How to Handle Angry Customers [Infographic]

One of the most challenging aspects of customer service is what do you do when a customer is unhappy. At some point, no matter how good your work is, someone will be unhappy. It may be a valid complaint, or it may be someone's bad day trying to pull you in. Regardless, it is crucial with today's means of communication among customers that you deal with the situation well. This infographic courtesy of the Provide Support Blog outlines tips on how to deal with that situation should it arise.

Full disclosure: I, personally, have been guilty in the past if letting my pride get in the way of good service, violating the third suggestion on the list. I was wrong at the time, and have experienced regret as a result. Don't make the same mistakes I have made!

From: www.providesupport.com

Customer Service in Appliance Repair Can Get Tricky

When you are an appliance service technician, the job can be very rewarding. Like the times that you help that sweet older lady that reminds you of Mom. Then there are the times when your assistance helps a young family avoid purchasing a replacement appliance that wasn't in the budget. Most of you also enjoy demonstrating your expertise by offering advice to those who are trying to perform their own repairs-even if that is not making your company money. When you are doing appliance repairs you are in the position to be a hero, and that always feels pretty good.

Sometimes Breaking The News Can Be Tricky... (Flickr/CC)

Like any job, however, there are times that are less fun. Like when a customer pressures the technician for a lower price by saying something to the effect of :"I can get a new machine for a few hundred bucks". When this happens it may help to remind the customer of the features involved in that $200 machine compared to the features they may have on their $1500 dollar appliance. Will this explanation always help? Probably not, but sometimes it will. Simply put, for a customer to make an informed decision about a repair job it is important that they are comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges when considering whether the cost of a repair would be worthwhile.

If you are billing for your services by the hour, do you find customers will try to rush out to get a job done before they get billed for another hour? Or you may find customers who are upset to pay for the time if you get done too soon? A lot of service companies have addressed this potentially awkward situation by instituting flat rate pricing. If a customer knows it will cost x number of dollars to do a given repair, they will be less likely to be unhappy that your work was faster or slower than they expected. You can work out your own pricing list or you can use a tool such as the Appliance Blue Book, either way removing the surprises can help remove some of the frustrations.

Speaking of expectations, how many of you have arrived at a call only to find an unplugged appliance? If that happens you are in an almost no win situation. If you simply plug the appliance back in, the customer likely won't feel that you should receive payment. Meanwhile you know that between your time and vehicle expenses, not charging means lost money. A lot of companies try to address this by asking the customer if they have checked the power source. Of course, most customers would not want to admit overlooking that step so they will just say that they made sure that the machine was plugged in. Many customers consider the question to be an insult to their intelligence, so many service companies don't even ask the question-even though it is an important thing to check when troubleshooting. Recently, I heard an idea of how to approach that question with some tact. Instead of asking the customer if they have verified that their machine was plugged in, this company suggests that they have found many customers were plugging in their appliance "upside down". They then suggest the customer turn the plug over to see if the problem would solve itself. Naturally any REAL problem would still be occurring. However, sometimes the unplugged appliances then get plugged in and the problem "solves itself" giving the customer the opportunity to cancel the service call and avoid embarrassment.

As you all know, there are a lot of different ways of achieving total customer satisfaction. At W.L. May we want to give a hand in however you are working to attain that goal. Let us know how we can help.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Other things W L May can do for you

Hey, All,

Well, the post I started for this week seems better suited for next month, so you'll have to wait for that one.  So I decided to make a short list of some of the other services that W L May can provide for you.

1.  Wanna know what parts and how many of them you have purchased in a certain time frame?  Give us a parameter (like the top 50 parts bought in last 6 months) and we can have a report run for you.  This can help you with your inventory and truck stock.

2.  Want to leave some literature with your customers on services (ex. vent cleaning) and items you can provide them (water filters, drip pans, etc.) with your company logo and contact info?  Contact us with what you would like and we can work up some things for you to take to the printers and use.

3.  Need a list of manufacturers phone numbers and websites?  We can get you a list of that info.

4.  Need help building a website?  We can recommend several places for you to look at.

5.  Want to go mobile?  We can help with that!

6.  Not sure what you need?  Call us - you would be surprised at what we can help you with!  Just let us know what you are looking for.

Parts and research are just a small part of what we can offer you!  Please use us!

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - First Impressions

Hey, All,

As you all know, first impressions can make or break any kind of dealings with another person.  And if you are running a business, this may be the only contact you have with a potential new customer.

So when that phone rings, how are you answering it?  A gruff "Bob's"?  Or a cheerful, friendly "Bob's Appliance Service, this is Mary, how may we help you?"  Your greeting doesn't have to be long (in fact I hate the ones that are!) but identifying the business, who is answering and the offer of assistance in a cheerful, helpful tone is the most important.  This also helps for recorded messages.  Most people are willing to listen to recordings with more information than a real voice because they know that the info they need may be on there, but try to keep the recordings short, sweet and to the point.

Mazzie and Shannon - Our first impression experts!

So now that the greetings are out of the way, getting the name and phone number of the person calling is imperative - first, because people like to be called by name and, if for some reason the call gets dropped, (and in these days of cell phones that could be highly likely) you have their number to call them right back.

Now, listen to the customer and use my list of 10 questions to get the info you need.   If, by some chance, they are calling for something that you can't help them with, sending them off with another avenue to explore is way better that "sorry" and hanging up.  I get calls all the time with people looking for stuff we don't carry.  And sometimes all it takes is looking up the manufacturer of their product on the web and giving them a phone number.  No, this isn't something that you HAVE to do, but that person will remember the assist (or not) and will be a major factor on if they call you for something that you can help them with.

Now, how does your tech look when he shows up at the customer's?  Is his vehicle clean and in good repair?  Is his appearance neat and clean?  You don't need to have fancy uniforms, but a polo shirt (looks better than a t-shirt) with the company logo on it and nice pants or jeans is nice.  Does he put on protective shoe coverings (we have these - 50 pairs of SHUBEE) and protects the floor around the appliance?  Does he clean up any mess he may make (we have cleaning products too!)?  This is also a way to make a major good  impression on a customer by treating their home as a castle.  The clean-up process is also a good time to do add-on sales by offering the customer cleaning products, added services and leaving any promotional items like refrigerator magnets, pens, brochures, etc., so they will call you back if they need more repairs.

Last, but not least, a follow up call.  Call the customer the very next day and find out their opinion on how the repair went.  Are they satisfied?  Is the appliance still working?  Was the technician clean, neat, personable and knowledgeable?  Sometimes this is the only way you can know if your technician is an asset or liability to your business.  And if they have some type of complaint, dealing with it right then and there will better their impression of your business.  Ignoring it will probably not get you back in their door again.

So, take a look at you and your first impressions and wow your customers!

Have a great week!

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - 10 Questions that are Needed for a Service Call

Hey, All,

So, I was thinking of 10 questions that need to be asked and answered when you take a service call.  Whether it is the tech taking the call or office personnel, these are things that the office and tech need to know before going out on a call.  And I'll put my reasons for these on it also.



Creative Commons license on image

1.  Contact info:  Name, Address, BEST phone number, opt – email.
     The more information you have on your customers, the more they feel like they matter to you and your business.  Having a file on customers ultimately helps you with return calls, warranty and with them recommending you to friends and family.  Having an email address makes it easy for you to contact them for follow-up, sales, specials, reviews, etc.

2.  What kind of appliance:  Manufacturer, model, serial and/or “P”   number.
     This is so needed in so many ways - the first questions we ask you to look up the parts you need is who made it and what is the model number.  Very, very rarely are we able to find parts without it and this is the information our research programs run on.  Also, some manufacturer's made design changes within a model and the changes are marked by the serial number and/or manufacturer's number (mostly  Amana models and we refer to them as "P" numbers as they always start with a "P").  Also, if the part we supply you with fails, we need to have the model and serial numbers to file warranty claims.  Without it, we cannot file a claim.

