Our current economic conditions remind me of watching those storms.  Many companies are hunkered down, battening the hatches, bracing themselves and following the rules - yet what is essential during these stormy times is flexibility.  Flexibility and adapting to current circumstances is what will leave companies standing long after the economic storm has passed.  To that end, when interacting with your customers, do your employees know how to be flexible when following your company’s policies and procedures?  Do they know how to balance the needs of both company and customer during these tough economic times? 

A recent example:  For several years, I have had a quarterly arrangement with an exterminator for pest control in my home (no formal written contract).  For a variety of reasons, I opted to skip the 4th quarter treatment.  And since it was the middle of a Midwest winter, I didn’t see the value in spraying for bugs when none were around.  I called to cancel the visit and was informed that skipping the treatment would subject me to a triple digit reactivation fee as well as a surcharge for the extra material needed for the next visit.  Extra material?  Reactivation fee?  Reactivation of what?  To me, this was a simple arrangement where a guy shows up with a container of liquid that he squirts around the baseboards of my home and since it was the dead of winter the frigid temperatures had already taken care of any pesky critters that survived the 3rd quarter treatment.  Upon bringing all of this to the attention of the representative, she simply stated that it was policy to charge the fees.  Period.

I ended the call without booking the service visit.  The rep’s rigidity in enforcing the policy and inability to balance my needs and the company’s needs resulted in the loss my business now and forever.  Was this her fault?  Perhaps…or maybe it was the result of her real or perceived lack of power to find a solution that would serve us both.  Surcharges, cancellation fees and penalties are an accepted way to dissuade customers from abusing a company’s goods and services. But when an employee lacks the knowledge, desire or authority to consider other viable options and simply quotes policy, they may be failing the very company and revenue they are trying to protect. Now more than ever, it’s critical to be flexible and to consider that the potential financial loss of that customer and their future referrals would likely supersede any revenue gained by enforcing rigid policies in the present:  In other words, “Don’t step over a dollar to pick up a dime.” 

If you want to preserve your current customer base (and who doesn’t?) now may be a good time to assess what authority your reps have to negotiate with your customers.  Give them the power to make your customers feel heard and valued. Talk to them - ask them if there are policies that are costing you customers - they’re the ones that will know!  And if there are, then take a look at whether the rules can be bent and how far - and then give the reps the power to do it.  In these uncertain times, some companies will survive and thrive, some will be tattered and torn and some will crash in a tangled mess. In the end, it’s a company’s flexibility or lack of it that will determine if they stand or fall after the storm.

It’s the perfect time to let your staff know just how grateful you are for all of their hard work to keep your company prosperous during the economic challenges of this past year.  But if the budget is tight, what do you get a group of people who have been such key players in the success of your company?  We have a few ideas listed below - you can pick one, two or more and make it a part of your holiday countdown by having a surprise waiting each day until the holiday vacation!

1. Jingle Jeans - Have a jeans or casual dress day.

2. A short winter’s nap or a power shopping stretch!  Give each employee 15-30 minutes extra for lunch one day (this could be spread out over several days).

3. Let the Celebration Begin!  Close the office 30-60 minutes early on the day before the holiday break.

4. Holiday Feast of Food, Food, Food!  Set up a holiday pitch-in for an office lunch.

5. Custom Holiday Cards!  Have a note card waiting at each desk, stating one thing you appreciate about that specific employee.

6. Deck the Halls!  Set up a bulletin board where the employees can bring in pictures of their favorite Holiday tradition.  Then announce the most “unique” tradition and give that employee two free tickets to a local holiday event.

7. “Hero” Sandwich Luncheon - Bring in lunch for the staff and let them know that because of their hard work, they are all a “Hero” at your company!

8. Look out for Holiday Spirits!  Have a contest for the most spirited holiday outfit.

9. “Star”bucks Gift Cards - Let your staff know they are a “Star” by giving them a gift card for a delicious treat at Starbucks (or similar venue).

10. “Thank you for your fabulous Customer Care” Candy Canes - Candy canes are a simple and tasty way to thank your staff for providing great customer care.

