Archive for the ‘Customer Service’ Category

With the state of the economy, running a small business can be tough. We all want to get new clients because we don’t want to be just another statistic of a small businesses that failed. When put in this type of a position, it is easy to take on any new client that shows a hint of interest without really getting to know about them and their business. This can be the worst thing to do in a struggling economy. If we start taking on clients without knowing more about them, it gets frustrating for us as well as the client. If it doesn’t work out we stand the risk of our businesses getting a bad reputation.

We need to screen our potential clients just as much as our potential clients need to screen us. When screening potential clients, you may have a hard time coming up with great questions to ask. We can come up with good questions such as what do you expect when working with me etc but what about great questions. Here are a few sample questions:

What are your long term business goals?
Do you have employees, hope to have employees, etc?
What things do you hate to do?
What are your business strengths?
Where do you feel the problems are occurring now?
What is your budget? (Must be asked tactfully)
What makes your business unique, what is your primary branding message?

If you can get this info, it helps you know how to create work that is consistent with it, but often you will have to ask this in multiple ways, since many small business owners cannot answer this in a helpful way.

Each time you have an unpleasant experience with a client, you need to figure out how it might have been avoided, and then make the necessary adjustments to avoid such situations in the future. Sometimes we don’t recognize the signs until we see them a few times – that is normal. If we learn from them, then the experience can turn for good.

Unpleasant, difficult, or unreasonable clients can do more than just bug you. They can place demands on you that undermine your ability to serve your other clients, they can erode your self-esteem, pollute your reputation, and cost you money in unpaid fees or in expenses they cause for you. While many problem clients can be dealt with in tactful or passive ways, some cannot, and they can end up harming you. While you need not be paranoid about them, if you feel warning bells going off in your head as you interview a new prospect, take those alarms seriously and weigh them in your choices and recommendations. Never underquote for a client who has a high potential of being a problem client, and set policies early and stick to them if you decide to take the risk and take the work just because you need it.

Some situations you should never take a risk with though – when you know in your gut that you cannot meet their expectations, when you feel icky just from talking to them, when you know that their business is not sound and that it is likely to lash back on you, or if you are seeing signs of dishonesty in early negotiations.

Don’t take on every client that shows an interest. Be selective, even in these tough economic times. With a little bit more due diligence, you can have a long and fulfilling relationship with your clients and that’s what makes a successful business.

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As a small business owner, your clients are precious to you.  Even more so in the current state of our economy. You do what you can to make sure that your clients’ needs are met and that they continue to patronize your company.

You do your best to make sure your clients’ needs are met when you are providing your services but what happens should an emergency occur that you must attend to?  Are your clients taken care of? Do they know what to do should you not be able to provide services to them for a period of time? Chances are you haven’t even thought about it.  After all, isn’t the saying, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it?  If that is your mentality, you may just have some dissatisfied clients should an emergency arise that you can not tend to your clients’ needs.  Believe it or not, this can be prevented.

There are a few things that you could do to handle an emergency situation so that your clients are not left out in the cold.

Keep an organized client list-if you keep your client list organized you will easily be able to access the list when you do get the time to contact each one and explain the situation

Designate somebody to contact your clients-This could be a friend, colleague or family member who has the time and is willing to contact each one of your clients should the need arise.

Set-up a back-up service provider-Whatever your service is, chances are there is somebody that you know that can handle your work should an emergency arise.  This should be a person that is trustworthy that you know will not steal your clients once the emergency situation has gotten under control.

Hire somebody to execute your contingency plan-When dealing with a crises or an emergency chances are you are stretched to your maximum and don’t know if you can handle one more little detail that needs to be taken care of. That’s where paying somebody to execute your contingency plan can come in handy.  You just need to contact the one person and they will take care of the rest.  From contacting existing clients all the way to making sure that the necessities you need in running your business are being paid for.

These tips may seem like overkill and time-consuming to start implementing but just by taking a few preventative measures, your business can be covered in the event there is an emergency.  Your business can weather the storm that has presented itself unexpectedly.

Side Note: What happens to your business if you have a personal emergency? Peace of mind for $25 or less per month, with the Independent Business Safety Net Service. To learn more about this service, visit Collins-Admin Services

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You’ve seen this mentioned before (especially by me) how customer service is a dying trend especially in the big corporations.  From customer service jobs being sent overseas and not being able to understand what the rep is saying because they speak bad English, to customer service reps that are trained to give customers a line of BS just to get them off the phone so they can get to the next one, customer service is non-existent.

I just went through another situation where customer service was basically non-existent, but I refused to give up.

I have had satellite internet since May of 2007 because I have no other option unless I go back to dial-up.  I researched my options and decided to go with the lesser of the two.  I called to order it and decided I wanted the lowest package with the option to upgrade if needed.  According to the ISP’s website you should expect download speeds of up to 512KBPS and upload speeds of up to 128KBPS.  Now I understand that I will more than likely not ever get the maximum speeds however when they installed it my upload speed never went above 12KBPS, most of the time it was at less than 5KBPS.  I’m paying $50 per month, they boast about speeds faster than dial-up but yet I only get 12KBPS upload speed.  Not to mention the fact that I can not upload or send large files because my internet/email times out constantly.

The installer knew my speeds were bad but told me they would fix themselves.  I didn’t know any better at the time so I said okay.  Two days after the install my speeds were still horrendous and my internet kept disconnecting so I call the ISP(mind you there was a warranty).  Held forever to get through to tech support finally got through they tell me it’s the weather and I tell them it’s clear and they say it may not be where the satellite is that I am receiving signal from.  Again I didn’t know any better so I let it go.  A few days later, the same thing so I call them back, they tell me it’s the weather and I say no it’s not.  They tell me they will place a service call but that I have to pay $95 for somebody to come out.  What the?  I’ve had it for not even a week and they tell me I have to pay for a service call.  I argued but never got anywhere so I just dealt with it.  I couldn’t get rid of them because I was in a 1 yr contract with them.  Anyway, I have continuously called them pretty much monthly because my internet kept disconnecting. 

Finally, Thanksgiving evening my internet disconnects completely and will not reconnect.  I thought well maybe it was the weather because we have been getting snow and it may be covering the satellite.  Friday, my husband goes up on the roof (where it’s installed) and makes sure it’s clean (which it is) and actually shovels off the roof so that there is no chance of snow blocking the signal, still no internet.  I call the ISP, they give me the ole unplug the satellite, could be the weather yada, yada, yada.  However, the tech support has gotten better since the beginning.  At least now instead of just blaming the weather they walk you through some troubleshooting steps. I tell the rep I already did those things and she says we can place a service which will cost $95 or we can do some troubleshooting.  Well I’ve been through the troubleshooting before and it never did any good so I told her I want a service call but I’m not paying for it because I have had nothing but problems since day one.  Not to mention the fact that when we got our TV satellite installed, the person installing it (who also installs satellite internet from the company I use) told me that it wasn’t installed correctly. Anyway, she continued to tell me that I would have to pay for the service call so I asked to speak to her supervisor. Told the same thing by that person.  As soon as that person told me I would have to pay for it, I asked to speak to their supervisor.  Four people later, I still hadn’t got what I wanted but I wasn’t giving up, I would go all the way to the CEO if I had to and I told the last person that as well and she put me through to a customer advocate.  That customer advocate was awesome.  He listened to me, he understood where I was coming from he was very nice and I am not getting a service call as well as any damaged equipment repaired free of charge.

So I know I am rambling but I really do have a point.  Let’s count and see where and how many times the ISP went wrong. I count 4 times where this particular ISP went wrong and I am going to address each one and tell you what they could’ve done different.

What went wrong

Initial install-The person installing it was new (we all have to start somewhere, right) hadn’t done very many but you can’t fault him for that. However, he knew those speeds were not right and he did call his supervisor a few times about it as well as tech support and tech support couldn’t help they didn’t know what the problem was and his supervisor is the one who told him it would fix itself, however, the person who installed my internet also was rushed for time because he had another install waiting on him and he was running late at my place.

What should’ve been done

The installer should have tried to re-install it, followed-up and if it still wasn’t working in a couple of days came back with his supervisor to at least see if they could fix it. He also should have continued working on it and called his next customer and told them they would be late.  Now before I get people complaining saying that is bad customer service, in my opinion if  you give your next customer the courtesy of the phone call to explain the situation, that is good customer service.

 What went wrong

Tech support giving lame excuses-When you call a company for technical support and you get the run around and they blame it on the weather or anything other than what could be the  reason for the issues because they don’t want to admit that things might not be right with the install or the equipment, that is bad customer service. They acted as if my problem was my fault and didn’t listen to what my issues were or what my internet was doing.  They didn’t even try to do troubleshooting.

