint complaint with
with poise and professionalism long after she or he forgets what poise and
the complaint was about. At any time during this process, when professionalism
SA

the customer has calmed down, move to problem solving. After long after she
all, solving the customer’s problem is, and always has been, your or he forgets
final goal. what the
complaint was
about.

51
● Dealing With Challenging Customers

Take a Moment
Listen again to the audiotape you made for the exercise on
page 42, and identify any trigger words or phrases. Make a

LE
mark next to the following words and phrases each time
they occur:

Policy _________________________________________

Can’t __________________________________________

Sorry __________________________________________

I don’t know ____________________________________

But . . . ________________________________________
MP
You should have ________________________________

Why didn’t you __________________________________

The only thing we can do __________________________

Practice substituting a calming phrase in place of any

trigger phrases you currently use. Make a list of calming
statements and post it next to your desk.

Chapter Summary
Dealing effectively with difficult customers is the mark of the
SA

true customer service professional. Customers who become

challenging are often dissatisfied because they perceive the value
of your product or service as being less than they expected.

Before you can solve the customer’s problem, you must help the
customer deal with his or her emotions. You can do this by
following these steps:
◆ Remain calm yourself.

◆ Let the customer vent.

◆ Acknowledge the customer’s emotions.

52
 Dealing With Challenging

◆ Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your

attention.
◆ Avoid emotional trigger phrases.

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◆ Set limits with abusive customers.

◆ Delay action or seek a second opinion as a last resort.

MP 4
SA

53
● Dealing With Challenging Customers

✓ Self-Check: Chapter Four Review

Answers to these questions appear on page 93.

LE
1. Four shortcomings that can cause a customer to view your
product or service negatively are:

a._____________________________________________

b._____________________________________________

c._____________________________________________

d._____________________________________________
MP 2. True or False?
Saying to a customer, “Just calm down now,” is a more
effective way to handle an emotional outburst than simply
allowing the customer to vent his or her feelings.

3. True or False?
Before you can begin to deal with a challenging customer,
you must have your own emotions under control.

4. What do the letters of the S.T.O.P. method for handling

stress stand for?

______________________
SA

______________________

______________________

______________________

5. Acknowledging a customer’s emotions helps a customer feel

_______________________________ and allows you to

____________________ ________________________

_______________________________ with the customer.

54
 Dealing With Challenging

Notes

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MP 4
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● Solving Customer Problems

Chapter
Five

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Solving Customer Problems
Chapter Objectives
▲ Build realistic expectations for customers.
▲ Involve customers in the problem-solving process.
▲ Provide customers with alternatives when delivering
bad news.
MP
olving problems for customers is one of the primary goals of
S a customer service professional. When we think of problem
solving, we generally think of solving problems after they
arise—a sort of crisis management. This is the traditional view of
problem solving. But to exceed customers’ expectations and
provide exceptional service, you and your organization must try
to anticipate problems and solve them before they start. This is
proactive problem solving. You can begin your proactive approach
to problem solving by following these steps:

◆ Manage customer expectations.

Quickly solve problems that do arise.

SA

◆ Work cooperatively with customers who are wrong.

◆ Deliver bad news effectively.

Managing Customer Expectations

The first step in proactive problem solving is to build realistic
expectations for your customers. As we saw in Chapter 4,
customers become disappointed when they do not get what they
expected. These expectations may not be sound from your
organization’s standpoint, but that doesn’t make them any less
real to your customers. Their dissatisfaction creates the problems
you have to solve.
56
 Solving Customer Problems ●

You can help customers maintain realistic expectations by Never

following this simple rule: never overpromise, and never oversell. overpromise,
Let customers know exactly how your product or service will and never

LE
perform under general conditions at the original point of sale or oversell.
service. Help customers understand what they can realistically
expect from your organization.

As you work with your customers, try to anticipate any

problems that could arise with your product or service. Tell
customers about these potential problems before they arise;
educate and inform them. Discuss extra costs or possible delays.
Some examples of statements you might make include:

■ “This model isn’t designed to handle extreme temperatures.

MP
For that, you should consider our other model.”

■ “The special features you requested will involve some

additional charges beyond our base price.”
5
■ “Your order will take three days to deliver instead of our
usual two.”

■ “It will take us three weeks to process your claim forms.”

Keep the customer informed by staying in touch on a regular

basis.

Take a Moment
SA

What does your company currently do to help customers

develop realistic expectations regarding your product or
service? Are there other things you could do to help avoid
future complaints? List them below.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
57
 ● Solving Customer Problems

Solving Problems When They Arise

Even though you try to anticipate problems and solve them
before they begin, there will be times when your product or

LE
service doesn’t perform as promised, and a customer is
disappointed. This is a crucial moment in your organization’s
relationship with that customer. Remember our figures in
Chapter 2—if customers believe you are responsive to a
problem, they will do business with your organization again
82 to 95% of the time. Those customers will also become your
organization’s most effective advertisements as they tell their
friends about the incredible customer service they received.

To help your customer reach a satisfactory solution to his or her

problem, follow these steps:
MP 1. Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your
attention. By taking the time to complain, the customer is
giving you the chance to restore his or her relationship with
your organization.

2. Listen and gather information. Give the customer a chance

to discuss the problem and vent her or his emotions. Be sure
to get the customer’s name, address, and phone number and
record the specifics of the complaint.

3. Apologize sincerely for the problem. Customers can tell

whether a customer service representative sincerely wants to
help them or is just faking it.
SA

Involve the
customer in the 4. Take responsibility for fixing the problem. Don’t blame
solution. Do others or make excuses.
what is most
useful to the 5. Involve the customer in the solution. This is the most
customer, not important step in problem solving. Do what is most useful
easiest to the customer, not easiest for you. Ask, “How would you
for you. like us to handle this?”

6. Solve the problem quickly. Give the customer this message

through your actions: “What happened to you was unusual.
What happened to you was a fluke. This is what’s normal.”
Your customer wants a resolution to the problem, and he or
she will be delighted if you act quickly to resolve it.
58
 Solving Customer Problems ●

7. Do something extra. What sets exceptional customer

service apart from traditional customer service is the
realization that correcting the problem is just not enough.
This is your organization’s opportunity to say, “We’re sorry

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we wasted your time, energy and money. The only reason
this problem occurred is because our organization didn’t do
something right the first time.” An extra might include
giving a customer a gift certificate for a meal, a free pass to a
movie or sporting event, or crediting a customer’s account
for a future order.

8. Ask for repeat business. Ask the customer to give your

company a second chance. In sales terms, close the sale—ask
for the repeat business: “We hope we’ll have the chance to
serve you again.”
MP
9. Follow up. Forward the details about the problem to the
appropriate department within your organization for
correction. Send the customer a written follow-up. If
appropriate, tell the customer what actions you have taken 5
to correct the system, product, or service.

Take a Moment
Think about the last time you solved a problem from a
customer. Did you follow the steps just discussed? Now that
you are familiar with these steps, what would you have done
differently?
SA

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Dealing With the Customer Who Is Wrong

You’ve probably heard the saying, “The customer is always
right.” Yet in reality, you can think of circumstances in which
the customer has not been right. Usually when this happens, the
customer has different expectations than you had hoped he or
she might have. Perhaps the customer was promised too much 59
 ● Solving Customer Problems

by an overeager employee, or the customer assumed you

Customers may
provided a specific service as standard. When this happens,
not always be
remember—customers may not always be right, but they are
right, but they
always customers. Here are some techniques to use when a

LE
are always
customer is wrong:
customers.
◆ Thank the customer for the complaint.

◆ Deal with emotions first. Help the customer express

dissatisfaction and empathize with him or her.

◆ Establish the facts. Get the customer’s understanding of the

situation. Use the active-listening skills discussed in Chapter
3. Accept what the customer tells you. Don’t discount what
the customer says—that’s as good as saying he or she is a liar.
MP ◆ Maintain respect. Do not place blame on the customer.

◆ Move to problem solving. A common approach is to look

for a company policy that supports your position. Instead, I
would recommend looking for a way to help the customer.
Explain your organization’s position without referring to
policies or anything that smacks of red tape. If you’re not
sure what you can do, or need additional time to weigh
options, say, “Let me check into this and get back to you.”

◆ Find the best available option. Try to be flexible. If

possible, let the customer be right. If that isn’t possible, tell
SA

the customer what you can do instead of what you can’t do.

The following example shows the way one bank representative

helped a customer who was wrong:

■ A customer calls the bank to complain about her monthly

service charge. Her account balance has gone below a
certain minimum amount, and a fee is assessed by the bank.
When the customer calls, the representative says, “I’m sorry
you are surprised by this charge. It’s customary for customers
to be told about this service charge when they open their
accounts. I’ll remove the charge from your account this month,
and I’ll make a note in your account that we have reviewed
this information.”

60
 Solving Customer Problems ●

The bank representative gave the customer what she wanted—

the removal of the service fee (at least for this month)—and
gently educated her that a fee would be assessed each time the
balance fell below the minimum amount. She also told the

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customer that she is documenting their conversation so there
will be less opportunity for misunderstanding in the future.

Take a Moment
Francesca has just taken a call from her customer, Mr.
Wong. Mr. Wong believed that his new office copier came
with a service agreement. In reality, the service agreement
must be purchased in addition to the copier. Mr. Wong is
angry after receiving his first bill for the repair of the copier.
Francesca responds:
MP
■ Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mr. Wong. I
can see why you might believe you would receive a
service plan with your copier. I think our best option is to
remove the fee for the labor and charge you only for the
parts for the June 18 service call. Even with a service
5
agreement, you would be charged for the parts. I’ll also
send you a packet outlining our service options. We
have some reasonably-priced packages, or we can
customize a package to meet your needs. Would you
prefer to have a sales representative stop by your office
next week to answer your questions, or would you rather
I called and discussed your options?

Notice how Francesca never tells Mr. Wong “no.” Instead,

SA

Francesca finds several ways to tell him “yes.” Find the

places in the case study where Francesca does the
following:

1. Thanks the customer.

2. Empathizes with the customer.

3. Reviews alternatives and offers the best solution.

4. Educates and informs the customer.

5. Arranges for follow-up.

Answers appear on pages 93 and 94. 61

 ● Solving Customer Problems

Delivering Bad News

There will come a time when you must deliver bad news to a
customer. You may have to tell the customer that you won’t take

LE
something back, the item ordered is out of stock, or you need
payment in advance.

Here are some suggestions for delivering bad news:

Inform the
customer of 1. Look for an alternative first. If no alternative exists,
bad news as proceed with the remaining steps.
early in the
2. Inform the customer as early in the process as possible.
process as
possible. 3. Inform the customer over the phone or in person, not by
letter.
MP 4. Get to the point quickly. You can warn the customer that
bad news is coming by saying something like “You’re not
going to like hearing this, but...” This can soften the news.
5. Treat the customer fairly. Your courtesy and
professionalism will be remembered long after the actual
problem is forgotten.

Here’s how one customer service representative made bad news

easier to deal with:
■ Liz is a customer service representative for a company that
provides products for other businesses, such as safety
equipment, nameplates and recycling bins. She took an order
SA

from a new customer and told the customer when he would

receive his order. However, when Liz turned the order in, the
credit department required 50% of the payment in advance
before the order could be started. This took a few days to
resolve, which held up the order, jeopardizing the initial
delivery date. The customer was not happy. Not only did he
have to prepay, but his order was being held up.

By taking the extra effort to work closely with production, Liz

made sure the order was delivered on the original date
promised. When the order was delivered, Liz had it sent by
courier, sent a personal letter of apology, and enclosed a pen
and pencil set (something extra to offset the customer’s
inconvenience). Liz exceeded the customer’s expectations,
62 and sure enough, the customer ordered from the company
again.
 Solving Customer Problems ●

When You Can’t Satisfy a Customer

You probably have dealt with customers that you could not
satisfy, no matter how hard you tried. When nothing seems to

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satisfy the customer, take these additional steps:

1. Sincerely apologize for being unable to help the customer.

2. Ask for a chance in the future. There is always an
opportunity to restore the relationship.

3. Do not let this contact affect your contact with the next
customer.

Despite difficult and demanding customers, most customer

service professionals agree that one of the most rewarding facets
MP
of the job is taking a customer who is having a bad day or a bad
experience and turning that customer’s experience around.

