Tag Archive for customer service

| May 6, 2013
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If you think you can, you’re right; if you think you can’t, you’re right

Melissa Biernacinski, director of media relations

Recently my co-workers and I had breakfast at a local restaurant. For the majority of our nearly two hours there, ours was the only table occupied. Upon ordering our meals, several of us modified our orders. When our food came out an hour or so later, there were a few mistakes.

“Well, it was only a matter of time,” our waitress said a few times as she sorted everything out.

My question is, was it?

Being a server is a difficult job. However, there are many people out there who are excellent waiters and waitresses. The same goes for all difficult professions; there are those who are good, and there are those who aren’t. And while everyone is bound to make mistakes, it’s those who expect that they will make errors, or who justify their errors, who will make more of them. Guaranteed. The old expression, “If you think you can, you’re right, and if you think you can’t, you’re right,” says it perfectly.

While some people are self-motivators and will ensure they do good work no matter what, many people get their guidance and motivation from the top – whether it’s directly or via middle management.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon each and every business owner to set the tone for his or her business. If you expect your employees to do well, they will; if you expect them to do poorly, they will. Those who motivate themselves and do well in any environment will seek employment elsewhere if their standards are higher than management’s.

What tone have you set for your business? Is it working for you?

Melissa Biernacinski serves as Director of Media Relations for Imagine Communications. Email Melissa at mbiernacinski@weareimagine.com.

Category: communication, customer service, Melissa Biernacinski | Tags: , , ,
| February 3, 2012
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A tale of two customer service experiences

This morning I made a silly mistake that led to the worst and best customer service experiences I have had in quite a while. On my way into the office, I stopped at the bank ATM to deposit my paycheck. It wasn’t until the transaction was complete that I realized I had incorrectly entered the amount of the check.

In hopes of making sure the mistake was corrected as quickly as possible, I called the bank’s customer service line. After working my way through the automated system, I was finally greeted by a customer service representative. He began our interaction by grilling me with security questions in a way that alarmed me rather than made me feel good about what the bank was doing to protect my private information.

Once he finally had enough information to verify that I was, indeed, who I claimed to be, I explained the situation and how I had made a mistake in depositing my money. His response was clunky at best, and he told me it would take four weeks to correct the issue and return the right amount of money to my checking account. I was utterly confused.

After requesting more information, I finally received a more satisfactory answer and decided that was probably the best I was going to get from this guy. Though I wasn’t angry when I hung up the phone, I did feel let down and even thought to myself, “There goes another company’s good customer service.” It was especially disappointing because I have been with the bank for over 20 years. (My mom opened a savings account for me when she worked for them when I was a kid.)

I hadn’t been off the phone for more than 60 seconds when my cell phone rang. When I answered it, the friendly man on the other end was a huge contrast to the one I had just hung up with. He introduced himself as the manager of the customer service representative with whom I had just spoken. He quickly and genuinely apologized for my experience and said he was calling me back to make sure I had all of the correct information. He also apologized for the awkward quizzing regarding my identity and offered a solution to make it easier on me next time I called the customer service line. He then gave me his direct line and asked me to call back if the funds did not hit my account by close of business the following day. Because he acted quickly and spoke kindly to me, he was able to turn a bad customer service experience into one of the best experiences I have had in a while.

The lesson to be learned here is that as your company grows, it is in your best interest to hire employees who understand and create a positive experience for customers. There will be times where the customer service experience does not meet expectations, but if you have the correct people in place, they will find these “slip-ups” as an opportunity, not a problem.

The last part of my story that I feel is very important to include is what I did last. After I got off the phone with the helpful manager, I shared my story with my co-workers and also jumped on the bank’s website and wrote a letter to corporate. As a customer, we have a role to play, too. If we truly value customer service, it is important to tell a company when we have had a positive experience. Positive reinforcement is a very powerful tool; taking this extra step only takes a moment, but the outcome will last much longer than that.

Megan Lane is part of the client relations team at Imagine Communications. Contact Megan at mlane@weareimagine.com.

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,
| October 11, 2011
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Efficiency 101

There is something to be said about one-stop shopping, where everything you need is in one place. It doesn’t matter if your business is a big box store or a mom-and-pop shop, efficiency brings in customers.

I recently accompanied a family member to Mayo Clinic for some medical tests, and the clinic’s efficiency rating was off the charts. It was as if we were on a group tour – the itinerary was the Bible of the trip and everything was clearly marked. If we had gone to see every individual doctor, complete every individual test and spend time making every individual appointment, it would’ve taken months, maybe years, to get it all completed. Here, my family member saw two doctors and went through a handful of tests – half of which the doctors had results in hand a few hours later – in the matter of two days.

I don’t think it’s because Mayo Clinic has super powers or is the Disneyland of the medical world, but on a business level, they have honed in on something of interest. People go there, not only for the level of care, but because of the efficiency. There is an elevator ride and a couple hours between a blood test and a CT scan. A doctor sends orders to the scheduling department as the patient is sitting in the exam room, and by the time you reach a scheduler 20 or 30 minutes later, your itinerary is ready.

It’s like magic.

Or is it? I think most businesses can learn from this level of efficiency. Now, Mayo Clinic has had decades of experience honing this very unique technique for its niche – doctors of all specialties under one roof – but there are aspects of this well-oiled machine that benefit business as a whole.

On the simplest level, Mayo Clinic had well-informed volunteers who could help direct patients where they needed to go. Everyone knew what they needed to know to get the patient to the next stop where another person would pick up the baton and help the patient progress even further on their quest. It was like watching a relay race at the Olympics.

When people are informed, they can better help customers in any business. If someone didn’t know the answer, they went to find it. That’s efficiency – giving the customers what they need to know, when they need to know it and moving them along to the next step. Since employees are typically better equipped to find answers, it takes unneeded responsibility, frustration and wasted time off customers.

It keeps people coming back. Efficiency and customer service come as a packaged deal. Those volunteers at Mayo Clinic who gave directions and answered questions were also pleasant about it. As efficient as the detailed itineraries were, they also relieved stress and anxiety for patients, which is an aspect of customer service. The list goes on.

Every business is different, but everyone can learn from a place that deals with people’s lives and well-being, yet still makes it as pleasant of an experience as possible. As a first step, think about how you can make dealing with your company more efficient for your customers. We all can’t be like Mayo Clinic, but we can definitely learn from it.

Tiffannie Bond is a media relations specialist at Imagine Communications. Contact Tiffannie at tbond@weareimagine.com.

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , ,