Who's your Gladys? : how to turn even your most difficult customer into your biggest fan PDF
Preview Who's your Gladys? : how to turn even your most difficult customer into your biggest fan
More Advance Praise for Who’s Your Gladys? ‘‘Many companies think they deliver great customer service. This book will re- mind you that there is a lot to learn. It is filled with great company examples andstrategiesyoucanuseimmediately.Startreadingthisandbeginanewjour- neyoncreatingworldclasscustomerservice!’’—LisaFord,businessspeakeron customerissues;author,ExceptionalCustomerService ‘‘Who’s Your Gladys? is a powerful and inspiring guide for creating enviable customer service and lasting relationships with your customers and staff.’’ —StephanieWolf,CEO,SportsMind ‘‘Wehaveallhad‘Gladyses’inourlives,andtoooftenwegethookedandreact in a less than positive way. In their book, Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest have given us real-life stories and specific action ideas to see both our internal and external Gladyses as unique human beings, not just as inconveniences to be tolerated. This is a thought-provoking ‘how-to’ book about creating extraordi- nary, caring customer experiences wherever your workplace may be!’’—Barbara Glanz,author,TheSimpleTruthsofServiceInspiredbyJohnnytheBagger(cid:2), CAREPackagesforYourCustomers,andCAREPackagesfortheWorkplace ‘‘In their new book, Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest examine the complexities of the relationship between corporations and consumers. By offering examples ofstumblingblocksandsolutions,theybreakdownthebarriersbetweenthetwo sides and offer practical, humanistic, and attainable ways to make the rela- tionships win-win. This is an invaluable how-to book for anyone looking to incorporate successful human interaction into complex business relationships.’’ —RazIngrasci,PresidentandCEO,HoffmanInstituteFoundation ‘‘Powerfulandpracticaltipsoncreatingexemplarycustomerserviceinyourown organization.’’—RandyGage,author,ProsperityMind ‘‘If you are not reading and applying Suttle and Vest’s book on how to capture and keep the best customers, you are not growing your business. It is as simple as that!’’—Thomas J. Winninger, America’s Business Makeover Specialist, bestsellingauthor,andPresident,WinningerFamilyCompanies ‘‘Quality customer service defines high-performing organizations, and with this book, Suttle and Vest take us inside some of the best examples of meeting and exceedingcustomerneeds.Fun,highlyreadableandapplicabletoeverybusiness thatdesirestoserveitscustomersandgrow.’’—KeithA.Pretty,J.D.,President andCEO,NorthwoodUniversity ‘‘Agreatstory,agreatlesson,agreatbook!’’—GregGodek,author,1001Ways toBeRomantic ‘‘This book tells engaging stories from the trenches of customer service, every one offering strategies that you can use to grow your customer service savvy.’’ —FordSaeks,PresidentandCEO,PrimeConceptsGroup,Inc. ‘‘Excellent customer service goes beyond simple training. In this action-packed book, Suttle and Vest have dissected proven practices of brand names synony- mous with customer service. Study each example, internalize the wisdom that they extract from each, and find ways to apply them in your business and life.’’ —Dr. Nido Qubein, President, High Point University; Chairman, Great HarvestBreadCo. ‘‘Bravo.Sometimesitallcomesdowntocommonsense:Ascustomers,wewant to be treated with respect and understanding. In writing Who’s Your Gladys?, Lori Jo Vest and Marilyn Suttle have reminded us that business is really about people serving people. In these tough times, the company that can provide an uplifting and empathetic customer experience will surely differentiate itself— and win! Buy this book for everyone who touches customers, and more impor- tant, buy it for your senior management!’’ —Christine M. Donohoo, former ChiefCommunicationsOfficerandGroupExecutiveOfficerforMembership, AARP and Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications, Bank of America;President,DonohooStrategicAdvisory Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer Into Your Biggest Fan MARILYN SUTTLE and LORI JO VEST American Management Association New York • Atlanta • Brussels • Chicago • Mexico City • San Francisco Shanghai • Tokyo • Toronto • Washington, D.C. SpecialdiscountsonbulkquantitiesofAMACOMbooksare availabletocorporations,professionalassociations,andother organizations.Fordetails,contactSpecialSalesDepartment, AMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation, 1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019. Tel.:800-250-5308Fax:518-891-2372 E-mail:[email protected] Website:www.amacombooks.org/go/specialsales ToviewallAMACOMtitlesgoto:www.amacombooks.org Thispublicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritative informationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.Itissoldwiththe understandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal, accounting,orotherprofessionalservice.Iflegaladviceorotherexpert assistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalperson shouldbesought. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Suttle,Marilyn. Who’syourGladys?:howtoturneventhemostdifficultcustomerintoyourbiggestfan/ MarilynSuttleandLoriJoVest. p. cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN-13:978-0-8144-1439-2 ISBN-10:0-8144-1439-7 1.Customerservices. 2.Customerrelations. 3.Interpersonalrelations. 4.Customer services—Casestudies. 5.Customerrelations—Casestudies.I.Vest,LoriJo. II.Title. HF5415.5.S885 2009 658.8’12—dc22 2009013269 (cid:3)2009MarilynSuttleandLoriJoVest Allrightsreserved. PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica. Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinwholeor inpart,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,adivisionofAmerican ManagementAssociation,1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019. Printingnumber 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Foreword ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Chapter1 ProfessionalMovers:Who’sYourGladys? 5 HonoringYourCustomers’PreferencesPaysOff 7 PayingCloseAttentiontoCustomers’NeedsMakesaDifference 8 Chapter2 TheCanfieldCompanies:Where’sMyRefrigerator? 17 CustomersRespondtoCompassionandCalm 19 EmpathyCalmsaConcernedCustomer 21 ASpoonfulofKindnessHelpsWhenGivingToughLove 23 Chapter3 PaulReedSmithGuitars:StartingfromScratch 33 CustomersAren’tProblems,They’rePeople 34 PartnerwiththeCustomertoFindtheBestSolution 36 PassionFuelsEnthusiasmwithEmployeesandCustomers 37 PassionCreatesProductQuality 39 EverythingYouDoAffectsYourCompany’sBrand 41 FearlessProblemSolvingFuelsCustomerPassion 41 ThinkofYourselfasaCustomerServiceChampion 42 Chapter4 SingaporeAirlines:TheTeaServiceTellstheStory 51 AnticipatetheCustomers’Preferences 53 CatertotheCustomer’sNeedforControl 54 TheCustomers’EmotionalResponseRevealsTheirDeepestDesires 55 InnovationRaisestheBarforaHigh-QualityCustomerExperience 56 UnderstandingCustomerLifestylesMakesItEasiertoServeThem 58 v vi Contents StrivetoExceedExpectations 59 QualityServiceRequiresCredibility 60 RecoveringfromCrisisCallsforPersonalCommitment 61 Chapter5 ISCOIndustries:AGoodManholeIsHardtoFind 71 PersonalDedicationLeadstoCreativeProblemSolving 73 WhenIsCustomerServiceNotPersonal? 75 AttentiontoDetailPaysOff 77 Win-WinRelationshipsBuildLastingBusiness 78 GainTrustwithPersonalCommitment 80 EveryEmployeeIsanEntrepreneur 81 GuardingtheCorporateCultureIsEssential 82 CreativeSolutionsMakeCustomersFeelSecure 86 Chapter6 TheGreenCompany:Who’sGoingUptheLadder? 