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By Laurie Guest
One area that receives the lowest scores when we conduct a guest encounter audit for a client is the lack of smooth transitions during the transaction. Imagine a track relay team: one runner has the baton. As he approaches the next runner, they stride in unison for several lengths. He then passes the baton without losing stride. When a Transition Does Not Work Let’s say we follow a couple into a bank. They are greeted by a teller at a teller window, and they explain that they want to see a loan officer about buying a car. They share the story of car shopping with the teller who nods, smiles, and listens. However, when she phones the personal banker, she only says, “Somebody’s here to see you.” A failed transition. A dropped baton. When a Transition Works Again, our couple enters the bank. They share their car shopping story. This time, a teller calls the personal banker and says, “I have a couple who would like to see you. Are you available?” She then escorts them to the office and makes a transitional introduction. “Amy, I’d like you to meet Ted and Martha Brown, clients of ours. They would like to talk to you about a car loan. Ted and Martha, this is Amy Thompson, one of our personal bankers, and she will be happy to provide the information you need.” If the teller is unable to leave the counter, then the same message can be communicated by phone without the formal introduction. When the personal banker comes out of the waiting area to greet the clients, she needs to communicate that the baton was passed. “Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Brown. I’m Amy Thompson, your personal banker. Please follow me to my office.” Once in the confidential space, she continues, “Mary tells me you’re interested in getting a car loan, and I’m happy to help you with this.” A successful transition. A smooth baton pass. A transition that works leaves a favorable impression. Transitions by phone are also important. Have you ever called somewhere knowing that the first person who picks up is not going to be the person to answer the question you have? In order to transfer you to the right person, they ask you to tell the long version of what you need. When you’re done, they say, “One moment. Let me connect you.” And then you have to start all over! Better service would sound like this: “After getting enough information from you, I’m going to call and give a summary to the staff person who’s going to help you.” After the staff person makes a smooth baton transition, the next person in line to take care of you would say, “Mrs. Larson, this is Kelly in the billing department. Mary tells me that you have a question on your last statement. I have it pulled up here on my screen. Let me just confirm that I have the right account, and we’ll see where that extra charge is coming from.” That is a smooth transition. Put Transitions in Place Put professional, planned transitions in place using these simple steps:
However, if your team is not accustomed to proper transitions, you may need to have a few practice sessions. Work to find the right sentences to use, and make sure that every team member understands his or her role in the pass off. Soon it will be second nature in your sales process, and the positive customer service reviews will be sure to increase. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
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By Laurie Guest
Here is a key sentiment on customer service: once you have set an expectation of a good experience, do not disappoint. Before making a presentation for nurses, I asked a critical care nurse what she wanted her staff to hear during my talk. She responded, “I want you to say, ‘One of your patients will be spending his last day on earth with you. Do not disappoint him.’” What an impactful statement. Even though it is unlikely that your customers are spending their last day on earth with you, the mentality of the statement is the basis of my focus in this article. What is positive positioning? Positive positioning is using words to set up an expectation of a good experience. Although it sounds simple, a receptionist scheduling a new exam at a doctor’s office, for example, may need more advanced training to succeed at this. It does not come automatically to most. One of my favorite examples of this is a doctor who asked me to do a secret shop phone call to his office. He wanted me to pretend to be a new patient. His hope was that the staff person answering the phone would give me an explanation of his great attributes including where he’d graduated from school and his excellent bedside manner with patients. These are things that he thought were important to a new patient. I asked him, “How confident are you that when I call, your receptionist is going to do the spiel just the way you scripted it?” He said, “I am extremely confident. We’ve gone over it. She knows how to do it. She’s practiced it. All is good.” With great confidence, I called the next day. During the entire phone conversation, the receptionist did a fantastic job of taking care of my needs. As we neared the end of the phone call she hadn’t fulfilled the positive positioning that the doctor expected. Because I wanted her to score well on this test, I asked a leading question in hopes it would cause her to recite the words from her training. I said, “You know, before I let you go, I’m kind of new to the area. Is there something you could tell me about your doctor?” Now, what more could I have done for her? I teed it up perfectly. After a long pause, she said, and I quote, “Well, he’s six foot, blonde and gorgeous. What more do you need to know?” I’ve always loved this story because—although you could certainly call that positive positioning—it’s not exactly what the doctor was looking for in setting the image of his practice! How do you communicate positive positioning? “Don’t disappoint.” The words of that critical care nurse have stuck with me. Think about it. What can I do to make sure that I don’t disappoint you? The concept of “don’t disappoint” is something that I even implement at the end of my emails. When