3.  Description of issue:  What is it doing or not doing?
     This information will give you a chance to pre-diagnose what is wrong with the appliance and to get the parts to take with you so you can fix it on your first visit.  Have the customer be as specific as possible - the more information you have the better and faster you can get them helped.  "It won't work" is not enough.  With each different appliance there should be specific questions asked to help diagnose.

4.   Ask if they have checked plug and breaker box.
      Believe me - your customer is not going to be happy if you come out and charge them a service call fee just to plug in the refrigerator.  Sometimes the fix is as easy as that.

5.  Date and time needed for technician.
     People have their own schedules, too, with work, family and other issues.  And if they need to take time off work to be there when you come to fix their appliance, the technician being on time is very important.

6.  Who is going to be there at time of appointment? Person calling/spouse/babysitter/adult child.
     If the person who is calling to schedule the repair is not the one going to be there, you need to know who is and if that person can make any decisions needed - like to fix or not, secondary appointment, or if anything else comes up.

7.  Any pets or other issues need to know about getting to residence?  Construction, detours, cross streets, landmarks, gates, security, etc.
     If you have dogs, especially running loose, most technicians will not get out of their vehicle until it is restrained.  You know your dog - they do not and they will not take a chance on getting bit.  The more information that the tech has for finding your house the better.  GPS is great up to a certain extent but can't provide for everything.  Also, if you live in a gated community or have a security gate into your property, your security people need to know a tech is coming and the tech needs to know how to get in there.

8.  Secondary contact people and will this person be able to make decisions.
     If the person scheduling the appointment is not going to be there when the tech is or is going to be unavailable for contact, having a secondary contact person - landlord, spouse, live-in partner, roommate, etc. - will avoid hassles about whether the repair needs to be done or the machine replaced.

9.  Payment method
     Make sure you are up front about your fees.  Is your customer paying cash, check, debit or credit card?  What if they only have American Express and you don't take that?  Best to get that sticky situation taken care of up front to avoid any miscommunications.

10.  Communication
       Is the tech that is going out for the repair able to communicate with the person that's going to be there?  If the customer doesn't speak the same language as your tech, it can be very frustrating trying to get questions asked and answered.  If there is going to be a language difference, either schedule a tech that can speak the same language or arrange with the customer to have someone available that can translate.


I believe that having all these questions asked and answered will make all service calls a lot less hassles for everyone involved. 

Have a great week all!

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Reflections on W L May

Hey, All,

As you may or may not know, W L May is celebrating our 90th year of supplying appliance parts to servicers and retail.  Wow, 90 years! 

As a relative rooky here (only 12 years to some who have over 20 and 30 years) this is so impressive.  How many companies do you know that have been in business that long?  Not a whole lot, and some that have been in business for way long have fallen to changing times.  Remember Montgomery Wards and Woolworth's?  Why do some companies stay in business for a long time and some are a flash in the pan?

I believe the W L May philosophy is the main reason we've been here so long - look, a pump is a pump and a belt is a belt, and you can get them just about anywhere, right?  What makes W L May different is that we CARE about our customers and their business.  We get to know our customers - not just the business - but the people in the company.  What they like to do in their off time, family, special interests - just like anyone does when they make new friends.  Because that's what our customers become - friends.  I have quite a few of mine as Facebook friends, have had dinner/drinks, and just yakked on the phone with them.  Some even have my personal phone number and, on the rare occasion that I am out sick, call and make sure I am ok, been invited to weddings, Christmas parties and have a place to stay in whatever town I'm in.

And W L May hosts OEM and business training sessions, is a liason to the OEM's, and we do our best to keep on fingers on the pulse of the appliance industry as a whole and pass that along.  We maintain this blog site, have a Facebook page and are constantly looking for ways to help our customers run a successful and profitable business. 

