Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Internal Customer Service

Shep Hyken – customer service motivational speaker, author, trainer, and expert – points out another customer you have- the internal customer! In one of his Shepard Letters, his monthly newsletter, Shep explains how internal (and external, of course) customer service comes from the very top and filters through everyone in the company.
It has been my good fortune to have been hired to speak to hundreds of clients with many, many different types of audiences. Most of these clients understand that customer service is not a department you call when you have a complaint. It is a philosophy. Customer service throughout an entire organization is the way of the future.

Still, many people believe that customer service training is only for front line personnel. And these people seem to only want to train the sales people, and of course, that “customer service department.”

Service must be a total commitment not just for the front line, but for every employee of any business, from the mail room attendant to the janitor to the president to the CEO. Everyone has a customer. If it is not the outside customer, then it is the internal customer.

Internal Customers

So who is an internal customer? A simple definition of an internal customer is anyone within an organization who at any time is dependent on anyone else within the organization.

The internal customer may be a situational customer. This person may not always be the internal customer. They might be depending on someone inside the company at a specific time for a specific reason, maybe once a week or even once a year.

An example of an internal customer may be someone in the payroll department. Let’s say this payroll person is dependent on managers from various departments to call in the employee payroll on time. If a manager is late or doesn’t report payroll properly, then the payroll person can’t do his or her job, which is getting payroll checks out on time. The manager failed his or her internal customer.

This internal customer can be someone you work for as well as someone who works for you. At first you might think that because she works for me that I would always be her internal customer. After all, I’m the boss! WRONG! Of course I am dependent on her to help me with my responsibilities, but she is just as dependent on me to get her the right information and training so that she can do the best job possible. It goes both ways.

From The Top Down

The concept is sound and strong. Customer service has to be a total company effort. It just can’t be the front line who deals with the outside customers, the ones that buy our products and services. The front line needs the support of everyone within the organization.

The traditional structure of a company has the CEO or President at the top with layers of management underneath, ending with the front line employee who deals directly with the outside customer.

Imagine a triangle or pyramid. The CEO is at the top - at the point. At the bottom, at the base of the pyramid, are the front line employees. The chain of command flows down. The responsibility to each level of management and every employee flows down. This is very traditional.

In the 1980’s along came Jan Carlzon, the former president of Scandinavian Airlines with his best selling business book, Moments of Truth. In his book, he turned the pyramid upside down. He emphasized the importance in dealing with the outside customer. He said that rather than the lower level employees serving the higher levels, it should be at least a two way street, if not opposite. He flip/flopped the pyramid and put the customers at the top and the upper management, including the CEO and president, at the bottom.

This is the root of internal service. It is the understanding that everybody supports everybody else in the organization.

A company who has an excellent service reputation didn’t get it without everyone in the company being a part of the service strategy. Someone once said that if you are not working directly with the outside customer, you are probably working with someone who is. Everyone within your organization has an affect on the outside customer.

Starting an internal service program is simple. Virtually every technique you have read or learned about general customer service applies to the internal customer as well. Small changes in basic terminology will need to be made. Companies that practice outstanding customer service find it is easier to attract and keep customers. Companies that practice outstanding internal service find it easier to attract and keep good employees. Employees who practice outstanding internal service find it easier to keep and enhance their careers.

So, take care of your internal customers and create MOMENTS OF MAGIC!


Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a professional speaker and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (http://www.TheCustomerFocus.com).

Copyright © 2010, Shep Hyken -- http://www.hyken.com-- (314)692-2200

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

What To Do When You Can’t Say Yes


Shep Hyken – customer service motivational speaker, author, trainer, and expert – knows that saying “no” is usually bad for customer service. In one of his Shepard Letters, his monthly newsletter, Shep explains six situations with customers that could be turned around and help you avoid saying “NO!”
One of the most negative situations one can create with a customer is to say “no.” In general, people hate to be told “no.” It starts when we are little kids and our parents constantly scream “NO!” at us. But sometimes saying “no” is unavoidable. In Karen Leland & Keith Bailey’s excellent book, Customer Service for Dummies, they cover a number of reasons you would have to say “no.” Let’s cover some major reasons why we would have to say “no,” and what we can or cannot do about them.

It is the law
Sometimes you are asked to do something and agreeing to do it would break a law. This one is simple. Most customers should be comfortable with the reason.

