A message for Customer Service Professionals:

dfdfdfdfThe Cost of Loss…Why it takes seven seconds to make or break your customer relationships
ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd … By Michelle Ray, Professional Speaker, Trainer & Author

Seven seconds is all it takes for your customers to decide if they like you and your service!  Are you happy to see them? Does your team feel the same way?  Whether your team are face to face with customers, telephone receptionists, call – centre operators, secretaries, inside sales people, outside sales people, healthcare professionals, technology “troubleshooters” servicing your various departments, government workers, retailers, wholesalers, order – takers, undertakers…. anyone who deals directly or indirectly with customers is in a position to make or break your customer relationships!

What are the implications of poor service on your businesses? “Service with a smile” is no longer a cliché, it is a requirement! Your customers form impressions of your organization and your customer service standard in only seven seconds! Is your service team ready to meet the challenge?  “High Tech” and “High Touch” can go hand in hand! The technology revolution has implications for every business. Your customers can now tell the world if they don't like you! The cost of losing customers has immeasurable consequences. Customers are savvier than at any other time in our history. From one bad experience, they can choose to take their business elsewhere!

Michelle Ray's Customer Service Seminars have been endorsed by the Australian Customer Service Association and were presented to packed houses of public seminar attendees in the lead – up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Her “Customer Service Beyond 2000” CD's and seminars are still in great demand internationally because Michelle's clients know that gold – medal performances are required on every customer encounter!

Doing whatever it takes to maintain customers should be critical to your staff development plan. If are not investing in your people in terns of providing the necessary customer service training, you are putting your customer relationships at risk. The Number One Reason customers don't come back has everything to do with first impressions!

Michelle's Top Ten Service Excellence Checklist: 

1. The telephone is answered within three rings
2. When the telephone is answered, your team is aware of the right way to greet the caller
3. Your receptionists are able to prioritize managing the visitors (your customers) and a busy switchboard
4. Your service team understands the implications of using negative language  with  customers
5. Your team is happy to hear complaints
6. Your team knows how to resolve a customer's problems
7. Your team knows how to diffuse the emotions of an irate customer
8. Your team knows how to apologize when they are at fault
9. Your internal staff get along well
10. Your team cares about your business

Can you give your team credit in all of the above or do you recognize the fact that something is lacking in terms of your team's customer service performance?  Michelle Ray is an expert in transforming poor service attitudes into outstanding customer relations. What value do you place on developing the skills of your customer service team? Contact Michelle to arrange customized training and workshops for your service team. Michelle has worked with literally hundreds of clients whose front line staff deal with external customers, patients, taxpayers, internal customers, bankers, shoppers…virtually every category of business that deals with people!

“I don't care how much you know until I know how much you care”…Famous Proverb