GET THE FIRST FIVE (5) SECONDS RIGHT - CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THE INITIAL IMPRESSION RIGHT
How Important Is The First Impression?

The little things that go into the first five seconds are critical. All human beings have sophisticated sensing devices built into their genes.

These are essential for differentiating friends from enemies, and also for distinguishing between safe opportunities and dangerous situations. Without them we become vulnerable and expose ourselves to undue risk.

These sensing devices are working at full stretch when customers move toward a potential service encounter. They will sense almost instantly whether the experience they are about to have will be positive or negative.

They can tell by the look in a front-line employee’s eyes, by the tone of his or her voice, by every microbehavior. “I walked into a coffee shop yesterday,” recounted Tom Gardner, “and knew instantly I was going to get bad service.

There were a couple of empty tables, both of which were dirty and full of clutter. Behind the counter were three assistants chatting to each other and unaware of me as a customer entering the shop.

When I ordered my cappuccino there was minimal interaction and hardly any eye contact. I asked them to clean one of the empty tables. They did so, removing the dirty cups but failing to wipe the spillage on the table or pick up the discarded napkins on the floor.

It’s the last time I will go there.” The “first five seconds impression” applies equally to telephone encounters. Within seconds of calling a company a customer can tell whether or not it buzzes with good service.

“I can telephone 20 different call centers,” asserts Mary Callaghan, “and get 20 different responses. As soon as they try to railroad me through a set procedure I know I am going to get bad service.

Before I open my mouth they are asking me for my account number, password, and other information. Yet on rare occasions I reach an individual who actually sounds like a human being. You can tell immediately by their friendly tone and their genuine interest in what I have to say.”

If a customer’s instant feeling is bad, there is a risk that they will walk away. The converse is obviously true: when customers detect a buzz they will want to stay and then come back time and time again.

Here are some little things you can do to ensure a perfect first five seconds:

✔ Step outside your premises and then enter as if you were a customer. What is the first thing you notice? Do people look up and smile as you come in? Is the floor clean? If you notice

anything substandard during the first five seconds, take the necessary action.

✔ During your break call your company telephone number and ask for yourself. What is the first impression a customer would have on ringing that number? Is it easy to get through? Does the person answering sound friendly? Is he or she helpful? If the response is in any way poor, initiate the required improvements.

✔ Ensure that there is some positive engagement during that vital first five seconds as a customer approaches. For example, it could be a simple little signal with the eyes to indicate that you have acknowledged the customer’s presence. Or it could be a nod or a little gesture with the hand.

The first five seconds can make a big difference to your business, but the challenge of getting them right is exceptionally demanding.

 PRACTICE

Today, work hard with your colleagues to focus on the first five seconds with your customers. Role play encounters with customers where the first five seconds are absolutely fantastic—and then put your ideas into practice for real.

BUZZ QUOTE

The buzz starts with the first five seconds of any encounter with a customer.

BOUNCE BACK WITH RESILIENCY – CUSTOMER SERVICE

BOUNCING BACK WITH RESILIENCY FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE

Why Resilient People Provide Better Customer Service?

Resiliency is one of the most important qualities you can possess. Resilient people bounce back from life’s challenges, learn how to overcome difficult situations, hold up under pressure, and find renewed strength in their experiences.

Like confident people, resilient people are not born with this quality. Like confidence, resiliency can be developed.

Performance Prompts

• When life throws you a curve, do not complain about how unfair your situation is.

• Put your problem-solving skills to work, and find the best solution.

• When there is no good solution, deal with the problem to the best of your ability.

• Sometimes biding your time is the only good solution. Remind yourself that in time the situation will look different.

• Draw on your inner strength to get you through the really tough times.

• Learning a life lesson from your experiences helps you deal with the next curve that comes your way.

• Lower your expectations about outcomes. When you expect less, you are less likely to be devastated by curves.

• When you lower your expectations, you will become more flexible. Flexible people are also adaptable people. In today’s fast-forward world, adaptability is a welcome trait.

• Try to maintain balance in your life. When you are going through tough times, eating healthy foods and exercising can boost your immunity. Doing these two things can also keep you from becoming depressed.

• Most importantly, keep your sense of humor. Laughter really is the best medicine.

When This Happens . . .

You feel devastated because you just found out your father is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. As the only child living close to him, you know that you will become his primary caregiver.

You do not know how you are going to juggle this with your home and work responsibilities—and do a good job at either.

Try This

Life has thrown you a curve. You naturally feel a sense of despair because you are already grieving the loss of the father you know. Is this unfair?

Yes, it is unfair. But if you focus on the unfairness of your situation, you will be unable to move forward.

Instead, you should move into a problem-solving mode. Analyze the situation. Try to be objective. Think of the best solution for caring for your father, while still taking care of your other responsibilities.

Cut out the nonessential things in your life right now. It is critical that you eat a healthy diet,

make time to exercise, and, most importantly, make time to laugh and have some fun. Talk to people who will understand.

Always try to make lemonade out of lemons, even if you can only squeeze out a drop.

THREE BASIC ELEMENTS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE - CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTEXT

CUSTOMER SERVICE'S THREE BASIC ELEMENTS
What Are The Three (3) Basic Elements of Customer Service?


There are millions great ideas for how to create a customer focused culture and improve the service you offer your customers. However, you first must gain an understanding of the three basic elements of service excellence for those hundreds of ideas to take root and flourish.

Otherwise,no amount of smiling, saying please and thank you, or customer-loyalty programs will help your company develop good service. The three basics are

1. Developing a customer-friendly attitude.

2. Expanding your definition of service.

3. Reconsidering who your customers are.

You may find yourself looking at these basics and thinking, “That’s no big deal. These ideas are obviously from Business 101.”

But beware, looks can be deceiving. Although these elements may seem obvious, they’re not necessarily
easy to accomplish.

If they were, everyone would be using them. The difference between knowing them and living them takes commitment and practice.

Check out the three sections that follow as we discuss these elements in detail and show you how to apply them to your business.

MOMENTS OF TRUTH - CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTEXT

MOMENTS OF TRUTH WITH CUSTOMERS
What Are Moments Of Truth In Customer Service?


On the heels of TQM’s moment of fame, Jan Carlzon, who was the CEO of SAS Airlines, quietly published his book Moments of Truth (Ballinger Publishing Company, 1987). It’s an account of how the airline, under Carlzon’s leadership, asked what influenced its passengers’ perceptions of service.

What the airline found was that perceptions of service depended on how customers remembered discrete encounters they had with the airline. These encounters — or moments of truth — can be either memorably positive experiences or memorably negative experiences.

Each kind of encounter plays a critical part in an individual customer’s future purchasing decisions. For example, a two-minute phone conversation can influence a customer’s opinion about the entire enterprise — even more so than a two-hour flight!

The moment-of-truth approach still lives on because its premise can be applied to any business, large or small, and to any medium, such as voice mail, e-mail, and so on. The moment-of-truth method of thinking about customer service still holds up, because no matter what service or product you provide, your customers are, more than ever, making quick judgments based on fleeting contacts.

Even though the quick judgment of your organization by customers may not seem fair, it, nevertheless, is customer logic.

For example: Imagine that a customer receives an e-mail from your company that has no greeting and sports several spelling mistakes. The sloppiness and carelessness of the e-mail, for many customers, can signify that your staff members aren’t professional, your company doesn’t care, and the quality of your product is questionable — and nobody wants that!

Customer perception is reality, and service excellence, to a large degree, is managing your customers’ perceptions and expectations.