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Posts Tagged ‘customer service’
Roll Up Your Sleeves and Jump In!
Friday, October 16th, 2009
We’ve all had that boss over the years that had no clue what really went on in their business. They spent so much time locked behind their office door that they became extremely removed from the day-to-day happenings of the business they worked so hard to build. It’s an unfortunate situation and one that can usually get way out of control resulting in lost customers, lowered revenue, service failures and disgruntled employees. The sad part is that these bosses usually “open the door” a little too late and spend tons of their time in defensive mode trying to clean up the messes that landed on their plate from “out of nowhere”.
There is an easy way to fix things like this and even prevent them from happening in the future. The simple fix is to open the door, roll up your sleeves and jump in with the crew. As a boss of a wonderful group of very talented people, it’s extremely easy and enjoyable for me to do this. These great people are a part of my family and I don’t want them to do anything that I can’t do or have not done myself.
To be honest, it’s quite a bit of fun to get back to the basics of your company and deal directly with the front line situations. Recently, I spent the day with the customer service group at my Houston Courier Service, Hot Shot Delivery. I answered calls, tracked packages, took orders, communicated with drivers and talked with tons of customers. It was a great day and I vowed to myself to experience this process more often. In just one day on the front line, I learned about a recurring service request that could turn in to a new service offering. I also learned some quick short cuts when working through our system as well as great insight about what motivates my employees.
I did not stop there – I jumped in with one of our drivers and spent the day making deliveries. That gave me the chance to see a day in the life of our delivery drivers. The traffic problems, their interaction with our customers, the challenges they experience and, again, what motivates them as independent contractors were all witnessed during my delivery day adventure.
As it seems to be in many areas, communication is the key. Opening the lines of communication with your employees can make things so much better for everyone and the way to do that is to walk in their shoes. See what they are going through each day and they are more likely to talk to you about their ideas for improvement and feel like an important part of the team.
Now don’t get me wrong, it is still extremely important for you, as the boss, to work on strategy, marketing and the “big picture” of your company. These are areas that can facilitate long term growth and additional revenue streams. Just find a balance between the two and you will see that your company will benefit greatly.
So, be sure to take some time and figure out how you can get more involved with the team. Your entire organization will notice, appreciate and communicate with you – which is a win-win for everyone!
Until Next Time,
Eric
Extra, Extra – Read All About It!
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Lately, I’ve been purchasing a few more things online than I usually do. I guess I’m embracing the convenience of the internet and even more the convenience of receiving all of my purchases to my door instead of leaving to shop around town for hours. What I’ve realized as I buy more online is that I tend to rely on the reviews of products vs. the marketing of those products. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that many websites have fake reviews. Knowing this, I tend to read through things with a doubtful mind, but I often still get the information I need regarding the product or service. This made me realize something that I want to share with others. When you get good service or a great product…
Shout it out to the world!
I won’t go as far as saying it’s our duty to others, but I’m getting very close to feeling that way. People rely on their community to give them honest and accurate feedback about businesses, products and services. It’s our way of weeding through the junk to get to the great stuff. Without this, we will continue to keep people in business that treat their customers poorly, don’t back up their products and cheat people out of their money. If people speak up about the great companies, then the bad ones will lose business in the process.
A little example from my life – I recently had to switch banks due to a poor service issue that I could not ignore. This bank has been a part of my life and my Houston Courier Service, Hot Shot Delivery, for years. The sad thing was, it was an easy decision to finally make the switch. Somewhere in this “bad economy”, this bank forgot the importance of loyalty, customer service and convenience. It became all about numbers and the bottom line for them. I had recommended this bank to my employees, my contractors, my friends and business colleagues. I could not sit by and watch as their new philosophy caused problems, inconveniences and frustration for multiple people. So, I took a stand – changed banks and told others my reasons for leaving.
Good service is not optional!! It’s not a thing of the past, it’s not a choice and it’s definitely not a perk. It’s expected by me – Every Time. And for that matter, I expect my company to provide that good service to our customers. And, if you don’t get it – Tell me about it! I want to know how my company can improve because I want Hot Shot Delivery to be around in the future. I want to provide the level of service that gets shouted out to the world. High quality, high caliber service that people want to recommend to others. That’s when I know I’m successful. Treating customers like they matter, because you know what… they do.
It’s really very easy to let people know how you were treated or how your new product compares to your expectations. If you are worried about putting your active email address out on the internet, it’s simple to create a “review email account”. Email accounts from Google, Yahoo and MSN are all free. Create an account that you use to review products and give feedback. You will be doing your part and helping others with their buying decisions. People need to know when you have found something so great that it’s made your life easier. They also need to know when you have run in to bad service issues so they can avoid the same problems. It’s a way of giving back through your time and your opinion. You are helping people – it will make you feel great!
Think about it for a minute – can you go through and recommend to others a service that you currently work with? Your doctor, your veterinarian, your dry cleaner, your local delivery service (grins) – are these companies so great that you want to shout it out? If so, look them up online and do a local review of their service so that others who are in need of that service can be one step closer to finding that great business experience too.
Do you have any other great ideas about getting the word about great service out to the masses? If so, let’s chat more about it. Comment on this blog and I’ll get back with you shortly.
Until Next Time,
Eric
Ring The Bell For Service
Saturday, April 4th, 2009
I am thinking about writing a book about Customer Service.
Here is the deal…as much as I love the advancements in technology that allow me to have convenient, short conversations via email or text message, I do think these “conveniences” have created a major setback in how people communicate with other people. Instead of hand written letters, phone calls or in person meetings, we now have emails, text messages and web conferencing. In theory, we would never have to actually see or talk to our customers again and I think t
his is unfortunate.
Companies that are built around providing a service should rely on their customer service abilities to keep customers, solve problems and anticipate issues. But, as I’ve seen over the last few years, many companies do not make customer service their priority. In fact, as the state of the economy gets worse, the level of customer service does too. I would think it would be the opposite. Let’s ensure that we keep our current customers happy and focus on their needs instead of focusing on dropping prices to get new business, more lay-offs, under-staffing and instilling fear of unemployment in every front-line employee that works for you.
At Hot Shot Delivery, my family’s Houston Courier Service, we hand-write letters to our customers and mail them, not email them. We schedule face-to-face meetings with our customers to make sure that they are satisfied with our services. I take time to answer calls in the call center to let them know that even the top-level management cares about their needs. Delivering donuts to a long-time customer along with their package is a great way to show them that you care and that you want to ensure their satisfaction. These little things don’t take much time out of my day and they do wonders for the mindset of my employees, the impressions of my customers and not to mention, my personal satisfaction.
At Hot Shot Delivery, our motto is “Whatever It Takes” and we are constantly working to make sure we deliver on our promise. On time delivery percentages, great technology for ordering, tracking and reporting and a fleet of fantastic drivers help us to get the job done, but the customer service we provide keeps them coming back. Something to think about…
Let the book writing begin! If you have any great ideas for customer service tactics, let’s share them with the world together.
Until Next Time,
Eric
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