11. A Frosty Brain Freeze - Give an afternoon break that will take your employees away from work and back to their childhood!  Set up a Sundae bar with all of the fixin’s!

12. The Ultimate Smart Shopper (getting paid to shop!)  Set a goal for your department - all who hit the goal get their names entered in a raffle for a half day off with pay so they can finish their shopping and avoid the last minute frenzy!

13. So much to do…So little time!  Have a day where everyone brings in 1-2 dozen homemade cookies (along with the recipe).  Everyone who participates will have a variety of cookies to take to their next holiday party!

14. Ho! Ho! Ho!  Spread Holiday Cheer!  Work together to bring joy to someone’s holiday.  Start a “Toys for Tots” campaign and select an agent or two to help deliver them to the charity. Write it up in the company newsletter.

For example, what happens if you tell a client that you can’t get a product to them by their ideal deadline?  Are they unhappy?  Or upset?  Would they be less likely to be upset if you told them when you could get that product to them?  Consider these two responses:

“I’m sorry, that item is not available so I won’t be able to get it to you by Friday.  In fact, I can’t get it to you until Tuesday.” (The focus is on what cannot be done)

 “Although this item is currently out of stock, I can get it ordered today so that it’ll ship tomorrow, and we can get it in your hands by Tuesday.”  (The focus is on what can be done)

Which of these statements would you rather hear?  Not only does this simple switch in focus enforce how the representative can help (which pleases the client), but it also creates a less stressful conversation, which makes it much more enjoyable for the representative.

As we embark on all of the adventures 2010 will bring, make the choice to breathe life into your customer relationships.  Shift your perspective to the positive and focus on how you can help the client.  The end result will be a happier customer and a happier employee!

Terrifying!  But here’s the good news!
68% of the customers who switch to a different vendor do so because of a perceived attitude of indifference**   

Yes, it’s the bad news AND the good news!  Because your reps have all the control in the call, with a simple shift in attitude they have the power to keep these customers!  So how do you train your staff to move from the mindset of “I’m responding to monotonous call #15″ to “I’m happy to assist Mr. Fenton with questions about his account”?  How can they learn to humanize the customers that make the many requests, orders and complaints they receive? 

One way is to remember some of the sayings we grew up with.  Do any of these sound familiar?

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes.”
“Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.”
“You get what you give.”
“Kill ‘em with kindness.”
“You may be the highlight of their day.”

The threat of losing customers is a lot less scary when we use this easy “trick” and remember that our clients aren’t just a number, but human beings riding the ups and downs of life’s roller coaster - like us!  So remember to “treat” them like the valued customers they are.

Happy Halloween from PHONE PRO!

** “How to Win Customers and Keep Them for life”, Michael Leboeuf

As customers, we too live in a world of revolving task lists and a “Get ‘er done” mentality.  But that doesn’t mean that we expect to sacrifice good customer service for efficiency and convenience!  And therein lies the puzzle for every business - how do you deliver both?  In this era of electronic communication, it’s easy to fall into the mindset that the customer asking for your assistance is just one of the dozens or even hundreds of calls you will take that day.  It can be easy to forget that the customer isn’t just one of the calls you have to handle, but is one of the people responsible in keeping the doors to your business open (and ensuring your job) during these difficult financial times. 

The internet is a powerful tool for business marketing and communication.  This amazing technology has also brought a very powerful voice back to the customer.  It used to be that a poor experience at a local business may have resulted in a handful of people learning about the situation and choosing to grace the doorway to the competition down the street.  However today, one poor experience may result in a million people instantly learning about that bad experience!  The power is firmly in the hands of the customer, so it’s now ‘in fashion’ again to treat your customers well, because if you don’t you will likely feel a real and immediate impact.  So every business needs to find the balance of transaction and interaction with their clients.  It isn’t enough to simply get something done quickly for the client - it is equally important to create a pleasant experience for them.  This “experience” may be the one thing that sets your company apart from the competition ‘down the road’.  And it can be the greatest marketing tool in which you will ever invest.

