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“What is the biggest and most costly customer service mistake in business today?” Simple – “We’re just not friendly enough.”
Customers should be treated as welcome guests when they call an organization; instead, they’re often treated like an interruption or, even worse, an annoyance.
Here are some of the biggest service mistakes that are most likely to anger customers into lifelong resentment toward an organization:
MISTAKE #1: NOT SMILING
Solution: Smile. It sounds insanely simplistic, doesn’t it? We’re taught early that a smile can get us a lot. This is true even as adults, especially on the telephone. Since the telephone is the most commonly used mode of communication, we need to understand why a smile works – because you can hear a smile. We recommend keeping a mirror by your desk, so when you pick up the receiver, you can tell if you’re smiling. (YES, the caller CAN HEAR the smile.)
MISTAKE #2: NOT ACKNOWLEDGING A CALLER’S REQUEST OR PROBLEM
Solution: Rapid responses. We have a so-called “mental stamp” at Telephone Doctor that reads “RR,” which means, “This request or piece of information needs an immediate and rapid response.” Requests and problems need to be handled sooner than later. Delaying a request can cause more problems than the original request. And, by the way, “as soon as possible” is not a time. It’s a guesstimate. Better to confirm a date or time.
MISTAKE #3: IMMEDIATE REJECTION OF A REQUEST
Solution: Be a “double-checker.” It’s so easy to tell people, “We don’t have it.” or “Sorry, it’s past the deadline.” or “We ran out of that report.” Instead, try a soft rejection: “The last time I checked it wasn’t available but, let me double-check on that for you.” It’s a wonderful way to defuse any disappointment about you not having what they called for in the first place. This simple statement immediately defuses some of the tension of not being able to fulfill a request completely. And often when we do double-check, we find a way to get what the person wanted after all.
MISTAKE #4: SCREENING PHONE CALLS
Come on… that’s so 1980 Think Mad Men. Stop screening your calls. That is the solution.
MISTAKE #5: NOT FOLLOWING UP
Solution: Certainly after a mistake. However, we follow up on the good stuff too. Like a call to thank the customer for their order. Or a NUM call. That’s a No Ulterior Motive call. They love it.
Yes, it’s all common sense folks. Simple, common sense…but you and I know that common sense isn’t so common.
Nancy Friedman, keynote speaker and subject matter expert on customer service and the customer experience, is president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training and a speaker at association, franchise and corporate meetings. Contact Nancy at nancy@telephonedoctor.com. |
