Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of November 10, 2014

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

Top 20 Sales Tips for Happy Customers, Management and Staff by Patrick Avenell

(Appliance Retailer) Most of the following ‘tips’ I’ve learned first-hand, from the many wonderful owners and managers with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working, and quite a few came to me via a kind of osmosis. And, yes, sometimes I have taken a tip from poor managers, by doing the complete opposite!

My Comment: I love a good list of business tips. And, you don’t need to be in sales to reap the benefit of this wisdom. These practical and common sense tips apply to just about anyone that wants to take great care of their customers.

How Olark manages to get their entire team involved in customer support by Alice Default

(Front) You must know we’re big fans of customer support here at Front. And since we’re always curious about the subject, we went to ask our friends at Olark how they managed to pull off kick-ass customer support all around. Their secret: all-hands support.

My Comment: Olark is a great example of how customer service becomes engrained into the culture of the company. I love their story and their concept of “All Hands Support,” which gets everyone involved in supporting the customer.

Bike shop service aids author’s trip by Mark Ambrogi

(Current in Carmel) What started as Jim Serger wanting to get back on a bicycle for a good cause turned into writing a book about a store’s exemplary customer service en route to his journey.

My Comment: I love a good customer service story, and this story reminds us of the importance and the power of putting the customer first – ahead of the sale!

Customer Service is Everyone’s Job by Tricia Morris

(Parature) A continuing problem with customer service today is that many view it as a job for the few (the customer service department), when in fact it is a role for all.

My Comment: Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy and should be embraced by every person in a company from the CEO to the most recently hired. The best companies are now embracing the “All for One (Customer)” strategy. This article from my friends at Parature remind us how important it is to recognize that customer service is everyone’s job.

3 Simple Alternatives To Saying No by Jeremy Watkin

(Communicate Better) I recently ordered some of my favorite Clif brand energy gels from one of my favorite running supply websites.  They are always extremely quick at delivering my shoe orders so I figured I might as well order my fuel and other accessories from them. The price being the same, I actually gave them the nod over Amazon—a company I have a major crush on.

My Comment: Sometimes you have to say no. You can be out of stock, the request can be illegal (yikes), or you just can’t do it. That said, here are three great ways to deal with having to say no.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken