Breaking Down Customer Service: The Greeting

On December 29, 2021   /   Business Etiquette, Customer Service, Empathy, How to Communicate With Customers   /   Leave a comment
Breaking Down Customer Service: The Greeting

A memorable experience!  As a consumer, who among us doesn’t want that on a consistent basis?

Customers form opinions about your service based on many things—beginning with the way you talk to them.

Great customer service begins from the first point of contact…over the phone, virtually, online, face-to-face.  Regardless of the method, your greeting should impact customers such that they have a longing to do business with you indefinitely.

A genuine embrace with your body language, facial expression, other non-verbal acknowledgement tells them you affirm their presence…it is the first step in building a relationship.  Now, that’s only the beginning.  The following are basic principles to consider as you protect one of your most precious assets…your client:

  • Ask how he/she/they want to be addressed…”Mr. Smith”, “Mrs. Johnson”, “Dr. Matthews”.  Do not use their first name unless they’ve given permission to do so.  
  • Your greeting should be professional and not rehearsed.  Avoid too much banter and being loquacious.
  • The ability to read body language, tone of voice (written or verbal) can offer great insight as to the level and frequency of interaction a customer prefers.  For example, an introvert may prefer a quick greeting void of small talk.  Remember to offer a sincere smile while speaking on the phone, texting, online, and face-to-face…your client can hear it in your voice.

Your greeting provides an opportunity to deepen the relationship, create community roots, and increase customer loyalty. 

In the comments below let us know what makes your customer greeting special.  Make it a great day!

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3 Misconceptions Businesses Make About Generation Z

On March 24, 2021   /   How to Communicate With Customers, How to Increase Customer Loyalty, Leadership, Virtual Customer Service   /   Leave a comment
3 Misconceptions Businesses Make About Generation Z

So, you think your brand understands how to impress Generation Z (Gen Z) to buy your product/service?  Compare your assumptions to the results of a Gen Z think tank survey:

  • When considering a purchase, quality is the top consideration for Gen Z with price a close second.  Accountability and trust tie for third place
  • Gen Z males said maintaining high quality on products will capture their loyalty while Gen Z females said great value for price will make them loyal to a brand 
  • Celebrity endorsements have the least effect on brand loyalty—even though Gen Zers have a fascination with pop culture

Members of Gen Z are those born between 1997 and 2015 putting them in the age range of 6-24 years old in 2021.

What matters to Gen Z is that they want businesses to know who they are and what they like/dislike.  To be clear, Gen Z is not a monolith, however, due diligence must be undertaken if you’re serious about including them in your client base.  Remember, Gen Z buying power in the U.S. is a whopping a $143 billion. That’s nearly 40 percent of all U.S. consumer shopping.  If that’s not impressive enough, 93% of parents say their Gen Z children influence their household spending and another 70% of parents ask their Gen Z kids for advice before making purchases.

Your company has a higher chance of attracting Gen Z to become loyal customers IF your core values align with their expectations.

Gen Zers are looking at your company’s mission, product quality, and service quality before committing to purchases. If you want their business and loyalty, review your corporate philosophy to determine if it conducive to the three points in this article.

Let’s all go out there and make it a great day.

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5 Facts High Schoolers Should Know About Email Etiquette

On March 10, 2021   /   Building Trust, Emotional Intelligence, Helping Youth, High School Students, How to Communicate With Customers   /   Leave a comment
5 Facts High Schoolers Should Know About Email Etiquette

Photo Courtesy of Pixaby

More than ever, companies are experimenting with new communication modalities. That said, as employees, especially Generation Z, are accustomed to communicating in real-time collaborative environments similar to those found within social media.  Applications such as Yammer and Slack use social technologies to allow employees to share information internally.  However, despite the emergence of new workplace communication applications email still reigns supreme.  A survey conducted by the Public Relations Society of America found that 95% of companies use email as their primary mode of internal communication.

