Make or Break Moments

JANUARY 19, 2010

I don’t like Starbucks coffee – too acidic, but I do love their frappuccinos. But the budget just can’t handle the cost and my waistline can’t afford the calories. Some times we need to take a little break from serving customer’s needs and cater to our own! I have to confess.

Gifts 100

Gifts Customer Service 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

JUNE 12, 2010

The comments are interesting – some that agree and some that don’t. Here’s what I said: I believe if we use social media as a way to connect – then yes, it can build wonderful relationships; with industry leaders as well as our customers/prospects. Not surprizing – there weren’t any comments.

Social Media 100

Social Media Customer Service 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

MARCH 17, 2010

“I’m afraid to speak up&# “Management doesn’t listen to us&# “They don’t tell me what I need to know to do my job&# I love the irony of the first two – you are afraid to speak up, but if you conquer your fears and speak up it doesn’t matter because they aren’t listening anyway. .

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

MARCH 13, 2010

They were being interviewed on a radio station and when the disc jockey asked where fans could find them on the Internet they said: “Just remember BOY BAND. .&# (BoyBand is just a place holder, that wasn’t the name of the band – I can’t remember the name of the band.)

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 Social Media 100

Make or Break Moments

AUGUST 13, 2010

Sheila led us through a series of questions which uncovered our philosophies of effective marketing and communication with our prospects and customers. The customer must come first. Sherre hones in on the psycographics of the customer – “getting into the minds of their customers.&#

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

APRIL 14, 2010

I decided to take the challenge and give them the best customer service regardless of how they treated me. Apparently, they enjoyed the service so much that they tipped me! It was my first real “aha moment&# with a customer that I didn’t like. Check out more I Hate My Customer stories at my new blog.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

Some blame the economy or a lack of training or a lack of motivation or hiring the wrong people or bottom line management but the general consensus is that there is a growing problem with the attitude of our nation’s employees and how they treat customers. Is it a lack of training and focus?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

AUGUST 2, 2010

But it isn’t easy. Glenn Ross at All Business published a post called How to Lose Customers and Fail at Business which consists of a 20 question true/false quiz. The quiz is divided into three sections: Employees, Online Presence and Customer Interaction. Do managers and executives regularly interact with customers?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

SEPTEMBER 3, 2010

Not a problem, I was entertained by the two sales associates talking to each other about how the one’s boyfriend refuses to change diapers and wants her to start potty training her 12 month old. It doesn’t sound like this is a location edict, but more of a companywide policy. The jewelry is fun and flirty and affordable.

Credit Card 100

Credit Card Customer Service 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

JULY 13, 2010

It seems that she has a customer who asked her to do something that she isn’t comfortable doing. Rather than look for a partner to enrich the customer’s experience and give them what they need – we leave them without a resource. To our loyal customer: “Yes, I can provide that service.&#

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

MAY 11, 2010

Add to that the fact that I hadn’t exercised since Reagan was President – it was a pretty tame routine by all standards of comparison. I have been going and doing my weight training three times a week and the cardio bike thing ever since. The company didn’t come to the customer.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

APRIL 15, 2010

As the news hit that we were in for tough economic times I asked the question “will the economy have an impact on the dollars you spend for customer service training?&# It was a sad set of answers but most said yes – training would be one of the areas hardest hit on their P&L. Have a question?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service Social Media 2009 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

DECEMBER 25, 2009

He wasn’t cynical or skeptical; he took things at face value. Remember when we were young and couldn’t wait to close our eyes and go to sleep because we knew the next morning would be Christmas and there would be surprises and great joy at every turn? Everything viewed through his young eyes was fresh and new.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

MARCH 22, 2010

Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on March 22, 2010 under Customer Moments , Expectations , Resolving Conflict | Be the First to Comment “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.&# We don’t always get what we want. We can’t always please everyone. But we do get an experience.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

MAY 3, 2010

It has a name that can’t be pronouced correctly without assistance. If you wanted to leave a first impression with your customer about a new product would you say it’s like NOTHING? I don’t have anything else to say. In the first paragraph it asks the question “What does it taste like?&# LIKE NOTHING.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

JUNE 15, 2010

He went through 16 hours of unpaid training and had to purchase the sales kit prior to making any money so he is invested in the process. Watching him go through this process I’m reminded of other sales training and commission structures from my past lives in which the measurement was on selling the products with the highest margin.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

AUGUST 9, 2010

We didn’t grow up together. Our kids weren’t in soccer together. We didn’t work at the same place. Bekah greeted every customer with more than just a smile and a warm hello – she KNEW her customers. I left realizing that I probably won’t go out of my way to shop there any more.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2010 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

JANUARY 26, 2010

You’ll all heard the story about the customer who returned a tire to Nordstroms and they didn’t even sell tires. But the associate smiled and happily gave the customer a refund. You know – the rule that says 20% of your customers bring in 80% of your revenue. Our customers feel the same way.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

JANUARY 16, 2010

I have to be honest, I don’t go for the food. My companion doesn’t have his reading glasses and leans over the bar and asks the waitress for a pair of glasses. Steve is a regular customer and is aware that Marcelita’s UNDERSTANDS THEIR CUSTOMERS sometimes need helping reading the bill!

