The Exceptional Customer Service Difference

Jessica gets it. The value of customer service, that is. This young coffee shop barista made my day recently when I rushed into a local bookstore to pick up a copy of a trade journal. When I could not find it on the rack, I saw her in an aisle and asked her to help me. She immediately put down what she was doing and came to my aid. When she could not find the magazine in the usual spot, she asked if I’d like for her to check on it for me. As we walked toward the computer which was behind the counter of the in-store coffee shop adjacent to the magazine racks, she asked if I would like to get one of their blackberry cream lattes. I told her “No, thank you,” but as she looked up the magazine, I noticed she had placed a table tent on the counter showing an irresistible photo of this special coffee drink of the week. Though she found there were no more issues of the magazine in the store, she sold me the latte. While she made it, she asked if I would like a snack with it, perhaps one of their fresh blueberry scones. I told her, “No, thank you, but you will sell lots more scones if you ask everyone that.” Every time Jennifer asked me anything, she looked right at me and smiled. She asked for my store perks card, and when I gave it to her, she began to use my name, as printed on the card. She returned the card to me wrapped in a small folder that offered me my eighth cup of joe free. When my coffee drink was ready, she announced my name and the coffee drink as if I were royalty for whom she had a special gift. She thanked me for taking the time to come in that day. I took a sip with foam on my upper lip and thought, “Got Customer Service”!

So what customer service did Jessica provide that was so out of the ordinary? Lots! Here are three of the things she did that set her apart:

• She went out of her way to help the customer. She could have just glanced at the periodicals rack and said, “Sorry, we don’t seem to have that magazine.” But she offered to look it up even though I doubt that is on the job description of coffee shop service rep.
• She asked and asked again. In five short minutes, she asked me all kinds of questions. Because of it, she sold me on her product, her service, and her store.
• She personalized our interaction with friendly professionalism. Once she learned my name, she used it in a friendly, courteous manner. With a genuine smile, she thanked me for taking my time to be there, as if I were doing her a favor.

Your customers are your strongest source of referrals and repeat business. What are you doing to go the extra mile for them? Are you initiating periodic contact, inviting them to special events, providing a stream of information that communicates not only valuable resources to them, but supports your positioning as the helpful, knowledgeable resource they can trust? Are you asking what your customers need, and – perhaps more important – what they expect that they are not yet receiving? How – and how often – are you asking for referrals? What programs do you have in place to reward your customers for referrals, recognize them for their loyalty, and reassure them that they are getting the maximum value possible? Are you treating your customers like you really appreciate them and what they mean to your business? Once a week, ask yourself, “What have I done lately to show my customers how much I value them?”

I walked out of the bookstore without the magazine, but smiling and glad Jessica had passed through my day. Will I return? Absolutely, and especially when Jessica is there. Will I tell all sorts of others about this exceptional customer service experience? I just did.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

Delivering Value to Prospects and Customers

Value is getting more than you expected when you least expected it. Value is something all buyers and existing customers are seeking, now more than ever. They want to know you view them as special, you will go the extra distance for them, and you value their business.

While recently staying overnight in a hotel, I requested a wake-up call. At the requested time the next morning, the phone rang. When I answered , I got the recorded messaged now standard in many hotels that deliver this service. However, ten minutes later, I received a call from a person at the hotel front desk, calling just to make sure I had received my call and was now awake. My first thought was, “Wow! That was nice – and so unexpected!”

Little things like this can mean a lot in distinguishing how you deliver customer service compared to how your competitors do.

Are you treating your potential and existing customers like you really appreciate them and what they mean to your business? Once a week, ask yourself, “What have I done lately to show my prospects and customers how much I value them?”

Often, it is little things that make a difference. It might be you initiating a phone call to see how they are doing, you inviting them to join you at your business location when you are providing something valuable for them to learn, or you providing them with good resources. The opportunities to create value are endless.

When you practice a series of little things to take your prospect and customer service beyond expected to exceptional, you create more than buyers. You create the kind of customer delight that makes them your marketing partners in generating more inquiries, sales and referrals than you could ever develop on your own.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

What Are Your “Extras”?

I just read an interesting article featuring a bicycle business with four locations. When the interviewer asked the owner what distinguished them from other businesses in their category, the owner said what makes them special goes beyond guaranteed lowest prices and great customer service. Smart man! Though both are part of this company’s commitment and philosophy, he recognizes that it’s the little “extras” that separate them from their competitors. For this bicycle business, it’s things like a lifetime of free adjustments, staff committed not just to serving but to educating customers and helping them them choose the right bike and gear for them, free spin classes and organized bike rides in the community, same day service, Kids Trade Up program, and on and on.