97 FocusontheBenefitsofWhatYouHavetoOffer 98 ManagingExpectationsKeepsCustomersCalm 99 CustomerPerceptionsMatterMorethantheTruth 100 TeamMeetingsKeepEveryoneFocused 101 FindWaystoServeAfterthePurchase 102 DotheRightThingforDifficultCustomersandDifficultSituations 103 Chapter7 PrestonWynneSpa:MassagingEgos 111 HiretheRightPeopletoCreatetheBestCustomerExperience 112 EmployeesExcelWhenTheyKnowWhat’sImportant 115 ContinuousLearningGrowsCustomerSatisfaction 117 GivingaConsistentHigh-QualityPerformanceTakesPractice 118 StrongandOngoingInternalCommunicationCreatesGreatService 119 EvaluateServicefromtheCustomer’sPointofView 121 MakeSureCustomersLeaveHappy 122 Chapter8 ClearVisionOptical:SurveyMonkeyAround 131 SurveyingCustomersYieldsValuableInformationforAction 132 UseCustomerOpinionstoYourBestAdvantage 133 PersonalContactRaisesCustomerServiceEffectiveness 134 ShowCustomersThatTheirFeedbackMatters 135 TakeActionontheInputandIdeasofFront-LineEmployees 135 EmployeesRespondtoOngoingCommunicationandTraining 136 Two-WayCommunicationFacilitatesPositiveChange 138 TLCforEmployeesDeliversLoyalty 139 Contents vii Chapter9 SkyLakesMedicalCenter:Take,Don’tTell 147 EvolvetoMeettheChangingNeedsofYourCustomers 148 CreateaDetailedPlanandGetEveryoneonBoard 149 ContinuousImprovementIsPartofEveryone’sJobDescription 151 Peer-to-PeerTrainingHasaHugeEffectonCustomerService 152 ElevateYourHigh-PerformingFront-LineStaff 153 EveryEmployeeContributestotheCustomerExperience 156 MakeIttheStatusQuotoReinforceWhat’sRight 157 HaveServiceRecoveryToolsandKnowHowtoUseThem 158 ScriptsAreaStartingPointforImprovingtheCustomer’sExperience 160 AcknowledgingExcellenceBringsMoreExcellence 161 ‘‘BeNice’’IsaCriticalMandate 162 Chapter10 CommunicoreVisualCommunications:TheHappyChallenge 171 ActastheStewardoftheClientRelationship 172 HandleMistakeswithCareandFollowThrough 173 DrawOutBetterSolutionswithaCreativeApproach 175 ControltheQualityofServicebyPuttingSystemsIntoPlace 176 TakeOntheChallengeofWarmingUpCustomerRelationships 178 KnowWhentoSayGood-Bye 179 KnowWhenaCustomerIsNotaFitandAttractThoseThatAre 181 Chapter11 AFinalReview 191 GladysRespondsWhenYouPayAttentiontoDetails 191 GladysRespondstoCompassion 193 GladysRespondstoPassion 194 GladysRespondsWhenYouGotheExtraMile 196 GladysRespondsWhenYouDon’tTakeConflictPersonally 197 GladysRespondstoaLong-TermRelationship 198 GladysRespondstoaWell-TrainedStaff 199 GladysRespondstoTwo-WayCommunication 201 GladysRespondstoContinuousImprovement 202 GladysRespondstoCreativeProblemSolving 204 ThePracticalPoints 207 Recommended‘‘Who’sYourGladys?’’Resources 211 ProgramstoHelpYouPutthe10PrinciplesofThisBooktoImmediate Use 211 PersonalandProfessionalGrowthToolsandTechniques 212 viii Contents BusinessTraining 214 CustomerCommunicationTools 215 ProfessionalandPersonalDevelopmentBooks 216 Index 219 Foreword Today, if someone took a poll of your customers and asked if you matter to them, how do you think you would come out? If as a business you ceased to exist tomorrow, do you think anyone would really care? In otherwords,hasyourproduct,service,orbrandestablishedanemotional connection with your customers to the extent that they are invested in yourenduringsuccess? This is the deep soul-searching question I want you to ask yourself. Does your company matter to your customers? Really, honestly, answer this. Are you a positive force in their lives? If you disappeared, would their lives be diminished in some way? I think if you tell yourself the truth, you might even conclude, ‘‘Well, not so much.’’ Will we shed any tearsifTidelaundrydetergentisnotontheshelvesanymore?No,proba- bly not. Will we shed some tears if Southwest Airlines suddenly ceased toexist?Wemight.AndifAppleceasedto exist?Yeah,probably. Doyou,infact,matter?Youknowyouwanttheanswertobeyes.But woulditbe? Ifyou’reanentrepreneur,aproductmanager,oraCEOreadingthis, ask yourself, ‘‘Do we really matter to our customers?’’ If you are honest with yourself, you might say, ‘‘Here’s where maybe we matter, and here’s where maybewe don’t.’’Are youconnecting withcustomers on anemo- tional level? Are you even seeing the whole picture and getting accurate feedback on the customer experience without irritating them during the survey process? Do your customers care if you live or die? You definitely wantthatanswertobe‘‘Yes.’’ This book will live in the customer service category on search en- gines. The two words are so overused that you can easily miss the real meaning of the term. First off, what you think represents great service may not in fact be what matters to your customers. This book will show ix
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