a client considers me, my last line says, “I look forward to delivering this program to your audience. You won’t be disappointed.” You’d be amazed how many times after I’m done with my work, the client will say some version of: “You were right. I wasn’t disappointed.” Setting the bar of expectation and delivering as promised is what positive positioning is all about. What does positive positioning look like for you? To set an expectation of a good experience and thus create the image you desire, have your team first generate a list of specific things customers often compliment about your organization, your people, your product and service. (If you can’t come up with a list, then you’ve uncovered a bigger issue.) Work as a team to develop sentences that work for your current situation. For example, “He’s a great doctor” could be evolved to “Our patients often tell us Dr. Jones is very easy to talk to.” The phrases need to be truthful and accurate. Once you fine-tune the language, even simple words can make a difference. Words like definitely, absolutely, certainly, and fantastic are great examples of starter words. I recommend reading Words at Sell by Richard Bayan. A new, updated version is available and is packed with words and phrases that help people connect and allow you to position your business in the best way possible. Upgrade your words, message, and image. Then, see what a difference positive positioning makes to a guest encounter that does not disappoint. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
A few years ago, I went to see the doctor. He said, “Laurie, I’ve got to ask you a question. How is it possible that a motivational speaker can have a weight problem?” I said, “Well, that’s easy. I see the golden arches, and I’m motivated to turn in.” I joke, but really we all know that if you burn more than you eat, you’ll lose weight. Knowing and doing, however, are two very different things. I believe customer service works the same way. The term “101” means something is at an introductory level, but experience tells me a lot of us have either skipped the class or forgotten what we were taught way back when. And we can teach customer service 101, but is the staff really implementing it? After secret shopping many companies over the years, I started teaching what I call the Big 7 of Service. As you read, rate yourself on a 1 to 5 scale on your ability to consistently deliver on each of the Big 7... Eye Contact – The foundation of any connection starts with looking directly at the guest with an intention to serve. What do I mean by that? Simply looking at a person is not the same as establishing eye contact. Even if you are already involved with another guest or on the phone, you can accomplish this task in a way that makes the visitor feel a connection. Smile – One of the easiest steps is often skipped is the smile. When an employee is at work, he or she may not feel like smiling for one of many reasons: too tired, too stressed, too overworked. The employee may not want to be there or simply lacks a commitment to the mission of the organization. If you don’t feel like smiling, it’s hard to do it. Even if you have to force a smile, it will make a big difference in your performance. Also, whether you believe it or not, a greeting without a smile and a greeting with a smile sound different! Try it. You can hear the difference in tone, which will make a difference in your customer service. Show Signs of Familiarity – Dale Carnegie once said that a person’s name is to them the sweetest sound in any language. People love to hear their names. Have you ever been a frequent visitor to a business where they not only call you by name but also know what you want even before you ask? My dry cleaning manager pulls my clothes from the rack as soon as he sees my car pull up. At our favorite Chinese restaurant, the owner usually greets us with our standing order as we take a booth. A feeling of importance or familiarity makes us feel connected. Posture – What does “ready position” look like in your company? As a secret shopper for over a decade, I have stories to tell. Take a banker who greeted a shopper with the phrase, “Hold on a sec. Let me get my shoes on.” Or side conversations between employees that don’t stop when the guest appear. Ready position is a behavior that needs to be taught in orientation. As a team, make time to discuss how posture plays a role in your service, then work to improve your ready position. Greetings (Not Recordings) – One of the toughest aspects about greetings that is they need to be short, genuine, and repeatable without sounding like a recording. Years ago, I would visit Blockbuster. As soon as the door opened, I would hear employees shout, “Helloooooo” in a long, drawn-out, fake-sounding voice. They must have been trained to say hello to everybody as quickly as possible. What about the people who have a fake sound? They pick up the phone and say, “It’s a great day at the Shoe Den…” in an automated and expressionless voice. Depending on your specific industry or service, try a script that gets to the core of the connection. Shaking Hands—When Appropriate – A handshake is common in many industries. Interestingly enough, I’ve never seen anyone teach a handshake to adults. One question that comes up has to do with who should extend a hand first. Keep in mind, the answer can vary according to culture, but in the United States, etiquette says the person with greater authority or age should be the first to reach out. What about customers? Research did not provide me with one right answer. Therefore, in my opinion, what makes sense is to shake hands when it feels natural and right. As a team, decide if a handshake is mandatory or should it be le up to the individual. I always reach out to my clients with a handshake upon arrival. I greet with a big smile, say the person’s name, and follow my own advice on how to shake. Remember Who You Greet – The final entry on the Big 7 proves to be challenging in large retail situations. I walked into my grocery store, and an employee in produce greeted me with, “Good morning. How are you?” Then about fifteen minutes later, I was over in the frozen foods section, and I saw the same employee again, “Hello. How are you today?” It was if he had never seen me before! This decreased the value of the hello. If you’re going to use it, try to find a little memory technique that tells you that you’ve already greeted that person. When you see that person again, you just smile as you go by. Once you’ve said hello, try really hard to remember that guest is covered. If you rated yourself on the Big 7 of Customer Service as you read, how did you score? Though the steps may seem elementary, start paying attention to places where you feel your service has been lacking, and aim for improvements. I bet that what you find missing falls somewhere in the Big 7, and now you have the resources to fix them! Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
