Contents
Customers Are Everywhere—Inside and Out
Relationship between Quality of Internal and External Customer Service
To the Customer, You Are the Company
Keeping Pace with Changing Customer Needs
Delivering Exceptional Service
The Power to Keep Customers Coming Back
2 Principles of Knock Your Socks Off Service
Reliability: Keeping the Service Promise
Assurance: Building Customer Trust
Tangibles: Taking Pride in Appearances
Empathy: Seeing Things from the Customer’s Point of View
Avoiding the Temptation to Commiserate
Treating Customers as Individuals
Responsiveness: Helping the Customer Promptly
Quality Customer Service Self-Assessment and Action Plan
The Ten Deadly Sins of Customer Service
3 The Rules of Knock Your Socks Off Service
All Rules Were Meant to Be Broken (Including This One)
Breaking vs. Bending the Rules
Do the Right Thing … Regardless
Is the Right Thing Ever Wrong?
Exceptional Service Is in the Details
Good Selling Is Good Service—Good Service Is Good Selling
When Selling Is Not Good Service
Explaining Products and Services
Never Underestimate the Value of a Sincere Thank-You
Nine Times When You Should Thank Customers
Five Often Forgotten Thank-You’s
4 Communicating with the Customer
Good Listeners Are Made, Not Born
Barriers to Effective Listening
Winning Words and Soothing Phrases
Telephone Etiquette: A Quick Review
Putting Pen to Paper or Fingers to Keyboard
Using E-mail for Knock Your Socks Off Service
5 Smart Answers to Tough Customer Questions
Interpreting Needs and Anxieties Implicit in Customer Questions
Lack of Trust in the Service Provider
Fears—Well-Founded and Not-So-Well Founded
Diplomatic Answers to Peevish Questions
Maintaining an Individual’s Privacy
Protecting Sensitive Business Information
Directing Customers to Suitable Products or Services
Keeping Database Information Current without Irritating the Customer
Steering Clear of Politics and Religion
Three Helpful Phrases for All Occasions
Helpful Phrase #1: “As You Might Expect”
Helpful Phrase #2: “… For You”
Helpful Phrase #3: “This Account Shows” or “Our Records Indicate”
Twenty Things You Should Never Say to a Customer
Three Ways to Make Customers Right
Educating Customers about Your Services
Educating Customers about Your Products
Educate about Completing Paperwork
Educate about Information Sources
Educate through Personal Discovery
Building Customer Understanding
Building Customer Relationships through Education
7 The Problem Solving Side of Knock Your Socks Off Service
Use the Well-Placed “I’m Sorry”
Step 1: LISTEN to Find the Problem
Step 2: PROBE for Understanding and Confirmation
Step 3: SOLVE—Find and Implement Solutions One Extra Step
Customers from Hell Are Customers, Too
Approaches to Obnoxious Customers
Dealing with Disruptive Behavior
8 Knock Your Socks Off Service Fitness: Taking Care of You