By Anne M. Obarski

 

Everyone seems to have a "Top Ten List" these days. David

Letterman is famous for his and I find myself trying to

guess what his number one item is going to be.

 

I ran across this list that appeared on the Hawaii Business

website a while back. Maybe it peaked my interest because I

thought who would ever have to worry about giving good

customer service in Hawaii? Everyone is happy to be there or

live there, right?

 

It is probably true no matter what "paradise" you live in,

customer service is something that must be worked at on a

daily basis. Consistency is the key. As you read this

article, see if you can guess which one will be number one!

 

Top 10 List for Great Service

 

Number 10 - Never settle for average.

 

Customer service will remain a sustainable point of

difference to competitors if it continually improves.

 

Number 9 - Don't take it personally.

 

Find out what you can do to make whatever is wrong with a

customer right again.

 

Number 8 - Renovate.

 

Everyone loves to see the results of a makeover project.

 

Number 7 - Build relationships.

 

You can't manage relationships you do not have.

 

Number 6 - Empower employees.

 

Don't make customers wait. Give employees the authority to

take care of problems.

 

Number 5 - Learn how to speak on the phone.

 

Kevin Johnson, president, Hawaii Call Center Association

says finding employees that will represent your company well

on the phone starts during the job interview process.

 

Mr. Johnson told Hawaii Business, "Start by hiring the right

people. They need to be polite, well-mannered and have the

ability to manage conflict. But most importantly, they've

got to be empathetic. We all want to feel like the person

we're talking to wants to help us."

 

Number 4 - Give customers what they want.

 

The Bank of Hawaii developed a program that allowed

customers to provide feedback directly to the company's

chief executive.

 

Mike O'Neill, the CEO of The Bank of Hawaii received 4,500

customer comments in the first three months. As a result the

bank was able to make changes that have resulted in a higher

level of customer satisfaction.

 

Number 3 - Exceed customer expectations.

 

The C.S. Wo Gallery, for example, gives customers a

half-hour window to expect delivery of the furniture they

purchased compared to "the usual eight-hour timeframe" given

by others.

 

Number 2 - "Be available."

 

Superior customer service requires "being available whenever

and however customers want to reach you - be it online, over

the phone or in person."

 

And the number one idea for ways to provide great service is

- "Invest in your employees."

 

Did this last one, or should I say, first one surprise you?

It shouldn't. It is hard for employees to give great service

when they are unhappy in their jobs. I read recently that

82% of American workers are experiencing job stress at least

some of the time and that more than one third of workers say

their job is negatively affecting their physical or

emotional well-being. Stress can lead to illness, depression

violence or a lack of productivity!

 

And you say, "Oh, no, not where I work!" Think again. We can

take the Golden rule quote that says, "Do unto others as you

would have them do unto you" and update it to say, "Do unto

your employees as you would have them do unto your

customers".

 

Care about them, build relationships with your employees,

listen to what is stressing them, find solutions to their

problems and create an "open-door" policy at all levels of

management.

 

Finally, Gene Hoffman of Retailwire says "Persevere! (It was

by perseverance that snails reached the ark.) If you don't

sustain your promised efforts, you will become part of the

passing parade of retailers who once gave great and

personalized customer service."

 

Now how is that for living in paradise?

 

 

 

Anne M. Obarski is "The Customer Service Spy!" As a

professional speaker and trainer, Anne will work with your

company to provide you with the clues to keep your customers

coming back. Anne presents keynotes, break-out sessions and

customized training, nationwide, in the area of customer

service. You'll want her two new books, "Surprising Secrets

of Mystery Shoppers" and "Real World Customer Service

Strategies That Work". For more info go to:

www.merchandiseconcepts.com or email Anne at