Take This Job and Love It! Part 2 by Kelley Training Systems, Inc.

I Believe that offering good customer service begins and ends with the business owner, as well as each individual employee. Not only is Exceptional Customer Service critical for any business to reach its full potential, but it is mandatory for any employee who desires to reach his or her full potential. The attitude and disposition that each individual employee reflects not only determines whether he or she shows good customer service, but also impacts the bottom line of the business. An employee with a bad attitude can drain the life right out of a business. If a business owner does not hire quality people who reflect a good attitude toward Exceptional Customer Service, the business will almost certainly fail, because eventually the customers will go somewhere else where they are treated better. Consider my own personal experience in this regard in Case Study 1. Incidentally, a Moment of Truth occurs anytime a customer forms an opinion—positive or negative—about you or your company.

Case Study 1

I recently ordered a pizza for delivery from a local national franchise. When I called in, the person told me that they did not have a delivery person that night, so I would have to come pick it up. Moment of Truth #1- negative. Even though inconvenient, no real problem. Just as I hung up the phone, some unexpected guests arrived and I called the pizza place back right away to order another pizza. I was asked to hold on, so I patiently held on…and on…and on. After five minutes, I gave up and hung up. Moment of Truth #2- negative.

When I went to pick up the pizza, I told the Shift Manager that I had called back right away to order another pizza and that I was put on hold for five minutes, finally hanging up. She explained that a waitress had taken the call, but clocked out and didn’t tell anyone that I was on hold. Even though the Shift Manager was cordial, she could have gone a lot further in turning my negative moments of truth around to positive ones. But because she did not even try to do this, I formed Moment of Truth #3- negative. Trying to do her a favor, I told the Shift Manager that the business had just lost money because of it. I can only hope that the Shift Manager fully comprehended the impact this type of service could have on her business, and by extension, her job security.

To make my overall experience worse, and to further cement my own negative Moments of Truth, my wife Tracy had a negative experience a few days later with this same place. She had ordered a couple of pizzas one evening (I was out of town), and was told the pizzas would be delivered in 30 to 45 minutes. Two hours later and still no pizzas, she called back to cancel the order. She was told that they only had one delivery person, and he was already on his way. The delivery person was very apologetic when he arrived—which helped—but it was too little, too late. My wife didn't vent frustration on the delivery person, but decided then and there that she wasn't ordering from them again. The irony of the matter is that this restaurant could have done something very simple and not have lost a customer- communicate (but more on that later).

When she told me of her experience, guess what? Moment of Truth #4—negative. Total Cumulative Experience—negative.

Analyze the net result of my pizza ordering experience: First off, yes it is true, I have ordered from this same place (in different locations) for many years and don’t remember too many bad experiences. But Moments of Truth add up and over time form a Total Cumulative Experience, be it positive or negative. It is just too much trouble to deal with a business that really doesn’t care about its customers. And yes, I understand very well that things like this happen completely unintentionally and without malice. Fine. But here is the kicker: If this type of poor service were to become the custom, in other words, if my Total Cumulative Experience became negative, there would come a point that I would never go back.

Even after four negative Moments of Truth in the span of less than a week, I am sure that I will order from them again, someday. Nevertheless, the next time I want a pizza, guess who I won’t call first? With all of the competition out there, why would I call them again?

Many books, articles, and presentations outlining the benefits of good customer service are available, and one would think that some of it would start to catch on. But apparently, the concept of providing good customer service is something that only few businesses regard seriously. And the ones that do recognize the importance of good customer service also recognize that it is a result of the attitude of both management and employees together.

To meet and exceed the wants and/or needs of a customer so that the customer:

These are the cardinal rules of business. If a customer is satisfied, they will very likely come back. If a customer is treated right and comes back, they will, in turn, recommend your business to their friends. What does this mean? It means that the business will grow. And what does this mean for you, the employee? It means your job will be more secure, and this is the foundation of fulfillment in your chosen work.

It is no secret that it costs far less to retain a current customer, than to get a new one in the front door. Aside from the simple propriety of giving Exceptional Customer Service, it just makes good business sense.

