Wonderful Customer Service in A Recession

There’s little question you feel the the stress. The world is struggling out of a recession. The markets violently reel on an almost daily basis. And your employees feel the stress too. A recent study found that 40% of American workers are indifferent about their jobs. Workplace morale is lower than at any point in modern American history. Employees have had benefits slashed, wages cut, and 401ks unmatched. They’re doing the work of at least one or two former colleagues who were either not replaced during the recession or just plain laid off. And yet, in the midst of all this drama, managers are trying to further differentiate themselves from the competition. They have to slice through the low morale, terrified customers and drab economic climate and still manage to do two things: 1) get more business, 2) retain current business. How are you going to do that? You have to manage the only thing you can manage: customer service. The Truth Customer service will differentiate you from the competition in any economic climate. However, right now, that difference is more obvious. The recession-it’s horror and aftermath-has exposed the companies that have poor customer service and spotlighted those that have legendary customer service. The difference between the customer service haves and have-nots is greater than ever. An article in a 2009 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek points this out: “If anything, the tough economy has made starker the difference between companies that put customers first and those that sacrifice loyalty for short-term gain. In this year’s J.D. than half of the top 25 brands [ranked by customer service] showed improved customer service scores from last year. Among the bottom 25…scores mostly fell.” Additional studies show that companies with high levels of customer service during the recession lost less revenue (or actually gained more revenue), than the companies that have traditionally low customer service reputations or rankings. The recession has made the customer service rich, richer; and the customer service poor, poorer. It has made customer service more important than ever. The Specifics Customer service is the ‘big thing’ that can make you different. How do you begin to improve your customer interactions right now? 1) Attitude – This is the most important part of excellent customer service. Every executive, manager, and front-line employee must have an attitude of ‘owning’ every problem. Every problem. You must personally follow the problem through to the end. You must realize that helping your member is your first job (even if your official title is teller, customer service manager or janitor). Your job is to help your member. Period. 2) It Is Your Job – If you’re a front-line employee or a manager and somehow you get a call about an IT or a technical issue, your first reaction is, ‘this isn’t my job.’ After all, you don’t know anything about the question they’re asking. Heck, you don’t even know what half the words mean in the question they’re asking. This isn’t your job. Wrong. Helping them is your job! So help them. If you can’t fix the problem, find someone who can as quickly and efficiently as possible. 3) Focus On the ‘Can’ Not the ‘Can’t’ – Never ever, ever say ‘I can’t,’ or ‘I’m not allowed.’ Who cares if it’s against policy to waive a fee or process the transaction the way they want it processed? Focus on how you can help the customer. Get creative; go talk to a manager, make an exception if possible, make phone calls to business partners to help them, even to competitors if you have to-whoever! Help them no matter what! 4) Warm Transfer v. Cold Transfer -Here’s what we mean. Have you ever called a business to explain a situation/problem, you explain it once, and they transfer you? ‘I’m gonna transfer you to Frank.’ Frank picks up the phone and you have to explain who you are and why you’re calling all over again. And if that person still can’t help transfer you; and the process of repetition and explanation and frustration repeats itself. That is a cold transfer. And it’s a major problem. A warm transfer goes like this: you call to explain a situation/problem. You explain it and the employee says ‘I’m going to transfer you to Frank, she’ll be able to help you.’ But instead of pushing transfer and forgetting you, this rep calls Frank herself, with you on the line, and explains to Frank what you’ve just told her. She does the work for you, so you don’t have to explain everything 47 times. That is customer service. 5) Dealing with a Frustrated or Upset Customer – If a member gets upset, diffuse the anger. Listen to them. Don’t argue. Resist the urge to justify and defend your business, colleagues or employees. Avoid using words and phrases like ‘but’ and ‘no’ and ‘I can’t.’ Show empathy by using phrases like ‘I understand how you feel, I’d be frustrated too if…’ or ‘I’m really sorry this happened, I can fix it…’ Above all, show them that you care. They need to see that you are sincerely on your side and you are trying to help them. 6) Employee Accountability and Learning – We talked earlier about low morale among American workers. Most workplaces in America have at least one or two indifferent employees. What can you do to fix that problem? We’ve written about this before at length, but here’s the gist: create a workplace culture of learning and growing. Sure, you can try gimmicks like parties and gift cards. That will work temporarily. But any morale boost that comes from a fun party won’t last. You must create a culture of learning (or pay everybody a boatload more money). You must provide opportunities for your employees to learn and grow. Provide training and opportunities to practice customer service and sales skills; and hold them accountable for what they learn. Manage What You Can Manage It costs 4 to 5 times as much to bring in a new customer then it does to keep an existing one. What’s the best way to retain your members? You guessed it! Customer service! You can’t merely ‘hope’ for loyalty. You have to ensure loyalty. You simply cannot afford to go out and replace members you have lost. You need to keep the ones you have. And the only way to generate customer loyalty is through customer service.

What I Can Teach You About Cars

Things to Keep in Mind When Searching for a Home Insurance Company.

Getting home insurance is something that every single individual should have because it covers the costs of every single thing to do with the home of the owner.

But where do you start looking for a good home insurance company? In this article, we have come up with tips you ought to keep in mind.

Always Go With Word of Mouth.

A good way of knowing what home insurance company is worth calling out is by asking for help from friends and family who have some experience in this sorts of things. Let the person who has some experience, let you know what they felt about the home insurance company, the claims, their rates and any kind of discounts you would get from it.

Find One You Can Purchase Stuff Directly.

Know that by buying directly from an insurance company is one way of saving what you would have spent if you bought the same packages from an insurance agent who might be looking for a commission hence hike the insurance rates. Cutting costs for home insurance packages requires one thing, eliminating the middle man who may try to increase the prices so that they can get some commission.

Check the Insurer Ratings.

Another interesting way of knowing the right insurance company to take up on is getting to know the ratings of the insurance company, they should give you a good understanding of what to expect. Besides, any kind of complaints by people are tracked and displayed online on the website of the regulator for people to know what they should be choosing. So, to make it pretty simple, just visit the website and search for the insurance company you would want and know the kind of services they offer.

Feel free to check in a year or two before you determine the insurance companies you would want.

Keep in mind, the financial stability of the insurance company is important. But the financial stability alone does not really indicate great service. Thus, check for other things before deciding.

Look For Ones That Are Not Known.

You can go on and search for the ones that are not advertised because they may have some amazing offers. Check your email and pay attention to both online ads and phone calls.

Searching for these lesser companies is easier because all you need to do is to check online or even on your local insurance regulator.

Make a Choice.

Once you are done with your research, you reach a point where you have to make a choice and choose an insurer that is offering both quality services and at rates you can afford. Nonetheless, if you have to choose between quality and cost, prefer quality.

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Used Cars, Trucks, SUV’s On Sale.

There is a need by most individuals in this age to be in possession of car. This is a practice in most regions as it is a believe among the entire human race. This practice has led to individuals always being on the lookout about the latest car designs in the market so that they can purchase them. This particular desired by most of the humans have proven to be very difficult to fulfill as not everyone has the financial capability to buy new cars. Financial restrictions have forced most individuals to live without cars until they are able to buy new cars or until they can raise enough money to buy used a used car which is relatively cheap. However there have occurred individuals who offer the sale of cheap cars which are second hand but very functional and their costs are relatively low when compared to new cars.

These organizations offer used vehicles on sale to clients at fair prices and the vehicles are in good shape and functional. The vehicles offered on sale by this companies are very effective as they performance is excellent and they do not require any maintenance practices befeore use. These vehicles are offered at cheap and fare prices which are always below those of new cars. Individuals who operate by availing used cars on sale have proven to either act as agents or to offer the cars direct to their buyers after purchasing it from another person.

No service provided by these agents is provided for free as they all require a given amount of pay depending on the services they provide. The services offered which involve them acting as agents is offered at a cost which is not very significant as one is assured of getting a functional vehicle which is will not cause problems due to failures and collapse of some important parts These cars ae offered in good condition. The term of agreement when it comes to the sale of a used vehicle requires one pay by means of cash or by cheque once the delivery is made.