Talking With the Boss 5

Even the most experienced customer service professionals have
customers who will only be satisfied by talking to a superior.
When the customer demands to talk with the manager, the
owner or the president of your organization:
1. Ask for information so you can transfer the customer.
Say, “So that I can direct your call to the right person, can
you tell me what this concerns?” Notice that this statement
acknowledges the customer’s request.
SA

2. After the customer gives you the information, offer to

handle the situation for the customer yourself if you are
able. Reassure the customer that you can handle the
situation by saying something like, “Oh, that’s an issue I can
answer right away for you.” If the customer still wishes to
talk to your manager, follow through with the request.

3. Transfer the call when necessary—but only after

collecting information and explaining the situation to
your manager. Make sure that you tell the manager
everything, including:
◆ The customer’s name
63
◆ The problem
 ● Solving Customer Problems

◆ What has been done up to this point

Don’t leave anything out! If by some chance you’ve made an

error or given the customer inaccurate information, tell your

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supervisor. This is not the time to hold anything back

Your company can initiate changes that reduce the number of

times a supervisor must intercede. Many progressive companies
Your company
give customer service professionals the authority to refund
can initiate
money up to a certain dollar amount, drop shipping charges, or
changes that
credit accounts for future orders. These are just a few ways an
reduce the
organization encourages exceptional customer relations. One
number of
hotel chain allows any employee, from a member of the
times a
housekeeping staff to the hotel manager, up to $1,000 to resolve
supervisor
situations with customers. If you believe changes such as these
MP
must
intercede.
would benefit your organization, offer suggestions to your
manager. After all, a customer service professional is always
looking for ways to make the customer’s experience a more
positive one.

Chapter Summary
To exceed customers’ expectations and provide exceptional
service, you and your organization must try to anticipate
problems and solve them before they start. This is proactive
problem solving. The first step in proactive problem solving is to
build realistic expectations for your customers. This can help
you avoid customer dissatisfaction with your product.
SA

When customers are dissatisfied, you need to provide quick

solutions to their problems. Involve the customer in the
problem-solving process—do what is most useful for the
customer, not what is easiest for you. When a dissatisfied
customer is wrong, gently explain your company’s position
without referring to policies or red tape. Stress what you can do
for your customer rather than what you can’t do.

If you discover that some aspect of a situation will disappoint a

customer, let the customer know as early in the process as
possible, and do as much as you can to make the bad news easier
to deal with. If you find that you absolutely cannot satisfy a
customer, apologize for being unable to help and ask for a
64 chance to serve him or her again in the future.
 Solving Customer Problems ●

Self-Check: Chapter Five Review

Answers to these questions appear on page 94.
✓

LE
1. When we try to anticipate problems and solve them before
they start, we are taking a _________________________
approach to problem solving.

2. Building expectations in your customers can help you avoid

the customer ____________________________ that leads
to complaints.

3. True or False?
When trying to solve a problem, you have a responsibility
to choose the solution that will be easiest for your company
MP
to handle, whether it is the best solution for the customer
or not.

4. True or False?
If a customer asks to speak to your supervisor, you should 5
turn that person over to him or her immediately so as not to
waste time.

5. True or False?
When you are unable to satisfy a customer, the best approach
is to apologize sincerely and ask for a chance to serve him or
her in the future.
SA

65
 ● Helping Customers Over the Phone

Chapter
Six

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Helping Customers Over
the Phone
Chapter Objectives
▲ Use the one-voice concept to help customers feel in
control during calls.

▲ Use six tactics for transferring calls effectively.

MP ▲ Follow four steps for putting a caller on hold.
any customer service professionals spend a good deal of their
time dealing with customers over the telephone. Telephone
M customer service has its own special challenges. Customers
often feel a loss of control when they are dealing with a
company over the telephone. (How many times have you called
an organization and been cut off or lost in the voice-mail
system?) As a representative of your company, it’s your job to
provide customers with the same type of caring service they
would receive if they visited you in person.
SA

Providing One Voice for Your Customers

One of the best ways to deliver exceptional telephone service is
to master the one-voice technique. Customers want to identify
Customers are with you as the voice of your organization, and they want to feel
going to be that sense of responsiveness that is part of service with heart.
much more With this in mind, customers are going to be much more
satisfied if they satisfied if they are handled by the first person they talk to,
are handled by without having to explain their situation over and over again. By
the first person being the sole contact with the customer, you form an
they talk to. important partnership.

66
 Helping Customers Over the Phone

Whenever possible, try to avoid transferring customers. If you

can identify a set of questions that customers regularly ask, have
those answers available at your desk so you’ll be ready when
customers call. If possible, offer to get the answer to your

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customer’s question yourself and call him or her back.

Take a Moment
How many times each day do you transfer callers? What
actions can you take that would allow you to handle more
calls yourself instead of transferring them? Write the
answers below.

_______________________________________________
MP
_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Transferring the Customer 6

In order to provide the best service for your customers, you will
sometimes have to transfer them to another person or
department. Unfortunately, this is something customers usually
don’t like. In order to keep them from feeling that they are
getting the runaround, keep them informed, and let them know
SA

you’re not just passing the buck. When you need

to transfer a
When you do have to transfer a call, keep these tactics in mind: customer, state
what you can
1. State what you can do, not what you can’t do. Turn a
do, not what
negative into a positive by letting customers know you are
you can’t do.
acting for their benefit: “I can help you by letting you talk to
someone in accounts receivable.”

2. Avoid using the word transfer. Customers don’t like this

word. Instead say, “Let me connect you to...,” “I’ll let you
talk with...,” or “Let me put you in touch with...” Again,
communicate the benefits of your actions clearly to the
customer.
67
 ● Helping Customers Over the Phone

3. Pass along customer information. When transferring a call,

pass along the customer’s name and any facts you have
obtained so far. This will make customers feel that they’re
making progress since they don’t have to repeat their

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information.

4. Stay on the line. Introduce the customer to the next

employee if possible. And never transfer a call if you are not
completely sure the next employee is available to take it.
Although voice mail has grown increasingly popular, do not
assume your customer will be satisfied with leaving a
message.