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

JANUARY 27, 2010

Of course, almost a year later, the Kindle isn’t new news but there was a statement in the article that was important enough for me to circle it and save: “There are two ways to extend a business. Or determine what your customers need and work backward, even if it requires learning new skills.

2009 100

2009 Customer Service 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

JULY 28, 2010

This whole time I am waiting to see if this is a prank but I don’t think so. Now he can’t know that my neighbor died unexpected yesterday or that I have a very close friend just diagnosed with stage four cancer. It is like the guy in the bar that comes up and says “haven’t I seen you somewhere before?&#

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

MARCH 15, 2010

We provided a great service at a good price-the best in out industry. Our service cost us more to provide and soon fewer people could afford it. Our service cost us more to provide and soon fewer people could afford it. But they didn’t see this, because their arrogance had made them complacent. the young man asked.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

AUGUST 18, 2010

And we aren’t exactly quiet. Mocha Joe’s Coffee Shop (formerly Arabica Coffee) has graciously hosted our meets up without a fee or fuss. And sometimes they have a right to fuss. We start with a table for four and sometimes keep moving their furniture until we can accommodate 12-16 people!

Social Media 100

Social Media Customer Service 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

JULY 9, 2010

Maybe that doesn’t seem like a lot of years for some businesses but they are a computer company. Big main frame machines that took up an entire room in a company, cost millions of dollars and required special cooling so they didn’t over heat. Have you looked at the possibility of reinventing what you offer your customers?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

JUNE 28, 2010

They didn’t know me. They didn’t trust me. Hey, you don’t happen to have a white van do ya? If the kitchen is the heart of the home then doesn’t it stand to reason that the office with the best snacks is the hub of the company??? How could I get people to come to me? It works brilliantly!

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

APRIL 11, 2010

That I was the only one who truly understood that if you put customers first in everything do – the money will follow. above employee isn’t Tom, he just has the smock on) Crap. “Yeah, Tom is right, if we don’t put customers first we could get fired.&# Oh, there’s motivation for you.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2010 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

JUNE 2, 2010

If your customer is between the ages of 18-35 – you need to learn to master the art of social media – or at the very least – be listening real close and often to what is being said. Maybe it isn’t that many people. That’s a big chunk of your customers. Eighty percent of what, you ask?

Social Media 100

Social Media Customer Service 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

APRIL 12, 2010

I am pretty handy, in fact, I don’t use the included allen wrench or open ended wrench – I have my own tools. How many customers call customer service for clarification? Do companies care if their customers can use their product with little confusion? Do you make it easy for your customers?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

JUNE 14, 2010

You are home from the office, have kicked off your shoes and as the time approaches for the meeting you have a make or break moment: Do I leave the comfort of my recliner and reruns of 2-1/2 Men to meet a bunch of people and talk about a book I haven’t finished reading? The purpose? Two of us made the trek and I’m so glad we did.

UPS 100

UPS Customer Service 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

JANUARY 25, 2010

Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on January 25, 2010 under Employee Moments , Significant Other Moments , empathy , making a difference | Be the First to Comment I normally focus on the customer at Make or Break Moments, but today I’d like to shine the spotlight on our NUMBER ONE ASSET – our employees. We get paid either way.&#

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2010 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

JUNE 21, 2010

I do spend as much time at the Chautauqua Institute as possible but I don’t do anything else. The same is true for our business and our relationship with our customers. Add a new service or product? As the long, warm days of summer lay before you – what will you do differently this year; in business and at home?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

DECEMBER 16, 2009

That’s fine and good, but if the sales associates don’t understand the importance of those first 30 seconds, then you’ve missed the opportunity to make a difference. We only get one chance at a first impression and Leslie’s first impression clearly isn’t positive in this example.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

MARCH 17, 2010

On the second day the maid called asking about turn down service. He thought – doesn’t see she the twisted thinking of calling when there is a “do not disturb&# sign? “That’s our policy,&# she told him. “He really wants to make things different based on customer feedback. Give me an example?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

JUNE 4, 2010

My father would say “Why are you working so hard – it doesn’t say Debbie Vision over the door?&# It doesn’t matter if no one care…I care and to me, it does say “Debbie Vision.&# He would shake his head and mutter something about working myself sick and to some extent he was right.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2010 2009 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

DECEMBER 18, 2009

I have just been made to feel more stupid than dirt and it isn’t a feeling I enjoy. But what happens when you have to use one of the old fashion, non-computer pieces of equipment because the fancy stuff isn’t available? “You didn’t do the exercise.&# “Yes. I hate mumblers.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100

Make or Break Moments

MAY 20, 2010

I was invited to speak on Earning Customer Loyalty - a great passion of mine, but the best part of my day was the keynote presentation by Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends. One of those, when I get around to it, tasks that I won’t ever complete. And don’t we want to be visible and available to those 280 million?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 Social Media 2008 100

Make or Break Moments

MAY 20, 2010

So what does my crush on Johnny Bench have to do with make or break moments or building customer relationships? Well, I don’t know another catcher in history that is as famous as Johnny for making the most of every opportunity in his career. Which weren’t as good as the seats I usually sat in behind home plate.

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2009 2008 2010 100