Customer Service

We are a customer oriented company has become an overused statement. Most people can say that but few practise it. Why? Because very few people understand the concept of customer service. It is not like uttering a few words, proclaiming in your mission statement and then putting a few people in place and you think you have customer service.

Customers are getting more demanding and challenging to deal with because they are more well-informed and discerning. Customers know what they want from a service or product and have certain levels of expectations and demands from the service providers. Good handling of customers' demands usually make the difference between keeping or losing them. Being able to handle unhappy and demanding customers well will not only provide utmost satisfaction to the service giver but it will also ensure that the customers stays with you and keeps coming back! You spent more money looking for new customers than keeping old ones. for starters.

Customer service is customer relations regardless if the person you are dealing with is a customer. It is all encompassing, across departments throughout the organisation and definitely needed to be entrenched as a culture. Very often, people forget it is your customers that pay your salary. We exist because of our customers.

Why does Singapore excel in so many things, have an important service industry and yet cannot serve well? First of all, service is an attitude, a culture and a way of life. It is an honour to know how to serve and to serve and customers too must learn how to honour when being served. Service is not servitude as in slavery and bondage. As customers, please do not treat those that serve as one. As customers you have a right to demand a certain level of service but please treat those that serve with respect and dignity. It is a two-way thing.

The objectives and actions we should strive for and understand are:-(a) why customers are difficult (b) changing our mind-set about customers (c) importance of handling customers well (d) understand the needs of different customers (e) the costs of ignoring customers (f) negative attitude/language which makes a difficult situation worse vs positive/neutral language to assuage customers or diffuse a situation (g) deal with emotions (h) ask appropriate questions (i) offer suggestions/alternatives/solutions (j) follow up and action plans.

Picture yourselves as a shopper with money to spend to buy something you need. Being customers yourselves, now picture yourselves (A) being rudely served or crudely brushed off by some sales assistants in certain shops where you ask for a certain shoe size, colours or designs and they tell you - "they are all there" vs (B) one where they listen to your needs and even make recommendations to you or even voluntarily offer to contact their other branches to check if they could get the one you want sent over to you and even if after attempting to help you, they still could not get one for you. Despite the end result not exactly what you had wanted, the "feel good" factor is there.

Now, next time where would you be likely to shop or buy from. Obviously its going to be (B). You would even recommend your friends to it given your experience and would probably bad-mouthed the other (A). Word of mouth advertisement is the best and worse advertisements for your business and reputation.

What happens when your young child spills a drink at a food outlet? Just getting your child cleaned up is already frustrating for a mother with shopping bags in toll let alone to get a dirty look from the shop staff followed by "Aiyoh" or be told "please do not do that again". As if any of these expressions are useful. Now if you are at an outlet where this happens and the staff comes over with serviettes and cloths to help you clean up and make sure you are comfortable. empathise with you and replace your child's drink - free. Where are you likely to take your child to for food and drinks especially when you know the child might spill it again? Isn't this all about common sense and how you treat people.

In today's ultra competitive and challenging business environment, one key criteria which distinguishes an organisation from its competitors is that of "excellent service". CUSTOMERS ARE THE VERY REASON WE EXIST. The ability to manage customer relationships well and keep customers coming back is imperative and of utmost importance. Satisfied customers means more business which can also translate into higher profits. If you can understand such a concept and apply common sense to it, you practise customer service everyday you won't have a problem any day.

Handling customers - (i) Prepare yourself for that next call or meeting. If you were upset, cut it out prior to taking the next call and do not allow your emotions to be transmitted as the receiver over the other end can sense if you were smiling. (ii) The welcome and greetings form very important first impressions. (iii) Remember to listen carefully to the customer and understand what he/she needs. (iv) Explore solutions/alternatives (v) After closing, the follow up action. (vi) Establish and build goodwill at all times.

So, what is Customer Service?

Customer Service Definition - Customer Service is the quality of the treatment customers receive during points of contact with our organisation. Any kind of interaction, whether face to face, over the phone, through the fax, mail, email, etc qualifies as a point of contact. There are two ways to think about how to compete in our business. One is to think that our business is merely performing a function - That's the commodity mindset.