My question to you is this. What are your extras? Think beyond the expected benefits you offer, such as quality and good service. Chances are your toughest competitors say they offer the same thing. Without ever having used your service or bought your products, your prospects cannot tell the difference and have a tough time choosing between you and them. However, if you know, define, and promote the extras you offer in a way that causes your potential buyers to perceive them as added value, you will be the easy choice and have customers flocking to you.

Send me the name of your business along with three “extras” you offer customers, and I will send you my Special Report, Stop Telling and Start Selling – Presenting the Benefits of Buying from You, absolutely FREE!

Call or email me: 303-693-2306 and julie@juliewassom.com

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

Ask Julie | Creating Positive Center Impressions

Here is a question asked by another director like you:

How do I make sure a prospect feels good about their first center visit?

Julie’s Answer:

One of the best things you can do is give the prospect a quick call within 24 hours, just to let her know you enjoyed having her child and her visit your center and to see if you can answer any questions that might have come up after she left. This positions you as the professional helpful resource, and makes your prospect feel good. Continue to follow up using my Mail-Mail-Call Follow Up System.  

–Julie Wassom
Julie@JulieWassom.com
http://JulieWassom.com

A Ray of Exceptional Customer Service

What a difference your attitude can make in delivering exceptional customer service! On a recent return trip from California, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant named Ray created an atmosphere that went beyond standard service and safety information to pure enjoyment of traveling on his plane. Most interesting, was how his approach was so positively perceived by the passengers.

From the moment we stepped on the plane, Ray delivered service beyond what was expected. First, he greeted us with a smile, eye contact, and a genuine hello. We felt welcome.

The pre-take-off safety script that we frequent flyers could deliver word-for-word was punctuated with funny comments while maintaining the seriousness of the regulations being announced. We listened.

Ray learned a few passengers’ names and used them. He asked questions of the entire cabin, such as, “How many of you visited Disneyland while here?” “Who is going on to Chicago?” By the time we took off, the normally quiet cabin was abuzz with happy chatter. We were glad to be there.

The upbeat mood prevailed throughout the entire two-hour flight. People felt appreciated, well-attended, and glad to be on board with a crew who made it so obvious this was an opportunity to serve. When going through the cabin with a second round of free snacks, Ray kidded with one passenger sitting behind me, saying, “You don’t get this kind of service with those other airlines.” Her response, “What other airlines?” He set Southwest apart from the competition in the minds of the customers.

When we landed, Ray finished the arrival announcements with lyrics to a short song he sang to all of us passengers who then deplaned with smiles on our faces. Ray was right there, shaking hands and saying, “Goodbye”. We left feeling good.

This was just a flight, like so many other flights, but it was a day when one particular airline made traveling fun. What made the difference in the minds of the passengers on this flight? The Ray of sunshine in this employee’s exceptionally good attitude toward his role in serving his customers.

What is your attitude toward serving your customers? Do you make them feel welcome, glad to be there, that your service is different and exceptional? Do they leave smiling and feeling good about you? It all starts with attitude. Is it time to revisit yours?

It’s not surprising that even though some 88 million passengers flew Southwest in 2010, they had the lowest ratio of customer complaints per passengers boarded, and the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked them #1 among all airlines for the 17th year in a row. Shine on Southwest. And thanks for Ray’s reminder of how a good attitude toward delivering exceptional customer service can drive business.

Julie Wassom
“The Speaker Whose Message Means Business”
Marketing and Sales Speaker/Consultant/Author
Call me: 303-693-2306
Fax me: 303-617-6422
E-me: julie@juliewassom.com
See me: www.juliewassom.com

The Exceptional Customer Service Difference

Jessica gets it. The value of customer service, that is. This young coffee shop barista made my day recently when I rushed into a local bookstore to pick up a copy of a trade journal. When I could not find it on the rack, I saw her in an aisle and asked her to help me. She immediately put down what she was doing and came to my aid. When she could not find the magazine in the usual spot, she asked if I’d like for her to check on it for me. As we walked toward the computer which was behind the counter of the in-store coffee shop adjacent to the magazine racks, she asked if I would like to get one of their blackberry cream lattes. I told her “No, thank you,” but as she looked up the magazine, I noticed she had placed a table tent on the counter showing an irresistible photo of this special coffee drink of the week. Though she found there were no more issues of the magazine in the store, she sold me the latte. While she made it, she asked if I would like a snack with it, perhaps one of their fresh blueberry scones. I told her, “No, thank you, but you will sell lots more scones if you ask everyone that.” Every time Jennifer asked me anything, she looked right at me and smiled. She asked for my store perks card, and when I gave it to her, she began to use my name, as printed on the card. She returned the card to me wrapped in a small folder that offered me my eighth cup of joe free. When my coffee drink was ready, she announced my name and the coffee drink as if I were royalty for whom she had a special gift. She thanked me for taking the time to come in that day. I took a sip with foam on my upper lip and thought, “Got Customer Service”!