Here are five rules to live by:

  1. Use “Reply all” thoughtfully. Consider whether everyone on the list will benefit from your response.  Take time to edit the recipient list to avoid  inundating people with emails that don’t pertain to them.  Nothing eats more time than reading unnecessary emails (not to mention the aggravation of it all).
  2. Check your tone.  Never compose an email when you’re upset because it’s too easy to include harsh words and phraseology that you will likely regret later.  Also, brevity can be a friend or foe…a sent message can be misconstrued as abrupt or not taken seriously enough.  Before sending, put yourself in the recipient’s position and read your message aloud.  Does it convey what you intended?   Remember to include “please” and “thank you”.  They are courtesies that will take you miles with the reader.
  3. Avoid fancy fonts.  Use easy to read fonts such as Arial, or Times New Roman.  It’s best to use size 11 or 12 point types.
  4. To prevent accidentally sending an incomplete email, insert the recipient address(es) just before you’re ready to send the message.  That way you will catch typos and missing attachments.
  5. Every communication is not email compatible.  If you require a quick response, make a phone call.  Also, keep in mind that sensitive subjects such as job performance may be best suited for a face-to-face conversation.

When it’s all said and done, email is still an effective mode of communication and we must understand how to manage its usefulness and power.  Young new hires should review this short video and add it to their Soft Skills arsenal.

For more information about email and telephone etiquette,  type “business etiquette” in the blog search box on our website, www.elite-customer.com.

And now…go out there and make it a great day !!

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Top Ten Best Practices for Customer Care 

On February 10, 2021   /   All Star Customer Satisfaction, Emotional Intelligence, How to Communicate With Customers   /   Leave a comment
Top Ten Best Practices for Customer Care 

As a consumer, when was the last time a business knocked your socks off with extraordinary service?  When was the last time you were wowed by an amazing product and follow up from the company/owner/representative?

This week’s blog focuses on the top ten Best Practices that will attract attention and have clients coming back for more.

  1. Increase customer privacy and protection
  2. Implement “Habit Loop”.  Smartphones and social media are examples of habit loop formation. The ping from a new notification is the cue, the routine involves pulling out a phone to check the notification, and the reward is seeing a new message from a friend or a new comment on social media
  3. Understand how to cater to Generation Z.  According to a Pew report, they make up 40% of all consumers and 27% of the U.S. population
  4. Ask for feedback via short surveys.  Respond to and act on the recommendations. Customers will be glad to know you took the time to read and respond to their suggestions
  5. Stay on top of digital customer service trends
  6. Post Frequently Asked Questions/Answers on social media about your new product/service
  7. Be creative and efficient with your self-service platform (most clients will seek that option for problem resolution before trying to call your company)
  8. Ensure your website meets Google’s Mobile First SEO mandates by March 1st.  Not adhering to the rules will result in a slow response time when consumers look up your site on their mobile devices.  Consumers use their mobile devices ten times more frequently than a desktop computer
  9. For e-commerce stores, consider inserting CTAs (Calls to Action) or pop-ups that request reviews after checkout
  10. Learn how customer service is conducted around the world–you’ll be able to deliver top notch service for a diverse client base

Your clients want to feel your emotions and sincere appreciation.  When you provide them with more than just goods and services, you’ll offer the very best you have…yourself.  Ensure their happiness and you’ll secure a loyal following.  So, go out there and have a great day!

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New Standards: Service Sparking Community

On December 2, 2020   /   All Star Customer Satisfaction, How to Communicate With Customers, How to Increase Customer Loyalty, Increasing Profits   /   Leave a comment
New Standards: Service Sparking Community

What is keeping you up at night during this global pandemic? How is the public rating your company’s product/service on social media?

Marketers are saying that the impact of social media is so strong that companies have changed the way they set out to attract customers to increase sales.  In fact, Fortune 500 companies revamped their marketing strategies to appeal to “social media influencers” due to the power they have on consumers’ purchasing decisions—many have 500,000 and more followers.

In their book, Raving Fans, Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles introduced the concept of raving fans—customers being so impressed by an amazing experience, they can’t stop telling everyone about it.  

Prior to the onslaught of the social media craze, raving fans would communicate their experiences by word of mouth.  Now, social media magnifies the reach to global proportions. Everyday, raving fans create virtual communities in which businesses are lauded or given a poor review.

Take a look at your own company to make room for improvement.  Set the industry standard for delivering amazing experiences.  For example, create and implement a signature value proposition that sets you apart from the competition.  Encourage your team to bring ideas to weekly meetings that reveal how they will create lasting memories for each client and their families.  

Also, assign a team to go online and research your product/service/company.  Evaluate how your team responds to positive and negative reviews.  Do prospects and clients know that you take full responsibility for any short falls of customer expectations?  If so, where is it expressed?  As a statement on your social media? your website? your email signature block?

Reach out to us, we’ll show you how to score big with prospects and get repeat business with existing clients.

Make it a great day.

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