So it is not just looking up parts and getting them to you, we run a whole gambit of services for you and your business.  And if you've never dealt with us, give us a call so we can become friends.

Have a great week!

PS:  Keep your eyes peeled - there may be a birthday party in the offing!

Thursday Tech Tip: How To Alienate Customer and Drive Away Business

Usually here on the W.L. May blog we often try to share tips and suggestions to help build your business and be more profitable. Maybe that's not your thing. Today we offer some tips that can help if you want to drive away customers and lose repeat business.

• Be hard to reach. Don't answer your phone and don't return calls. They say time is money. Don't let a potential customer take that away from you, after all they probably want your help or something.
• Make an appointment-but don't show up on time. So that pesky customer managed to track you down, now what? To make sure they are unhappy, set up an appointment. This works best if it is an inconvenient time for them. Let them know they need to be there and then don't show. Don't bother calling either. They'll call you to reschedule if they want to get their machine fixed.
• Arrive dirty and/or smelly. You know you are probably going to get dirty while you fix a machine, and honestly you were up kind of late last night so why bother showering and putting on clean clothes just to get dirty. Don't forget, you are doing them a favor by fixing their machine. So if you smudge some oil on their counter or smell like b.o. plenty, that is their problem. If you are smoker, light up while you do the repair. If they want to have a clean house they can clean after you leave. You do repairs, you aren't a maid!
• Look like an amatuer. There are several ways to do this. First, don't wear a uniform. A uniform can make you look like a pro. Now think about your service vehicle. Leave off the identifying signs. Those will probably just cause others to call you for repairs. At  the home, make sure and park in their driveway. For real style points and to create that extra  "I don't care about you" effect, make sure your service vehicle is leaking fluids. 
• Don't actually do a repair. Bang around a little bit. Scratch your head a bit and tell them what a unique problem they are having. Give them a real high quote for doing the job and suggest that they would be far better off to replace the unit. Give them an invoice for your "diagnosis" collect your fee preferably a high one and payable only in cash.

So that's it. While we are obviously kidding that you would want to hurt your business, it is true that if you follow these tips you can do a lot to chase away new business. If you would rather grow your business, look elsewhere on this blog for advice and check out our Facebook page for other news and tips as well.

Kelly's Korner - Accessory Items

Hey, All!

Did you know that the major manufacturer's - GE, Whirlpool and Electolux - have accessory items available for your appliances?  Such things as dryer racks, small item holders for laundry and dishwashers, cleaners, touch-up paint, and more?

You can either go onto the respective websites and look under the Accessory headings and look for what you need.  Or contact your friendly parts distributor - W L May, of course - and we can find it for you.  Also, some accessory items for specific models are listed in the owner's manual for that appliance.

Some of my favorites are:

W10180464RP - this is a zippered mesh laundry bag and it is great for all those baby sock and other little unmentionables.

PM14X10056 - this is a cleaning brush set for dryer vents, refrigerator coils and other hard to reach spots

Dishwasher rack repair kits:  Blue is 5303310272 and white is 5303310273 - this is a kit of "goop" - quick drying plastic coating for those spots on the rack that the coating has come off and 25 tine tips for the points of the upright tines.

And, as always, W L May is here to help you look for whatever your customer needs.

Have a great week!


  

Web Tools Wednesday-Five Ways to Use a Smart Phone on Service Calls

More and more companies are using smart phones to make their technicians more efficient and productive. In case you didn't know or need some convincing as to why you might want to upgrade your old cell phone here are 5 ways appliance service people can use a smart phone to help run their service calls.

1. Use your camera. Take a picture of the model number label. There are some techs who do this for every service call and save themselves a lot of writing. Even if you are in the habit of writing down the model number this is good insurance against damage to your notes. That camera can also come in handy for some of those hard to describe parts, just take the picture and let your part researcher see it for reference.
   