What should’ve been done

Tech support should have tried to do some troubleshooting and if that didn’t work send me to somebody who is better equipped.  The tech support rep was poorly trained and was only doing what was told to them on the computer screen.  They did tell me to unplug the modem and re-plug it in and that would fix it (which it didn’t).  Instead of transferring me to a more tech savvy, better trained tech support rep, they then blamed it on the weather and my computer.  They should have offered to do a service call free of charge.  Which brings me to my next what went wrong…

What went wrong

Charging for service call when it was still under warranty-They did offer to do a service call but they told me I would have to pay for it.

What should’ve been done

They should’ve offered to send me a different installer to come out and check the setup and make sure that everything was set up properly and find out what the true reason was for the problem, free of charge.  It was under warranty and it was just installed not even a week ago. When you purchase something, don’t you expect it to work when you buy it?  If it doesn’t don’t you expect to get a refund or exchange it for one that works? I know I do.  That is good customer service.

What went wrong

Too many transfers-They sent me to four different people and each person said the same thing the last person said.  You can have a service call but you have to pay for it.

What should’ve been done

When I finally got to the customer advocate, he told me that everybody I talked to was not authorized to give me the free service call.  What they should’ve done was once they realized I wasn’t going away and that I had already talked to more than one person about my situation and not a single one was authorized to grant my request, they should have sent me immediately to somebody who was able to authorize it and if they disagreed with my reasoning, they could deal with me.  Instead, it took me one hour to get to somebody who possibly could have helped me.

While I agree that talking to an unsatisfied client can be a pain and you just want to get them off the phone, I also understand that you are not really providing good customer service unless that customer is fully satisfied with the outcome of the situation.  In all reality, you can’t make everybody happy but if you really try and you really listen to their needs and what they are trying to tell you, you may just have a better chance. 

If you handle your clients like the big corporations do, don’t expect to be in business for very long because you may get away with it for awhile but it will eventually come back to bite you.

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We all know that follow-up could mean the difference between getting the sale and not getting the sale but what about after you get the sale? Once you get the sale and you complete the project or mail the product, do you follow-up with them to see what their experience was like in dealing with your company and whether or not they were satisfied?

It has been my experience that many people prefer to be in the dark instead of know what kind of an impression you or your business left on a client. This can be harmful in many ways especially if it was a bad experience.

No repeat patronage-While this may be a minor issue, it can become extremely costly.  The truth is, you can never please everybody no matter what you do so you might as well expect that but those who you could’ve pleased simply by asking them what their experience was like and then fixing it could save you a lot of grief.  It costs 10 times more time and money to find new clients then it does to keep old clients.

Trash Talk- As I have said many times, the internet is a powerful thing.  A dissatisfied customer that you did not know was dissatisfied, could be slamming you left and right all over the internet and saying that you would do nothing to make them happy when in reality, you didn’t even know they were unhappy with your service.

No-referrals- We all know that word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing and getting clients but when that word of mouth is negative it could have an even more astronomical impact on your business. People trust what their friends and colleagues have to say and if that unsatisfied client tells one person not to do business with you and they tell 10 people not to do business with you and so on and so forth, you could see your reputation spiraling downward out of control very quickly.

We have all heard how customer service has become a thing of the past and you just don’t see it anymore. We also know that people are more apt to discuss bad experiences with their friends and colleagues more than they are good experiences.  It’s just human nature, we get frustrated, we don’t want to see our friends get burned, we want to vent, or whatever the reason, bad experiences are more widely shared than good experiences.

Now imagine what could happen if you took the extra couple of minutes and sent your clients a quick questionnaire asking them about their experience.  While some of it may be hard for you to accept, it could mean the difference between repeat clients, referrals, and good input on the internet. Also, if you follow-up you may find out about simple and fixable things such as emails not getting to clients.

You will get some people who do not reply to your questionnaire and that’s fine, because at least then when you hear about somebody unhappy and trash talking you or your business, you can mention the fact that you sent them a questionnaire in regards to their experience and how it could be improved and they refused to fill it out and send it back.

When it comes to your business, ignorance is NOT bliss.

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Lately I have been researching experiences, both good and bad, that business owners have had with their virtual assistants. I did find some good experiences but what surprised me were the bad experiences that people had with their virtual assistants.  Some of the bad experiences I expected like learning curve, time to plan, and virtual assistants not offering what they need but what I wasn’t ready for were some of the other complaints like, not working productively toward the goal, not having good work ethics and not taking the initiative to get the work complete.