5. Follow up. Before transferring a customer’s call, ask for the

customer’s phone number. If you accidentally cut the
MP customer off in the process, call him or her back.
Before 6. If you’re uncertain to whom to transfer a call, don’t guess.
transferring a Collect as much information as you can from the caller, and
customer’s tell the caller that you will get back to her or him. Then call
call, ask for the around your company, get the solution or information the
customer’s customer needs, and call back. If another employee is going
phone number. to call your customer back, make sure that employee follows
through.

What If the Customer Asks Not to Be

Transferred?
Sometimes the customer will ask not to be transferred. Likewise,
SA

if you are the third person your customer has talked to, do not
transfer him, even if you’re not the person to whom he needs to
speak. Stay with the customer, find out whatever you can about
the situation, and agree on a time when you will call the
customer back. Then do the research yourself and call the
customer with the information.

When the Call Is Transferred to You

If you’re the employee to whom the call is being forwarded, how
do you help the customer feel important? First of all, identify
yourself. Then let the customer know you are aware of her
situation. Say, “Hello, this is Lisa. Mrs. Brown, I understand
you have a question about the 30-day grace period. I have your
68 account information in front of me and I can help you with
 Helping Customers Over the Phone

that.” That way the customer doesn’t have to repeat herself.

Her mental image is that progress is being made.

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Take a Moment
The telephone is a tool without which most organizations
cannot function. Yet many people don’t know how to use
their phones to the fullest. If your phone has buttons,
functions or abilities that you don’t understand, get training
right away. Go to the people in your company who do know
how to use the phone and ask for their help.

Using the Hold Button

MP
If customers don’t like the idea of being transferred, they
certainly don’t like the idea of being put on hold. By pushing
your hold button a little too quickly or a little too often, you
can easily damage your relationships with your customers.

Your best solution is not to put the customer on hold at all.

Why appear to waste their time? You may want to say, “May
I have a number where I can reach you? I’ll call you back in 6
10 minutes.” Whether you have that information or not, call
the customer.

Four Crucial Steps for Putting a Customer

Call on Hold
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If you find you must put the customer on hold, follow

these steps:

1. Ask permission.
◆ Always ask, “Will you hold, please?”

◆ Wait for a response. There is nothing more annoying

than being asked and then hearing the phone click to
hold before you’ve had time to respond.

69
● Helping Customers Over the Phone

2. Get back to the customer after no more than 45 seconds.

◆ Shoot for a maximum of 30 seconds. Never go

beyond 45 seconds without coming back on the line

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for an update.

3. Thank the customer for holding.

◆ Always say, “Thanks for holding.”

◆ Do not say, “I’m sorry you had to hold.” This invites the
response, “You should be sorry. Every time I call your
company I’m put on hold.”

4. Offer to call back instead of putting the customer on hold.

MP ◆ If you know the process is going to take a little extra
time, offer to call the customer back within a certain
time frame.

Chapter Summary
Customers often feel powerless when they are on the phone.
Using the one-voice technique creates a connection with your
customers that gives them a sense of control and brings
humanity to your transaction. When you do need to transfer
customers or put them on hold, always let them know that you
are doing so in order to provide them with better service.
Through hard work and practice, you can maximize your
customer service effectiveness both in person and on the phone.
SA

70
 Helping Customers Over the Phone

✓
Self-Check: Chapter Six Review
Discussion of answers appear on pages 94 and 95.

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1. How would you rate your telephone customer service skills?
Poor Fair Good Excellent

2. How many times during the day do you transfer customers?

4-5 6-10 11-20 20+

3. How many times during the day are calls transferred to you?
4-5 6-10 11-20 20+

4. How many times will a customer be transferred?

1 2 3 4 or more
MP
5. How many customers per day do you put on hold?
1-5 6-10 11-20 20+

6. How many seconds does the on-hold period usually last?

1-15 16-30 31-45 45+

7. a. Do you ask if you can put the customer on hold?

Yes No 6
b. Do you always wait for a response?
Yes No

8. Say aloud your standard phone greeting. Is it recognizable as

more than one word, or do you run the words together?
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71
● Becoming a Customer Service Star

Chapter
Seven

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Becoming a Customer Service Star
Chapter Objectives
▲ Determine what traits customer service stars have in
common.
▲ Improve your attitude toward customers and life by
practicing survival skills.
MP e all have customer service stars in our organizations.
W These stars have an intense desire to exceed their
customer’s expectations. They want the customer to walk away
dazzled. Stars set the standard for customer service in any
organization. But stars weren’t born to excel—they worked to
develop their customer service skills, and they continue to
improve them every day. This means that anyone can become a
star by taking on the challenge of being exceptional.

What Makes a Customer Service Star?

It’s one thing to talk about becoming a customer service star,
and another to put the customer service principles into action.
SA

Let’s look at some characteristics customer service stars share

that make them similar. Customer service stars:
◆ Become internally motivated to serve.
◆ Convey a sincere interest in others.
◆ Maintain a positive attitude.
◆ Remain energized and enthusiastic.
◆ Know their organizations inside and out.
◆ Track their own performance.

72 ◆ Take initiative.
 Becoming a Customer Service Star

Let’s take a closer look at these attributes and think how you can
enhance your customer service skills and become a customer
service star.

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Our beliefs about what we are and what we can be precisely
determine what we will be.
Anthony Robbins

Becoming Internally Motivated to Serve People are not

motivated by
People are not motivated by external sources. Motivation can external
come only from inside a person. Customer service stars maintain sources.
their motivation to exceed their customer’s expectations. They Motivation can
gain personal satisfaction from dazzling the customer and come only from
leaving the customer feeling better than when the customer
MP
started the interaction.
inside a person.

Take a Moment
The next time you have an especially successful customer
service contact, pay special attention to how you feel. Let
this positive feeling become your motivation as you strive to
make all of your customer contacts equally successful.

Conveying a Sincere Interest in Others

Service stars are genuinely interested in their customers, and 7
they let customers know it by remaining flexible and adapting to
SA

meet their needs. Stars try to understand what makes their

customers tick—they search for the key to each customer’s
satisfaction. They put preconceived biases and judgments aside,
as in this example.

■ My friend Bob sells BMW automobiles. One day, a casually

dressed individual pulled into the dealership in an old pickup
truck. It was cold and rainy, and the salespeople debated on
who had to go out and help this unlikely customer. Finally, Bob
volunteered. Bob learned that this man owned a large carpet
business, and he had come to the dealership straight from the
plant. His other car, a BMW, had been stolen the week before.
Bob sold his customer a $60,000 car that day.

