Dumb Little Man

AUGUST 4, 2015

Dealing with corporate customer service departments is often one of the most frustrating experiences of modern life, and many of us have horror stories of futile attempts to resolve a simple issue amid a minefield of unhelpful automated phone trees and uncaring representatives. By following a few easy steps, however, we can make sure our problem is solved easily and effectively, no matter the company we are calling. The post How to get great customer service, anywhere.

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Customer Service 2015 Phones UPS 219

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 22, 2014

We also knew that ExCeL has a fantastic reputation for customer service and their staff really understand the difficult job of organising events. ExCeL have a dedicated onsite catering company called Leith’s. Most venues offer this service but quite often you will be introduced to the onsite contact and never see them again, or you will spend half your time trying to find them.

2014 165

2014 Customer Service UPS Management 165

Small Business CEO

JANUARY 4, 2019

Customer service is vital to the success of a company in any industry. Poor customer service can lead to lost customers, low levels of customer loyalty, and bad publicity. Unhappy customers tend to talk, whether to their friends and family members or in the form of online reviews. No matter how you look at it, customer service should be one of your top priorities as a business owner or manager.

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Customer Service 2019 Forms Management 68

Make or Break Moments

DECEMBER 3, 2010

Once again – the number one article for the month is one I wrote a few years ago entitled How Do You Define Customer Service. I wrote the article before the economy took a turn for the interesting, when companies were still staffed and [.]. Connecting Moments Customer Moments Employee Moments making a difference building customer relationships customer service define excellent customer service

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Customer Service 2010 Email 127

Make or Break Moments

MARCH 12, 2010

Although I don’t believe there were any huge new “ah ha&# moments, the list is a good one that focuses on the importance and value of building relationships with customers. Keep it personal Don’t make the customer work Foster Relationships Go Above and Beyond Be enthusiastic Be helpful without being annoying (good one!) Active listening should be the first key to successfully building relationships with our customers.

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Customer Service 2010 2009 2008 109

Customers Rock!

OCTOBER 18, 2011

Harry is with Useful Social Media , and I will be presenting at their New York Conference on Social Media and Customer Service next week. Plus, Harry interviewed me about my book, The Hidden Power of Your Customers: Four Keys to Growing Your Business Through Existing Customers. The rise of social media has changed customer service beyond recognition. In today’s competitive landscape, customer service is more important than ever.

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Social Media Customer Service 2011 Policies 185

Customers Rock!

JUNE 26, 2011

This friend had earned enough miles for a free trip to Europe but hadn’t been able to fly AirlineX for awhile since his company now required him to fly the cheapest option (which this airline never was). Unable to do that due to the aforementioned company policy (and with no other potential trips on the horizon), my friend lost his accrued points (and a future flight to Europe). Customers are watching the actions of your company.

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Customer Service 2011 Credit Card Social Media 160

Small Business CEO

APRIL 18, 2019

Automation with customer service has to be handled with care. While customers are now used to computerized answering services instead of a receptionist picking up the calls, there’s also usually a decline in the service level when having trouble getting hold of a real person. Companies must strive to use automation in a manner that is a net benefit to the customers – not just the bottom line.

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Customer Service 2019 Phones UPS 64

Service Untitled

JULY 10, 2013

Everyone wants to be treated as an individual with their own specific needs catered to; in the perfect world that’s the epitome of “wow” customer service. Of course whether we use one company or service over another usually stems from past reputation, helpfulness, integrity, or a friendly referral. First of all, customers get it the way they like it. Online companies are even making it personal with Facebook and Twitter.

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Customer Service 2013 Facebook Purchasing 60

Tips From T. Marie

AUGUST 17, 2016

A recent article on Small Business Trends explains that although you may believe you and your business are providing excellent customer service, chances are your customers/clients aren’t exactly on the same page. In fact, when GetFiveStars.com founder Mike Blumenthal conducted a survey, although business owners themselves believed that 75% of customers were experiencing excellent customer service, the customers themselves had something else to say.

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Customer Service 2016 Social Media Facebook 101

Dumb Little Man

NOVEMBER 14, 2018

They can even influence potential future customers as well. In an era where customer loyalty is hard to come by, it pays to offer the highest quality customer service experiences possible. Smart business leaders see the big picture of not only providing their consumers with the highest quality goods and service but also giving them the care and attention they deserve. After all, your business wouldn’t exist if not for happy and loyal customers.