So is customer service really “the new black”?  The same way that fashion trends of the past resurface as “new” ideas, good customer service is currently enjoying a resurgence.  The voice of the customer is going to be heard.  So be fashion forward and stand out from your competitors with great customer service - so when your customers talk about you - and they will - they’ll give only great reviews.

Our current economic conditions remind me of watching those storms.  Many companies are hunkered down, battening the hatches, bracing themselves and following the rules - yet what is essential during these stormy times is flexibility.  Flexibility and adapting to current circumstances is what will leave companies standing long after the economic storm has passed.  To that end, when interacting with your customers, do your employees know how to be flexible when following your company’s policies and procedures?  Do they know how to balance the needs of both company and customer during these tough economic times?

A recent example:  For several years, I have had a quarterly arrangement with an exterminator for pest control in my home (no formal written contract).  For a variety of reasons, I opted to skip the 4th quarter treatment.  And since it was the middle of a Midwest winter, I didn’t see the value in spraying for bugs when none were around.  I called to cancel the visit and was informed that skipping the treatment would subject me to a triple digit reactivation fee as well as a surcharge for the extra material needed for the next visit.  Extra material?  Reactivation fee?  Reactivation of what?  To me, this was a simple arrangement where a guy shows up with a container of liquid that he squirts around the baseboards of my home and since it was the dead of winter the frigid temperatures had already taken care of any pesky critters that survived the 3rd quarter treatment.  Upon bringing all of this to the attention of the representative, she simply stated that it was policy to charge the fees.  Period.

I ended the call without booking the service visit.  The rep’s rigidity in enforcing the policy and inability to balance my needs and the company’s needs resulted in the loss my business now and forever.  Was this her fault?  Perhaps…or maybe it was the result of her real or perceived lack of power to find a solution that would serve us both.  Surcharges, cancellation fees and penalties are an accepted way to dissuade customers from abusing a company’s goods and services. But when an employee lacks the knowledge, desire or authority to consider other viable options and simply quotes policy, they may be failing the very company and revenue they are trying to protect. Now more than ever, it’s critical to be flexible and to consider that the potential financial loss of that customer and their future referrals would likely supersede any revenue gained by enforcing rigid policies in the present:  In other words, “Don’t step over a dollar to pick up a dime.”

If you want to preserve your current customer base (and who doesn’t?) now may be a good time to assess what authority your reps have to negotiate with your customers.  Give them the power to make your customers feel heard and valued. Talk to them - ask them if there are policies that are costing you customers - they’re the ones that will know!  And if there are, then take a look at whether the rules can be bent and how far - and then give the reps the power to do it.  In these uncertain times, some companies will survive and thrive, some will be tattered and torn and some will crash in a tangled mess. In the end, it’s a company’s flexibility or lack of it that will determine if they stand or fall after the storm.

As a Hoosier, I must say that I am quite proud of these two for trying to make the world a better place.  As a Phone Pro, I am equally proud because their positive message is one that we have been teaching in our techniques for years.  Those in management or leadership positions ought to take note of “The Compliment Guys” as an example of “doing good” for no payoff other than the simple satisfaction that comes from doing the good deed itself (this lesson is often lost on Corporate America).

We all want to feel valued!  And that includes Customers and Colleagues.  None of us want our efforts to go unnoticed, yet unfortunately that is often what happens as we busy ourselves with obligations, meetings, deadlines, etc…  When these obligations overtake our lives, we can easily miss opportunities for affirming and appreciating the people around us.  It is essential to our overall well-being to take time out to affirm our colleagues, appreciate our customers and find value in each other.  And it’s easy to do!  Appreciation for others can be demonstrated in the simplest of ways.  For example, you might…

•    embrace new ideas with an open mind
•    acknowledge positive personal or professional changes in others
•    be generous with accolades
•    recognize someone for a personal or professional accomplishment
•    communicate your delight with a personal handwritten note
•    congratulate a colleague with a special treat
•    encourage teamwork
•    open doors and hold elevators
•    give someone a ‘cut in line’ ahead of you
•    compliment a customer…

…and the list goes on and on.  As we’ve all heard, it’s the little things that matter. The little things we say and do that make another person feel good or smart or valued.  Showing appreciation or giving a compliment can take just a moment to do, but it can go a long way toward strengthening a relationship or even improving the day of a complete stranger.  And in turn, it will make us feel better too.  And that’s a Win Win!