Nobody wants them, yet we all have them—angry customers. It doesn’t matter what position you hold in the office, knowing how to handle the dissatisfied consumer is crucial. Let’s take a look at the twelve steps to dealing with an angry person: 1. Stay Calm. Most of the time it is our front line staff who take the brunt of angry customers. It is instinctive to flee or fight when faced with a tense situation and neither are the right answer. Staffers must train themselves to stay calm. Take slow and deep breaths while concentrating on maintaining eye contact. 2. Stop, look, listen, lean forward, be responsive. If possible, move agitated customers from your counter area to a private room or adjacent hallway. Stop all other activity and concentrate on what the person tells you. Body language is an important tool for showing a customer you are serious about resolving the issue. Nodding, eye contact, and note taking are all excellent modes of silent communication. Most importantly, keep quiet. If you interrupt, the person will assume you are not listening and often feel the need to start over again. Patiently listen to the whole story. When the customer has clearly finished, you may proceed to respond. When it is your turn to speak, begin with agreement. Even if this requires really digging to uncover some common ground, do so. Obviously, you are not going to agree with false statements, but you could reply with: “I’m glad you brought this to our attention. I’d like to help solve this problem.” 3. Accept the anger. Try not to take the demonstration of anger personally. A majority of the time people do not know how to express displeasure pleasantly—I suppose that’s an oxymoron. Some people assume they will get better results with rage than with polite dialog. (By the way, if YOU are ever the angry customer in a place of business, this is a great step to use in your favor. Help the other person by saying in a sincere, pleasant tone: “I know it isn’t your fault, but I’m very upset about this situation and I hope you can help me.” This often works better than berating an innocent team member.) 4. Accept responsibility. Never say: “There’s nothing I can do.” That statement is like gasoline on a campfire. Although it may range from simply gathering facts to solving the problem, there’s ALWAYS something you can do. If you are a member of the team, then all the work done for the customer is a reflection of the overall quality. A few years ago we went to the Milwaukee Zoo over the 4th of July weekend. Nearly all the teenagers working concessions were rude and acted as if their summer was being disrupted. This behavior always upsets me. Our family complained about it to each other most of the time we spent there. When we were leaving, we stopped to buy a soda for the road. The clean-cut boy working the stand was polite and considerate. However, if I had a questionnaire to rate our satisfaction of the staff at the zoo, I would have marked the lowest grade possible, even though a few individuals were doing a great job. Why is that? Because majority rules. If most of the contacts we had were surly, we assume all the workers are the same. A similar principle applies in our office. All-for-one-and-one for-all is the way a successful office should operate. 5. Refer to the proper person. As soon as you have determined the best person to solve their problem, explain it to the customer. Choose your words carefully: “Mr. Smith, the best person to help you with XYZ situation is Melanie our staff member in charge of 123. Let me explain your needs to her and she will be happy to fix this right away.”
6. Ask questions. This step reminds me of the old rule to “gather your facts.” It is a fundamental rule by which we should all live. There is always more to the story. By asking questions you can uncover hidden facts to help you put the puzzle together. Ask questions like:
7. Restate the problem; ask for confirmation. If you have successfully followed the first six steps, you should have a basic understanding of the complaint. Now is the time to summarize the story. Remember to present the recap from the customer’s perspective. In other words, if you know a part of the story is not accurate, you can insert such bridges as “and you feel, Mr. Smith” or “your impression was.” 8. Respond visibly. Be careful to have the right facial expression. The easiest way to achieve this step is to simply nod. Try not to be too defensive even if you’re the cause of the complaint. Avoid being too smiley; serious, professional and focused are the best traits to show. 9. Agree. I’m not asking you to agree with a customer who may be insulting, rude, or wrong. Agreeing in this case means to understand or empathize. A well-known technique for dealing with a complaint is the “Feel, Felt, Found” method. “I understand how you feel, Mr. Smith. I would have felt that way, too. What we have found is that if we (insert solution here), it seems to help.” 10. Develop solutions. This is my favorite step. It is often the turning point in defrosting an angry person. Start tossing out suggestions to solve the problem. If it’s a simple scenario, one solution often suffices. Other times, multiple options are necessary. When faced with a customer who will not respond to any of your suggestions, try this statement: “What can we do to make this situation better?” Occasionally the reply is: “There’s nothing you CAN do!” 11. Exceed expectations. We refer to this as “REPLACE Plus 1.” That means not only do we try to solve the problem, but we add a touch of appreciation with it. Adding a special touch or offer that applies to your industry is a great place to start. This applies when your organization is clearly “in the wrong” and needs to make up for a poor decision or unfortunate situation. 12. Personalize. This can be the turning point when dealing with an extremely irate person. Once, I dealt with a customer in rage. I tried everything to calm him. Aside from just standing there and nodding, I had no ammunition to his verbal abuse. I kept quiet even though I wanted to yell back. Finally, when he appeared to be finished, I started my first sentence with his first name and I said it in a tone like we were old friends. Immediately, he seemed to relax a little. I quickly asked what I could do to make the situation better. He came up with a simple suggestion, one I hadn’t thought of. I agreed that his idea was a great compromise and he seemed satisfied. After enough practice, the steps in dealing with angry customers becomes second nature. Unfortunately, there isn’t a hard and fast rule on how to use the steps. Many times I find myself using step 12 first. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
One day, ensconced in my car on the conveyor belt of an automatic car wash, I noticed the sun play a trick through my windshield. The light refracted exactly right to create an amazing collage of blues, purples, and greens that mixed with the white, soapy bubbles. The image was worthy of a frame. Moments later, as the conveyor belt pulled my car deeper into the concrete tunnel of the wash, the color vanished, replaced with dirty brown water. These two moments represented only snapshots in time, but the impression I had changed in a split second. Your “guest” (customer, client, patient, or patron) has this same experience every time he or she interacts with your team members. We call this a “Guest Encounter” and it is just like the snapshot in time from the car wash. This fleeting encounter impacts the overall guest experience and often dictates the report card you receive after the sale has wrapped. How much attention do you give to improving your encounters? Does your team work to improve the body language, the word choice, and the engagement level needed to ensure your guests feel valued? Remember, customers take ALL encounters into consideration when judging service, not exclusively the frame-worthy snapshot. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us today to make your healthcare event a success! By Laurie Guest
What? You just secret shoppped us?! That was the response I received from the sales associate at The Crystal Bride dress store in Geneva, IL. Her reaction when she discovered I had completed an undercover customer service audit was a mixture of puzzlement, interest, and maybe a hint of concern. For over fifteen years, my company has conducted customer service audits all over the country. What a hoot this job is! Oh, the stories I could tell about bad service, embarrassing comments, and failed sales approaches. Today, I have a WIN to share instead. It all started because of the National Speakers Association annual meeting, which traditionally has one evening as a long-gown affair. I am NOT a person who enjoys dressing up. Shopping for clothes is one of my least favorite activities in this life. Why? Because I am a plus size gal. All the cute dresses in the window never come in my size. If, by luck, they can order one in, the dress will no longer look cute once draped on this body. Keep in mind, I have been to The Crystal Bride many times over the years as an incentive to stick with whatever diet plan I happened to be on that month. I would lovingly touch the crystal-spangled dresses with plunging necklines, then fight back tears when I couldn’t squeeze them on in the dressing room. This year, however, I am happy to brag that I shed 45 pounds, making it possible that at least one dress in the store might work. I resolved to kill two birds with one stone: find a dress to wear to my shindig and secret shop this team at the same time. I arrived at the store with no makeup, flat hair, ugly shorts, and clunky tennis shoes. All of this was done on purpose to see if I would be dismissed as unable to afford the place or disregarded as out of my league. A bad attitude completed my “look” so I could see what the sales associates would do. I grabbed a dress off the discount rack and headed to the dressing room without giving the associates so much as a glance. A few moments later, a friendly associate named Lori arrived at my door and asked if she could help. In my best impatient voice I grumbled, “Well, no one seemed to pay much attention to me so I just showed myself to the room. I only scrounged up one dress that will work for me and I am trying it on.” My attitude did not deter her. Point for Lori. She promptly came back with four dresses, a gigantic smile, and words of encouragement. Before I knew it, I was standing in a beautiful dress that was double my budget, but looked fantastic! It needed an alteration on the sleeves so I shot out another objection, “Well bummer! I leave in four days. Since a holiday falls in the middle of that, I can’t possibly get this altered in time.” POOF! They had a seamstress in front of me marking the hem before I could say “Mastercard”! Get this: when they discovered I didn’t have the right kind of shoes with me for the alterations, another clerk took off HER SHOES for me to borrow so we could get the chalk marks in the right place! Who does that? At this point, I was grinning from ear to ear because a mini-dream had come true. I could buy the pretty dress like every other girl, and I gathered a Guest Encounter story that shows how great customer service is supposed to work. On top of everything else, they brought the owner over to meet me. She was delightful and appreciative of the business. Well done, team! Here is my 6-pack debrief from this encounter:
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