They didn’t listen to a single word I said.

Nothing from them ever arrives on time.

It’s so hard to deal with them; I can never talk to a real person.

Providing great customer service is not only critical in today’s connected world it is mandatory.  A Customer Experience Impact Report conducted by Oracle showed that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience.  Great customer service adds real value to your bottom line.  When dealing with customers, remember:

Every interaction matters.  Every. Single. One. It’s late.  You’re tired, it feels like nothing has gone right all day.  The phone rings again.  Stop. Breathe.  Take a moment to remember that every interaction matters.

Customer service screw-ups aren’t the end, they’re the opportunity.  You can turn unhappy customers into happy ones by practicing the Disney Institute’s H.E.A.R.D method.  Try it, it works.

Give people the benefit of the doubt.  We all have bad days and sometimes we take frustrations out on people when we don’t mean to.  Be patient.

There are things more important than speed.  A Gallup survey measured speedy transactions compared to empathetic transactions in a bank.  People who received courteous and willing help were nine times happier than those who merely received fast service without the personal touch.

Make things easy.  Always be thinking about how to make life easier for your customers.  A Harvard Business Review survey showed that loyalty is based on reducing customer effort.

If you want to treat your customers well, treat your employees well.  Researchers have discovered that improving employee satisfaction nearly doubles the customer’s willingness to purchase from you again.

How you want to be treated when you are the customer?   Comic Jerry Seinfeld shows how frustrating bad customer service can be!

The road is easier together,
Linda