Customer Service and Experience Expert | Keynote Speaker | NYT Bestselling Author | Shep helps companies deliver AMAZING customer service experiences!
St. Louis, MO
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The customer is not always right. (They really aren’t.) But, they are always the customer. So treat them with dignity & respect.
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If we consistently exceed the expectations of employees, they will consistently exceed the expectations of our customers.
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What Lady Gaga Can Teach You About Creating A Following ow.ly/ADptj via @FastCompany
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It's this simple: customers will pay for convenience. And they will choose to do more business with the people and companies that make their lives more convenient!
The Convenience Revolution is here: buff.ly/2IkbxEI
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I’ve said this before, and it bears repeating: The greatest technology in the world hasn’t replaced the ultimate relationship-building tool between a customer and a business—the human touch.
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Customer service shouldn’t cost. It should pay. I’ve always believed that a Customer Support Department should be renamed as the Revenue Generation Department. If the agents handle the customer well, they will come back, spend more, etc.
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My dad taught me 1 of the most disrespectful things you can do to anyone (esp. a customer) is to be late. If you say you’ll be somewhere or will call someone back at a certain time, do it. It's basically saying your time's more important than theirs, which is very disrespectful.
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The best customer service is invisible. It just happens. The customer doesn’t have to ask for it. It just gets done the way it’s supposed to. What does get done isn’t always noticed, and shouldn’t be. Invisible service means it happens without you ever seeing it.
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It always surprises me when companies make better offers to new customers than to their existing, long-term customers. Is that any way to reward your loyal customers? Focus on customers & the money follows. Focus on the money & you have a marketing program, not a loyalty program.
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Unhappy employees have a negative impact on customers, and the opposite is true. Employees treated right will treat customers right. A good customer service strategy starts on the inside of a company with employees.
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Are you confident enough to recommend your competition? In the right situation, it is simply good customer service.
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Your employees come first. And if you treat your employees right, guess what? Your customers come back, and that makes your shareholders happy. Start with employees and the rest follows from that.
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The customer is NOT always right! But they are always the customer. Whenever they are wrong, let them be wrong with dignity and respect.
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Some people claim that customer service is getting worse. I disagree. Customers are getting smarter and expecting more. The customer service “bar” is raised by great companies who teach us what good customer service should be.
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I’m always frustrated when I call a customer support number that I’ve called in the past and have to retell my story. The same goes for when I’m transferred to another person. There is no reason for this.
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My 5-step service recovery process to handle all complaints & problems:
1) Acknowledge the problem & thank the customer for bringing it to your attention
2) Apologize for the problem
3) Fix it or discuss the resolution
4) Have an attitude of ownership
5) Act with urgency
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Call me old fashioned, but a traditional hand-written thank you note still has power. Of course, you can consider an email or text. But which do you think has more impact? For those who think this is a rhetorical question, here’s the answer: the old-fashioned hand-written note.
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Too many companies don’t think enough about the internal customer. It’s this simple: Treat employees the way you want your customer treated – maybe even better. What’s happening on the inside is being felt on the outside by the customer.
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My opinion of many “loyalty programs” is that they are not loyalty programs. They are marketing programs. There’s a difference. Points or rewards programs can be copied by competitors. True loyalty is driven by empathy and emotional engagement.
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Your company is no longer being compared to just your competition. Your customers compare you to the great service they had at the restaurant they ate at last night – or any other company inside or outside of your industry that provided them with a good #CX
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I’m amazed at how certain companies put their employees in customer-facing positions without the proper training. While some companies complain about the high cost of training, what is the cost of losing a customer because you didn’t spend the time or money to properly train?
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The handwritten thank you note will never lose relevance. As a matter of fact, it may be more relevant than ever. A good old-fashioned thank you note will make you stand out. #ThankYou
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Just because a customer doesn’t complain, doesn’t mean he or she is happy. If they are unhappy, and they are silent about it, they may just disappear.
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Customer service is the new marketing. More & more companies realize that their word-of-mouth reputation is strengthened when they deliver an amazing customer experience.
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It always surprises me when companies make better offers to new customers than to their existing, long-term customers. Is that any way to reward your loyal customers? Focus on customers & the money follows. Focus on the money & you have a marketing program, not a loyalty program.
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Get back to the basics of customer service. Be polite and say please and thank you. Speaking of basics, use the customer’s name. It helps with building rapport.
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The term “omnichannel” is really about a customer being able to connect w/ a company through any means they desire. Just know that the customer probably has never heard the word “omnichannel” before. All they care about is an easy way to get to the company they do business with.
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Employee engagement is real. And, it impacts the bottom line & customer experience. Many companies have proven that if you treat the employees well, they will return the favor by treating your customers well.
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Train employees to make good decisions, and if they make a bad judgement call, use it as a training opportunity. With the right training & management, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll create an empowered workforce.
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Some people claim that customer service is getting worse. I disagree. Customers are getting smarter and expecting more. The customer service “bar” is raised by great companies who teach us what good customer service should be.
