The Thriving Small Business

5 Effective Ways to Improve the Customer Service Experience

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For most businesses, the level of customer service they provide goes a long way towards determining their level of success. A recent American Express survey found that more than half of customers would switch brands for better customer service, so delivering a positive experience is essential.

Every year, companies invest heavily in customer service training, because they acknowledge the importance of getting it right, but many businesses fail to identify exactly what it is customers want. Read the Full Article →

6 Ways to To Give Your Customers a Great First Impression!

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Some organizations provide a great first impression. Others do not. By first impressions I mean the first point of contact a customer has with an organization.

The reality is, customers have choices and organizations that get it pay attention to the details that matter to customers.

Every organization has a slightly different first impression moment. Read the Full Article →

8 Steps for Creating a Customer Service System

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Have you ever interacted with an organization that provided great service in one area and terrible service in another?

How can there be such a cultural disconnect in the service that is provided by the same organization?

Every interaction a customer has with an organization is an opportunity to win or lose that customer. Read the Full Article →

10 Tips for Dealing with Customer Complaints

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Anyone who has a business has had the experience of dealing with customer complaints.

While listening to a complaining customer is not something most people enjoy, a complaining customer can be an organization’s friend if they try to learn from the complaint.

There are lots of things customers can complain about – communication breakdowns, process failures, faulty products, rude employees and unclean facilities, just to name a few. Read the Full Article →

How Do You Define Customer Service?

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Customer service is a common term we are all familiar with which means “one who aids or provides help to the purchaser of a good or service”.

Customer service is seen in all industries and across all demographics. It is important because if the purchasers of our goods and services don’t feel like they are taken care of, they will soon find another organization that can, and will take care of their needs. Read the Full Article →

5 Reasons You Should Welcome Customer Complaints!

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The sad fact is only about 4% of dissatisfied customers complain. If a customer does not complain and has an issue that is not resolved, they are likely to go to the competition.

The worst part about this is that the organization isn’t even aware that there was an issue. The other sad fact is that a dissatisfied customer is more comfortable telling their friends about a bad experience than the organization. Read the Full Article →

5 Tips for Improving the Internal Customer Experience

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The term customer is most commonly associated with someone who purchases goods or services. However, Joseph Juran, the famous management consultant, taught that organizations have both internal and external customers. And, internal customers have a direct link to a positive external customer experience.

The external customer is the person who purchases the goods or services, while the internal customer is anyone within an organization who at any time is dependent on anyone else within the organization. Read the Full Article →

7 Things Most Customers Won’t Tell You – Unless You Ask

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I worked with someone from Britain a few years ago and I was often shocked at how honest he was.  I used to tease him and compare him to Simon Cowell, the infamous direct communicator – which he did not find very humorous.

Anyway, I learned that culturally honesty and being very direct is just a communication difference between us and the Brits. Read the Full Article →

6 Tips for Coaching Great Service!

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It is hard to believe but the holidays are at our doorstep.  And for many businesses it is the busiest time of the year. And with busy often comes service issues.

At busy seasons, particularly in the retail or service industry, customers become demanding and employees are challenged to provide a great experience despite very difficult circumstances. Read the Full Article →

10 Keys to Managing a Small Business

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Most entrepreneurs go into business because of a specific passion or skill set that is marketable. There is a lot of excitement that goes with starting a new business. However, there is a downside. And that is all of the business functions that need to be managed.

The way an organization manages itself is critical to the development and growth of that business.  Read the Full Article →

Free Customer Comment Card Template

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Businesses rise and fall based on their ability to understand the experience and expectations of their customers. This is why so many businesses use customer comment cards to get immediate feedback.

Organizations spent the time to assess their customer’s experience to help them manage customer satisfaction.

There are several ways to obtain customer feedback – focus groups, customer satisfaction surveys and text analytics. Read the Full Article →

Top 10 Customer Service Irritants

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Customer service has come a long way – at least we think. The past century has provided businesses with new technologies that help the business owner to keep in contact with their customers and to modify products based on customer feedback.

We can all remember a time when we had an over the top customer experience. Read the Full Article →