4 Steps for Handling a Customer Service Crisis

By Nicole Fallon



Where there are customers, there are complaints. As much as you'd like to hope that no one will ever be unhappy with your product or service, you're almost guaranteed to encounter at least a few customers who are less than fully satisfied.

As consumers increasingly air their grievances about brands on social media, the focus has turned to the way those brands respond to customer complaints, especially in a public forum. Knowing what to do in this situation makes all the difference when it comes to re-earning a customer's business — and what he or she tells others about your company.

"Great service is about getting your customers to trust you and count on a consistent experience, but that doesn't mean you're always going to be perfect," said Eric Schiffer, CEO of DigitalMarketing.com. "In a crisis, you can elevate your stature [with] how well you handle the situation. A negative experience can be the best time to show your value." [6 Social Media Customer Service Mistakes to Avoid]

If you're faced with a negative customer experience, Schiffer advised following these four steps to resolve the issue and regain the customer's trust.

1. Acknowledge the problem. The classic customer service cliché says that the customer is always right. While it may, in fact, turn out to be a misunderstanding, the worst thing you can do is dismiss a customer who tells you he or she had a problem with your business.
    
2. Apologize for it. Once you've acknowledged the customer's issue, apologize for it and ask what you can do to help. Gather the facts about the situation, and determine a course of action from there.
    
3. Take action. Saying you're going to fix a problem is one thing; actually doing it is another. Make sure you honor your commitment to take care of the customer's complaint. If you can't correct the problem, offer a coupon or voucher as a way to ask the customer for another chance.
    
4. Follow up. When you've done what you promised to do, follow up with the customer to make sure that your solution was satisfactory.

No matter which person on your team is responsible for handling customer relations, it's imperative that you embody excellent service as the head of the company as well.

"Great service has to come from the top," Schiffer told Business News Daily. "Lower level employees aren't going to be inspired and motivated unless they see their leader providing exceptional service."

Article By Nicole Fallon, Business News Daily Assistant Editor

5 Fast Fixes to Jump-Start Your Customer Service Strategy

A business is nothing without great customer service, so how does your reputation with clients and customers stack up? If you want to improve your business and keep your customers happy, a few small changes could have a huge impact on your success. From avoiding automation tools to taking advantage of your email list, here are five simple ways to give your customer service a boost.

Keep automation to a minimum

Something that can be frustrating for customers is dealing with automated services, especially when they're trying to make a phone call to your business. Today's technology makes it easier for businesses, but if your setup is making things more difficult for your customers, you may need to make some changes. Just because the technology exists, doesn't mean you should be using it, said Leon Rbibo, president of The Pearl Source, a Los Angeles-based jewelry business.

"We implement live chat features and have a very complex system for tracking and flagging customer service issues," Rbibo said. "Yet we keep phone automation to a minimum when a customer dials The Pearl Source. We recognize that automation is a major pain point for consumers, so why put them through the ringer each time they call?"

Rbibo said that in many cases, it can actually cost businesses less to have live people on the phone dealing with customers.

"This keeps customers happy, and happy customers are customers who continue to do business with you," Rbibo said.

Listen carefully

 You can't offer good customer service if you're not a good listener, so if you want happy clients, you'll need to work on your active listening skills. Don't just wait for the customer to stop talking so you can say your part — really listen, and find a way to make customers have a great experience.

"Open communication is key for every kind of relationship, and business interactions are no different," said John Kinskey, founder and president of AccessDirect, a virtual phone systems provider. "If a customer has a request, it's important to get all of the details correct the first time. This will instill confidence in you on their part, and they will feel more comfortable coming to you in the future."

And if you're dealing with a customer's complaints, it's important to stay calm and do your best — even if you think or know your business didn't do anything wrong.

"When a customer is angry or frustrated, try to take the emotion out of the situation and really hear what the issue is," Kinskey said. "This will both calm them down and also help you get the situation resolved more quickly. It's so simple, but it's so important — just listen." [6 Social Media Customer Service Mistakes to Avoid ]

Give your employees some power

If you or the managers of your business are the only ones with the ability to make important decisions or changes, it can be frustrating for customers in need of assistance. That's why you should trust your team with some level of power and train them to use it wisely, said Aisha Martin, founder of A. Martin Group, a PR and business consulting agency.

"Give your team, especially those who have direct contact with your customers, the ability to [handle] a situation," Martin said. "For example, everything shouldn't have to go to upper management. When your staff knows they have the power, based on the circumstance, to make a customer's experience better, it's a win-win for all."

