Rolling Out the Red Carpet
By Dana
We've all heard the old saying "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Nowhere is that more applicable than in the arena of customer service. No matter what your business is, everyone's first job is to make sure that a customer receives prompt and courteous attention. When they're calling in rather than visiting in person, On Hold Messaging is a time-proven and welcome way to roll out the red carpet -- you've enticed someone to call, and then you're showing that you value their time by providing them with information and/or entertainment. But don't stop there. The best customer service in today's marketplace focuses on improving the overall experience, which includes every dealing a customer has with your company: phone calls, emails, product delivery, timeliness, and quality.
I've bookmarked an article on this subject from the Entrepeneur website. I like it because of its inside-out approach -- instead of management trying to regiment or direct staff into a customer service mold, your company needs to create an atmosphere where every employee recognizes:
- We're all in Sales.
- We all have the power to keep our customers a little happier, and keep them coming back.
You can't micromanage every interaction your staff has with callers, prospects, or customers, even if you wanted to. A much more effective approach is to concentrate on your company's culture, encouraging and even rewarding your staff for delighting customers and going the extra mile. I'd like to brag for a moment on a BAP example from Lauren, our Senior Account Manager. Tired of the faxes and emails we've been sending for years as Production Reminders, Lauren created a series of eye-catching email messages, together with a monthly calendar and webpage of ideas for trivia, dates to celebrate, historical events, and more. Lauren wants to do more than just remind our customers that it's time for a new script -- she wants to prime the creative pump and keep them energized about On Hold Messaging. It's still a turn-key program, of course, but we've had plenty of positive feedback already, together with customers asking us to find industry-specific informational snippets just for them. Your business is unique and your On Hold Messaging should be, too.
Do you have other ways you're rolling out the red carpet at your place? Send a message telling me about them, and I'll feature your company in an upcoming entry in this space.