2018 164

2018 Customer Service Suppliers Social Media 164

Office Dynamics

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Imagine being able to assist customers from the comfort of your own home, or even better, imagine being able to reach a customer service representative without having to be put on hold. These two concepts have the potential to become a reality with the latest trend in customer service, BYOD or "bring your own device." BYOD could be the one of the customer service solutions the world of communication and customer service have been waiting for.

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Customer Service 2013 Finance Policies 123

Dumb Little Man

OCTOBER 20, 2020

Every year in America, customer churn costs businesses $136 billion. On top of that, 47% of companies lose auto-renewals due to changes in payment data. Customer churn is considered any instance in which customers, or subscribers, cease relations with a business or service.

2020 205

2020 Credit Card Customer Service Expenses 205

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 6, 2016

Four ways to use the customer service approach to retain employees. Outspoken billionaire and founder of Virgin Airlines Richard Branson once said that employees come first in a company, even before customers. Research into employee retention and job satisfaction takes Branson’s words a little further, recommending that the same customer service techniques used by successful companies should be used on employees.

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Customer Service 2016 Environment Policies 100

Small Business CEO

MAY 4, 2017

Customer service expert Shep Hyken wrote in one of his articles ‘Customer service is not a department. When you utilise good quality customer service throughout the entirety of an organisation– from the recent hires to the CEO – you can improve the way that every element of the operation impacts the customer. Customer service training makes the difference. … CEO Leadership Customer Service customer service training

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Customer Service Training 2017 47

Customers Rock!

JANUARY 18, 2010

2010 may just be the year that companies start to focus on their customers and serving them well. Now, I am cautiously optimistic about this focus on customer service, but let me tell you why I feel this way. Brands are using a focus on customers as a competitive differentiator in their advertisements. Frank Eliason mentions the new commercial for the Chase Sapphire credit card service. Every customer touch is another brand impression of the company.

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2010 Customer Service Social Media Credit Card 140

Small Business CEO

AUGUST 24, 2014

For any businesses that are dealing with customers on a regular basis, the fundamentals of customer service are vital to learn and to consistently get right. Whether you’re dealing with your customers over the phone, in your shop across the counter, or anywhere else, good customer service skills are essential if you’re going to give them the best experience of your business and if you want to keep them coming back to you.

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Customer Service 2014 Phones Skills 72

Service Untitled

JULY 2, 2014

We do research to improve our services and to make the content people see on Facebook relevant and engaging as possible. ” In the relevant subject of customer service, and estimating that half of all consumers may have from time to time become engaged on Facebook, does it make us wonder if what we buy or how we feel about a company can be artificially manipulated? Behind the Scenes Customer Satisfaction Customer Service Specific Companies

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Customer Service Facebook 2014 2012 70

Service Untitled

JULY 21, 2011

It doesn’t take much to set up an attractive website, display some fine merchandise or services, and go about the business of selling. If we’re lucky and our orders arrive just as we were promised, the sale is a success, and we most likely will give that company our repeat business. Our problems begin however, when something goes awry, and we search for ways to hold an online company accountable for our complaints. Can you really rate customer value?

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Customer Service Verizon 2011 Phones 40

Service Untitled

JUNE 14, 2013

So are there different levels of service for credit card customers depending on one’s credit and past financial history? For a consumer who has been involved in a bankruptcy, has judgments or poor credit based upon late or skipped payments, interest rates are always higher, but poor customer service should not go hand in hand with poor credit. For the more credit challenged consumers, often the customer service departments have been outsourced to another country.

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Credit Card Customer Service 2013 Medical 63

Service Untitled

JUNE 7, 2013

Of course notwithstanding anything to the contrary, dentists along with their expertise to keep our smiles shining, should also prescribe to the ultimate quest of customer service no matter how advanced their dental education may have been. After all patients are customers and therefore should be appreciated and valued. From surgeons to CEOs, getting out from the exam room and being seen raises the bar of confidence with patients and customers alike.

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Customer Service 2013 Learning Medical 65

Small Business CEO

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Reinvigorating Customer Service in the Tech Industry. The tech industry is often highly impersonal — especially among companies that sell digital goods. A company can sell a digital service entirely over the Internet. The buyer pays online, and the service activates itself automatically. During the buyer’s entire time as a customer, he may never interact with an actual person.