Martin said that in order for this to be successful, you need to train your staff properly and form important boundaries. But if done right, giving your employees that little bit of power will work out better in the end, Martin said.

Stay in touch

Don't just offer your services or make a sale and let that be that. Checking in with your clients, even if you don't think they need anything from you, is a good idea, said Harry Ein, owner of Perfection Promo, a promotional products company.

"Make sure [customers or clients] are happy with the product or service you have provided them, and make sure they know you are available," Ein said. "I prefer checking in by phone, but be sure to respect your customers' time and their preferred method of communication."

Ein said that staying in touch shows your dedication and commitment to them as a customer, and it keeps you on their radar so that the next time they need a product or service that you provide, they will think of you first.

Take advantage of your POS system

If you're not using your POS (point of sale) system beyond ringing up customers and printing receipts, you could be missing out on a great customer service opportunity — using email to keep in touch.

"Many new point-of-sale terminals and mobile payment apps have a feature that lets you email a receipt to an in-store customer," said Stephen Sheinbaum, founder of Bizfi, an alternative financing company. "When you ask, 'Can I email you your receipt?' the customer gets a digital record of the purchase and you get another name for your mailing list."

Taking advantage of features like this can help you stay in touch with customers and potentially even make more future sales.

"This can help build your marketing down the road," Sheinbaum said.

 Article By Brittney Helmrich, Business News Daily Staff Writer

A business is nothing without great customer service, so how does your reputation with clients and customers stack up? If you want to improve your business and keep your customers happy, a few small changes could have a huge impact on your success. From avoiding automation tools to taking advantage of your email list, here are five simple ways to give your customer service a boost.

Keep automation to a minimum

Something that can be frustrating for customers is dealing with automated services, especially when they're trying to make a phone call to your business. Today's technology makes it easier for businesses, but if your setup is making things more difficult for your customers, you may need to make some changes. Just because the technology exists, doesn't mean you should be using it, said Leon Rbibo, president of The Pearl Source, a Los Angeles-based jewelry business.
"We implement live chat features and have a very complex system for tracking and flagging customer service issues," Rbibo said. "Yet we keep phone automation to a minimum when a customer dials The Pearl Source. We recognize that automation is a major pain point for consumers, so why put them through the ringer each time they call?"
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8574-customer-service-fixes.html#sthash.RqzLUfyG.dpuf

My Customer Service Experience at First Bank, Sapele Road, Benin

In line with my commitment to always encourage excellent customer service wherever I see one, I’d like to say big thumbs up to some of the staffs at First Bank, Sapele Road, Benin for the wonderful service I have seen on display on several occasions.

Worthy to note is the excellent display of product knowledge by the customer service officer Frank and his commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction.

The security personnel are equally courteous and attentive at all times I have come across them.

I encourage the staff of this First Bank branch to keep up the good work.

Thumbs Up.

Shopify Delivers Great Service

Thumbs up Shopify. Your follow-up and feedback approach to service is just great and on point.

Now, that's the hallmark of great service.

Southwest Refused Woman's Plea to Call Her Husband Before His Suicide

A Southwest Airlines passenger says she found out her husband was planning to commit suicide just moments before her flight took off, but flight attendants prevented her from calling him, citing FAA regulations. By the time she got home, he had been found dead.

As she waited to fly from New Orleans to Wisconsin, Karen Momsen-Evers received this nightmare text message from her husband: “Karen, please forgive me for what I am about to do, I am going to kill myself…”

“No, no,” she texted back.

“Yes, because I have to.”

Momsen-Evers tried to call police and send them to help her husband, but she says a flight attendant coming through the cabin “slapped the phone down.” Even after she showed him the texts, she says, he told her to put the phone in airplane mode.

She says she tried explaining the situation to another member of the flight crew, once the flight was in the air, but still wasn’t allowed to use her phone.

“I begged her, I said I’m sure someone can make an emergency phone call,” Momsen-Evers told local NBC affiliate WTMJ-4, but she was told there was nothing the flight crew could do.

She cried through the entire flight to Milwaukee. When the plane landed, she was finally able to make the emergency call. Police officers met her at home and informed her that her husband, Andy, was dead.

“They got on their knees, put their hats over their heart and gave me the I regret to inform you that your husband has died,” she told WTMJ-4.

“Our hearts go out to the family during this difficult time. Flight attendants are trained to notify the Captain if there is an emergency that poses a hazard to the aircraft or to the passengers on-board. In this situation, the pilots were not notified,” Southwest Airlines (slogan: “Without a heart, it’s just a machine”) said in a statement.

by Jay Hathaway