It is company policy
I hate being told someone can’t do something because of “company policy.” One Saturday evening my wife and I ventured to a restaurant known for great food at reasonable prices. I decided to try the pork special, which included potatoes and vegetables. I asked what the vegetables were. The waitress told me string beans and corn. Well, I love corn, but hate string beans, and I asked if I could have extra corn instead of the string beans. The waitress said they do not substitute. So, I asked her just to leave the string beans off. She told me she couldn’t do that either. I asked why. She said it was their policy. I told her that at McDonalds if I don’t want a pickle, they leave off the pickle. She looked at me like I was nuts! The dinner came with the string beans and we never went back.

We are out of it
A company can be out of a part. The book store can be out of a best selling book. A movie theater can be sold out of seats. It is all the same. You have to tell the customer you don’t have any more. So, what do we do? Let’s take a lesson from Nordstrom’s. Legend has it that a customer wanted something that Nordstrom’s was out of. The employee asked the customer to come back in fifteen minutes. Meanwhile the employee ran to another store in the mall, paid retail for the item and brought it back to Nordstrom’s where it was sold to the customer as if Nordstrom’s had the item all along. Great solution when you can do it, but sometimes it is not that easy. One of my retail clients will actually send the customer to the competition, but not before they call the store and have it held in their customers name. Most of the time the customers are appreciative, seeing that the store is more interested in taking care of the customer than making sale. In the long term, the store gains the customer’s loyalty and trust. Sometimes you just have to resort to telling the customer when the item will be back in stock. Just make sure you honor your promise. If you say it will be in next Tuesday, it had better be in.

It just can’t be done
Sometimes a customer wants something that just can’t be done or is impossible to get. It is that simple. Your goal should be to educate the customer why you can’t get them what they want. However, if you are really good, you could try to help find it somewhere else, or maybe find a replacement.

Yes isn’t good enough
Sometimes giving the customer what he/she wants doesn’t ensure the customer will be happy with you. I remember pulling into a parking lot which had some open spaces I could see from the street only to be told they were full. I argued that I saw open spots. The attendant argued that there weren’t any. He refused to look, even though I told them exactly where they were. After five minutes of arguing, he finally agreed to look. Sure enough he saw the spaces I had seen from the street. He angrily waved me in. Even though I got my parking space, I was mad. He “gave in,” but he did it too late.

Saying “no” isn’t so bad
No, might not be so bad. One day I went into one of my favorite places, Baskin Robbins, the well known ice cream parlor. I was excited to order my favorite flavor, Quarterback Crunch. To my disappointment, they were out of that flavor. The girl dishing out the ice cream told me what her favorite flavor was and asked if I wanted to try it. I did and guess what? I now have a new favorite flavor! Substitution is a viable alternative to many situations. Sometimes it may be obvious, while other times you may have to take a creative approach. With the right attitude, you may find that saying “no” is an opportunity to show how good you are.

So the next time you are forced to say “no” to a customer or client, think of the above. Delivering great service and creating Moments of Magic have always included common sense thinking and flexibility.


Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a professional speaker and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (http://www.TheCustomerFocus.com).

Copyright © 2010, Shep Hyken -- http://www.hyken.com-- (314)692-2200

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Enthusiasm- It’s Contagious!

Shep Hyken – customer service motivational speaker, author, trainer, and expert – knows how to be enthusiastic. In one of his Shepard Letters, his monthly newsletter, Shep sheds light on a little secret-- enthusiasm is contagious.
Who would you rather be with at work? Someone who hates what they are doing, or someone who loves what they are doing?

The answer is obvious. People who love what they do seem to have a charisma or enthusiasm about them. Their attitudes are contagious, and for obvious reasons, they are simply more enjoyable to be around.

Remember different teachers you might have had in high school or college? I remember teachers that lectured - or should I say read from notes or a manuscript - to their classes. They never even looked up at their students. I also remember teachers who spoke from their hearts. They encouraged questions and classroom participation. They weren’t necessarily funny, but somehow their classes were fun and exciting to be in.

What’s the difference between the two? Well, part of the answer is enthusiasm. One teacher is simply doing the job, just going through the motions. The other teacher is immersed in his or her job, involved with the students and creating a learning experience. The first teachers educate the students by lecturing. All information is going one way, from teacher to student. Either the student gets it or doesn’t. They try to take notes and listen, with every attempt not to fall asleep. The other teachers are encouraging two way learning. They interact and communicate with students.

Isn’t it almost the same in the working environment? Some people just work for their paycheck. Others work for their company and personal fulfillment.

Who Are You Working For?


