| |
| |
|
Customer Service Information |
|
|
|
I Wont Tell My Lawyer but I Will Tell You
A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told us about his experience talking to an interviewer who had called to discuss his satisfaction level with his outside law firm. He had been using the services of a "high end, expensive" law firm out of New York. We asked if the interview questions allowed him to speak about all the issues that were on his mind regarding his relationship with his lawyers. His response was, "There were many small things that had been bothering me about our law firm but none that I thought were big enough to discuss with them. This interview allowed me to get some things off my chest." That's interesting, but his next comment floored us. "I know now if those issues had gone unchecked I may have gotten to such a level of annoyance I would have shopped for another law firm." That's pretty explosive. In other words, if his high- priced law firm had not taken the initiative to determine the loyalty levels of their key clients, they wouldn't have known about accounts that were silently in jeopardy. He told us he would not have responded to a traditional survey! When we talk to our clients' customers, we know we must ask the questions that allow the customer to respond with information that will be of value to our client. In the previous story, the upper management in the law firm can now act on information that's of significant business value. We won't argue, by the way, that they used the most effective method of gaining real information about what resides in the heads of their customers. People respond well to personal interviews using open-ended questions that allow them to use their own words. It's those very words and thoughts that must be captured, not the responses to questions created by survey designers. Speaking of surveys. If your company surveys your customers regularly, don't be mislead into thinking that you understand what is in the heads of your customers. There is a difference between gathering information and allowing people to vent, which requires specialists (like Davis, Kingsley & Company). Surveys collect point-in-time responses using pre-determined answers. However, it's difficult and sometimes impossible to find out how to improve business performance in any area. You might get information about what's broken but unless a company lets customers express their own thoughts, they won't have solid information on what and how to improve things. Surveys have limits on the value they can offer. Upper management should know this. The "high-end law firm from New York" dodged a bullet by finding out what's in their blind spot. The cost of not asking or not knowing could have lost them a great deal of business. Ask the right questions, allow customers the freedom to speak their mind and analyze their feedback to be of solid value to make improvements. Does your firm have a process to capture what resides in the thoughts and minds of your key clients? Can you afford to leave it unattended? Darcie Davis, President of Davis, Kingsley & Company is a management consultant, speaker, author and trainer. She works with companies to secure genuine feedback from their clients before advising them on strategic decisions about sales, marketing, and operations. Her advice will keep your clients out of the jaws of the competition. Learn more about Customer Satisfaction and Feedback Programs offered by Darcie and her firm at http://www.DavisKingsley.com
MORE RESOURCES:
customer service - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Customers - Hold Onto the Ones Youve Got You probably spend a great deal of your time looking for new customers or clients. However, are you sure your doing enough to hold onto the ones you've got. Carpet Cleaning in Surrey Like any business, carpet and upholstery cleaning requires excellent customer service and great value for money. There are a number of ways in which one can obtain these. Proofs of Delivery and Logistics: Speeding Throughput and Avoiding Pitfalls It should be a straightforward business scenario: making sure that the delivery documentation from the supplier or haulier matches up with the documentation at the target destination.However life is rarely straightforward, and if problems do arise, order completion times and cash flow will inevitably suffer as a result. Treating the Customer Dissatisfaction Epidemic: How to Go Beyond Simply Masking the Symptoms Corporations in every sector are spending more than ever before in an attempt to improve their customer service levels. Every year they pour hundreds of millions of dollars into new systems and training programs that promise them the ability to win customer loyalty. Marketing as a Spiritual Practice "Marketing as a spiritual practice." It sounds contradictory - how can sales and promotion possibly be considered spiritual? But the secret is, once you truly understand that marketing isn't all about struggle, jargon, tricks or gimmicks, spiritual practice is the very root of success. 6 Reasons Why Complaining Customers are Golden With Some Tips on How to RespondTt has probably happened to you if you own your own online business. You get an email or even a phone call from someone who is upset or unhappy with this or that about your business. Listening: The Foundation of Communication Listening is the #1 communication skill for leadership, selling, customer service, and even romance! The problem is, most of us don't listen very well. We're not trained to listen and we don't even realize that listening is a skill. Courting Customers - From First Date to Marriage Landing a new client is like courting a potential spouse. The first date is usually a make or break situation and if the door is still open, the work has just begun. Customer Service Tips - Is Your Business A Leaky Bucket? Customer service and customer service training are vital for any business.But, is your business a leaky bucket?This is a question I always ask small business owners who attend my marketing seminars. What Every Employee Should Know About How to See Customers Problems from Their Creative Side Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing to the customer and a curse to you, the employee. At least so it seems. Get Customers to Stop Calling You--12 Easy Ways to Save Money with Online Customer Support Despite rumors to the contrary, the Web is not dead. More people are using it, they have faster bandwidth, and in many cases Net-time is taking over TV- time. Ten Ways to Help You Improve Your Customer Service 1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Customer Service Is Dying - and Im Not Feeling So Good Myself Have you ever called a company and been greeted with the phrase "Hold, please"? How do they know you can hold? They don't even know who you are. Maybe you can't hold; maybe you have 10 seconds of juice left on your cell phone and your hair is on fire. Moments That Matter Many years ago, I was a first year apprentice assigned the task of pressure washing a set of condensing coils on the roof of a grocery store on Capital Hill in Seattle, an upscale part of town.It was a 90-degree day, in late August. Sorry, No Customer Service After 4:00 P.M. A few months ago, I wrote about ingenious styles of customer service that every business should know about, mostly because their employees were inflicting them on their customers.For instance, I warned about "in your face customer service" and "run for cover customer service", two equally effective opposites. Raising The Bar For Online Magazine Subscription Services And Customer Service After years of flying below the radar in the magazine subscription service arena online, MagMall.com is gaining traction real fast. Complaints Are Actually A Good Thing! Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your judgment, they can ruin your day, and they almost always leave you in a bad mood. Customer Service For Huge Profits Customer service is the most vital asset for Business either it is online or offline. It's the critical factor which determines if your business has a future or not. Is Your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System Doomed To Fail? "Right, People. Let's blast out that mail campaign we've been planning for so long. How To Keep Your Customers Coming Back -- Understanding Customer Retention Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth coffee for free?These businesses understand that a customer retention program is a fantastic way to ensure that customers keep coming back. The most recognized customer retention programs are those loyalty programs used by retailers, but this same principal can be applied to any business that wishes to maintain a loyal customer base.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |