CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS TO PRODUCE A RESULT

Good customer service is really a Win/Win for both parties.  As you say, both parties are happy.  Personally, I like happy.

There is no substitute for good customer service. The problem lay in two places; agents who don't deliver and clients who don't know what good service really is. 

This is what is called  the exact definition of service. Thanks for the integrity, my friend. :)

Love and light,

Laura

Richie, i like the blog, but beyond that, i must say you are a class act.

And Jennifer spamo, i do hope your motherboard fails.

Richie back to you, I hope you have your best year ever. I think you deserve it.

No one is perfect least of all me. Sorry doesn't make it most of the time. Exceeding expectations is where it is at.

Congratulations on the featured post. Good customer service is important in our business which is based on referrals.

We are in the business of customer service-people focused, people focused

Results is what matters.  I don't want excuses or apologies.  Good post.

Richie,

Thanks for touching on a subject which receives far too little attention these days. I was taught by an "experienced" salesman some years ago - "You only borrow the business, you don't own it". Good words to keep in the back of our minds as we go about our business. What I am about to repeat was broadcast on a radio program many years ago.

How does as salesman successfully handle complaints? Step one: ask the customer to reiterate the problem, complaint, issue etc. in detail. Step two: Ask the customer specifically, how he or she would like the situation resolved (you may not be able to deliver what the customer asks - but don't interrupt). Note: While it is important for you to listen to the customers request, it's extremely important that he or she be given an uninterrupted opportunity to express themselves. Giving your customer the time to adequately "vent" can't be overemphasized. Step three: If you have the authority, state with some detail "here's what I can do" to rectify the situation, if not, state that you will respond back in timely fashion with the options available to resolve the situation.

Most people, when filing a complaint, expect the individual(s) who they deem responsible for the situation, to be adversarial in nature. This causes a natural defensive attitude to be displayed by the complainant. If we as salespeople, listen attentively to the customer's complaint, ask with sincerity "what they would like us to do" and then provide a response with a list of options we can deliver, in most cases, an amiable solution can be negotiated. The next time you find yourself involved with a dissatisfied customer/client give this strategy a try, you'll be amazed with their change in attitude and the final results. Remember we can continue to "borrow the business" by exceeding our customer's expectations....

Richie,

Congratulations on your feature blog. Customer Service goes hand in hand with satisfied clients and referrals.

Sharon has revealed the secret on how we all can successfully handle customer's complaints.

Customer service is part of the job. It is much better to have a happy customer that promotes you.

Meeting the expectation .... that's what I enjoy when I work with another person. Do what you say you are going to do.  Just wrote a post about this.

Richie, I have a seller who apologizes every day for not doing what they said they would do. I follow up with emails with reminders of what is needed. I leave voice messages. When they finally surface I get 5-6 apologies.  It makes my job that much harder and it causes me to question motives and my ability to trust the process with them.  It does not stop me from providing the highest level of service I can possibly deliver.