This reminds me of a story that I first heard Zig Ziglar tell at one of his seminars. There were some employees of a major railroad company standing around the tracks. A large limousine pulls up to the workers and out steps a well dressed man, the president of the railroad company. The president walks up to one of the workers and says, “Hello Bob, how are you?” Bob says, “I’m doing great, Gene. Thanks for asking.”

When the president of the company walked away, the workers were impressed with Bob and asked him how he knew the president of the company on a first name basis. Bob told them that twenty years ago they started working together.

The workers asked Bob, “How come he’s president and you still work out here in the yard?”

Bob replied, “Twenty years ago when we started together, I went to work for the paycheck. Gene went to work for the railroad company.”

Gene obviously loved what he did and managed to work his way up to becoming president of the company. He didn’t get there by not caring or not having a passion for what he did. To get to the top where Gene started took a lot of hard work and enthusiasm in his job and his life.

Enthusiastic people tend to be more successful. And people like to be around enthusiastic people. If you can’t get excited about what you do and what you and your company sell, then you won’t get anyone around you excited either.

Where Is Your Passion?


It is also important to understand that enthusiasm doesn’t mean you have to be physically excited about what you do. A friend of mine is a speaker. Technically speaking, he is a terrible speaker. He stands behind the lectern and speaks to the audience in a dull and monotone voice. When he starts a program his audience members immediately look at their watches to see when the next break will be.

What makes him different from the teachers we talked about above is that he really does have enthusiasm; he is just not capable of physically showing it. After just a few minutes the audience starts to pick up on it, and within fifteen to twenty minutes they are sitting on the edge of their seats, soaking up his information.

Every once in a while there is a twinkle in his eye. You can tell he loves what he is talking about. He is just not a good speaker. And, that is okay. The audience accepts that, and picks up on his passion for the subject on which he is presenting. While not physically evident, he does have the enthusiasm that it takes to get others excited.

Enthusiasm is contagious. And, a fellow professional speaker, Danny Cox, says that if enthusiasm is contagious, and what you have is not enthusiasm, that is also contagious!

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a professional speaker and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (http://www.TheCustomerFocus.com).

Copyright © 2010, Shep Hyken -- http://www.hyken.com-- (314)692-2200

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Five Levels of Service: How Do You Get to the Top?

Shep Hyken – customer service motivational speaker, author, trainer, and expert – lists the five levels of service in one of his Shepard Letters, his monthly newsletter, and proposes questions to ask yourself to improve your current service level.
Recently I was asked to rate and compare a number of companies on their level of service. As I started the comparison, I thought a scale of 1-5 would be a good way of doing it. (One is bad and five is excellent.) Then creativity kicked in. Why rate them by numbers when you can assign a descriptive name. So, I came up with the “Five Levels of Service.”

1. Unacceptable – This is bad service at any level. Call it poor, terrible, less than stellar –bottom line is it is unacceptable for any reason.

2. Basic – commodity and minimum standards.

3. Good – your customers identify your service as “satisfactory.”

4. World Class – This is a big jump from good. It is beyond satisfactory. Customers think of your company as great. You create value. Customers compare you with others in your industry.

5. Trademark – Others are compared to you. You are the industry benchmark for great service.

So take a self-assessment. Each of the following questions is a two-part question. One answer is on a company level and the other is on a personal level. If you do not personally deal with outside customers, take a look at how you service your internal customer. The questions are:

1. What level of service does your company and you, as an individual, provide for your customers and clients?

2. How would you describe yourself based on the above descriptive levels of service?

3. What companies inside of your industry could be assigned to each of these levels of service?

4. What companies outside of your industry could you assign to each of these levels of service?

5. What do the companies who have “World Class” and “Trademark” (both inside and outside of your industry) do that you could emulate?

6. If you are not already at the “Trademark” level – and very few companies are – what would it take to get you a step closer, or even all of the way there?

The above questions could make for some great discussions. To close this article, here a few summarizing points:

Recognize that service is a process. It is ongoing. You and your company should always be striving to improve, even if you are already at the “Trademark” level.

While some people have taken service to a scientific level with measurements, testing, etc., the basics are common sense. It is about people thinking about taking care of people.

No matter how good you and your company rate in the “Five Levels of Service,” everyone needs to be continuously trained, reminded and coached. Remember, the quest for “Trademark” service is a process – a never-ending journey!

Ending with an appropriate quote…

"Great service is not the end – the final answer. It is a process that is on-going, ever changing and is always being adapted to meet the needs of the current situation.”
-- Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a professional speaker and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web: www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (http://www.TheCustomerFocus.com).

Copyright © 2010, Shep Hyken -- http://www.hyken.com-- (314)692-2200