Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2017 42 John Tschohl Customer Service RO T he Golden Rule of Efficiency is based on a moral message—to do what we can do to the best advantage of ourselves and others. Reducing it even further, "efficiency," is expressed by one word: Service. Service on behalf of high ideals. • Does your company measure up? Being responsive and engaging has never been more critical, especially for a small business where the loss of a customer could be substantial. Have consumers been writing about your customer service on social media sites? Keep in mind, there are now 7.2 billion people on the planet and of those the following numbers make interesting reading: — Almost 2.1 billion people have social media accounts — 3.65 billion mobile users have access to the internet via smartphones and tablets — Close to 1.7 billion people have active social media accounts • Are comments positive or negative? Consumers complain about brands 879 million times a year on social media sites. What's worse is brands aren't responding. Seven in eight messages to brands go unanswered within 72 hours. Now that's a shame. A missed opportunity to be proactive and use customer complaints to turn a complaining customer into a loyal customer. — After a positive customer service experience, 69% of Americans would recommend your company to others — 75% of customers believe it takes too long to reach a live agent, [Harris Interactive, Customer Experience Impact Report] you need to show them that you aren't a machine • Word-of-mouth can be a powerful form of advertising. Verbal buzz on social media about your business or product passed from one reliable person to the next is still the most cost-effective way to build a loyal following, expand your business, and reach new customers. How does it start? Give them an amazing customer experience and encourage your customers to think of themselves as partners in your business. Like I've said before, the organization chart at your business should show the customer at the top. • Word of mouth is instrumental in driving your company's success. The average person trusts online referrals from strangers much more than they trust your organization's advertising message. How your customers feel about you and what they are prepared to tell others about you can influence your revenues and profits. A study found that 92% of consumers around the world now say they trust word-of-mouth or recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising. It's worth repeating… people trust the opinions of friends and family more than any ad campaign you can put together. — Repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers — Referrals among repeat customers are 107% greater • Marketing brings a customer in; customer service keeps them coming back. In a thriving business customers are not optional it's a requirement for businesses to survive. Your customer service strategy must focus on delivering processes, experiences, and intangibles to customers rather than physical goods and transactions. It involves integrating a focus on the customer throughout the firm and across all functions starting with social media. Social media is a normal and central form of communications. The increasing use of social media demonstrates to people the power they have as individuals to make a huge difference. Social media and text messaging create opportunities for individual involvement that feel personal. Personal involvement encourages participation; participation creates ownership; ownership creates loyalty. Smart social media in your "Service Strategy" matters. THE GOLDEN RULE OF EFFICIENCY "He who would profit most, must serve best" John Tschohl—described by Time and Entrepreneur magazines as a customer service guru and service strategist—is founder and president of the Service Quality Institute , which has developed more than 26 customer service training programs. John has authored several books on customer service , including Moving Up, and has just released the 10th edition of Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service. John@servicequality.com or www.customer-service.com.

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