In order for customer service satisfaction surveys to be successful, they must be short and to the point. Five questions is a good length, but don’t make the survey more than ten questions at the most. If it takes more than a minute or two to fill out the survey, many people will simply neglect to take the time, losing valuable input for your business organization.

Make the questions on your customer service satisfaction survey clear and allow the customer to provide feedback on a scale of one to five with one being completely dissatisfied and five meaning delighted with the outcome.

Questions to include on the survey include asking the customer if their problem was resolved to their satisfaction. Also, ask them if this is their first contact to resolve this issue. These are important measurements to learn if your customer service is fast and effective. If a client has found it necessary to repeatedly contact your business to resolve a problem, then work needs to be done. If they did not get the problem resolved, then research into the matter needs to be done to learn it this can be corrected.

Another point to bring out on a customer service satisfaction survey is to learn if the client found the quality of the product or service to be at fault. It is also important to learn the name of the representative that served this customer, both in the initial contact and in the customer service situation.

Provide a space on the customer service satisfaction survey that the client can write in comments. These will allow you to learn much more about the situation and whether the service provided was flawed.

Collect these surveys and gather the information. Identify strong points in your customer service and identify the areas that need improvement. Then, using the results from your customer service satisfaction survey, develop training and skills assessment to help your organization improve the level of service provided to customers and clients.

By Business Editor

Here are some tips to help you remain focused and calm while dealing with people in customer service:

• Remember, it’s just a job. No matter what happens during the course of the day, you still get to go home at the end of the day to relax with your family. This is only temporary and it is just a job. Dealing with customers and their complaints is just a small little increment in your life. So what if they told you off. You didn’t know the person before they walked up and you have no desire to know them now. They are basically nothing in your life. So smile and thank them for shopping at K-Mart or wherever it is that you work.
• Never let a bad day at the office ruin your day at home. When you leave work, leave it at the door. If you want to pick it back up on the next day in, then fine but don’t take a bad day home with you because it is your only safe haven.
• Customers are always right even when they are wrong and there is a way to master making them feel like they are right yet letting them know you know they weren’t but you can do it without making anyone mad. So smile and thank them for making the world a better place.
• Focus on what the customer wants when they are in front of you. Hang on their every word and try to get them satisfied so you can move on to the next one as quickly as possible. If you are quick to handle customers with friendliness yet rapidness you don’t set yourself up to have to listen to things you likely don’t want to hear about.
• Take your breaks. When you deal with the public, you need to be able to walk away for a moment and regroup. Do this when it is scheduled because everyone needs and deserves a break. Also, if you start skipping your breaks then it becomes expected and you’ll be sorry you started it at all!
• Know when to give up. You will never please everyone all of the time. Even the best customer service representatives realize this so shake it off and go on if you can’t. If they won’t go away, pass them off then smile, and know you won’t be the one dealing with the customer for a while.

Being a customer service representative is tough. However, if you will learn to smile and laugh things off, you’ll enjoy your career a lot more than if you vent too much over the little things in life.

By Business Editor

In most cases, a difficult customer is an unhappy client that has had a bad experience. Whether the person is unhappy with the service or product or with the support provided after the sale, the person’s mindset is already in a mode where they expect to be told they are stuck with the product or service. They expect to find the contact unsatisfactory and the staff unhelpful.

When encountering a difficult customer, the first step should be to indicate caring and concern along with an apology. The statement, "I’m sorry you are having (or have had) a bad experience but I will do my best to help you resolve this issue promptly," can go a long way to diffusing the situation. Too often, the unhappy customer is, instead, met with the statement, "Hold, please," which only serves to build these frustration and anger to new heights.

The next step in providing customer service to the difficult customer is to listen – really listen. Allow the client to state exactly what has made them unhappy and what they want to see done about this situation. Never interrupt an unhappy customer or they will simply become more unhappy and angry, venting that anger at you. Instead, allow them to state their problem or share their experience fully before speaking.

Once the problem or issue has been defined, you should again let the customer know that you are concerned for their feelings. Empathy and caring must be in your voice as well as your words, and in a face to face encounter it must be on your face as well, when dealing with difficult customers or they will see right though to the fact that they aren’t truly cared for. It is not necessary to tell them they are right, but let them know that you care about their feelings. A statement like, "I understand that you are unhappy," or, "I understand that you feel you were not served properly," can let them know that you have listened to them and gotten the point of their complaint.