2. Research parts on the fly. W.L. May Company has full illustrated part breakdowns optimized for mobile phone available to our account holders. You can see a breakdown of the machine, get the part number, share a quote with your customer, and place the order all from the field saving you office time at the end of the day. And if you are in a really sticky situation, you can always use the phone to contact the factory tech line.

   

   Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

3. Help with scheduling, There are several apps that can help you with scheduling and/or to-do lists. Also, an appreciated courtesy would be to let the consumer know you are on  the way shortly before you arrive at the home. If you will be late or early for your appointment that would also likely merit a call of warning. You may not be able to control surprises that can throw off your schedule, but you can minimize the effect by respecting your clients time and communicating with your clients if you will not be there at the time you said you would.

   

   Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

4. Maps and navigation. Years ago, when you didn't know where you were going, you could call the customer for directions or find it in the grid of  a Thomas Brothers map. These days life is so much easier when it comes to maps. You can even have a voice to guide you to your destination. Granted, dedicated GPS units have more features and may prove to be more useful depending on your needs, but the navigation included in most smart phones will do the job for you pretty well for many situations.

   

   Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

5. Financial tools. There are a lot of financial tools available for smart phones. I know of several companies that are already using credit card processing apps to bill their service calls from the field. Also several banks offer check deposit options using the phones camera features. If you are going to use your phone for location based finances, make sure you are dealing with a reputable company with secured access and other means of security.  

Kelly's Korner - Superhero Book

Hey, All!

So how are you all doing on your Superhero Book?  Are you adding to it when you find something that you've never seen before?  It is real easy to think that you'll do it later, but I find that if I don't write it down or print it out now, it doesn't get done, then I kick myself when I need it later.  Don't procrastinate!

This came to mind the other day when I was looking for a kit that I KNOW Whirlpool puts out for refrigerator shelf support repair (4388540) and I couldn't find it because I HAD NOT WRITTEN IT DOWN!!!  I only like doing things twice if they are fun - finding information twice because of my laziness is not fun.

Of course, on the opposite side, a tech called me looking for a dispenser heater kit for a GE refrigerator, and before he could even finish explaining what he needed, I had the part number (WR49X10173) because I HAD WRITTEN IT DOWN!!!  Blew him away and I sat here and giggled.

There are sooo many things that the manufacturers come up with AFTER the appliances are in a consumer's home to fix issues that come up.  And they are usually not on whatever research material you are looking at.  We here at W L May are really good at ferreting out this information, so don't hesitate to give us a holler to find what you need.

Have a great week!  (Happy Birthday, Mom!)

PS:  As I'm sitting here writing this the ol' Book came in handy again - splash shield kit for Frigidaire Dishwashers (corner gaskets at bottom of door gasket)  154701001.  Three more part number for your Book!  K

Customer Dis-service

Here is a man on the street video of people sharing their bad customer service experiences. A few thoughts cam to mind as I watched this video. The first is that people seem to enjoy sharing their bad customer service stories with others. It seems true that if you give good service the customer will tell a friend, if you give bad service they will tell 4 friends. In a service oriented industry such as ours, where trust is essential, customer service is of particular importance because many folks ask their friends for recommendations. The second take away is that some folks can be pretty mean to the customer service provider if they are not happy. So keeping customers happy will make a happier day for you too, And lastly, almost a side note, is that people really appreciate a live person to answer the phone, not some automated phone system. That is why W.L.May Company still uses live switchboard receptionists. It's just a small part of the things we do to provide you with good service. Enjoy the video....

KELLY'S KORNER - MANUALS

Hey, All,

Did you know that you can usually get copies of  owner's manual on-line and download them to your computer or copy/email them for your customers?

Just go to the manufacturer's website (I'll have some listed below) and look for the tab for Customer Service or Support.  There should be a tab under that for manuals.  You will need to have the model number of the appliance.  Then just download the PDF file to your computer. 

