Effective Communications: The Bedrock of Customer Service
Why it that companies have forgotten that effective communications is the bedrock of great customer service? Poor communication can turn a loyal, happy customer into an enemy.
Customer Service Nightmares
Today was the day I had dreaded for some time. I had to clear up a bunch of issues with several big companies—Lowes, Comcast, Verizon, and KitchenAid. And now with phone calls completed, I’m looking back on a day of exhausting, frustrating, and dehumanizing experiences
Customer Service: Communicating a Great First Impression
Walking into the office of a real estate services firm recently, we were met, not by a receptionist, but by the “Director of First Impressions.” And the woman in that job lived up to her title, warmly greeting us and making us feel welcome and upbeat for our meeting.
Customer Service: Communications + Action Conveys Caring
In this day of impersonal “press 1 for more options” customer service, PNC Bank really does stand out. They’ve made it a competitive advantage to provide the best in service – and they really do. I switched banks about six months ago because I got tired of the unfriendly treatment I got at the big, global bank I had been with for nearly 20 years.
The Customer Service Wall of Shame
A few weeks ago, this blog highlighted some terrific customer service experiences, a rarity these days. Rudeness, inefficiency and callousness seem to be the norm in the relationships between companies and the people who buy and use their products and services. One of the places where customer service can be particularly bad is the doctor’s office and medical facilities where one would expect it to be otherwise.
At Last, They Get It–It’s Customer Service, Stupid!
Many companies have finally realized that customer service matters. After all, competing on price alone will only take you so far. In this age of press 1 for an automated voice that reads out another list of menu items that don’t match your situation, getting a pleasant and helpful person on the other end of the phone or in the store can make all the difference in brand loyalty. And when your product isn’t really all that different from your competitors, you win by making customers happy.
The Customer Service Power of a Singular Message
These days when you have a pleasant experience with any company, it’s almost a shock rather than the norm. Often times, there is a huge disconnect between what the advertising messages say about the company and what the company actually delivers.
Congress and the President Could Use Some Good Facilitation
The debt ceiling and deficit reduction talks have stalled once again and the deadline is looming. Is it possible for President Obama and Speaker Boehner to come to a plan they can live with that will prevent default? Maybe it’s time to bring in a skilled facilitator.
Customer Service Lessons from William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer, the colorful and effective former Mayor of Baltimore and two-term Maryland Governor who died last week, is being remembered fondly by the well-known and ordinary alike. Schaefer was many things and among them a master of political customer service.
1 Million Social Media Followers in 24 Hours for All The Wrong Reasons
For several years now, many have been trumpeting the death of “traditional” media. But the Charlie Sheening of America and his record setting 1 million Twitter followers in 24 hours (now grown to more than 2 million) was created by the news media. Too bad it’s so tough to find real news like rising oil prices that threaten our economic recovery, political upheaval in Libya, Egypt and other countries, joblessness, a crumbling health care system, and the fact that we are still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan.