Index
Angrycustomers. See Customers, from hell
Answers to tough customer questions, 127–160
change resistance, 129–131
database information current, keeping, 151
diplomatic answers to peevish questions, 148–155
directing customers to suitable products or services, 150–151
fears, 146–147
interpreting needs and anxieties implicit in customer dquestions, 128–147
introduction, 127–128
maintaining individuals privacy, 148–149
phrases for all occasions, three helpful, 155–156
politics and religion, steering clear of, 154–155
price sensitivity, 131, 132–134, 135–136
recap of, 158
review questions for, 159–160
sensitive business information protecting, 149–150
trust in service provider, lack of, 134, 136–143
twenty things you should never say to a customer, 157
waiting time sensitivity, 144–146
Apology
definition, 233
effective, 187–188
using well placed, 184–188
Appearance, professional, 219–220,221
Appearances, taking pride in. See Tangibles: taking pride in appearances
Assumption versus rules, 61–62
Assurance: building customer trust, 24, 25, 29, 30–31
company knowledge, 29
definition, 233
listening skills, 30
problem-solving skills, 30
product knowledge, 29
style, getting extra points for, 30–31
testing effectiveness of, 42–49
Background questions definition, 233
Benefits, 3–4
Blue rules
definition, 233
exception making to, 65–68
Red rules versus, 62–64, 65, 75
Breaking rules, 61–71
assumption versus rules, 61–62
bending versus, 65
exception making, 65–68
Red rules versus Blue rules, 62–64
Broken promises, fixing, 28–29
Business information, protecting sensitive, 149–150
Change resistance by customers, handling, 129–131
Characteristics. See Serving customers
Closed questions definition, 233
Communicating with customer, 91–125
face-to-face facts, 106–112, 113–115
introduction, 91–92
listening as skill and using it, 92–100
pen to paper or fingers to
keyboard, putting, 120–123
question asking, effective, 100–103, 104
recap of, 124
review questions for, 125
telephone talk tips, 112, 116–120
words and soothing phrases, winning, 103, 104–106
Company knowledge, 29
Competence principle, 222–225, 226–227
building your talent bank, 226–227
self-assessment, 223–225
Confirmation questions definition, 233
Customer jeopardy, 186
Customer service
competency self-assessment, 223–225
ten deadly sins of, 49–51
why it counts, 6
Customer service professionals, benefits for, 3
Customers
answers to tough questions. See Answers to tough customer questions
benefits for, 3
building understanding, 174
communicating with, 91–125
concerns about change, 129
concerns about price, 132
concerns about waiting time, 144
concerns around fear, 147
demanding type, 4–6
dissatisfied, 5
educating, 161–176
fears, 146–147
firing, 204–206
identifying, 11
needs and keeping pace, 128–147
relationships through education, 175
serving, 1–21
things never to say to, 157
trust building. See Assurance: building customer trust
trust issues, 138
ways to make the customer
right, 163
Database information, keeping current without irritating customer, 151
Deadlines setting and meeting, 40, 41
Demanding customers, 4–6
Details and exceptional service, 75–77, 78, 79
Diplomacy issues for service professionals, 148–155
Directing customers to suitable products or services, 150–151
Disabilities, being sensitive to people with, 38
Disruptive behavior, dealing with, 199, 200
Dissatisfied customers, 5
Educating the customer, 161–176
building customer relationships through education, 175
about completing paperwork, 170–171
about information sources, 172–173
introduction to, 161–162
knowledge gaps filling, 169–170
through personal discovery, 174
recap of, 175
review questions for, 176
right and wrong, 162–166
techomysticism, 168–169
about your products, 167–170
E-mail usage, 122–123
Emotional color coding of your responses, 188–189, 191–193
Empathy: seeing things from customer’s point of view, 24, 25, 34–39
commiserate temptation avoidance, 36–37
definition, 233
disabilities, being sensitive to people with, 38
family emergencies, 38–39
parts of empathy statement, 34
sympathy versus, 36
testing effectiveness of, 42–49