According to Wikipedia, an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is a “phone technology that allows a computer to detect voice and touch tones using a normal phone call.  The IVR system can respond with pre-recorded or dynamically generated audio to further direct callers on how to proceed.”  But some people might define IVR more simply as “That annoying automated system that gives an endless list of prompts and menu options - often used to increase difficulty for customers trying to reach a human being when calling a company for assistance.”

What used to be a phone “tree” has now morphed into a virtual “forest”, requiring callers to press 10 or more options in order to reach a human, costing consumers valuable time and money.  Desperate consumers looking for shortcuts are resorting to websites such as www.gethuman.com to access secret phone numbers and codes that immediately get a live person on the line for customer service at nearly 1,000 major companies.

Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, recently conducted a survey of more than 2,000 consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom.  Here are some alarming findings from the survey:

• Participants expressed a distinct preference for a more personal - and personable  - service experience, and disdained the increasing use of technology in service operations (especially the tools aimed at removing humans from the service equation).
• When given the option of telephone, email, website, live online chat, sending a letter, or actually going to a place of business, 86% of U.S. survey applicants said that when they have a problem, they pick up the phone.
• 58% of survey participants said they are not at all satisfied with automated telephone customer service.
• 61% disagree that the use of technology (such as automated phone attendants and live internet chats) in customer service has improved the level of service significantly in the past five years.
• Consumers are clearly not happy with the pervasive role of technology in customer service operations.  Companies simply must solve the service puzzle - they have no choice.  If they don’t, their disenchanted, frustrated customers will become even easier prey for competitors.

A badly implemented IVR could damage your organization’s reputation, cost you customers and increase your costs and call volume.  So it’s important to understand the proper use of an IVR system to maintain a balance of efficiency and operational costs while retaining existing customers (not scaring them away) and attracting new ones.

So if telephone service is here to stay, and many callers don’t like interacting with a machine, how can companies make it ‘less scary’ for their callers?  Here are a few simple tips related to IVR Best Practices:

1. Provide no more than 4 options per menu, with the most urgent or frequently selected options being first.
2. Describe the key function first, followed by which key to press.
3. Be sure key functions are helpful and detailed enough to assist callers in making their selection.
4. Allow callers enough time to respond to the prompts and to key ahead for quick navigation through the IVR menus.
5. Make it easy for callers who need to speak with an agent.  Not all caller needs can be satisfied by the IVR system and it’s important that your callers can easily select to speak with an agent during normal business hours.
6. Provide an option to repeat the menu options and to return to the previous menu if applicable.

Leave the ghosts and goblins for Halloween and use the IVR as the helpful tool it was intended to be.  A properly designed IVR will guide callers quickly and when needed, deliver them safely into the capable hands of the frontline reps that will assist them.  As Accenture notes: “One of the most significant findings of our survey is that the human touch still counts when it comes to customer service - in fact, it counts a lot.”

Or have you ever been ‘listening’ to a client (or prospective client) explain a problem they have, but as soon as you hear one key word or phrase, you jump miles ahead of them in your brain, busily planning what you will say to help them (if only they would just stop talking and let you jump in!)  But when they do stop talking and you offer your brilliant suggestion, it’s clear from the look on their face or the dead air or their frustrated/angry response that because of your lack of good listening skills, you have missed the point entirely!

We were all given two ears and only one mouth…perhaps there’s a reason for that.  Could it be because in good communication, listening might be twice as important as talking? Psychologist Carl Rogers states that “man’s inability to communicate is a result of his failure to listen effectively.” A lack of good listening skills isn’t just ineffective, it’s expensive! It can cause misunderstandings, mistakes, damage client and employee relationships, increase the number of angry or unsatisfied customers and negatively impact a company’s overall profitability.