Consumers:  This would also be a good time to make a file for each of your appliances and load the necessary information for each appliance (Brand, model number, serial number, date of purchase and scan in the warranty info, receipts, service calls, repair company, etc).  Wow!  Don't you feel organized now? 

Servicers:  You can also add these to your computer files for your customers.

Also, sometimes accessory items (stack kits, conversion kits, dryer racks, etc.) are listed in the owner's manual;  some of these are not listed in the parts lists.

Whirlpool:  http://www.whirlpool.com/manuals
Frigidaire:  http://www.frigidaire.com/Owner-Center/Product-Support-Manuals/
GE:  http://www.geappliances.com/service_and_support/literature/
Electrolux: http://www.electroluxappliances.com/Owner-Support/Product-Support/
Maytag:   http://www.maytag.com/manuals

Have a great week!

Web Tools Wednesday: The W.L. May website

This article is for W.L. May account holders. Do-It-Yourselfers and others are encouraged to take a look through our archives for other articles that might prove more useful.



Today's web tool I'd like to talk about is the main W.L. May website. When you first arrive at our site, you will be greeted by a picture of some appliances and you'll notice some tabs above the picture. The left hand tab button says "Find A Part" clicking on that will take you to a field where you can enter your part number to check availability and our retail pricing. The right hand tab button says "Contact" which naturally will lead to a screen with addresses and phone numbers for W.L. May's four branches. But it is the center button "Technicians" that leads to all the "good stuff". Clicking on that button will take you to a page that has a few links listed on the side bar. One is for an application for an open account, which presumably you have if you are still reading this. The link to "access online account" is what you want. This will take you to the log in screen. You will need a username and password at this point. If you don't yet have a password, contact your account manager to get signed up for the program. It's free to sign up and allows access to a lot of useful data.

When you sign in you will be greeted by a welcome page that shows your company name. You will notice a menu of links on the side bar. Lets go through these one by one:
1. Item & Availability-This is just what it sounds like. Enter a part number to check availability at all four of our branches. Shows retail pricing as well as regular dealer costs and any other sales prices that might apply.
2. Flyer Pricing-This links you to a list of parts on our everyday low pricing program. Remember, these prices stay in place until the end of the year!
3. Web Specials-Every week we feature a few selected items as a one week special, and occasionally we will have big one day sales sponsored by the manufacturers. Check here weekly for extra special pricing.
4. Research-This links you to IPL. IPL is short for Illustrated Parts Lookup. This is an online version of the same software we use here at W.L. May Company for parts research. With pictures and complete parts list, this tool can help you find most items on a given machine. Here is a tip, many models have spaces or dashes that can confuse the search feature. If your model number doesn't show up, try typing the first half of the number, which will give you a list of models that start that way.Frequently, your model will show up on that list. We don't intend for the IPL to replace customer service, its just another tool we provide for your convenience. If you ever need ANY help at finding a part, just give us a call.
5. Backorder Inquiry-Provides you with a list of all parts that you have on backorder that have not arrived at W.L.May Company yet.
6. Package Tracking-Connects your shipped order to your shippers tracking information so you can keep track of your order until it arrives.
7. Shipped Orders-Enter an item number on this page to see a list of invoices where that part was purchased, as well a order dates, purchase order numbers and pricing to help keep your records straight.
8. Account Status-Provides you with a list of pending invoices to help you manage your cash flow.
9. Check Inquiry-See if a check you have mailed in for payment has been processed.
10. Order Entry-A form for placing your orders. Feel free to include comments if you have any special requests. Also, please make sure that all required fields are filled out as incomplete order forms are not processed by the computer.
11.  Communications-Blank returns forms for warranty and non warranty returns as well a database for reviewing your completed invoice by invoice number.
12. Billing Service-Connects you to BillTrust, our online account management partner.

As you can see, W.L.May Company has a number of free tools to help make your business run more efficiently, and thus more profitably. One more thing, if you will be accessing our website by smart phone we have a mobile version of our website that maximizes research tools for a phone sized screen. Also our mobile site site shows retail pricing only, in case you have concerns about your privacy. We welcome you to try one or both versions of our website and see how it can help your business run more smoothly and profitably.