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Customer Service 2017 UPS 64

Service Untitled

OCTOBER 29, 2013

While Cupid may not have the reputation for worrying about customer service when it comes to thoughts of love, it’s clearly evident the diapered imp of romance has never had to deal with an epic proposal like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in the middle of AT&T Park in San Francisco; all resplendent with a 50 piece orchestra and a $3 million 15 carat diamond ring. Customer Service Customer Service Experience Specific Companies

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Customer Service 2013 Purchasing Phones 72

Catch Friday

MARCH 9, 2011

I got instead a reminder of real customer service hell a computer answerphone instead of a human voice - do you know what I mean? I though to myself that they probably don't give a damn about their customers as I carried on hanging on, whilst the metallic voice droned on, not even hearing my voice. Électricité de France ( EDF ) is the world’s largest utility company and no wonder! customer service

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Customer Service 2011 Suppliers Agencies 43

Service Untitled

MARCH 28, 2014

Perhaps the most repeated complaint when having to deal with poor customer service is the need to keep calling back when something is wrong with a product. Statistics tell us that bad customer experiences are shared twice as much as good experiences, and the vast majority of bad service is vocally transmitted to family members, friends, and then coworkers.

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Customer Service 2014 Clothes Phones 63

Service Untitled

NOVEMBER 28, 2012

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is known worldwide for it’s “legendary service.” So much so, Apple uses the luxury hospitality brand as a model for its owner customer support traditions. This means seeking out the customers unanticipated and unvoiced needs. Recently, I sat down with Ritz-Carlton Vice President Diana Oreck to see if she could share any more secrets to the company’s customer service super sauce.

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Customer Service 2012 Training Gifts 74

Make or Break Moments

AUGUST 10, 2010

Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 10, 2010 under Customer Moments , Employee Moments , First Impressions | Read the First Comment Customer Relationships are just like good friends They sound similar but do they mean the same thing? I asked the question of the Build Customer Relationships group on LinkedIn this week and overwhelmingly the answer was NO. Making sure the customer feels and IS valued and always treated as such.

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Service Untitled

JANUARY 25, 2011

In Great Britain, Mary Portas used to help failing businesses get back on the right path, but now she has changed sides and stars in a customer service reality show. I admit I sometimes get hooked on reality shows; American Idol, New Jersey Housewives, and a few others, but now we make way for hidden cameras and mystery shoppers as the lack of customer service is exposed for all the world to see. She rated 90 percent of businesses as not putting the customer first.

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Customer Service 2011 2010 Training 49

Service Untitled

JANUARY 3, 2013

Zappos’ Customer Loyalty Team repeatedly exceeds expectations of the family culture CEO Tony Hsieh envisioned as his passion for customizing customer service always remains a number one priority 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. On December 8, Customer Loyalty Team member Shaea Labus spent 10 hours and 29 minutes on a phone call. There is nothing better than the human factor when calling customer service.

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Customer Service 2013 Interviewing Phones 64

Small Business CEO

JULY 17, 2015

It isn’t what you sell that makes customers pick you over the competition, it’s what you’re known for. Many companies have a strong brand attached to them. Zappos, the billion-dollar shoe store, is known for its customer service. Their customer centric culture drives their growth in unprecedented ways. Here are five ways to incorporate customer service into your brand.

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Customer Service 2015 81

Service Untitled

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

All Genius Personnel will be salaried, and if a customer is interested in purchasing a car they will be referred to a salesperson. The program is now being tested in Europe, and the company hopes to be ready to launch in the United States by next year when it introduces its 13 electric cars. Customers don’t storm out as a salesman rips up a contract; tactics like that don’t work well in the luxury segment.

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Customer Service 2013 Salary Salary 59

Service Untitled

APRIL 22, 2013

With the convenience of online browsing, the possibilities are endless, but how will our online retailers handle customer service? The customer service representative was exceptional and spent the time trying to figure out what replacement cushions would have the best result. The next morning the call to cancel the order didn’t turn out as it should have, and thus began a lesson in a customer service failure.

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Customer Service 2013 Credit Card Policies 70

Service Untitled

JULY 31, 2013

Happy employees make for motivated people who want to deliver the best customer service they can to assist consumers and clients. Recruiting and keeping talented employees therefore is very important when building relationships with people and developing a company’s brand, because it’s what people say about you and your business when you’re not in their presence that makes a profound difference in the world of customer experience.

