Undoubtedly
you’ve heard about the popular book series that started with Don’t Sweat
the Small Stuff, followed by Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work,
…in Love, …with Your Family,
etc. While these books relay a
message containing a great deal of wisdom—don’t let the little things in
life stress you out—it’s important not to make the mistake of overlooking
the little things that can be critical to achieve wildly successful customer
service in your business.
At first I was hesitant to write this article
because the message seemed so basic and even felt a bit preachy. However, I
reconsidered after numerous reminders from family, friends, clients and my
own personal experiences that every day people are subjected to poor
service. You’ve heard the stories; you’ve experienced it first-hand. Driving
through the fast food restaurant without a word or a glance when you pick up
your food. The store clerk that doesn’t say “thank you.” The teller that
greets you with only a gruff “Next!” The receptionist that ignores
you while discussing last night’s social events with other employees. The
bagger at the grocery checkout that complains about the newest company policy.
Consumers are starving for good service. And what they’re often hungry
for may sound like little things—common courtesies that certainly wouldn’t
be considered rocket science—but combined together provide a strong
foundation for great customer service. In many industries or markets there
are usually a few select players that far exceed the rest of the pack, while
the rest trail far behind, or drop like flies. After all, comparable
product, place, promotion and price are the requirements to even be in the
running. Read the news and consider retail, dot-coms, etc. The differences
between those that are thriving verses merely surviving are the people and
the little things they do (or don’t do).
Here’s a list of some of the little things, when experienced together, can
make a big difference to customers and how they view your organization:
Answering a call by the third ring
Transferring a call quickly to the proper person
Timely return of voice mail and e-mail
Eye contact
A warm smile
A friendly hello
Just a moment, I’ll be right with you
Excuse me just a moment, let me find out
A polite and sincere tone
A genuine apology when warranted
You’re welcome
A heartfelt thank you
An honest attempt to help
Your undivided attention
Following up as promised
Taking the extra step in any situation
Honesty about problems and mistakes
Customers can usually accept that problems and errors will occur from
time to time in any business relationship. What often matters more to
customers than the mistake itself is how these difficult situations are
handled. Customers crave the common courtesies, which is not to say that the
common courtesies can make up for gross negligence or repeated problems.
However, the little things can go a long way to establish trust and rapport
and create customer acceptance of your efforts to resolve problems when they
arise.
If you’re concerned about creating great customer service, begin by
asking yourself this question: "Is your organization sweating the
small stuff in customer service?" It really can make a big
difference!
Kathleen J. Wheelihan is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®,
Inc., a firm specializing in custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars,
and consulting services. Kathleen has made presentations ranging from creativity
to customer service and leadership to teambuilding for a number of industries,
including credit union, education, government, health care, manufacturing, and
real estate. She can be reached at 800-886-2MAX or by visiting
http://www.AchieveMax.com.
Publication Date: Winter 2002
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