So what customer service did Jessica provide that was so out of the ordinary? Lots! Here are three of the things she did that set her apart:

• She went out of her way to help the customer. She could have just glanced at the periodicals rack and said, “Sorry, we don’t seem to have that magazine.” But she offered to look it up even though I doubt that is on the job description of coffee shop service rep.
• She asked and asked again. In five short minutes, she asked me all kinds of questions. Because of it, she sold me on her product, her service, and her store.
• She personalized our interaction with friendly professionalism. Once she learned my name, she used it in a friendly, courteous manner. With a genuine smile, she thanked me for taking my time to be there, as if I were doing her a favor.

Your customers are your strongest source of referrals and repeat business. What are you doing to go the extra mile for them? Are you initiating periodic contact, inviting them to special events, providing a stream of information that communicates not only valuable resources to them, but supports your positioning as the helpful, knowledgeable resource they can trust? Are you asking what your customers need, and – perhaps more important – what they expect that they are not yet receiving? How – and how often – are you asking for referrals? What programs do you have in place to reward your customers for referrals, recognize them for their loyalty, and reassure them that they are getting the maximum value possible? Are you treating your customers like you really appreciate them and what they mean to your business? Once a week, ask yourself, “What have I done lately to show my customers how much I value them?”

I walked out of the bookstore without the magazine, but smiling and glad Jessica had passed through my day. Will I return? Absolutely, and especially when Jessica is there. Will I tell all sorts of others about this exceptional customer service experience? I just did.

See Julie’s seminar on Customer Retention

–Julie Wassom
Julie@JulieWassom.com
http://JulieWassom.com

Delivering Value to Prospects and Customers

Value is getting more than you expected when you least expected it. Value is something all buyers and existing customers are seeking, now more than ever. They want to know you view them as special, you will go the extra distance for them, and you value their business.

While recently staying overnight in a hotel, I requested a wake-up call. At the requested time the next morning, the phone rang. When I answered , I got the recorded messaged now standard in many hotels that deliver this service. However, ten minutes later, I received a call from a person at the hotel front desk, calling just to make sure I had received my call and was now awake. My first thought was, “Wow! That was nice – and so unexpected!”

Little things like this can mean a lot in distinguishing how you deliver customer service compared to how your competitors do.

Are you treating your potential and existing customers like you really appreciate them and what they mean to your business? Once a week, ask yourself, “What have I done lately to show my prospects and customers how much I value them?”

Often, it is little things that make a difference. It might be you initiating a phone call to see how they are doing, you inviting them to join you at your business location when you are providing something valuable for them to learn, or you providing them with good resources. The opportunities to create value are endless.

When you practice a series of little things to take your prospect and customer service beyond expected to exceptional, you create more than buyers. You create the kind of customer delight that makes them your marketing partners in generating more inquiries, sales and referrals than you could ever develop on your own.

–Julie Wassom
http://JulieWassom.com

What Are Your “Extras”?

I just read an interesting article featuring a bicycle business with four locations. When the interviewer asked the owner what distinguished them from other businesses in their category, the owner said what makes them special goes beyond guaranteed lowest prices and great customer service. Smart man! Though both are part of this company’s commitment and philosophy, he recognizes that it’s the little “extras” that separate them from their competitors. For this bicycle business, it’s things like a lifetime of free adjustments, staff committed not just to serving but to educating customers and helping them them choose the right bike and gear for them, free spin classes and organized bike rides in the community, same day service, Kids Trade Up program, and on and on.

My question to you is this. What are your extras? Think beyond the expected benefits you offer, such as quality and good service. Chances are your toughest competitors say they offer the same thing. Without ever having used your service or bought your products, your prospects cannot tell the difference and have a tough time choosing between you and them. However, if you know, define, and promote the extras you offer in a way that causes your potential buyers to perceive them as added value, you will be the easy choice and have customers flocking to you.

Send me the name of your business along with three “extras” you offer customers, and I will send you my Special Report, Stop Telling and Start Selling – Presenting the Benefits of Buying from You, absolutely FREE!

Call or email me: 303-693-2306 and julie@juliewassom.com

–Julie Wassom
http://JulieWassom.com