73
 ● Becoming a Customer Service Star

Who knows who your best customers might be? A service

superstar realizes that every customer, no matter how unlikely, is
important.

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Maintaining a Positive Attitude
When you feel positive, it’s easier to communicate with
customers. Stars expect things to work out. They feel positive
about their work and their lives, and they convey that attitude
to the customer through their body language, tone of voice, and
of course, their words. Customers can feel their positive energy,
and they come away feeling positive too.

Remaining Energized and Enthusiastic

One of the greatest things you can do for yourself is to get
If you live excited about your work and your life. If you live
MP
enthusiastically enthusiastically every day, you will remain energized, and your
every day, you whole outlook will improve. If you wait for some lucky event to
will remain occur before you get energized, you will be waiting a long time
energized, and for an exciting life.
your whole
outlook will True customer service stars are sincere in their energy and
improve. enthusiasm. A customer knows when you’re faking it; customers
can detect falseness and insincerity. Take a look at the following
example of sincere enthusiasm.
■ My day had started in a small town in western New York. I had
driven two hours to the airport in Buffalo, flown to Albany, and
had just started another drive to reach a conference in New
Paltz, New York. I took the exit off the interstate and pulled into
SA

a tollbooth.

I paid the tollbooth attendant and began searching for my

directions to the hotel. Without any prompting, the attendant
asked, “Do you need some help with directions?” When I
answered “Yes” and told him where I was going, he replied,
“You’re at the right exit. Have you ever been here before?” I
answered “No.”

“You have just entered one of the prettiest places in the United
States—the Hudson River Valley,” he said. After giving me
directions and warning about deer on the road, he finished
with “This place is beautiful. You’re going to love it.” This
tollbooth attendant turned my day around. His contagious
enthusiasm for the area impressed me and excited me about
the drive—and his description was right. My long, tiring day
74 had been transformed by my encounter with this service star.
 Becoming a Customer Service Star

Getting to Know Your Organization

Service stars have an unstoppable sense of curiosity. Stars not
only learn their own jobs and departments, but they also learn Service stars

LE
about other departments as well. They try to see the big picture try to see the
for the customer. This awareness helps them serve the customer big picture.
better. They keep up-to-date on new product lines, product
upgrades, specials, sales and incentives.

Take a Moment
Are there areas of your company that you know little about?
What can you do in the next week to learn more about
them? Write an action plan below.

_______________________________________________
MP
_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Tracking Your Performance

Most of us want to hear positive feedback, but customer service
stars want both positive and corrective feedback. They think of
corrective feedback as being constructive and informative.

Corrective feedback provides you with the information you need 7

to better serve your customers. It is not the same as criticism,
SA

which implies judgment. Try to view all customer feedback as a

gift that will help you improve your performance.

When customers provide you with corrective feedback, make a

note of it. If there is something you can do to change the
situation, develop a plan for doing it. If the feedback relates to
something over which you have no control, pass it along to the
appropriate person or team.

Invite customer feedback whenever possible. This can be as

simple as asking customers what they think about a certain
product or service, or more formal, such as asking them to fill
out a response card or take part in a focus group. If your
organization has no program for encouraging customer
75
feedback, suggest that it start one.
● Becoming a Customer Service Star

Customer feedback can also provide your company with

valuable information. Your customers are your organization’s
best source of marketing information. As a service professional,
you are the link between your customer and the company.

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Taking Initiative
To take initiative means to take action. Many organizations
empower their service professionals to do whatever it takes to
satisfy the customer. The organization establishes guidelines, but
after that it’s up to the service representative. Unfortunately,
sometimes people have been trained, educated and
empowered—and they do nothing. A customer service star is
ready and willing to act. Use whatever power you have been
given on behalf of your customers.
MP Keeping Your Attitude Up All Day Long
A true service star maintains these characteristics all day long,
despite the stress and pressure that come with the job. How can
you be consistently nice to, concerned about, and interested in a
customer, and then do the same thing over and over, day after
day? Here are some survival techniques that will help you do
just that.

1. Remind yourself to engage in positive self-talk. Practice

healthy thinking. Don’t clutter your mind with negatives.

2. Get a calming object. Choose something from your past

SA

(memories), or something for your future (goals and plans).

Use a photo, cartoon or positive notes that remind you that
this too shall pass. My friend Carla has the saying “They say
you can’t do it, but sometimes that doesn’t always work”
taped to her computer. It reminds her that there are
solutions for seemingly impossible situations.

3. Focus on successes rather than negatives. Track the things

that go right. Go to the “Take a Moment” exercise on page
78 for a fun and easy way to track your customer successes.

76
 Becoming a Customer Service Star

4. Use your break effectively. Do something to keep yourself

going. Relax and clear your mind. Listen to music, play
motivational or inspirational tapes, take a walk, or read.
Don’t use your free time for complaining.

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5. Develop a buddy system. Learn from each other, and share
the load. Work with your coworkers to give each other
breaks from stress.

6. Take care of yourself. When the details are getting you

down, step back and look at the big picture. Exercise,
volunteer, spend time with friends and family, and do other
things that add value to your life.

7. Bring your sense of humor to work. Take your work

MP
seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. Learn to laugh at
yourself, and don’t forget to take your sense of humor back
home with you. Your spouse, your children, and even your
pets will appreciate it.

Take a Moment
Within your team or group, list the different ways members
keep a positive attitude, such as:

1. Listening to music on break

2. Keeping family photos nearby

7
SA

3. Walking or exercising over lunch

4. _______________________________________

5. _______________________________________

6. _______________________________________

When you have a solid list, select one item that you do
not currently do and give it a try for the next week. The
following week, try another one. This will give you additional
ways to keep your attitude strong and positive all day long.

77
● Becoming a Customer Service Star

Can you be a customer service star? Evaluate where you are

today. If you are truly unhappy in your work, maybe you’re in
the wrong job. But if you basically like your work and just feel
the need for a few changes, the best place to start may be to

LE
change yourself.

Think positively. Develop a feeling of concern for your

customers. Keep a sense of humor. Before you know it, you’ll
see yourself as a customer service star, and so will everyone
around you.