But we can even go deeper than this by looking at the human side of the business equation. What any human being is really looking for is to be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect—you and I included. This is true even if you simply cannot meet the customer's needs or solve their immediate problems. Regardless of how ornery a customer is, it pays to treat them humanely for the sake of the company as well as yourself.

In addition to displaying an Ownership Attitude (which is a recurring theme in this article), I believe that two other qualities are paramount when it comes to Exceptional Customer Service: Communication, and the little things you do.

Without a doubt, communication is one of the most important and effective tools you can use in giving Exceptional Customer Service. Human beings need to feel a sense of control over their lives. You and I are no different. When you communicate with your customers, you keep them "in the loop," as it were, and consequently, they feel a measure of control.

As I mentioned earlier, I know and accept that unexpected circumstances arise in business. This is not a problem. What is a problem, is a lack of communication when unexpected delays do come up. Remember my wife's pizza ordering experience from Case Study 1? All that the pizza place had to do was call and explain the situation. This would have given my wife the option of continuing to wait, or canceling and ordering elsewhere—in other words, control. Even if they lost the business this time, they would have done the right thing by showing Exceptional Customer Service, which would have led to getting the business next time. By communicating, they would have engendered customer loyalty, because the customer would likely be understanding and discern that his or her needs were more important than the business making a buck (from the customer's perspective).

Whether you are in sales, or handling a customer problem, communication is essential to displaying Exceptional Customer Service. Don't leave your customers hanging! Communicate with them! And when you do, 1) Be honest and up-front; 2) Don't lead a customer to unrealistic expectations, i.e., don't promise what you can't deliver; and 3) Communicate!

As important as communication is, doing it alone and ignoring other factors will not get you happy and satisfied customers. More is required.

2. Little Things. Meticulous attention to the little things you do, and how you do them can atone for a multitude of "sins" in business. Never underestimate the impact that the little things you say or do can have in delighting a customer.

For example, imagine a customer walking up to you at work for some help. Now try saying the following out loud with no emotion or enthusiasm: "Can I help you?" Sounds so cold and indifferent, doesn't it?

Now try the following with a smile on your face and a song in your heart: "Good Morning! How are you!" Sounds so warm and inviting! Do you even need to ask, "May I help you?" You can, but if you greet the customer properly, he or she will naturally tell you how you can help them.

Personally, I am not a proponent of the standard questions that are used to find out what a customer wants, such as, "Can (or, May) I help you?" or "What can I do for you today?" I have never heard an employee or salesperson say those words without sounding mechanical or somewhat indifferent. No matter how you say those words, the message they convey is "Let’s get down to business NOW!" On the other hand, a proper greeting allows for relationship building, which is crucial for keeping happy and loyal customers.

Let me illustrate the power that little things can have on a customer with the following personal experience.

So what was it that Mike did that made such a difference? I can tell you that it was not one singly significant thing. It was the little things he did!

What makes it even more impressive is that Mike does this flight after flight and rarely, if ever, sees the same face twice. It can be argued that there is added impetus to showing Exceptional Customer Service to customers that you have to face again tomorrow, i.e., in the near future. But what about showing Exceptional Customer Service to customers that you personally never see again, as in Mike’s case?

It is clear that Mike really "gets it"—he understands the true nature of customer service from a higher, universal perspective. What is this "higher perspective"? This: Showing Exceptional Customer Service because it is the right thing to do. Mike doesn't just have a "good" attitude, he has the epitome of an "Ownership" attitude. He cares about customer service as if he owned the Airline.

What was the net result of these positive Moments of Truth for me, the customer? Frankly, this positive experience completely changed my entire perspective toward Continental Airlines. I had had problems- negative Moments of Truth- flying with them before. But with this one intensely positive experience on the part of one employee, I can’t hardly even remember the negative experiences I had with them! Continental had redeemed itself, and again, because of one single employee out of the thousands that work there.

Do you see what this means? The "sins" of a company can be forgiven if and when Exceptional Customer Service is shown. In fact, customers can be very forgiving if treated right. Moreover, an intense, positive Moment of Truth can take a customer’s opinion of the company to new heights! What does this mean? The customer comes back and refers others. What does this mean? The business prospers. And what does this mean for you as an employee? You also grow, prosper, and advance. This is what self-empowerment is all about. Is life good or what?