Exceptional service, delivering, 16, 18–19
Expectations, common, 27
External customers, 6–10
labels for, 7
Eye contact, 108–109
Face-to-face facts, 106–112, 113–115
appearance, overall, 111
eye contact, 108–109
facial expression, 109
nonverbal behavior dimensions, 107
nonverbal cues, 111–112, 113–115
physical contact, 107
posture, 108
silence, 110–111
smell, 111
vocal characteristics, 109–110
Factors to evaluate service quality. See RATER factors
Fair-fix problems, 193–196
Family emergencies, 38–39
Favors granting, 65–68
Fears of customers, 146–147
Fitness: taking care of you, 209–232
calm, master art of, 210–216
celebrate successes, 225, 227–229
competence principle, 222–225, 226–227
customer sendee competency self-assessment, 223–225
introduction, 209
involvement varies, 217–218
keep it professional, 216–221
office friendships, 218
office parties, 218
office romances, 218–219
professional appearance, 219–220, 221
recap of, 230
review questions for, 231–232
taking care of business, 217
talent bank building, 226–227
who you are versus what you do, 220, 221
Fixing problems. See Problem solving side
Forbidden phrases definition, 233
Good selling is good service and vice versa, 77, 78, 80–84
explaining products and service, 81, 82, 83–84
when selling is not good
service, 80
Honesty, 56–61
customers respect of, 58–59
tall tales catch up with you, 56–57
for yourself, 59
Knock Your Socks Off Service
benefits, 3–4
characteristics, 2
definition, 2
fitness: taking care of you, 209–232
principles of, 23–53
problem-solving side, 177–208
rules of, 55–90
Knowledge gaps, filing, 169–170
Legal jeopardy, 185–186
barriers to effective, 93, 94–98
benefits of, 92
between the lines, 98
daydreaming and, 95
to find the problem, 194
interruptions and, 94–95
noise and, 93–94
stereotypes and, 96–97
technology and, 95–96
trigger words and phrases, 98
Moments of Truth
examples, 12
mastering, 15
Needs and anxieties implicit in customer questions, interpreting, 128–147
fears, 146–147
price sensitivity, 131, 132–134, 135–136
resistance to change, 129–131
trust in service provider, lack of, 134, 136–143
waiting times sensitivity, 144–146
Nonverbal behavior. See Face-to-face facts
Obnoxious customers, approaches to, 197–199, 200, 201–202. See also Customers, from hell
Office friendships, 218
Office parties, 218
Office romances, 218–219
Offstage definition, 234
Onstage definition, 234
Open question definition, 234
Organizational commitments, 26
Organizations, benefits for, 3
Paperwork completion, educating customers about, 170–171
People-fixing techniques, 190
Personal promises, 27–28
Phrases and winning words, soothing, 103–106
helpful for all occasions, 155–156
message behind words, 104, 105, 106
Physical contact, 107
Politics and religion, steering clear of, 154–155
Posture, 108
Power to keep customers coming back, 18
Previewing definition, 234
Price sensitivity by customers, handling, 131, 132–134, 135–136
Principles, 23–53
assurance: building customer trust, 29, 30–31
broken promises, fixing, 28–29
demonstrating value, 32–33
empathy: seeing things from customer’s point of view, 34–39
expectations, common, 27
introduction, 23–24
managing promises, 28
organizational commitments, 26
personal promises, 27–28
quality customer service self-assessment and action plan, 42–49
RATER factors, 24–25
recap of, 52
reliability, 26–29
responsiveness: helping customer promptly, 40–42
review questions for, 53
style, extra points for, 30–31
tangibles: taking pride in
appearances, 31–33
ten deadly sins of customer service, 49–51
Privacy, maintaining individuals, 148–149
Probing questions definition, 234
Problem solving side, 177–208
apology, using well-placed, 184–188
approaches to obnoxious customers, 197–199, 200, 201–202
color-coding your response, 188–189, 191–193
customer jeopardy, 186
customers from hell, 196, 197–206
disruptive behavior handling, 199, 200
fair-fix the problem, 193–196
firing a customer, 204–206
fix the person, 188–193
fixer, be a fantastic, 178–184
introduction to, 177–178
legal jeopardy, 185–186
people-fixing techniques, 190
recap of, 207
recovery process, 179–183, 184
review questions for, 208
scapegoating, 186–187
service recovery, art of, 179
skills for, 30
unreasonable demands, meeting, 203
Product knowledge, 29
Products, educating customers about your, 167–170
Professional appearance, 219–220, 221
Professional behavior, 220
Professional demeanor, 216–221
Promise keeping. See Reliability: keeping the service promise
Questions, answers to tough customer. See Answers to tough customer questions
Questions, asking effective, 100–103, 104
background questions, 100–101
confirmation questions, 102
probing questions, 101–102
when questions go wrong, 102–103
RATER factors, 24–25. See also Assurance; Empathy; Reliability; Responsiveness; Tangibles
definition, 234
examples, 24
testing effectiveness of, 42–49
Red rules
Blue rules versus, 62–64, 65, 75
definition, 234
Reliability: keeping service
common expectations, 27
definition, 234
fixing broken promises, 28–29
managing promises, 28
organizational commitments, 26
personal promises, 27–28
testing effectiveness of, 42–49
Religion and politics, steering clear of, 154–155
Responsiveness: helping customer promptly, 24, 25, 40–42
definition, 234
setting and meeting deadlines, 40, 41
testing effectiveness of, 42–49
when customers must wait, 41–42
Rules, 55–90
assumptions versus, 61–62
bending versus breaking, 65
breaking, 61–71
details and exceptional service, 75–77, 78, 79
doing the right thing regardless, 71–75
1exceptions, making, 65–66
good selling is good service, 77, 78, 80–84
honesty, 56–61
introduction, 55–56
purpose of, 61
recap of, 89
Red rules versus Blue rules, 62–64, 65, 75
review questions for, 90
tall tales catch up with you, 56–57
thank-you sincerity, value of, 84–88
warranty issues response, 68, 69–71, 72
Scapegoating, 186–187
Self-Assessment and Action Plan, quality customer service, 42–49
blank forms, 45–49
sample, 44
Self-assessment for customer service competency, 223–225
Sense of humor as stress reducer, 212
Service recovery
in action example, 182
art of, 179
definition, 234
rules of, 184
Serving customers, 1–21
customers are demanding, 4–5
customers are everywhere, 6–11
delivering exceptional service, 16, 18–19
external customers, 6–10
identifying your customers, 11
internal customers, 7–10
introduction, 1–2
keeping pace with changing customer needs, 16, 17–18
Knock Your Socks Off Service definition, 2
Moments of Truth, 11–15
recap of, 19
relationship between quality of internal and external customer service, 10
review questions for, 20–21
you as the company, 15–16
Silence as communication, 110–111
health break, 216
laugh, 212
let it out, 212
relax, 214
smile, 212
stress log, 212–213
talk positive, 215–216
Style, extra points for, 30–31
Successes, celebrate, 227–229
Symbolic atonement definition, 234
Sympathy
definition, 234
empathy versus, 36
Tall tales catch up with you, 56–57
Tangibles: taking pride in appearances, 24, 25, 31–33
definition, 234
demonstrating value, 32–33
example, 31–32
overall appearance, 111
project professional image, 32
pubic areas maintenance, 32–33
testing effectiveness of, 42–49
write down customer information, 32
Technical Assistance Research Programs Institute (TARP), 161
Telephone talk tips, 112, 116–120
checklist, 116
etiquette review, 112, 116, 118–119
message taking, 119
phrases, winning, 118
putting calls on hold, 118
transferring calls, 119
voice mail, 119–120
Ten deadly sins of customer service, 49–51
Tension relief. See Stress reducers
“Thank-you,” value of sincere, 84–88
forgotten, 86–87
times for, 84–85
ways to say, 86
Timeliness. See Responsiveness: helping customer promptly
Transfer transformation definition, 234
Trust in service provider, customers lack of, 136–143
Unfair advantage, 163, 164, 166
Unreasonable demands, meeting, 203
Vocal characteristics, 109–110
Voice mail, 119–120
Waiting time sensitivity by customers, 144–146
Words and soothing phrases, winning, 103–106
message behind words, 104, 105, 106
Writing (pen to paper or fingers to keyboard), 120–123
e-mail usage, 122–123
letter writing tips, 121
message, your, 120–121
outcome, 123
reader, your, 121–122
reasons to write to customer, 120,121