Take a Moment
If you are having trouble focusing on positive customer
MP experiences, try this trick to get an accurate reading on the
number of positive and negative experiences you encounter
every day. On a piece of paper, write the words “Start” and
“End,” and place a plus and a minus sign under each word.
“Start” shows whether a customer is in a positive or
negative mood when you start your interaction. “End” shows
whether the customer has a positive or negative attitude at
the end of the conversation. Place check marks in the Total
column to indicate how you did. I’m sure you will find that
you have many more positive endings than negative ones.

Customer Mood
Start End Total
Customer began positive,
ended positive + + ✓✓✓✓
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Customer began negative,

ended negative - - ✓✓

Customer began negative,

ended positive - + ✓✓✓

Customer began positive,

ended negative + - —

78
 Becoming a Customer Service Star

Chapter Summary
Customer service stars have an intense desire to exceed their
customer’s expectations. They do this by:

LE
◆ Becoming internally motivated to serve.

◆ Conveying a sincere interest in others.

◆ Maintaining a positive attitude.

◆ Remaining energized and enthusiastic.

◆ Knowing their organizations inside and out.

Tracking their own performance.

◆
MP
◆ Taking initiative.

True service stars maintain these characteristics all day long by

engaging in positive self-talk, taking care of their health, and
developing a sense of humor.

7
SA

79
● Becoming a Customer Service Star

✓ Self-Check: Chapter Seven Review

Develop an action plan for becoming a customer service star.

LE
1. Name one thing you can do this week to improve your
internal motivation to serve your customers.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

2. Name one thing you can do this week to convey an interest

in your customers.

_______________________________________________
MP _______________________________________________

3. Name one thing you can do this week to keep your attitude
positive.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

4. Name one thing you can do this week to remain energized

and enthusiastic.

_______________________________________________
SA

_______________________________________________

5. Name one thing you can do this week to learn more about
your organization.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

80
 Becoming a Customer Service Star

6. Name one thing you can do this week to encourage

customer feedback.

_______________________________________________

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_______________________________________________

7. Name one thing you can do this week to take initiative when
helping a customer.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
MP
7
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81
● The Team Approach to Customer Service

Chapter
Eight

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The Team Approach to
Customer Service
Chapter Objectives
▲ Communicate with others in your organization about
your customers’ concerns, comments and expectations.

▲ Develop team strategies that best serve your customers.

MP ▲ Describe how outer-circle elements of service give your
organization a competitive edge.

he pace in today’s world of customer service is unbelievably

T fast, and the pressure is constantly high. Whether you’re
dealing with internal or external customers, by phone or
face-to-face, success must follow success, customer after
customer. You can’t make up for giving poor service to one
customer by giving great service to the next customer. The
damage has been done.
SA

Many employees make a common error. They are more

concerned about their job functions than their customers. The
customer is the reason you have a job. Focus your attention on
your customer, not your job function.

Putting the customer first means maintaining consistently

high-quality standards, and to do this, you need to share your
commitment to exceptional customer service with your
coworkers. You need to gain their support to help deliver
exceptional customer service every day, in every contact,
with every customer.

82
 The Team Approach to Customer Service ●

Developing Team Strategies

Simply put, taking a team approach to customer service means
working together as a group with common expectations and Simply put,

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goals. The team approach allows growth at every level The taking a team
success of long-term service stars inspires new members of the approach to
team, and at the same time, stars gain fresh perspectives from customer
new team members. Everyone learns, and everyone wins. service means
working
Here are some strategies to help you and your team provide together as a
exceptional customer service together: group with
common
◆ Show pride in yourself and your coworkers. Celebrate expectations
others’ successes. Let the customer know you’re proud. This and goals.
ensures a much more positive experience for your customer
MPand for you.

◆ Be a customer advocate in your organization. You are the

voice of your organization, but you can also be the voice of
the customer to your organization. Argue on your customer’s
behalf. Volunteer to do a service brainstorming session with
your internal customers to share your perspective with other
departments.

◆ Keep the supervisors informed and learn from them.

Supervisors are a tremendous internal resource for
information on the customer and your organization.

◆ Support your teammates with information. Share what

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you know freely with your coworkers. Use huddles—brief

informal meetings—instead of formal meetings when time is
limited. 8
◆ Discuss new policies. Discuss any new policies with your
team and create a way to explain changes to the customers in
a positive way. Develop a basic script you can use initially so
you don’t stumble over your words. A script can also ensure
that everyone is following the same plan.

◆ Identify areas for improvement. Your team can generate

ideas on how to better serve the customer. Let ideas flow
without judgment. Even the craziest ideas sometimes turn
out to be the ideas that work. 83
 ● The Team Approach to Customer Service

Identify and then track the areas for improvement, such as

realistic response times and sales. Set goals—determine what’s
expected of you as an individual and what’s expected of the
team. Coach each other, drawing on everyone's experiences and

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strengths.

Take a Moment
Most organizations recognize that they need your
perspective. Give a presentation for the other departments
about what you are learning from your customers. Do not
use the presentation as an opportunity to complain. Use it
as an opportunity to deliver feedback. Providing other areas
of the company with appropriate feedback will enhance your
value and increase your level of respect. Make the
MP presentation positive, informative and factual, and provide
solutions that are workable.

Delivering Outer-Circle Service

With all things being equal, there is little difference between
your organization and the competition. Now is the time to take
your service delivery to the next level.
The inner
circle of We can look at customer service as consisting of two circles. The
customer inner circle is made up of the basic services and products your
service is organization and your competition provides. Customers expect
made up of the the services and products in the inner circle. Figure 1 illustrates
basic services the types of services customers usually expect as part of the inner
SA

and products circle.

your
organization
and your
competition Inner Circle
provides. • Convenient hours of
operation
• Toll-free phone number
• Accurate and timely
billing process
• Adequate automation/
computer system
• Convenient location
• Shipping services

84 Figure 1
 The Team Approach to Customer Service ●

The outer circle allows you to differentiate your organization, to Your outer
set yourself apart from the competition by providing elements circle of
that exceed your customers’ expectations, as illustrated in Figure service allows
2. Customer service stars are outer-circle fanatics.