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Receiving a complaint from a customer doesn’t mean it’s time to turn on your employees. It’s the time to sit down & find out why it happened. Here’s the interesting part. It’s usually not the employee’s fault. And it’s not the customer’s fault either. Most often it’s the process.
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I’ve always believed that the customer is NOT always right. But, they are always the customer. So, let them be wrong with dignity and respect.
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Don’t just take care of the customer. Help the customer. Don’t just be good “to” the customer. Be good “for” the customer. Show value, create an experience and always strive to exceed their expectations.
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Customer service is not just on the front line. It starts inside an organization, & it starts at the top. Be an example of the behavior you want employees to exhibit to their customers & their fellow employees.
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Customer service is more than just customer service. It’s our brand promise. It’s our best advertisement (when people talk about us). It’s our best marketing!
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The difference between a satisfied customer & a loyal customer is an emotional connection. While satisfaction is a rating, loyalty is an emotion. And, who doesn’t want loyal – or fanatically loyal – customers!
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Many customers go social with their complaint because they couldn’t get the result they were looking for on another customer support channel. So, they're already angry when they make their post. It only worsens when companies are slow to respond.
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Too many companies don’t think enough about the internal customer. It’s this simple: Treat employees the way you want your customer treated – maybe even better. What’s happening on the inside is being felt on the outside by the customer.
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People think customer loyalty is about a lifetime. It isn’t. Customer Loyalty is about the next time – every time.
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When employees are treated the right way, they treat the customers the right way. The concept of internal customer service is important, yet it is often overlooked as part of the customer service and experience strategy.
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Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy to be embraced by every employee – from the CEO to the most recently hired.
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“Peoplize” your business. People do business with people. Make it personal. Customers should want to do business with you because of you and your employees. Make your customers “feel at home.”
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Some people accuse successful people of being lucky. It's not about luck or being in the right place at the right time. It's usually about being prepared & anticipating where to be. It's about having an open mind, a willingness to accept a new idea.
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Customers want to know that you'll always be quick to respond, always be friendly, always be helpful & always be knowledgeable. And, if there's a problem, they want to know you'll always take care of them. That word, always, followed by something positive, is what customers want.
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Acknowledge any problem immediately. Apologize for it. Tell us how it will be fixed. And do it fast. And through it all, communicate! Keep the customers in the know!
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If you’re not customer-focused, it’s time. And even if you are, you must recognize the way your customers are thinking. Customers no longer compare you to just your direct competitors. Instead, they compare you to the best service they have ever received – from any company.
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Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy to be embraced by every employee – from the CEO to the most recently hired.
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Don’t air your dirty laundry in public. You may not like the company you work for, but you should still be respectful. They are paying you to do a job, so do it well and represent the company to the best of your abilities.
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One of the best ways to create great customer service is to hire the right people, train them and… let them do their job! Trust & empower them to deliver the customer service that makes customers want to come back.
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The way a customer is treated should have nothing to do with how much they spend or how often they buy. All customers should be all be treated with dignity, respect and the attention any human deserves.
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Customers don’t want to be put on hold. They don’t want to wait in line. They don’t want to have to explain the same issue multiple times to multiple team members. They want a straight answer, NOW. #businesstips
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Nice people do a number of things:
They're respectful of others.
They do what they say they are going to do. You can count on them.
They show up on time, respecting the time of others.
They are polite. They say, please & thank you.
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Customer service is not a department. It’s a philosophy to be embraced by every member of an organization, from the CEO to the most recently hired.
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Don’t just take care of the customer. Help the customer. Don’t just be good “to” the customer. Be good “for” the customer. Show value, create an experience and always strive to exceed their expectations.
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Customers don’t compare you only to your direct competition anymore. Customers now compare you to the best service they have received from anyone, regardless of the type of business or industry.
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Don’t ever forget to say thank you. It can be in person, on a phone call, in an email, or even a thank you note. Note: Thank you notes are more appreciated than any other expression of thanks.
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Each time a customer walks through your doors it’s a new chance to prove they made the right decision to do business with you.
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Customer service is not a department. It’s a philosophy to be embraced by every member of an organization, from the CEO to the most recently hired.
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Showing up late—to anything—is a sign of disrespect toward others. It’s more than showing up late—it’s about making other people wait. It sends the signal, true or not, that you think your time is more important than that of the others you meet with.
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Trust is a big part of the customer experience. Regardless of how good a product or price is, if customers can’t trust the company they are doing business with, they move on.
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New on @Forbes: AI: The #Technology Penicillin Of The 21st Century buff.ly/2SbkiWq #IBMThink2019 #leadership #CustomerExperience
“Data is the basis for the competitive advantage.” Ginni Rometty, @IBM
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Senior management must not expect employees to do anything they themselves haven’t done and are ready to do again if necessary. For example, if the CEO is not willing to take a call from a customer on the toll-free line, there’s a problem.