As a confidential virtual assistant, I was appalled. There will always be bad apples in the bunch but I just couldn’t believe how many people had the same complaints.  Why is it that when people go into business for themselves it becomes all about them and not the client/customer? I’ve seen it a thousand times, people who only think about themselves and how much money they can make and not about helping the client and putting their customers’ needs first.   What happened to personal attention, integrity, and ethics? Unfortunately, they are all becoming a dying necessity.

Personal Attention-Many years ago, personal attention was the way of life. People actually listened to their clients but now people are so concerned about ways to cut costs that customer service has become a thing of the past.  Look at any big corporation in America. They have cut costs by automating their phone service ( you know press 1 for this, press 2 for this) when all you really want is to talk to a real live person.  A person who speaks your language good, a person who is willing to help and not just reading from a script.  A person who really listens.

We’ve all come across situations like that and unfortunately you can not do anything about it.  You have to deal with it.  Some people may say just leave that company but sometimes that isn’t possible because of funds, the only provider of that service in your area, or other factors that make it impossible so instead we are left to be frustrated, not feeling important, feeling like another number.

Personal attention is not fully forgotten, there are people who do still believe in personal attention but finding that can be extremely difficult. In order to find out if you are going to get the personal attention you need is to pay attention.  When you email a potential service provider, see how long it takes you to receive a response.  If it’s more than 24-48 hours, walk away because obviously they don’t feel you are important enough for them to get back to you.  If you want to set up a phone appointment, see how they approach it.  If they tell you when to phone, you are not important.  Instead, they should email you and ask when a good time is for you and then if it’s not good for them they should explain why and try to set up another time based on your schedule. When you do speak to them, they should listen to your needs and try to offer suggestions and then once the phone conversation is over, they should take the time to put in writing what those suggestions are and why they feel you need that particular service.

By being alert and paying attention to these little details, you can easily discover who will provide the personal attention and who only thinks of you as another client, paycheck or number.

Integrity-Honesty, truthfulness, trust are all words that describe integrity. Somehow throughout the years these words have lost all meaning. Unfortunately, to so many people integrity means if you say it and it sounds true then it is true.  We see it in the media, they only say what people want to hear, not necessarily the truth. Loss of integrity might get you where you need to go but I guarantee, eventually it will come back to bite you.

Loss of integrity can have a huge impact on clients’ wallets and businesses. People who have lost their integrity know how to manipulate people into believing what they want them to believe.  They know how to make things sound great without making it sound too good.

The best way to fight back is to arm yourself with knowledge. Talk with the potential service provider via phone.  Ask them questions about their business see how they respond. Ask them questions about their business and their past clients, if they seem to be stumbling through and making excuses, then walk away.  Ask them about their background if they can’t seem to give you any information, walk away.  If you do start to work with them and they start to make excuses why something didn’t get done instead of owning up to the fact that it was their fault,  walk away.

Ethics-What is ethics anyway?  Ethics is a set of beliefs, priniciples and morals that you set in place for yourself to follow.  One persons belief may not be the same as another persons belief which is fine. However, every industry has their own standards that everybody in that industry should follow.

Without ethics both personal and industry-specific, you will see the value to clients decrease.  You will find people who just don’t care.  People who are more concerned about the almighty dollar as compared to what their clients need.  They will overcharge, under deliver. Unfortunately, they will do just enough and make it sound good just to get the client to go along with it and not fully consider the clients’ needs.

Fortunately, some people out there do still believe in ethics, but telling them apart can be extremely difficult in the online world that we live in. Start out by talking to the potential service provider; ask them questions both personal and professional.  Ask them to send a proposal.  Go over the proposal with a fine toothcomb.  If you believe they are overcharging you, call them on it or go with another provider.  If the proposal seems legit, do a simple Google search on both their business name and their personal name.  It’s amazing what you can come up with. Ask to talk to their past clients.  There may be times when they are not at liberty to disclose their clients’ identities due to confidentiality.  If that is the case, look at their websites and if they have testimonials/comments, ask to speak to those who provided them because they are obviously not afraid to have their name disclosed to potential clients otherwise it would not be on their website.  If they still give you a hard time about talking to those clients, then walk away because something isn’t right. Find a provider who tells you what you DON’T need, not just what you do.  Those who will tell you when a service is not to your benefit are the ones who will truly look out for your interests.

By taking these extra precautions, you will be saving yourself a lot of headaches and possibly even money because after all, knowledge is power.

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