Archive for the ‘Sales’ Category

The Lost Art of Customer Service

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

In Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey, the nemesis of the movie was a computer called HAL. Its voice sounded exceptionally friendly and it made all the right noises and if it had possessed a face it would have been smiling inanely. Yet all the time it was trying to kill the humans it was meant to serve.

Call me cynical, maybe even a conspiracy theorist, but it seems that some companies have been able to replicate the essence of HAL and insert it into their “Customer Service Specialists”.

These people are not literally trying to kill you, of course, merely destroy your will to live whilst dealing with the company they represent. They speak in reassuring tones, nodding and smiling at everything you say, and then they hit you with their pre-programmed responses defined by the system within which they have been ordered to operate.

I think customers become annoyed because they believe the descriptions pinned to the lapels of these people. If you went into the bank with an enquiry and the counter clerk said to you: “Yes, you need to go and talk to the robot over there,” you would have little expectation of a favourable outcome because you would know the robot’s parameters were limited. Instead, you are actually informed that you should speak to the “customer service specialist”, and herein lies the misconception.

“Customer” – You

“Service” – Providing appropriate assistance

“Specialist” – Highly trained

Put all those together and you naturally believe that this person will be able to listen to your particular request or gripe and then use their knowledge and most importantly, their discretion, to tailor a personalised solution.

A human should be able to do this, but not when they are working within strictly imposed company guidelines. When you remove the option of discretion, you often also remove the entire concept of customer service and you effectively end up with a robot. You can almost see the confusion behind their smiling eyes.

We are not talking about complex customer requests here. The other day, I asked my bank (the Commonwealth) if they could split my personal credit card limit, and allot one half to a new business credit card.

Apparently this was impossible!

The only solution was that I would have to stand around and wait for someone to carry out the necessary paperwork to apply for a new card.  And I mean stand around, as there were no chairs.

I asked why this person couldn’t just take all the details the bank already had about me, complete the form and send it to me for signing, but this data option was not pre-programmed into my CBA “customer service specialist”. I left!

Later when I called to offer feedback, I was informed that what I had asked could have been carried out, but that it wasn’t company policy. This person further admitted that it would have been within the realms of possibility to direct my backside towards a chair whilst I waited. Obviously, because robots do not have muscles that tire, they cannot grasp the human need to take the weight off.

In reality, to blame the individual “customer service specialist” is a little harsh. The real problem is with the management who do not allow the human factor to come into play with their customer-facing staff. The only genuine reason why this might be good business practice is if the people they are employing are not very bright and cannot be trusted to think for themselves lest they make a reckless decision that triggers a whole host of problems.

If this fear is preponderant, then they should pay higher wages to attract brighter employees. The payoff would be a much happier clientele, and increased revenue through an enhanced customer service reputation.

Fortunately, some companies do get the point. I have experienced quality customer service on a couple of occasions recently, where the specialist really deserved their title. Then again, all they had to do was listen to what was being said, and possess the freedom to act unilaterally to resolve the issue.

It is a sad reflection of the state of play, however, that when you have such a positive experience with customer service personnel, you’re left feeling that something strange has just happened.

Companies need to give their employees the opportunity to provide the best customer service where it matters – on the ground with the customer. They have to be given the go-ahead to become human again, and to stop behaving like robots.

PS The partly completed form arrived in the mail a couple of days after my “feedback” and after I had arranged a business card somewhere else!

Good References are Gold

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

When companies are deciding which firm can best represent their ideas, values and products, there must be a level of trust.  They must feel confident that you have done this type of work before, and that your customers have been happy and gained directly from your efforts.

There is no better marketing tool to prove your value than a customer reference.

Getting a Reference

Many business people think that a reference discussion begins after a deal is closed, you’ve completed the work and everyone is happy.  Actually, that is when the conversation ends.

The first time to talk to a customer about becoming a referee is when you start your selling process.  “I know I am the best partner for your growth and fully expect you to be so happy with my work that you will become one of our best referees.”  Each time you meet with the customer, talk about the reference process.  The client will be thrilled at all of the free publicity they will get and happy to promote your services if they think you did a good job.  By the time you have finished your work with the customer, asking them to be a reference will be an easy conversation.

Creating a Reference

Everyone expounds on the importance of customer references, but no tells you how to create them in a manner that will capture interest and attention.  The first tip is to keep them short.  Describe the customer in a brief sentence and succinctly state their problem. Immediately follow it with the solution you provided and the results that were achieved.  Each reference should have a quote.  The more specifics you can provide the better.  Make sure to obtain your customer’s permission to share their reference information.

Presenting a Reference

There are no shortage of ways and places where you can use a reference.  Use them in articles, speeches and press interviews. Send them to prospective customers.  Put them on your website.  Take them on sales calls.  Be prepared with phone numbers and e-mail addresses so the customers can talk to the referees directly.

References can be the difference in an economy where customers are savvy and slow to spend their limited resources.

Start talking to customers about becoming a referee in your very first conversation and present them in a clear, concise manner that will give prospective customers the information they need and the confidence that you will help them succeed.  As your references grow, so will your business.

(c) Michael Harrison 2010

Tips for growing professional services firms (3)

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

3. Online offers

Forward thinking professional services today offer top-quality e-books through their web site so that visitors will willingly pick up a marketing message and pass it on to others. These free materials contain hyperlinks that will draw more prospects to your web site. The e-books can have subjects that extend behinds the immediate professional’s services.

For example a financial planner may offer a book on the challenges facing migrants and in that book reveal how a financial planner fits in to the picture. The audience picking up the book can be an entirely new source of clients that would otherwise not have come across the services of the firm.

Selling isn’t Telling

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

A month ago one of my clients asked me to accompany an underperforming sales executive on a couple of calls.  My mission was to make suggestions about how this guy could improve his results.

After weeks of persistent calls and follow-up, he had finally been successful in arranging a meeting with a good prospect.  If everything had gone according to plan it could have resulted in a top quality new client.

Very early in the call it became apparent that it wouldn’t happen.

He was totally under-prepared.  When we sat down to debrief the call it became obvious that he was happy in his comfort zone and unable to grasp the realities of today’s market.

There are many keys to succeeding in a first meeting with a new prospect. Here are three that work for me.

  1. Learn as much as possible about the prospective customer’s organisation, business objectives and environment
  2. Understand what issue(s) they need (or might need) to address
  3. Anticipate the questions they might ask

All of which means you must prepare … prepare … prepare.