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Loyalty is about creating value, building a strong relationship, developing trust, having an understanding of their business, knowing the customers wants & needs, making them feel special, letting them know you appreciate them – and much more.
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We spend so much time focused on creating loyal customers, but how about loyal employees? Loyal and engaged employees are more productive and more customer-focused (and more).
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Being a minute or two early, & in some cases 15 minutes early, is really more than just being on time. It shows dependability. It creates confidence. And be it for a personal meeting or something work related, it’s simply the right thing to do.
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Customers aren’t just comparing you to your competitors anymore. They are comparing you to the best service they have ever received – from any company they do business with.
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If someone asked me, “What are the basics of customer service?” my response would be, “Be nice. Show respect. Say please and thank you. Do what you say you will do.”
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Unhappy employees have a negative impact on customers, and the opposite is true. Employees treated right will treat customers right. A good customer service strategy starts on the inside of a company with employees.
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Everyone wants customer feedback. Or, do they? Too many companies ask for #feedback & then don’t do anything with it. And, how about employee feedback? All the feedback you get should be embraced as an opportunity to improve. And that includes improving your bottom line.
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People think customer loyalty is about a lifetime. It isn’t. Customer Loyalty is about the next time – every time.
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How cool would it be for the boss to send a letter about an employee’s contribution to a project – or just how good they are at work – to the employee’s spouse or partner? This would be a tremendous surprise and create a sense of inclusion and family. #leadership
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Don’t ever forget to say thank you. It can be in person, on a phone call, in an email, or even a thank you note. Note: Thank you notes are more appreciated than any other expression of thanks.
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Congratulations to John Pope of @GetJive who was ranked #6 among the list of Best CEO's along with companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn & Microsoft. buff.ly/2BvpXzg via @USATODAY
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Don’t confuse customer service with customer experience. While customer service is a very important part of the overall experience, don’t forget that it is just a part of it. Don’t confuse the two, and make sure you focus on both.
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Happy employees are engaged employees. At least that’s a common belief, & I won’t argue with it. What’s happening on inside of an organization is felt on the outside by the customers. Taking care of employees is crucial to the success of a customer service & experience strategy.
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Congrats to Jive Communications who's recognized by @Frost_Sullivan as a Customer Service Leader for Its Commitment to Delivering Compelling UCaaS Solutions! buff.ly/2A9UcyE @GetJive
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If you have good people who have been properly trained, let them do their job. This is called empowerment. The best experiences happen when employees can make decisions and take care of customers without having to ask permission at every step along the way.
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When you treat employees like rock stars, they will treat your customers like rock stars. That is what employee engagement is all about. Great leaders have preached that when you treat your employees well, they treat their customers – and fellow employees well.
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People no longer compare you just to your direct competitors. They compare you to the positive experiences they’ve had with companies in any industry!
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Every employee who comes into contact with a customer must recognize that in addition to the job they were hired to do, they are also there to create confidence.
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Without happy employees, you aren’t going to have engaged employees. And, a lack of engagement has a direct impact on the customer experience.
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Even if you are off duty, to a customer you may still be on duty. If it's obvious (a uniform, sign on the side of your truck, etc.) that you work for a company, you must continue to represent the company you work for in a way that promotes a positive impression.
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Customer service isn’t a department. It’s a philosophy. It should be embraced by everyone, from the CEO to the most recently hired.
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The customer is not your therapist. It doesn’t matter how bad your day is, don’t burden him or her with your problems. Your job is to take care of the customer, regardless of how you feel.
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There's a big difference between satisfied customers & loyal customers. Satisfied customers may or may not come back. Loyal customers are emotionally tied to the company because of the positive & inclusive way they are treated.
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Don’t confuse customer service with customer experience. While customer service is a very important part of the overall experience, don’t forget that it is just a part of it. Don’t confuse the two, and make sure you focus on both.
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Some people claim that customer service is getting worse. I disagree. Customers are getting smarter and expecting more. The customer service “bar” is raised by great companies who teach us what good customer service should be.
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One of the nicest expressions of appreciation to a customer is giving them a little extra time. Sometimes it’s time on the phone to explain something. Sometimes it’s spending a few minutes building rapport and a better relationship.
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To be successful, customer service cannot simply be delegated to the front-line employees. Leaders have to be role models for the employees to follow, and all employees must provide good service, whether they are interacting with internal or external customers.
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Just because a customer doesn’t complain, doesn’t mean he or she is happy. If they are unhappy, and they are silent about it, they may just disappear.
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Training should be ongoing – not a one-time thing. Training isn’t something you did. It’s something you do. It doesn’t always have to be a big training session. If you have a weekly meeting, take several minutes to highlight customer service and share a tip.
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I believe that what’s happening on the inside of a company is felt on the outside by the customer. Just as a company wants to keep their best customers, there also needs to be a focus on what you do to keep employees.
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Even if the employees love what they do, that doesn’t mean they will love working for you or your company. Be sure the environment is positive & the leadership shows appreciation. Appreciation is so very important in employee fulfillment.
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