The Choreography of Customer Service

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Top Takeaways:

• Chris shares THE 5 CORE CONCEPTS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE from his book, The Choreography of Customer Service.

1. The Backstory: Customer service professionals should discover what steps have led the customer to their business. Instead of asking, “How can I help you right now?” ask, “What has brought you in here today?” If customer service professionals know their customer’s backstory, they will be able to put themselves into their customer’s shoes. This is how they can provide the level of service that they would want themselves.

2. The Negative: When you genuinely care for your customers, you will give them the “cautionary tale” when necessary. The most appropriate advice may not always be what the customer wants to hear. But, if it will give your customers the best outcome, you have to make sure they get the complete picture.
3. The Secret Mission: There is something unique that differentiates you from others and will help you outperform what might be considered average in your field or industry.
4. Muscle Memory: What attitudes and good habits developed over time come naturally to you as you serve your customers?
5. Return on Investment: How do you measure the return of investment on the frontlines? The return on investment is not necessarily measured by dollars. It can be measured by customer behaviour. It can be a compliment or the customer coming back to do more business with you.

• Chris also talks about building your customer team like you are preparing for a bank heist. Tune in to find out what this means and if you should be preparing for your own “bank heist.”

Quotes:

“A great team has symbiosis between different players. You need to be honest and transparent about each member’s strengths and limitations.”

“Feedforward instead of feedback. Instead of examining customer interactions after they happen, prepare your customer service team for different scenarios before they go out into the frontlines.”

“The biggest limitation of improving the culture of service on a team is not the people in it. It is how leaders perceive the importance of nurturing the necessary skills and attitudes needed to provide excellent customer service.”

About:

Chris Lynam is a customer service expert and multi-franchise owner of Arthur Murray Dance Studios. He is the host of the podcast, Off the Floor, and the author of the new book, The Choreography of Customer Service: High Touch Service in a Touch-Free World.

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. What are the five core concepts of customer service?
2. What is the ROI of customer experience?
3. How do you measure the return of investment in customer service?
4. What is muscle memory in customer service?
5. What is the difference between feedback and feedforward?