Another way is to compete on the basis of providing an experience. We want to strive to make the process as effortless and pleasant as possible. Any one can have the hardware like an airport, ships, air crafts, golf clubs, etc. but few organisations excel at serving people because it is a competence that is hard to build and it's also hard to copy or match and you cannot buy it or transplant it from somewhere.

Our aim must then be to remove some of the hassles that customers encounter - the entire process from the beginning right up to the end, if necessary even provide after sales, thereby making the customer's whole experience easier and hard to forget.

There is another critical element of our approach to serving our customers: Filling customers' value-driven needs. In every industry, there are some basic services that everyone has to provide. But these are now usually taken for granted and customers want a company to treat them in a personal and caring way. Fulfilling those desires is how we wish to orchestrate our service.

Customer Service is a term or title that describes broadly everything about the service that should be provided by a company to customers regardless of the types of problems or needs. In other words, it encompasses all departments in an organisation.

We need a closely-knit people to people organisation to achieve it. To begin with, we need the highest level of co-operation from each and every staff. We must sincerely feel the need and want to help one another in order we may lighten the workload and maximise our synergy as they say: "Many hands make light work."

Allow me to narrate this story:- There was once a man who spoke to God about Heaven and Hell. God said to the man, "Come, I will show you Hell." They entered a room where a group a people sat around a huge pot of stew. Everyone was famished, desperate and starving. Each held a spoon that reached the pot , but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arm that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The suffering was terrible.

"Come, now I will show you Heaven." The Lord said after a while. They entered another room, identical to the first and the pot of stew, the group of people, the same long-handed spoons. But everybody there was happy and well-nourished. "I don't understand." Said the man. "Why are they happy here when they were miserable in the other room and everything was the same." God smiled. "Ah, it is simple." He said. "Here, they have to learn to feed each other."

The people who are special are those who make it a practice to go the extra mile, to do more than they are paid to do, and to do it willingly and cheerfully. You take the first important step toward determining your own future when you make the conscious decision to approach every task with a positive outlook and to stick with the job until it is done. If you find this attitude difficult at first, you’ll discover it eventually becomes part of you. And after you begin to realize the benefits that accrue to you because you are known as someone who always gives a little extra, you wouldn’t consider doing things any other way.

Throw it in and think “Service” with a capital “S” as it could cost you nothing. Just a little thoughtfulness here and a little delicate touch there can be invaluable as this would inevitably create customer loyalty. To fulfill those desires is how we can orchestrate our orientation.

He who works with his hands is.....a labourer.He who works with hands and head is.....a craftsman. He who works with his hands, head and heart is.....an artist.He who works with his hands, head, heart and feet is a.....SALESMAN! The function of Sales is to relay information about the company, its products and services to prospective customers in a professional manner. The goal of such interaction is to maximise sales and preserve the company’s high standards of customer satisfaction.

We have to be constantly trying to expand customer base and provide excellent service to customers so as to achieve customer retention and therefore our market share, winning back lost accounts or their replacements and securing new businesses and sales referrals. Besides these, education of all customers on the nature of each product, managing their perception and thus creating informed customers are also a critical process. With continuous analysis and targetting long term business relations with customers strategically, we are also keeping in line with market dynamics which are constantly changing.

It can be said that Sales and customer service are the faces of the organisation to the customers and can be likened to an ambassador henceforth with great responsibility to be discharged. That's when our integrity can become second to none. By never shirking from responsibilities and always “being there for the customers”, it is really during difficult times that distinguishes good and bad service experience. Providing customers a seamless, unique & hassle free experience would top the list and be a joy to customers.
I have to emphasise that customer service is not a department and it is not a section or a function. We strive to provide customer service as an attitude, a culture and a way of life. It should transcend divisions, departments, borders even countries so to speak. The focus is on the quality of the treatment of customers received during points of contact with our organisation. Everyone could compete in to be on time and at the lowest possible price but another way is to compete on the basis of providing an experience.
First impression counts - it is important. We need to continuously work towards customer retention – to make our service for customers so good that they never have the chance to opt out from us and go to a competitor. Even if they do for whatever reasons, they will find it hard to get a service level as good as ours and therefore, at the next opportunity, they shall harbour thought of coming back.