There are many reasons why individuals should opt to buy used vehicles to new vehicles. The first reason is cost in that used vehicles are cheap. The second reason is that used vehicles are delivered with the correct documentation to prove ownership. Documentations are proof of ownership and thus they are very important to have at all times.Used car dealers who offer cars, Trucks, SUV’s are located all over the world and can be accessed at all times.

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Fundamental Things to Mull Over when Replacing a Tundra Air Injection Pump

A vehicle should always undergo regular servicing measures for it to perform desirably and Toyota Tundra is no exemption. Tundra is amongst the top SUV vehicles in the world. Like any other part of the vehicle, an air pump will eventually wear out and you should always be on the lookout. Be keen and understand the best approach to use whenever you are juggling for a Tundra air injection pump. A well fixed pump ensures that exhaust emissions are lowered and the vehicle is performing perfectly. Therefore, whenever you acknowledge the need of replacing the pump, you should facilitate it quickly and in the right manner. Consider the points below as they will help you through the process of looking for an air pump for your tundra SUV.

First and foremost, you should always follow the advice of your mechanic. Therefore, make it your primary objective of hiring a competent, reliable and experienced mechanic who understands the turns and twists of vehicle exhaust systems. A mechanic who fails to acknowledge when the replacement of the air pump is due may end up pilling unnecessary expenses to your pocketbooks. Thus, it is relevant to receive info from highly skilled and knowledgeable mechanics.

Always aspire on acquiring genuine Toyota spare parts and therefore the necessity to spot a store. It is essential for you to purchase something very genuine as it will have a prolonged livelihood. Your mechanic must be aware of stores that sells genuine spare parts and consulting with them for referrals is the basic thing to do. Ensure to have the company of your mechanic while visiting those referred stores. Some mechanics are canning and they can compromise on quality to pocket some money but the moment you accompany them, they will always offer genuine info. Ensure to ask whether the professionals at the store facilitate the replacement procedures or they have discount rates for customers. This will ensure that you save money.

The moment you purchase the pump, ensure to understand whether your mechanic is well conversant with the process and if not they need to refer you to another pro. Ensure that the pump is replaced fast enough and in the right way. It is recommended that you garner replacement estimates from multiple professionals to avoid being overcharged by this particular mechanic.

Following the above info enables you facilitate the purchasing process and replacement with minimal or no hassles at all. If you do not acknowledge the problem early enough, there will be pilled expenses later. Be ready to have regular checks performed on your vehicle during serving sessions by your mechanic.

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The Path To Finding Better Repairs

Clues of Getting a Computer Repair Company

For restoration of computer functions to be possible, you need to have repairs done on your computer.Companies available for computer repairs are so many.You will have varying computer services from different companies.So that to have a company that is good in repair services ,you need research.Importance of research is that it will secure you a company that will promise services that are good.For research to bear fruits, you need to use resources that you have.It will be costly to use a company that has experience ,but you will have repair services that are quality.You will have obtained good use of your money if computer repair services are quality.Below are tips to use so that to have a good company for computer repairs.

There are high chances of having quality repairs, if a company is experienced as well as recognized.Because a computer is a costly item, you need to a company that is good.You will stand to have a computer which will not be helpful, if a company has no experience of repairs.A company that has offered repair services for a long time will be good to offer quality repairs.You will have certainty of quality services if a company has gathered quality experience from long duration of services.In order to have services that will last, you need that company that has experience.With good recognition of a company by customers ,you will have repairs that are good.What people speak of a company will help you know whether a company is fit or not.A company will be deemed good, if people comment positively about services they offer.

By considering a company that is an expert in computer repairs, you will have services that are good.In existence is many computer models in the market.Because models are different ,it requires to have a specialist in your model.You need to ensure that you choose that a company that offers repairs to your brand.This will help to have a specialist who will offer services that are quality.There are high chances that you will have services that are not good, if a company is not specialized in your brand.With a company that has specialized in your computer ,you will have repair services that are good.

In order to be sure of a good company, online reviews are essential.You need to visit a website of a company so that to know if it is suitable or not.By considering reviews of customers about a company will know suitability of a company.You need to rely on customer reviews so that to have a company which will offer promise good services because they are honest.That company that will be good ,is that which has been reviewed positively.

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