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Understanding What Customer Service Truly Means

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In today's highly competitive environment, good products and good marketing aren't enough. For companies to succeed, they also need great customer service. Quality service touches our lives in two important ways: the service we give and the service we receive. Many hiring companies are now taking a closer look at the customer service skills and knowledge or ALL their employees (from the CEO, Controller, Consultants, IT developers and analysts to the Customer Service Representatives recieiving inbound customer calls). Some have even taken a step further and are now requiring mandatory customer service training and testing as a part of employment. It is estimated that it costs 40% more to sell to a new customer than to an existing customer. And on average, unhappy customers will tell 27 other people about their negative experience. By not focusing on customer service can be costing your business or organization a lot more than you think. Delivering excellent customer service is paramount to any business's long-term survival.

Our guide brims with hot tips, techniques, and lots of suggestions for giving customers the kind of service that you yourself would like to receive. This down-to-earth, step-by-step guide fills you in on ways to:

 

  • Take stock of your customer service strengths and weaknesses
  • Commit to continuous improvement
  • Work your way through modern-day e-mail and Internet etiquette
  • Foster positive face-to-face and telephone service
  • Deal with the unhappy folks among your customers

     

    Packed with practical advice for getting through the everyday challenges at work,  our guide shows you how to develop yourself so that you become a service hero to customers. This insightful resource also gives you the goods on:

     

  • Keeping your sanity when angry customers confront you with clenched fists or wrinkled foreheads
  • Saying "No" nicely: Focusing on what you can do for the customer
  • Tuning into body language and vocal tone
  • Knowing the importance of both internal and external customers
  • Achieving gold-level service at bronze-level cost
  • Improving market share – whether the company's big, small, or in between
  • Becoming a better customer by expressing yourself in style

     

    Although customer service basics seem so much like common sense – smile, say please, and say thank you – these gestures alone won't begin to satisfy every situation. Once you expand your definition of service, reconsider who your customers are, and develop a customer-friendly attitude, you'll be in the right place to meet your customers' expectations – and right on time to make a pleasingly positive impression!

     

    Some companies who have used our guide as mandatory reading by their employes include:

    AT&T, General Motors, Schwinn, Comcast, Sprint, KPMG, Discover, People's Energy, Florida Power & Light, Walmart, US Department of Education, Baptist Hospital, Dell, Nike, Symphonic, Darden Companies, Sears, HP, Epson, Ernst & Young, Ford, Accenture, Peapod, Target, McDonald's Corporation, Albertson's, Macy's, Walgreens, EFG Technologies, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and many more...

     

    The information contained in our guide is also designed to prepare individuals pursuing the following Professional Certifications:

    CIAC - Call Center Industry Advisory Council Certification

     

    Guide Outline:

    Customer Service Fundamentals
        * Rediscover Importance Of Customer Service
        * Who Are Your Customers?
        * Company Loyalty
        * Personal Responsibility In Customer Management
        * Setting Goals For Learning And Application
        * Simulation Activities based on participant experience
        * Revisit Customer Service Strategy
        * Review Service Attitude And Customer Expectations
        * How To Build Rapport With Language
        * Tips On Non-Verbal and Telephone Etiquette
        * Make Your Customer Service Strategy Competitive
        * Simulation Activities based on participant experience
    Customer Service Process and Strategy
        * Positive Attitude And Motivation Techniques
        * Tips On Improving Quality Of Your Service
        * The Customer Service Process
        * Problem Resolution And Recovering Customer Relationship
        * Learning From Problem Resolution
        * Simulation Activities Based On Participant Experience
    Customer Management
        * Taking Responsibility And Exercising Discretionary Skills
        * Preventing Dissatisfaction
        * Non-Verbal And Verbal Do's And Don'ts
        * Handling Complaints, Upset And Angry Customers
        * Stress Management
        * Simulation Activities Based On Participant Experience
    Customer Communication
        * Identify the Importance of Effective Communication
        * Special Attention To Telephone Skills
        * Revisit Your Telephone Service Script
        * Email And Follow-Up Communications
        * Compose Effective And Professional E-Mail Messages
        * Review Principles, Simulation Activities, And Set Application Goals

     

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    Product Reviews

    1. Interesting read...Great Resource

      Posted by Susan on 11th Aug 2009

      I recently read this manual and it helped me pass my pre-employment assessment test with my current employer. I was pleasantly surprised because I felt I knew everything about customer service...but lo and behold, this manual taught me a thing or two. I was hired as a General Manager with a national hotel chain.. Thanks a million

    2. Call Center Professional

      Posted by Roger on 11th Aug 2009

      As a call center representative/agent, this book helped me understand the intricacies of customer service. Also I was able to successfully receive my CIAC certification after reading/studying this manual

    3. Great, No Hype, To-The-Point and Easy

      Posted by Chauncey on 22nd Jul 2009

      As customers we all recognize great Customer Service when we receive it. If you are like me, you used that knowledge to setup the Customer Service for your company. Last week I wanted to know how well we were doing in this respect. I wanted to measure our client service against the "General Accepted Customer Service Standards", without all the hype. Featherton did an incredible job in explaining the insider's secrets to provide great customer service. They convinced me that success only depends on the right mindset and it doesn't depend on having the resources of a Fortune 500 company

    4. Very Helpful

      Posted by Unknown on 22nd Jul 2009

      I'm a new call center manager and this book did a great job of explaining a lot of the basics. I was even able to share the technology section with my IT department so they could understand how to better support the needs of our department. Plus my staff fought over the book - because the information was in an easy to read/understand format.

    5. Great Guide for the Customer Service Professional

      Posted by Unknown on 22nd Jul 2009

      If you are like me, in business related to call centers, but not really in call center business, this book is the one. After reading it, I got a new level of appreciation for the processes and complexity involved.
      First part describes business aspect, goals, variables and how they influence goals. That's the part where I said, "It's not as simple as it seems".
      Next one, on technology, gives you a review of supporting technologies. I personally knew most of the stuff, but it's a light reading and gives you a perspective how the call center views the technology.
      Final two parts, on managing agent performance and call handling are valuable reading no matter what business you're in. Suggestions from the book can be applied outside of call centers, as well. And call handling... I think every employee that has a phone on their desk is the company's representative and should know how to handle calls. Dealing with angry customers, controlling the call, sales... it all goes beyond just call centre agents.
      To summarize, if you want to get the big picture, see all the elements, understand them and understand how they interact, this is where you should start. Doesn't dwell too much on any individual subject (and doesn't go too much in-depth) and therefore, it is an easy informative reading.