Welcome to the June 07 edition of The Dynamic Dispatch, the email newsletter of Dynamic Advantage.
 
We bring you better customer service.
 
Visit our online archive for past issues stuffed with tips and tools to improve customer service and sales.
 
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This Month’s Dispatch Data

Service call: Customer feedback results

In last month's newsletter we ran a sample survey to demonstrate the power and ease of our Blind Survey service. As the survey results show, while naturally people put product-quality issues first (why would you buy something you don't want?), customer service issues are key in making purchase decisions -- no matter in what industry.
 
In response to the question, "While shopping or dining, how important are the following?" top answers were:
  1. A welcoming and sincere greeting:    29.37%    Very Important
  2. A clean restroom:    40.48%    Very Important
  3. Product/Food quality:    73.02%    Essential
  4. Overall cleanliness and condition of the location:    46.83%    Essential
  5. Employees wearing name tags:    30.16%    Somewhat Important
  6. Courteous, helpful and knowledgeable employees:    39.68%    Essential
  7. A 'Thank You':    29.37%    Very Important
  8. A polite and friendly closing:    37.30%    Very Important
  9. Your experience meeting your expectations:    52.38%    Very Important
  10. Your experience exceeding your expectations:    39.68%    Important
 
You'll note how highly ranked customer-service issues are. And that makes sense. For many of our clients, their product or service (whether it's casual dining, or auto sales, or financial services, or higher education) is available from their competitors as well. What truly makes a difference for their buyers? Customer service.
 
We can set up a survey that helps you find out what your customers think -- and what you should do about it.  Contact us.
 
(And a big congratulations to Dispatch reader Rebecca, in Santa Barbara, the randomly drawn winner of an iPod from last month's contest.)
 

Tips & tools: The Do's and Don'ts of customer response
In a single instant, an employee's response to a customer sets the tone for the entire interaction. Verbal or non-Verbal, your employees' attitude and communication become the living entity of your business. We often run articles with "customer service nightmares" to remind everyone of don’ts, because as consumers ourselves we are constantly forced to endure clerks' rolling eyes and "it's not my job" attitude. There are many simple ways to reinforce good customer-response behavior.

One of our favorites comes from “Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless.” Author Jeffrey Gitomer recommends responding to customer questions, gripes, or requests, by first saying things like "Great," "No Problem," "I think we can solve…" "I’m sure there’s a way..." or "The best way to handle that is...."  He also suggests using a little self-test:  if you wouldn't say something to your grandma, then don't say it. So, end any common service phrase with "Grandma" and see how it sounds. Some (negative) examples: “Next! Grandma,” “What is this in reference to Grandma?” and “It’s our policy Grandma.” (Need a representative grandma? Click here.)

In “Customer Service for Dummies – 2nd edition” there is a chapter entitled "Ten Major Don’ts (and Do’s) of Customer Services." They all revolve around using the right phrases to set the right service attitude (and for a little fun, remember to throw "Grandma" in at the end):
  1. Don’t Say: “I don’t know.” - Do Say: “I’ll find out”
  2. Don’t Say: “No.” – Do Say: “What I can do is...”
  3. Don’t Say: “That’s not my job.” – Do Say: “This is who can help you…”
  4. Don’t Say: “You’re right – this stinks.” – Do Say: “I understand your frustration.”
  5. Don’t Say: “That’s not my fault.” – Do Say: “Let’s see what we can do about this.”
  6. Don’t Say: “You need to talk to my manager.” – Do Say: “I can help you.”
  7. Don’t Say: “You want it by when?” – Do Say: “I’ll try my best.”
  8. Don’t Say: “Calm Down” – Do Say: “I’m Sorry.”
  9. Don’t Say: “I’m busy right now” – Do Say: “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”
  10. Don’t Say: “Call me back” – Do Say: “I will call you back.”
Not sure if your service people are communicating well? Contact us.  We can set up an evaluation system that helps reward you and your employees  with better relationships and increased sales.
 
Exemplary Shopper
 
Our Exemplary Shopper of the Month, BU0806, has been shopping Orange County for us for a year now. Bao says she likes Mystery Shopping because she notices an improvement in service when she returns to a location after she has filed her report. Knowing that our work improves helps clients (and their customers) means a lot to her. "When I come back, I see things are better," she says. So do we, Bao, and we thank you for your work.
 
 

Customer service nightmare: Getting from bed of nails to resting easy

"I recently experienced a customer service situation that pleasantly turned into a real customer service wow," says our vice president, Cherie Doomanis.  

"From a rather large furniture chain we recently purchased a fold-up guest bed.  Everything appeared to be running smoothly – until we were well into assembling it. It was then that we discovered the warehouse pulled the wrong size frame.  Having paid for a single we received a double, and the mattress we received to accompany it was correct:  a single size. Ugh! The next problem was our guest having a place to sleep that evening.  So, we decided to complete the frame, using the single-size mattress, and exchange the mattress the next day because this would be much easier then returning the frame. 

"Well, not such a smart move. The next day we wrestled the mattress back, pulled our number, waited our turn, and were then promptly told, 'You can’t return a mattress. It says so on the receipt.'
 
"Of course it does -- in small blue print. Now what? Annoyed, we deliberate in front of the customer service clerk, asking several questions to figure our options. We find out that to return the frame we would have to disassemble it, and if we want to buy the larger mattress, losing the cost of the one we already purchased, they don't even have them in stock. So no matter what we do, there is no quick and easy solution. As we are coming to terms with the lack of options, stuck with what we had for the time being, and getting ready to leave, this hard-nosed customer service clerk turns it around. We still don’t know what did it, but she took responsibility and she delivered. 
 
"She said she would exchange the mattress when the larger size was delivered. She explained she would personally call us when the mattresses were in stock and took down our cell phone numbers. We were amazed, happy and relieved. Then, she did as promised.  She called and gave us her schedule so we could come in and exchange the mattress.  When we arrived at her scheduled time, she was in a meeting, but had informed the other clerks and they had the new mattress on a cart all ready for us to roll out. To top it off, there was about a $40 difference in pricing from the original purchase and they didn’t charge us.  WOW! I have got to say – I am still taken aback by that clerk's turn around in attitude. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome, and plan on spending a lot more than that $40 in future purchases. Especially, now that I know in the end they will take care of their customers."
 
Remember, even when you haven't gotten off on the best foot with a customer, it's never too late to turn it around.

 

Let us know what you think! Email us at info@dynamic-advantage.com. We’d love to hear from you.

Dynamic Advantage | 866.870.1251 (toll free) | info@dynamic-advantage.com

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Dynamic Advantage
356 East Olive Ave #118
Burbank, CA 91502

Phone:
866.870.1251 (toll free) 818.238.1251

Online:
Dynamic-Advantage.com