It is therefore imperative to be equipped with service recovery awareness in every occasion.When something bad happens and it could be something beyond our control, our ratings and standing would drop a notch. What we can do for damage control would be good service recovery to get back into the fold where we were before a bad situation occurred an better still look for opportunities to climb up a notch in the eyes of the customers and having given them a great experience where we would have more than fairly treated them, the relationship would have been further strengthened simply for the fact that if customers have to encounter problems (as they always will), then it is better to work with that someone or that party that does not disappear when troubles are brewing but instead are stuck with them till resolution is found.

There was this real story from a customer service expert when she was conducting training for a super market chain. One day, a young teenage boy approached to ask how he could learn to help improve customer service and how he can help to make a difference. Then he set upon an idea that he would read and pick up useful "Thought For The Day" kind of statements and he would go home to write them down and his father would help him to cut out into small pieces of paper whereby he would go to work each day as a bag boy and he would drop one into every bag of his customers. When he could not find any quotes, he would create his own. Soon, queues started forming at his counter everyday. Management thought that they should open more lines to cope with the increase business but despite that all people seemed to queue only at his counter even when other counters were open and available.

This trainer started to ask customers why and she found out the reason - customers only wanted to queue at this boy's counter because they wanted to receive his gift of his "Thought For The Day". They told their family members, relatives and friends and they all came. The business flourishes, the customers were happy all these because of that boy. Now, this boy is only "a bag boy". Not a Harvard graduate, not a hotshot manager. He is also autistic. What he did was an act of kindness, a consideration for others and it cost the company nothing. He wanted to serve people and brighten their day. Most people would frown when there is a long queue at their counters as it meant more work. All people in life have their problems from morning till night. When you can understand and accept that and you can play a part no matter how small to soften rough edges and brighten their days you create a spark which in time will come back to you.

Take a leaf from Singapore Airlines, Virgin and their Chairman the maverick Sir Richard Branson. He understood perfectly that delivering solid customer service requires that a front line worker receives support and assistance from the entire network consistently from the beginning to the end because you are only as strong as your weakest link. Many organisations only pay lip service "we are a customer-oriented company". You can think or say what you like but it is in doing that really counts. Sir Richard told a story of his competitor British Airways and showed that he did not just bashed competitors of an executive club member aboard a jumbo jet about to leave London for New York when he realised that he'd left his favourite leather coat in the lounge. He rushed to the front of the plane but was told that it was too late but was advised not to worry by a cabin crew as they will arrange it to be sent to him. As he returned to his seat, he was convinced that he would never see his beloved coat again.

Almost 8 hours later, when he touched down at JFK airport he was amazed that an agent met him at the door with his coat that flew there earlier than him on a Concorde. I supposed that the coat arriving on a later flight would made the customer just as grateful. Using some common sense, some empowerment and going the extra mile is of massive massive brand-enhancing and customer-loyalty building benefit. Do you not think that this man will easily forget such an experience? Service that even other airlines talked about - remember this SIA slogan? Even Sir Richard the chairman of a rival company himself told of this tale.

Sir Richard told of another tale - this time it was of part failure. An Upper Class customer's free limo failed to connect at his hotel (it was actually the customer's fault as he waited at the wrong door). He got his own cab and rushed through bad traffic with great anxiety of missing his flight. Fortunately, the first service agent at Virgin took control of the situation. She calmed him down though he was fuming, apologized profusely at the same time assuring him and then from her own pocket refunded the taxi fare, rushed the customer through staff lane and got him there with time to spare. Applause! The agent then told the supervisor what had happened and asked to be repaid the $70 cab fare. Instead of being given a pat on the back for a great service recovery, she was asked if there was a receipt and when she had none (obviously due to the urgency of the situation), she got a lecture of no reimbursement since there was no receipt and told to be more careful when performing her job next time.