Next, the problem itself must be addressed when providing customer service to a difficult customer. If the customer was in fact treated wrongly or provided defect service or products, an apology and making the situation right will often suffice. However, it is how this procedure is performed that makes all the difference. Throughout the contact, the empathy and caring must be shown in every word and action to allow the unhappy customer to know that the company cares about their feelings and satisfaction.

Providing customer service to difficult customers is almost an art form. A situation can escalate quickly if the right techniques and right tones are not used with these clients. However, if the client leaves the encounter feeling as if they matter and that the company really cared, they may become your most loyal and least difficult customer in the future.

By Business Editor

Finding customer services is not going to be difficult at all. In walking into the grocery store you will find a customer service desk is most often times located in the front of the store. This is where you can take problems with a product, or an item, and you can find help in dealing with a price that you didn’t like or a service that you didn’t want during your trip to that store. If you find there is a mistake on your bill, the customer service area or representative is going to be able to explain the price or fix that charge for you. If you have a problem with payment during the checkout process, the cashier may ask someone from customer service to come over and aid you during that purchase so you have the most pleasant time even during those times when something happens to the register and you need to re-check out all over again.

If you are buying a car, having problems with a car (or this could be an RV or a motorcycle or any type of large auto purchase) you can find customer service not only through the salesman that sold you the item, but you can also find customer services in the parts department or in the office. You can find customer services are offered by most associates, who are in the business, not only those with a customer service title. Look for a person who is willing to listen to what you want, and ask for someone else if you are not getting the results you expected or thought that you needed to solve the question or problem that you are asking.

So, you may ask how you can get the most of any customer services you are seeking.

Be specific in your needs, tell the people if you need to return an item or if you want to just get a different one. If it is the wrong size, the wrong color or just the wrong fit, getting a replacement could be the answer. If you don’t have a receipt, you are going to find it is often times the policy to have an item replaced for you in return instead of giving you cash back or money for what you are asking for. If you have a receipt, and you are not pleased with the item, or the item is not what you need, you can often times get a cash back payment or a voucher for the store if you like.

When you are shopping and you have a question about an item before purchasing it, you want to find someone in customer services that is going to be able to give you the answers without giving you the run around. You can do this by searching for someone in that department. If you were to go to the sweeper section of the store and you want to purchase a stove, you might find the person in the sweeper department is not going to give you the answers or the help you need. Customer service in these situations is going to be best delivered to you if you talk about what you really want to solve your problem or to make that purchase. Ask questions, talk about your situation and be patient while the customer service representative finds the answers or someone who can really answer your questions.

In offering real details about what you need, you are going to be able to get help faster and in the method that you want. Do you want a refund, do you want an exchange or do you want store credit? These are going to be some of the details a representative is going to want to know in order to help serve you better as a customer.

What can you do to avoid getting some of the worst possible customer services?
If you were to walk up to a customer service representative and raise your voice, or make demands that are unreasonable, you are not going to be able to get the best possible services. If you are dealing with a customer service representative on the phone or in person or even by mail, you want to be nice, explain with details, and explain exactly what your problem is. If you are patient for a few minutes, you can get an answer to that problem quickly. Often times, customer service reps are going to try their best to solve your problem. You can always ask for a manager or for another person in the customer service department if you feel you are not being understood, but do this in a manner that is personable so you will get the best results and in a quick manner. If you are on the mean side you can often times find it will take longer for your request, problem or question to be answered in the manner you were first expecting!

Be nice, explain with details, and ask questions to get the best possible customer service.

By Business Editor

This is where customer service comes into play. While trying to place an order by phone, a customer service representative could aid in the taking of the order. If there are questions about what the buyer ‘gets’ for their money or what will take place directly after placing an order, customer service aids in answering questions in the manner needed. Customer service also plays an important role in person, in the store, or in the repair setting, aiding those who need answers to their questions before, during and after the purchase. Customer service could be the act of helping you find something, helping you find the right fit, or finding the right price for your budget, there are no limitations to the customer services you can find, and what you can get just by asking!

How can you get the best possible customer service when placing an order, when you are face to face or on the phone? You can get the best possible customer service when you are dealing with an order, when dealing with a problem or when making a return if you remember to be nice. The customer service representative is just doing their job, and they are going to help you in any manner possible, but you will find you will get the best possible services, and even what appears to be the ‘extra’ services when you are nice!

In dealing with a customer service representative, you need to have your order number, if you have already placed an order. Often if you are returning or asking for an exchange you will need a receipt or the original order number from the purchase to help customer service deal with making the authorizations needed for your transaction.

By Business Editor

To provide exceptional customer service, you must first earn the trust of your client base. If your clients trust you and have a sound business relationship with you, they will enjoy doing business with you. It doesn’t matter if the contact is by telephone, email, face to face or through advertising, it must be an experience that builds trust through factual information that is provided in a friendly, caring manner.

To build trust in your customer service, always provide communication with straight talk rather than slick sales talk. Make your claims clear and honest and then provide exactly what you say you will provide.

You’ll also have to adopt a customer service posture that lets the client know that you are on their side. Don’t be pushy and make sales through pressure. This will only lose trust for your company. Sometimes, it is better to tell a client that you can’t provide them the best possible deal than to tell them a half-truth or badmouth another business, which will cause a breach of trust.

Building trust means providing customer service that protects your client’s privacy and personal information. Today, with identify theft being such a problem, you must be able to ensure clients and buyers that you will never allow their information to get into the wrong hands. Then follow through by implementing policies and procedures that will ensure that privacy is maintained.

Another way to provide exceptional customer service is to create scenarios that will ensure your clients are passionate about your service. This means you have to provide the products and services that are needed by your customer base and provided in a way that can’t be matched by other companies. Customer service should involve letting your clients know why your product is a better, less expensive and superior product than others. Give clients new ideas about how to use products and services and provide a menu of these that will meet the needs of a broad base of clientele. Make your service so great that customers will become passionate and loyal users of your products and services.

In every customer service situation, you must exceed the expectations of clients. Delight each and every client and those customers will return for more products and services. Never settle for doing the minimum. Go above and beyond in every situation. Be proactive; fix anything that isn’t right even before the customer brings it to your attention. Then notify them that the problem has been corrected. They’ll be delighted that they didn’t have to call the problem to your attention.

Providing minimal customer service will result in minimal loyal customers. Providing exceptional customer service will build your business organization and allow it to grow to new heights.

By Business Editor

Hilton would be proud of little sister. The Hampton Inns throughout the world are notorious for the best in customer service, in fact most people are hard pressed to find a Hampton Inn without a great customer-oriented focus. Three cheers for Hilton’s best customer service brand of hotels. It’s all about the customer at the Hampton Inns.

Red Lobster goes through stages of having the best seafood around to the worst but one thing always remains the same and that’s the consistent service found among the team players at the Red Lobsters around the globe. These restaurants have the best to offer in customer service and its why no other seafood chain in the world will ever compare to Red Lobster.

TCBY may dish out ice cream but their employees are always some of the friendliest people around. The customer service is great whether the employees deal with kids or elderly people. The employees are taught customer service skills and its just one more reason they are still around to serve up soft serve!

Cingular Wireless is the baby company of a much larger conglomerate. Cingular came from momma bell. The Bell companies have been ringing out great customer service for some time and the reason is because training is important to Cingular and they make sure everyone who hits their service phones know how to deliver great customer service.

Outback Steakhouse initiates great customer service throughout the company. From the proprietor on down, the customer service is some of the best in the restaurant business. It is likely because the employees know that Outback allows their employees to basically take ownership in one of the best steakhouses in America when they become Outback proprietors and this does offer an incentive to those interested in steak or just the money made from it! Either way, the Outback Steakhouse provides customers good food and great customer service. Must be why there is always a line to eat down under!

Macy’s is one of those stores which has no choice but to offer great customer service. It is in the upper echelon of retail stores and when people shop at Macy’s, they expect to be treated like the upper class they want to feel like for shopping there and they do from the moment they walk in. Macy’s is a model for what all customer-driven department stores should offer to their customers and if you have the chance, someday visit a Macy’s and you’ll certainly understand.

There you have it. The best customer service in the country. From ice cream to a good night’s sleep, these businesses know why they are in business. They are all about you-their customers and they try to keep it that way!

By Business Editor

To empower customer service representatives, it is important to define exactly what the policies and procedures are that must be followed in problem resolution. These steps should be documented and training should be provided so that empowered employees know what to do and how to do it as well as how far they can go in creatively resolving the concern or issue with which a client has come forth for help.

