{"id":32391,"date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/the-always-concept-what-we-must-always-do-for-our-customers\/"},"modified":"2024-01-17T09:02:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T09:02:40","slug":"always-concept-what-we-must-always-do-for-our-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-service-strategies\/always-concept-what-we-must-always-do-for-our-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cAlways\u201d Concept: What We Must Always Do For Our Customers"},"content":{"rendered":"\"7-28-2021One of the big concepts we teach in our\u00a0<\/span>customer service training<\/span><\/a>\u00a0programs is the concept of\u00a0<\/span>Always<\/span><\/i>. This is the backbone of creating customer amazement. When the customer uses the word\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>followed by something positive, you are creating a predictable experience, and even more important, you are operating in the zone of amazement. For example, your customers might say: <\/span>\r\n
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  • \u201cThey are\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0so helpful.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
  • \u201cThey are\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0so knowledgeable.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
  • \u201cThey\u00a0<\/span>always<\/span><\/i>\u00a0get back to me quickly.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • \u201cThey are\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>so friendly.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • \u201cEven when there is a problem, I know I can\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>count on them to fix it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nNotice that these statements are about the interactions customers have with your employees. Often,\u00a0<\/span>they\u00a0<\/span><\/i>are really just one person the customer is interacting with. So, consider the following questions:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • What\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>happens when customers do business with you?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
    • What are the words your customers use to describe their experience with you?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
    • It\u2019s\u00a0nice when they use descriptive words like friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, etc., but is the word\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>in front of them? In other words, is the customer service and experience you provide consistent and predictable?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSounds simple, doesn\u2019t it? But simple\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0mean easy.\u00a0Let\u2019s\u00a0talk about what drives the\u00a0<\/span>Always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>experience.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0really two words: people and process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIt starts with the right people, whether they are newly hired or have been with your organization for years. Your people must understand what is expected and what drives the experience you\u2019re trying to provide. Beyond understanding, it takes training \u2013 and not just one time. It\u2019s ongoing reinforcement of the goal for the customer experience you want to provide. Training can be just a few minutes each week at a weekly team meeting. Some organizations have daily meetings where customer service and experience are brought up, even if just for two or three minutes. The point is that it is never a distant memory.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThen there is the process you provide. While the\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>statements above mostly apply to the people, you also want to have a good customer-focused process to support it. The journey the customer takes must be easy. Ideally, you want your customer to say, \u201cThey are\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>easy to do business with.\u201d Being easy is baked into the process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSo, have a team meeting. Discuss the concept of\u00a0<\/span>Always<\/span><\/i>. Discuss your answers to the questions above. The\u00a0<\/span>Always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>concept drives trust, and trust is a big reason why customers come back to do more business with you. Do it right by creating an experience that ensures customers\u00a0<\/span>always\u00a0<\/span><\/i>come back!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n
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