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Customer Service 2013 Retirement 2007 61

Service Untitled

APRIL 11, 2012

This past Valentine’s Day, Washington Post’s Melissa Bell stated, “Love hath no fury like a flower customer scoffed.” ” It seems a popular wire service 1-800-Flowers failed to deliver bouquets for many customers creating a plethora of Twitter and Facebook complaints with the fervor of an inevitable doom. Only a few dissatisfied customers ever received an answer on that ominous February 14th.

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Customer Service 2012 Gifts Holidays 44

Eco-Office Gals

AUGUST 21, 2013

Do you want to reduce your business’s carbon footprint and increase customer interaction and satisfaction at the same time? So is providing excellent customer service. The truth is that providing a nurturing environment for your customers can happen just as well virtually as it can in a face to face environment. After all, companies cannot subsist on social media alone. It might even be helpful to hire a company to help you.

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Customer Service 2013 Carbon Footprint UPS 139

Service Untitled

JANUARY 31, 2011

Manchester Airport’s Terminal in London introduced holographic customer service agents today. Yes, no kidding, and the holographic images, reproduced from real-life customer agents Julie Caper and John Walsh have been deployed at the entrance to the security area of the airport. The company Musion who created the virtual employees has also worked with the rock bands, The Black-Eyed Peas and Gorillaz’ Damon Albarn.

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Customer Service 2011 Holidays Travel 42

Service Untitled

MARCH 14, 2014

Facebook gives organizations the opportunity to “WOW” customers with their human and approachable touch so important to building business, loyalty, and the development of a company’s brand. With over one billion active users, why not use Mark Zuckerberg’s brilliant social platform to help to build an audience, engage them in interesting conversation about one’s product or service, and then have the opportunity to convert visitors into more customers?

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Customer Service Facebook 2014 Social Media 58

Service Untitled

MAY 6, 2013

The ultimate success of a company is predicated on exceptional customer service experiences. For post-sales service, Consumer Reports ranked Apple Customer Service ahead of other companies for best PC tech support with the company scoring an 86 out of a possible 100 points. The training manual concentrates on the psychological aspect of customer service and builds the learning experience with role playing.

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Customer Service 2013 Expenses Confidence 68

Service Untitled

JULY 31, 2012

Do these powerful organizations therefore view customer service as an operational cost rather than a marketing investment? In a study from CRM Guru, bad customer service accounts for 70 percent of customer attrition followed by poor quality at 30 percent, price at 25 percent, and functionality at 15 percent. Even in huge industries, the cost of keeping existing customers is still far less expensive than recruiting new ones.

Customer Service 48

Customer Service 2012 Expenses Social Media 48

Service Untitled

AUGUST 11, 2013

One recent experience at the Ritz Carlton where my real estate partner and I recently visited for lunch to meet with a European client who had flown into Palm Beach for the day to preview a listing we were offering, certainly left a wonderful customer service memory I had never experienced before, but have mentally earmarked as one of the most memorable customer appreciation opportunities I’ve ever witnessed. Why do customers want to keep coming back?

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Customer Service 2013 Skills Training 52

Service Untitled

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

According to online surveys, over 80 percent of customers now give Sears poor customer service grades citing reasons of inept management, unreliable products, poor customer service, and a profound lack of employee training. Customer service begins with employees who want to be working and doing their best. Take lessons from the leaders in customer service If I have a problem with Comcast, I am obligated.

Customer Service 54

Customer Service 2013 Staples 2012 54

Small Business CEO

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Picture this – your company’s phone is ringing off the hook. It could be a potential customer calling up to inquire about a product. Or an existing customer is trying to book an appointment. Or worse, a dissatisfied customer looking to resolve a grievance.

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2021 Phones Customer Service UPS 64

Tips From T. Marie

JANUARY 20, 2015

I’m a stickler about customer service. I have experience serving and helping others, so when it comes time for me to be the customer I have high expectations. This morning I read Seth Godin’s latest blog post entitled, Please Go Away in which he talks about the way most big businesses deal with customer service. Not one of those friends ever mentioned getting praised or receiving bonuses for helping a customer find satisfaction.

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2015 Customer Service Verizon Expenses 125