As a rule, when you display Exceptional Customer Service, you hit the target dead-on. The target is:

But something else much more profound occurs- the Customer’s belief system is validated. How? Whenever a customer makes a decision to do business with a particular company for the first time, they have taken a certain risk. And depending on the nature of the product or service they need, they could be taking a big risk. For instance, entrusting your life savings or retirement nest egg to a financial advisor you know nothing about is a huge decision and carries certain risk.

When a business shows Exceptional Customer Service and satisfies that customer’s needs, the business in essence validates the customer’s common sense, judgment, and decision-making ability. In turn, the customer feels better about him or herself. And when a customer feels better about him or herself in connection to your company, he or she will be more apt to recommend your business to others. By showing Exceptional Customer Service and satisfying a customer’s needs, you validate in the customer’s mind that he or she made the right choice to do business with your company.

As long as there are customers, there will be customers with problems. And if you don’t solve a customer’s problems expeditiously, that customer can quickly turn into a problem customer.

Is it possible to please everyone? No. As much as I wanted to satisfy every customer in my past businesses, there were still times when I could not satisfy them in the way they wanted. And this is an important point: As much as we might want to be all things to everyone, sometimes we are simply not the right choice in meeting a customer's needs. Furthermore, some customer’s demands are simply too extreme to meet, but we should always endeavor to treat them with courtesy, dignity, and respect.

Okay, let’s assume you see the value of showing Exceptional Customer Service. And furthermore, you really begin to work at displaying Exceptional Customer Service diligently. Now comes a customer with a grievance, and you are the first one he or she sees. What do you do?

Incidentally, most of the time when a customer is shown poor customer service, he or she won't say anything and won't come back. Occasionally, a customer will do you a favor by saying something or complaining. When this happens, you now have a "Customer with a Problem." How you choose to handle the situation from this point forward will determine whether you gain or lose the customer.

I have already espoused the benefits of Exceptional Customer Service, and by showing such, you will likely gain the customer. On the other hand, if you throw Exceptional Customer Service to the wind and show an attitude of indifference, you now have a "Problem Customer."

Do you know what a customer's problem is like? It is like a balloon. It starts out flabby, without any form, and then slowly takes on a bigger size and shape, until it is fully inflated to colossal magnitude; and then it begins to rise higher and higher in the air for the whole world to see. More often than not, the problem was exacerbated and inflated due to poor customer service—and unnecessarily, I might add.

Of course, the objective here should be to dissipate any air in the balloon (problem) at the outset when the size of the problem is manageable. But what if you find yourself in front of a customer who is about to pop (whether your fault or not)?

When dealing with any customer- especially a problem customer- keep the following points at the forefront of your mind:

At times, we humans tend to blow things out of proportion. And at times, this can happen easily if a customer believes that he or she was not treated right, or was somehow wronged. If you as an employee do not handle the situation properly, the problem doesn’t get smaller, it gets bigger.

When faced with a difficult situation, you may still be able to salvage the customer by utilizing the characteristics of Exceptional Customer Service and responding properly. Here is an example of how you might respond to a customer who is angry over some problem:

But does providing Exceptional Customer Service mean that the customer always gets what they want? Again, no. The fact is that you will not always able to solve every problem—especially if the problem is not on your end. But at least the customer will leave knowing that you treated them professionally, with dignity and respect, and did all you could to help them. And if you do this, at least they will know that you honestly tried to help them. In turn, they will tend to come back and say good things about you and your company.

You may be unwittingly under the impression that your only customers are the ones that walk in through your door to buy something. This is not entirely true. You also have another type of customer you may not be aware of—your co-workers.

There are only two positions in any company: 1) Those who serve the customer; and 2) Those who serve those serving the customer. These two positions are also known as External and Internal Customer Service, respectively. Which one are you?

Exceptional Customer Service begins from the inside out. In other words, a company can never display Exceptional Customer Service, unless it first shows Exceptional Customer Service to itself. Each employee must show the same high level of regard toward fellow employees that they would show toward customers. If there is dissention the ranks, customer service will suffer.