Think
Monk - Customer Service Articles
The business
articles on Think Monk are a selection articles
written by experts in their chosen fields. Customer
Service Articles is a selection of articles
on serving customers, providing customer support and
how to improve business by treating the customer properly.
Your
Two Customer Service Questions
Customer
Service Article - By Patricia
Fripp
You're already aware, I hope, that each and every
employee of your company is a "customer service
representative," no matter what the job description
says. Read this terrific customer-service story,
and then consider the two questions at the end.
"I
ordered a child's learning laptop computer for my
daughter Mallory for Christmas through Amazon.com,"
says Susan Barnes, a payroll manager at MarchFIRST
in Chicago. "Shortly after Christmas, we discovered
that the laptop had a defect. I contacted Amazon,
and the customer service was amazing. The young
man I dealt with, Brian, was incredible. They did
not have any in stock, nor did anyone else because
the laptop was a hot item.
"Brian
offered to credit my credit card immediately and
send me a postage-paid container to return the damaged
computer. I explained that this was all my daughter
had asked Santa for, and she would be devastated
if we just returned it. Brian gave me the option
of waiting to see if they would be able to get another
one. However, he warned that the distributor, VTech,
predicted it could be three months before a new
one would be available. For the sake of my daughter's
happiness, I said I was willing to wait.
"Brian
gave me a phone number where I could reach him and
said I could change my mind at anytime. In the meantime,
he would contact me immediately if one became available.
"Two
days later, Brian e-mailed that he had located a
new laptop for Mallory. It would be shipped within
a few days, along with a postage-paid container
to return the damaged one. I was so surprised and
impressed with Brian and his great customer-care
skills that I e-mailed him, commending his great
skills and asking that my e-mail be forwarded to
his manager. Later, his manager confirmed my message.
The moral of this story is: There IS a Santa Claus!"
YOUR
TWO QUESTIONS:
1.
Do you motivate and empower your employees to provide
top customer service like this?
2.
Could you pose this customer's problem as an interview
question, asking potential hires how they would
handle it?
Business Author Information
Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based
executive speech coach and professional speaker on
Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and
Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What
You Want!, Make It So You Don't Have to Fake It and
Past-President of the National Speakers Association.
Contact Patricia Fripp
1-800 634 3035 E-mail: PFripp@Fripp.com Web Address:
Professional
Speaker Patricia Fripp
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