So if listening is such a critical part of good communication, how can we become better listeners?  The fact is that learning to be a good listener can be challenging, but it can be done by practicing a few simple guidelines:

• Attention: Give your full attention to the person who is speaking.  Multi-tasking and good listening aren’t compatible. So stop whatever else you’re doing, and give the speaker your attention.
• Attitude: Attitude plays a big part in active listening.  You are the one that makes the decision to give your attention to the speaker, so if you must, convince yourself that they have something useful to say.  They probably do!
• Focus: Make sure you are focused on listening - if your mind starts to wander, try adjusting your body position.  Take brief notes and write down any questions that you might want to ask them when they finish.
• Acknowledge: Whether on the phone or face-to-face, use good voice tone and ‘verbal head nods’ (”uh huh”, “yes”, “mmm hmmm”, “oh”, “I see”) to let the speaker know that you are paying attention.  Be sure to also incorporate good body language in face-to-face communications.  Sit up straight, lean in slightly if appropriate, and maintain good eye contact.
• Pause: Before you speak let the speaker finish what they are saying. Don’t interrupt - it can give the impression that you aren’t listening even if you are.  It might even help to take a few breaths between when they finish speaking and you begin.  This will also give the impression that you’re really considering what they just said.
• Confirm: Make sure you are clear about what was said before you respond.  Briefly restate or paraphrase what they said so that you can confirm your understanding.  For example, “What I heard you say is…” or “If I understand correctly, then…”

Hear Ye, Hear Ye - here’s the good news!  Active listening is one of the easiest, least expensive and most effective ways to improve your company’s sales, customer service and overall communication.  As a better listener, you will learn new things, be more helpful and insightful, create an emotional bond between you and the other person, and also build and maintain relationships more easily.  And that’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time!

So how do you balance ‘work-work’ and ‘home-work’ without getting completely stressed out? Here are some ideas for creating a calmer life while juggling all of your many responsibilities:

• Good Scents… They don’t call it Aroma-Therapy for nothing! Surround yourself with good smells - keep them at your desk or in a drawer for a calming sniff. Scents like lavender, vanilla, eucalyptus and mint are known for their calming and revitalizing properties. Scented candles, potpourri and even hand lotion will all deliver that ‘whiff of calm’ that your senses need.

• Soothing Sounds… Your ears are hearing things even when you aren’t actually listening. Soft music, sounds of nature - birds, the ocean, wind and rain - can have a calming effect on a hectic day. A CD of nature sounds, a sound machine, soothing meditative or classical music will really help to keep you calm all day.

• Diaphragm Breathing… What do people typically say to someone that’s upset? “Take a deep breath”. So head your stress off ‘at the pass’ by paying attention to your breathing. Right now - does your belly actually swell and deflate or does your chest simply rise and fall? Unlike babies, adults tend to use their chest muscles rather than the diaphragm muscle when breathing. Using the chest muscles is tiresome because it can’t inflate the lungs as well as the diaphragm, and it also leads to less oxygen getting to the brain. Practice several deep diaphragm breaths and feel a new sense of calm.

• Exercise and Nutrition… I know, I know “Exercise and Eat Right” - we’ve heard it a hundred times. That’s because it’s true! Regular exercise and proper nutrition are VITAL to keeping YOU vital and less stressed. And for you creative thinkers - no, a brisk walk to the donut shop should not be considered exercise and nutrition.

• Assessing Control and Influence… There are things you can control or influence and things that you can’t. The feeling of being out of control is a big stress inducer for many of us, so by identifying the things that are or are not within your control or influence, you can really reduce your stress. This is an important tool in stress management, and it’s a key topic in our half day Stress Busters workshop.

So as you head into your three day weekend, keep some of these tips in mind! Any or all or them can really help keep stress levels down so you can better enjoy your life at work and at home! Happy Labor Day!