Small Change, Big Payoff

Subscribe and Listen

The Interview with Laurie Guest:

• Business leaders don’t always need to spend a lot of time or energy to improve their customer experience. Small, simple changes can go a long way toward positively impacting customers.
• Consider your word choice when speaking with customers. For example, you should only say “sorry” in two scenarios: when you have made a mistake and when you want to authentically express empathy. Otherwise, find alternative language that will positively enhance the customer’s experience.
• Your body language also says a lot. Be aware not only of how you present yourself but also of what your customers are communicating to you through their body language.
• One of the most important things for leaders to consider is packaging. How you put together and present the product or service you will influence your customers to buy more from you.
• Much of customer service comes down to common sense—be nice! You must constantly train to the concepts and cultures you want in your organization, even if it seems like it should be “common sense.”
• Every person’s level of common sense is different and is based on five factors: the environment in which they were raised, the era in which they were born, their previous work culture, their personality, and their current work atmosphere.
• Take an integrated approach to customer service training. Your whole team and organization must approach it as a whole in order to see results and drive success.
• These concepts and more can be found in Laurie’s book, The 10¢ Decision: How Small Change Pays Off Big. Listeners who purchase the book from her website may use the code PODCAST to receive 20% off their copy.

Quotes:

“Business owners do not need to do radical, expensive things to impact their customers. Often they can make little changes to make a difference.” -Laurie Guest

“The words that you say and how your body plays twine together to make you approachable or unapproachable.” -Laurie Guest

“Service and experience are one and the same if you’re doing it right.” -Laurie Guest

“Good customer service cannot be left to common sense.” -Laurie Guest

About:

Laurie Guest, CSP is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author and “go-to-resource” for customer service excellence. Her latest book is The 10¢ Decision: How Small Change Pays Off Big.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions … and more:

1. How does word choice affect customer service?
2. How does body language affect customer service?
3. What does common sense mean in the customer service world?
4. Why is packaging important to customers?
5. How can small changes affect my customer service?