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you to set
yourself apart
form the
competition by
providing
elements that
exceed your
customers’
expectations.
Inner Circle Outer Circle
• Convenient hours of • Customer follow-up
MP operation
• Toll-free phone number
• Guaranteed
appointment times
• Accurate and timely • Personal service
billing process from government
• Adequate automation/ agencies
computer system • Child care for
• Convenient location shoppers
• Shipping services

Figure 2
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Here are some examples of outer-circle service: 8

■ A hospital sends flowers to a new mother after a baby is born,
but not at the same time everyone else does. They send the
flowers 30 days after the birth. This is the perfect time,
because all the flowers she received earlier are gone, and the
exhaustion that accompanies having a baby has set in. The
new mother really appreciates this thoughtful gesture, and it
comes at a time when she doesn’t expect it.

■ A dentist’s office located in a mall gives a waiting family

member a pager. This allows the family member to shop while
the patient is having dental work completed.
85
 ● The Team Approach to Customer Service

How important is outer-circle service? Extremely important.

Without strong Your inner circle may be perfect. You may do everything the
outer-circle customer expects, but that might not be enough to guarantee
service, you that the customer will come back. Without strong outer-circle

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may not be service, you may not be offering the customer anything special
offering the enough to set you apart from the competition. You may also be
customer in a business where your customer might not understand your
anything inner circle. In this case, your outer circle has to be outstanding.
special enough
to set you apart ■ When I receive health care services, I am receiving care that I
from the am not qualified to judge. The inner circle—top-quality medical
competition. care—although extremely important, is not how I judge the
service I receive. At the moment I am receiving care, I judge
the service I receive. At the moment I am receiving care, I
judge the outer-circle elements: how friendly the receptionist
was, how long I had to wait to see the doctor, and whether the
MP doctor has a good bedside manner and took time to answer
my questions. As my health improves following the treatment, I
am better able to judge if the medical care is top-quality.

Take a Moment
Meet with your team every 90 days to discuss outer-circle
ideas. Why meet every 90 days? Outer-circle services
become inner-circle services when customers begin to
expect them from your organization, or your competition
begins to offer the same services. After a while, it’s not
unique. By continually updating your outer circle, you will
delight your customer.
SA

What if management doesn’t support your customer service

initiatives? Don’t give up. Work within your service team for
support and encouragement. Despite your frustration, each day
you will still have pride in a job well done. By your efforts,
management may even realize that excellent service pays off by
increasing sales and developing a loyal customer base. And who
knows? One of your customers may be so impressed by your
initiative that he or she may offer you a better position.

86
 The Team Approach to Customer Service ●

It’s the little things that make the big things possible. Only close
attention to the fine details of any operation makes the
operation first class.
J. Willard Marriott

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Cross-Selling and Up-Selling
These two techniques provide opportunities to better serve both
your customer and your organization. If your organization’s sales
and customer service functions are separate, your knowledge of
the available products and services can benefit your customers.
Many companies have combined service and sales so the
customer does not get bounced around.
MP
Cross-Selling
Cross-selling is selling those accessories or services that
complement the product the customer has already purchased. Cross-selling is
Let’s say your customer orders a bicycle tire. You know your selling those
company offers a tool that makes installation of the tire easier. accessories or
By telling your customer about the features of this tool, you are services that
finding ways to further benefit your customer. To help you in complement
your cross-selling efforts: the product the
customer has
1. Keep a log of the type of calls you receive. Decide which already
ones provide sales opportunities. purchased.

2. Determine what the customer needs. Is it an additional

service or product? Does your customer have the necessary
SA

tools, equipment or information?

3. Offer the materials or services to ensure that your

8
customer’s expectations are met. Create a win-win
situation by solving your customer’s current or potential
problem.

When you first begin cross selling, develop a script to help you
get started. That way you won’t get flustered or forget important
points when describing a product or service.

87
 ● The Team Approach to Customer Service

Up-Selling
Up-selling is selling a product or service that provides additional
Up-selling is benefits at a greater cost. If the requested product or service is

LE
selling a not appropriate to meet the customer’s needs, offer one that is.
product or Use active listening to determine the best product-fit for your
service that customer. Be sure to give the customer all the information
provides needed to make a good decision, including the price difference
additional between the requested and the suggested products.
benefits at a
greater cost. Service stars are always looking for ways to benefit the customer.
Cross-selling and up-selling are additional ways to enhance your
customer’s service experience.

Quality doesn’t mean we have to be 100% better in any one

MP thing; it means we strive to be 1% better in 100 things.
Jan Carlzon

Taking Small Steps

Taking small steps will actually be faster, easier, and more
effective than waiting for that one time when everything is
absolutely perfect and trying to make a spectacular leap. Instead
of making one customer exceptionally satisfied, try to make
each customer a little more satisfied. Here are three things you
can do:

◆ Look for 1% improvements. Remember, even among

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service stars, there is always room for improvement.

◆ Listen to your own complaints. Customers probably have

the same complaints about your organization that you have
about other organizations and maybe even your own.

◆ Take initiative. Reading this book and putting your new

customer service skills into action is a great start. Get
additional training. Accept empowerment—and act on
behalf of your customer.

88
 The Team Approach to Customer Service ●

This is only the beginning. Think about the things you have
learned and adapt them for use in your organization. Take care
of your customers, both internal and external. Embrace the idea
of service with heart. In the competitive environment,

LE
exceptional customer service is an absolute.

Excellence is achieved when you master the basic rules of

customer service. Ask yourself, “What can I do to ensure
exceptional customer service and inspire those around me to do
the same?” Customer service stars aren’t born; they take the
initiative to learn, practice and lead others. You can be a service
star too!

Chapter Summary
MP
Taking a team approach to customer service means working
together as a group with common expectations and goals. Team
strategies include:

◆ Showing pride in yourself and your coworkers.

◆ Being a customer advocate.

◆ Keeping supervisors informed and learning from them.

◆ Discussing new policies.

◆ Identifying areas for improvement.

SA

Working as a team will allow you to move beyond inner-circle

service—the aspects of customer service that all customers
expect—to truly exceptional outer-circle service. Outer-circle 8
service will delight your customers and make your organization
stand out from the competition.

Two ways that you can better serve your customers and your
organization are to engage in cross-selling—selling those
accessories or services that complement the product the
customer has already purchased—and up-selling—selling a
product or service that provides additional benefits at a greater
cost.

89
● The Team Approach to Customer Service

✓
Self-Check: Chapter Eight Review
Answers to the following questions may be found on page 95.

LE
1. Taking a team approach to customer service means working

together as a group with ___________________________

_____________________ and _____________________

2. What is cross-selling?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
MP 3. What is up-selling?

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

4. List the specific items that make up your organization’s inner

circle:

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________
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_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

5. List the specific acts you do (or could do) that make up your
outer circle:

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

90 _______________________________________________
 Answers to Selected Exercises ●

Answers to Selected Exercises

Chapter 1

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Take a Moment (page 16)
1. There is no right or wrong answer to this question; however,
the most common answer is c, “both.” We all serve people
both inside and outside our organizations with information,
products and services. If you answered “internal” or
“external,” you may want to reexamine your definition of
your customers.

2. If you can honestly answer “a. Better about your

organization,” that’s very good. But it may not be enough.
MP
3. b. and c. The correct answers are 24 to 48 hours. However,
never disappoint the customer. If you know it’s going to take
48 hours, don’t say 24 hours.

4. b. Customers are sometimes right. In some circumstances,

the customer may not be right, but the customer is always the
customer. Whether right or wrong, treat the customer with
dignity and respect.

5. e. Customer perception is the answer. Even though you may

be giving a great product at a great price, supported by
outstanding customer service, if the customer’s perceptions
are negative, you’re fighting a losing battle.
SA

Chapter Review (page 18)

1. Your internal customers are the individuals or departments
within your organization who use your products or services.

2. Your external customers are the persons or organizations who

purchase and use your products and services.

3. When we provide exceptional customer service, we exceed

customer expectations, demonstrate that the organization
cares for the customer, and work immediately and decisively
on the customer’s behalf.

4. Customer expectations are what a customer wants before a 91

transaction.
● Answers to Selected Exercises

5. Customer perceptions are based on how your service measures

up against customer expectations.

6. Exceptional Customer Service = Perception - Expectations

LE
7. A caring and friendly atmosphere, ownership of problems,
and a quick solution are all positive points of contact that
work to create a good impression.

Chapter 2
Chapter Review (page 30)
1. As customers have more and more contacts with your
organization, they combine their perceptions of those
contacts into an overall impression of your organization’s
MP customer service. This impression is the customer’s total
service experience.

2. The customer decides.

3. a. What results does my customer want?

b. How can I help my customer get these results?

4. Positive attitude.

5. False—never yell at a customer, even if that customer is

yelling at you.
SA

Chapter 3
Chapter Review (page 44)
1. Service with heart focuses on what the customer thinks,
wants and feels.

2. You can’t provide service with heart unless you maintain a

positive attitude toward your customers.

3. Choose from:
a. Use the customer’s name and title.
b. Build rapport with your customers.
c. Avoid jargon.
92
d. Display confidence.
 Answers to Selected Exercises ●

e. Show empathy.
f. Mirror the customer’s speech and body language.

4. Hearing is the physical act of processing sounds.

LE
Active listening means trying to find the real meaning of the
words and the unspoken message behind them.

3. a. Be ready to listen.
b. Be ready to take notes when appropriate.
c. Show you are listening.
d. Ask questions.
e. Restate the customer’s points.

Chapter 4
MP
Chapter Review (page 54)
1. a. The customer didn’t get what was promised or what was
expected.
b. Someone was rude to the customer.
c. Someone was indifferent to the customer.
d. No one listened to the customer.

2. False—Angry customers need to vent. Telling them to calm

down will only make matters worse.

3. True.

4. Signal, Take control, Opposite, Practice

SA

5. Acknowledging a customer’s emotions helps a customer feel

valued and allows you to develop a partnership with the
customer.

Chapter 5
Take a Moment (page 61)
1. Thanks the customer:
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mr. Wong.”

2. Empathizes with the customer:

“I can see why you might believe you would receive a service
plan with your copier.”
93
● Answers to Selected Exercises

3. Reviews alternatives and offers the best solution:

“I think our best option is to remove the fee for the labor
and charge you only for the parts.”

LE
4. Educates and informs the customer:
“Even with a service agreement, you would be charged for
the parts.”

5. Arranges for follow-up:

“Would you prefer to have a sales representative stop by your
office . . . or would you rather I called and discussed your
options?”

Chapter Review (page 65)

1. When we try to anticipate problems and solve them before
MP they start, we are taking a proactive approach to problem
solving.

2. Building expectations in your customers can help you avoid

the customer dissatisfaction that leads to complaints.

3. False—You should always involve the customer in the

problem-solving process and choose the solution that will be
most convenient for her or him.

4. False—If a customer asks to speak to your supervisor, ask

that person to provide you with information so that you
can transfer him or her to the right person. Once you have
the information, if you are able to solve the problem, offer to
SA

do so.

5. True.

Chapter 6
Chapter Review (page 71)
1. Exceptional customer service requires excellent telephone
customer service skills. If you don’t believe that your phone
skills are excellent, don’t panic. Use this quiz as an
opportunity to identify areas in which you can improve.

2. Providing one voice for your customers means transferring

94 them as infrequently as possible. Ask yourself what you can
do to decrease your number of transfers.
 Answers to Selected Exercises ●

3. If you are receiving a large number of transferred calls,

perhaps you can provide other team members with
information in advance so they won’t need to transfer to you
so often.

LE
4. You and your team members should not transfer a customer
more than three times. If you are the third person your
customer has talked to, do not transfer the customer again.
Learn whatever you can about the situation and agree on a
time when you can call the customer back with an answer.

5. Your best alternative is not to put a customer on hold at all.

What can you do to reduce the number of times you use
your hold button?
MP
6. Never leave a customer on hold for more than 45 seconds
without returning for an update.

7. You should always ask if you can put a customer on hold,

then wait for his or her response.

8. Practice saying your standard phone greeting until you can

hear each word clearly. If possible, tape yourself and ask a
friend to listen.

Chapter 8
Chapter Review (page 90)
SA

1. Taking a team approach to customer service means working

together as a group with common expectations and goals.

2. Cross-selling is selling those accessories or services that

complement the product the customer has already
purchased.

3. Up-selling is selling a product or service that provides

additional benefits at a greater cost.

4. Answers will vary.

5. Answers will vary.

95