TTN is celebrating National Customer Service Week!

October 5-9, 2009

From our customer support team to yours:

Starting Monday, October 5, 2009, TTN will post daily articles, course recommendations, and other helpful tips in observance of National Customer Service Week.  All administrators will have daily information posted to their home page during this week.  This information will also be posted on www.ttnlearning.com.  Enjoy!

TTN TIDBITS

In Honor of Customer Service -by Joel Arnold, TTNLearning

Have you ever walked into an establishment and been ‘greeted’ by someone whose lack of enthusiasm was palpable? Perhaps you got the distinct feeling you were actually bothering this person whom you wished to hand money over in exchange for a product or service? It tends to make you wonder why you choose that particular establishment to do business with.

What about the other extreme? Ever been bombarded by so much false enthusiasm and forced-on smiles that you felt like you were being served by an over programmed automaton whose words were being fed into it by some unseen deity?

Both of these situations seem to be extreme opposites, but they actually have something in common; they lack empathy. They don’t seem to care about you. Perhaps the two examples above have reasons for acting the way they do – perhaps they’re unhappy with their job, or they had a bad day, or – in the latter case – their company policy involves greeting via a prepared script. Either way, it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

Now what about those times you’ve walked into an establishment and are greeted with a genuine smile, or are remembered from a previous visit? Ever been called by name after only a few visits? Or they remember your favorite beverage or food order? How does that make you feel? Pretty darn good, right? These are simple things and take hardly any effort at all, but they make all the difference in the world. And it goes both ways. Try to treat those serving you with a smile, or with a word of greeting. Ask them how their day is going, and give them your attention. You may be surprised at how this can turn a plastered-on smile into a genuine grin.

I’d love to hear your best and worst customer service stories – from either side of the counter. Email them to me at jarnold@ttnlearning.com, and I’ll post a few in a future newsletter.

ZigOn: Serving Others

Southwest Airlines magazine carried an article about computer magnate Michael Dell, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in our country. Dell explained the success of his company and believes they are and will continue to be successful because of their unique relationships with their customers. He stated, "As long as we continue to pay heed to what our customers tell us they want, and deliver products and services that are meaningful to them, and that they deliver superior value, we will continue to be successful."

I might point out this is not a new concept or idea, but, unfortunately, too many people and companies have lost the service concept. Many years ago Henry Ford stated that if we give truly outstanding service and genuinely care about the people we serve, our profits will be embarrassingly large. Two thousand years ago the Carpenter from Galilee stated that "He who would be the greatest among you must become the servant of all."

When we put the other person's feelings and needs above our own, amazingly enough our needs will be met big-time. Those people who do the right thing, and often the nice thing, are the ones who not only are the most successful in their businesses but happier in their personal lives as well.

New Courses Available!

Silly Service Has Its Serious Side: Test your Customer Service Knowledge!

Who says service is serious? Customer service can be silly too. Take this fun quiz to test your customer service knowledge. You may be a service ace if you both pick the correct answer to each of these ten questions, and understand why these answers are correct.

1. A complaining customer is:

A. Always right
B. Almost right
C. Often lying
D. Always the customer

2. Customers who complain:

A. Had unhappy childhoods
B. Are genetically predisposed to be sourpusses
C. Have trouble in their primary relationships
D. Are doing you a service in identifying what isn't working in your business or organization

3. The best reward for your customer service representatives is:

A. Earplugs and punching bags
B. Valium or other mind-numbing drugs
C. Recognition and appreciation on your part
D. Anger management seminars

4. CRM stands for:

A. Customers Rarely Matter
B. Can't Remember Much
C. Communicating Random Meaning
D. Customers Rudimentarily Managed
E. Customer Relationship Management

5. Customers who complain want . . .

A. Something for nothing
B. To be heard and have their experience validated
C. To vent for the sport of it
D. To be made majority shareholders in the company

6. Customer Service departments:

A. Are the afterthought that cleans up messes other departments cause
B. Build customer loyalty
C. Are leaders in understanding customer behavior patterns and market research

7. For a company to be considered service-oriented:

A. It must mention customer service in its mission statement
B. At least 18.3% of its employees must work in the customer service department
C. Its managers must at one time have been CSRs
D. Customer service must be addressed by all departments

8. A Call Center is defined as:

A. The midpoint in duration of a telephone call
B. A revenue sink hole
C. A place where middle-of-the-road calls coexist with liberal and arch-conservative calls
D. A location where complaints and problems are converted into successful saves for your customers and your company

9. Customer Care is:

A. A managed care medical program for customers
B. A nifty alliterative phrase that looks good in company brochures
C. A new program where customers care for themselves
D. A philosophy wherein the customer is wrapped in service even before a problem arises

10. Customer Service Culture is:

A. A new form of yogurt where the lid removes itself for you
B. Behavior being analyzed in a Petrie dish for contagions
C. A mythical civilization in which everyone smiles and welcomes you when they meet
D. An environment where customer service permeates the thinking of the entire company

Click Here for the Answers!
 

Top Performance

                                                                 -by Zig Ziglar

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