Company procedure? That was the supervisor's thoughts or rigid company regulations? What is the result? This staff and whoever was present and watching would never show resourcefulness or initiatives again. So eventually the customer loses and when the customers lose, the entire company lose. The happy ending came and she was vindicated when another manager heard of this and made the approval for the shortfall. When Sir Richard heard of the story, he stopped by when he flew through there just to seek her out.

The problem with many work cultures everywhere is that managers and senior folks are focus on and seems to enjoy catching people making mistakes. Some even record the errors. Doesn't it then create fear in people to make mistakes and have the very thought that since the more you do or the greater initiative you show the more errors you may be subjected to hence less doing equal to less wrong and when a customer needs your attention you turn the other way pretending not to know?

The only way and best way is to catch people doing right my friends. It has a powerful and positive force. When you point out someone doing things right, highlight them in full glory for others to see and learn. Reward the staffs who are doing things right. The rest will then learn and follow. When you go to a restaurant and shop and a service staff serve you well, thank and praise the person in full view of everyone. Better still, tell his or her boss about it. The staff should get rewarded, the other staffs will learn and in return you will get even better service.

Good customer service begins at the top. If senior management do not get it, everything else down the line will be compromised. There are no two ways about it. Don't just blame the service staffs or pay lip service. It is common to hear "we are a customer oriented company" but few know how to or really apply it. It is equally important to put the right people for the job especially one in customer service because it entails a certain temperament, demeanour and personality. You just can't put anybody there and call them that. A goat is a goat.

Great service is actually quite simple. Consistently, give your customers more than they expect. Wow them! It is simple not easy because you have to feel it not just think it. Share great and positive stories. Praise those who do the right things and share it. Reinforce the belief. Everytime some things happened, there are lessons to be learned. Can your team look at it and see where things fell apart and went wrong and how to prevent it and enhance them?

Have you personally experience good service in your life and it makes you feel so good you want to tell other people about it? And also experience service so bad you want to flame it so everybody knew it? Have you ever wonder that you could be the one who caused both and have the ability and power to dish out either? I am sure you are a customer when buying things and you get pissed by bad service. So what right have you got if you can't provide good service while at work. You ought to be sacked like the fellow you wanted sacked! Is this a fair statement.

If your business or your personality is to go the extra mile, you will make people feel good. Quite often they do not cost you even a cent and all you need is a little common sense and a lot of sincerity. It can all begin by being someone who wants to help others. Each time you get bad service and feel like cursing, think of yourself at work. Are you any better? If you think that your customers are demanding and unreasonable, are you much better when you are a customer? When you have experienced customer service at the highest level and feel so pleased by it don't you want to be that person you thought so highly of when you were being served so well? In this case, why do people like to be pleased and demand good service while dishing poor quality service themselves? It is one and the same thing like a stick with two ends.

So demand of yourself to provide good service the same quality you would expect from others when you are a customer. Otherwise, we will all go down. Learn to serve and serve well. Customer service is a conscious attitude. A high level of support from management, a certain level of motivation which has to be sustained. For lots of people motivation does not last. The moment you walk out of a seminar you start to waver, the motivation won't last. But bathing does not last too so why do you bathe daily?? For some twice a day and on hotter days three times! Why? As a person in particular being a service staff, one must take personal ownership and responsibility. It is your baby. Leaders should also be a mystery shopper or get someone to do it on their behalf including phone calls.

Like in tennis, the ones with the best serves will in all likelihood win. Even our government is changing. What about you? We better start now. Power to you! After all that I have said and if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!

At "Simple Truths" they talked about 212 degrees. 211 degrees, water becomes hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. When water is boiled, it becomes steam and steam can power locomotive like a train. One extra degree makes all the difference. Serve each other not just the customers. Your people should treat customers as well as the way they are being treated. Before one becomes a good leader, one has to be a good servant.

Culture is lived not taught. The entire process should begin even before a person is hired. Does this person has that "wow" factor? People want to know how much you care not care how much you know. So make your customers your fans! Throw that stone and make a ripple!