Kelly's Korner - Customer Service Revisited

Hey, All!

When I was on vacation, I posted some points to ponder on customer service. Did you think about it?

My personal philosophy on customer service is to treat the person on the other end of the line as I would like to be treated when I call a company for assistance. 

I get so frustrated when I call someone for help and they give an "I don't know" or "I can't help you" and leave me nowhere to turn. That is why I've developed my Superhero Book, a list of companies, their phone numbers and websites to send people when we don't handle that brand, and I don't hesitate to jump on Google to try to find an answer. Believe me, while this may not help you and your company right then, the person who called will remember how helpful you were and call back when you can help them. This helps to build customer loyalty, repeat business and trust. And they will recommended you to their friends.

Sometimes I feel like I should earn an Academy Award for professionalism, but no matter what kind of mood I'm in or how my day has gone, I still try to maintain a pleasant and helpful attitude.  I try to go at least one step (if not more) beyond than what the caller is asking for. I try to make that person and their issue my number one priorty (while juggling at least a half dozen more things).  And I do my best to follow through with their issue, if needed.

Years ago, I used to be management for a couple of different fast food joints and took it as part of my job to train the teenagers who worked for me the delicacies of customer relations.  They were amazed on how I could remain calm when someone was screaming about how they specifically ordered no pickles on their burger, but got them anyway, as they were throwing said burger across the counter.  I told them it could be a number of things that made this customer so angry - alarm didn't go off, late for work and got written up, came out to go to lunch and they had a flat tire, then the straw that broke their back was getting something on their burger they specifically said they didn't want.  What if they were allergic and could have had a major reaction that put them in the hospital?  Yelling back at this person is not going to solve anything and would more than likely make it worse.  It was our fault and so it was mandatory to make it right.  Some people will be belligerent just to see how much they can get away with but the majority just want what they asked for, or a mistake to be acknowledged and rectified, or someone that cares about them that will listen and give them some kind of assistance.

And isn't that what we all want when we call someone for help?  Empathy and understanding?  A sincere attempt at righting a wrong?  Accountability?  Customer service is often a thankless job, but just having one person that you've helped give you a sincere thank you can make your whole day (thanks, Mike!).  And when I am given excellent service not only do I thank that person, but try to go to their supervisor and let them know that person really deserves an atta boy (or girl!)

Have a great week!

Kelly's Korner - Customer Service

Hey, All,

Well, even though I am on vacation - sitting on my porch, sipping a morning cup of coffee and watching the cats chase the birds - I haven't forgotten you!  And I've got something for you to ponder while I'm away.

When you think of customer service, what is the first thing that pops in your mind?  Do you cringe or do you look forward to the call?  Automated menus?  Smiling people that are happy to help you?  Being shuffled around and having to repeat your request multiple times?  Having one person to go to that knows you and your business?

On the other hand, when you call a company for customer service, are you all ready with all the information they are going to need?  Pen and paper to write info down?  Do you make the call expecting a hassle?  Or do you get someone that is going to go the extra mile to get you all that they can?

Customer service is a two way street - do you give your customers the customer service that you'd like to get?  Just something to think about...I will be back in person next week, rested and raring to go.

Monday Motivation: Do YOU offer better Service than A Taxi Driver?

Customer service is more than just giving your customers what they expect in a friendly manner. Naturally, you do want to give them what they expect and you definitely want to be friendly. If you want to provide stunning customer service, you really need to surprise them in a good way. You don't need to have a big staff or a huge budget. Consider what your customer would like and might not ask. Things like shoe covers, a professional look, offering them relevant accesories can go a long way. The video we are sharing today talks about the extra steps a taxi driver takes to make sure he is giving the best customer service available. How do YOU go the extra mile when serving your customers? Tell us about in the comments.