I thought I’d kick off this new blog with my top eleven customer service concepts.
Why concepts?
Because when you embrace the concepts then your every action shows the customer that you care about them.
Good Customer Service Goes Beyond Specific Situations
In the past, I would teach Customer Care representatives on what to say in a variety of specific situations.
At Fabricare, we have a customer service manual that teaches what to do with a first time customer, what to do when there’s a problem with this or that, etc., etc. We have pages on how to act, dress and what to say.
All that is fine, but I found we can simplify the understanding of customer service and speed up the learning with “concepts” which can then be easily translated/interpreted by the individual employee.
What CARE Really Means
For starters (and not listed below), we train the staff at Fabricare that the CARE in Fabricare stands for:
Customers Are the Reason we Exist.
Although that fits nicely with our brand, it really is the starting point for EVERY business. How often do we forget the customer and think of ways of making our lives easier?
As I thought about this blog and the content for it, I started to realize that much of this is simply basic common courtesy and kindness.
So yes, the focus here is on how to make our businesses better, but it also applies to everyday life.
It is my belief that the better we get at these skills for our customers, the better we’ll get in our relationships with others outside our businesses.
In the spirit of that lofty goal, I look forward to weaving into this blog, things I learn from psychology, philosophy, spirituality as well as other aspects of life outside “business.” Please feel free to do the same in your contributions!
Follow These Concepts To Delight Your Customers
For starters, below are my top eleven concepts that I’ve learned over the years. As this blog is fluid, I expect these to change and be replaced by other concepts. Or, maybe we shoot for a top 20 list!
So, let our journey begin with the following eleven concepts which don’t need explanation but will be referenced and discussed in future posts.
Mike’s Top 11 Fab Service Concepts
- The answer is yes. What’s your question? – Ritz Carlton
- Find out what the customer wants and give it to them. – Zingermans
- A person’s name is their favorite word. – Dale Carnegie
- “My pleasure” vs “No problem.” – Southern Hospitality
- A great smile opens all doors – anonymous
- Giving someone time is the most valuable thing you can give. Don’t waste it! – Dale Carnegie
- It is better to serve than receive-The Bible (and in tennis)
- Find ways to “surprise and delight.” – Lux Marketing Council
- Don’t think of it as great customer service, think of it as hospitality. – Dan Meyer
- Be more interested in finding out about others than telling about yourself. – Dale Carnegie
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. – Bible and Colonel Littleton Luggage
Over to You
What concepts can you add to this list that have helped you to provide great customer service? Tell us in the comments below.