It is necessary that you select empowered customer service representatives that you trust to make decisions and that have a track record of performing their assignments with empathy and caring attitudes. Of course, there has to be a level at which approval is required but in the case of repairing, replacing or rectifying problems within certain cost limitations, the team members must be trusted and allowed to do their jobs. This will ensure that customers feel that they have reached a caring customer service representative that can act freely to solve the issue at hand.

Nothing is more frustrating than to contact a company’s service department only to be told that you will have to fill out a long form and then the staff will have to request approval to act on the clear problem when there is no question that it is not the client’s fault but that the company should act on the point in question. Having empowered customer service representatives that can tell the customer exactly what can be done to help resolve the matter, whether that be a replacement, repair, discount on the service, discount on a future product or service or whatever is appropriate in the specific situation, will allow the client with a service issue to have a very positive experience.

There should be some areas in which you empower customer service representatives to make a decision entirely alone and document the action taken to help the client. When more money or time is involved in repairing the relationship with the client, there may have to be an approval process where a higher level manager is contacted; in some cases where large amounts of money or time are involved, even higher levels of leadership may be to become involved. This doesn’t mean that the representatives can not be empowered to act, however. In these cases, the team members should be empowered to contact appropriate parties, even with the client present, and schedule the needed approvals or even obtain the approvals immediately by telephone.

If you empower customer service representatives, time and money will be saved in the long run. While repairing relationships can cost some time and money in the short run, the return business and the word of mouth advertising you’ll receive is worth every penny of the investment made on the part of the business. You’ll also have happy, productive employees that feel trusted and valued, making the quality of their work lives much better.

By Business Editor

Customer service representatives are under the watchful eye of supervisors all of the time. People in the higher ranks of the company are always waiting for someone to mess up or to make some unsuspecting customer mad as soon as they walk through the door. This doesn’t have to be the case. If you learn to offer great customer service then the higher echelon of the company will actually be in shock should someone ever feel like you didn’t offer the best in customer service. They probably won’t even believe it. Customer Service Gurus have this luxury.

Guru can be a great title to carry as a customer service representative because you will find others will look to you when they need to know how to handle particularly tough customers. This may even save you a few days in front of the customers because you may be invited to train within your department to teach others to effectively deal with customers. You will become known as knowing how to deal with customers and most companies will reward their loyal customer service representatives and if you’re a customer service guru, then the possibilities for you are truly endless.

By Business Editor

When a client contacts your business, either by telephone or in person, the last thing they want to hear is, ‘I can’t do anything about this matter,’ or, ‘no, that is against company policy’. Of course, at times company policy has to come first but it is simply a matter of communicating in a non-negative way.

When the client initiates contact, the first statement that he or she should hear from a representative of the business is, "I can and will help you". From that point only, the resolution of the problem should be given priority and done in a positive, caring manner. No matter how frustrated the client may be with the situation, the problem will be diffused if everything that is communicated to them involves positive statements, positive actions and positive attention to their needs.

Words that need to be avoided to avoid negativity in customer service include: no, never, not, impossible, unlikely, not normally, unable, incapable, can’t, won’t, shouldn’t, not until, not at this time, not in my power, not permitted, out of scope, and anything else that sounds negative. Worlds like can, will, shall, immediate, right now, able to, within my responsibilities, normally, empowered, and other positive words must be used to communicate that something will be accomplished by the contact. Of course, there are times that the desired outcome is not within the empowerment of the employee, but even that can be communicated in a positive manner. "I will immediately contact the person that will determine the cause of the breakdown and will immediately rectify the situation," is a positive way of saying that a person simply doesn’t have the power to do what is needed. This statement leaves the customer with a good feeling, unlike a negative statement such as, "I am not authorized to do anything about this so I’ll try to see if anyone can make the time to fix this problem and maybe they’ll let you know."

Of course, positive customer service statements won’t work unless there is follow-through and the situation is truly rectified. You can avoid negativity in customer service but unless the problem is resolved, the customer won’t care how many positive words were used. The point, however, is to let the client know that the company cares and will do what is needed to make it right for the client if the company has failed to perform or provided a less than quality product.

If you train your staff to avoid negativity in customer service and train them to treat every person both inside and outside the organization with respect and good manner, you’ll be amazed at how painless many difficult situations can become. Speaking in a positive manner doesn’t cost a thing except a little empathy and caring and it does bring profits in terms of customers that respect your products and services and come back again and again.

By Business Editor