You Loved Me When I Was A Prospect But Now…

A friend recently told me about their experience in refinancing their mortgage

When You’re A Prospect

with a large bank.

His story reminded me of a joke I once heard.

A man died and was at the gates of heaven.  St. Peter stood at the gate and asked him if he wanted to go to heaven or hell.  The man said, “Heaven, of course”. 

St. Peter told him that before he made a final decision, he could have a tour of both places.  The man agreed.

He got on an elevator and was soon greeted by Satan in Hell. The man was shocked! Satan was dressed in a tuxedo, drinking a martini and offered the man a drink.  He led him into a beautiful casino where everyone won every game.  Satan took him outside and showed him the gardens and the endless rounds of golf that could be played at the course there.

The man left and went back to St. Peter for his tour of Heaven.  It was very nice…beautiful music playing, quiet places to rest, peaceful and lovely.   He thought it was very pleasant, but nothing like the exciting fun times he had seen in Hell.

He told St. Peter, “I’ve made up my mind.  I’m going to go to Hell”.  He went into the elevator and descended to Hell.  When the doors opened and he stepped off, there was fire and brimstone and terrible things happening all around him.  He saw Satan and asked, “What happened to all the wonderful things you promised me when I was here earlier?”.

Satan replied, “Earlier you were a prospect…Now you’re customer!”

…..My friend’s experience had some similarities.

During his “Heavenly” prospect stage

The Loan Officer was so nice.  The lender called back, quickly responded to questions, promised that everything would be taken care of for him.  The bank was eager for his business.  The Loan Officer would even come to his work or home to discuss and help with documents. Given his financial situation, he was told the refinance should be a “piece of cake”.  My friend agreed to begin the process.

Then he entered Customer “Hell”

He never heard directly from the Loan Officer again.  He had filled out endless amounts of papers, signed documents and jumped through the financial hoops needed for the deal, despite being promised “easy” process.  The online process-tracking that customers could view on the bank website showed multiple errors: 15 documents still needed, although 12 of them had been mailed to the Loan Officer.  One document being requested was about child support or alimony received as income used in the qualifying even though he had told the Loan officer there was no such income.

He emailed the Loan Processor and was told that “everything was fine…don’t worry”.  A week later a threatening letter saying “you better send us these documents or else” arrived.

My friend had had enough.  He emailed the bank parties involved and wrote that he was ready to cancel everything.  Within minutes of sending the email, he received a call from the processor apologizing. Suddenly there was great service and smiles from all involved. The website information was correctly updated and initial approval for the loan was received.

The bank was lucky that my friend was willing to give them the chance to fix things. It’s too easy for our customers to move on and look for someone else who will treat them well both as a prospect and when they are a customer.

Ask your sales and service teams…Are we making our customers feel valued or just focused on bringing in the new business?

Guest Post: The Little Things Really Do Matter to Customers

I’m pleased to have Stefanie Amini Guest Post on my Blog today.  I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did.

Stefanie Amini is the Marketing Director and Specialist in Customer Success at WalkMe, the world’s first interactive online guidance system.  She is chief writer and editor of I Want It Now, a blog for Customer Service Experts. Follow her @StefWalkMe

The Little Things Really Do Matter to Customers

Empathy is a social drive in all of humanity. It is the ability to feel what our brethren feel, and to care deeply about making them feel better, or to make them feel good with no obvious reward to ourselves. This empathic drive in our species is what has allowed us to persevere over the obstacles of our history, which were many, and has given us a very important element that lets civilization work – ethics.

But, there’s more to it than that. When we think about making someone happy, do we think about making them smile, or do we think about some grand gesture to ensure extreme elation in people? Usually, whether we want to admit it or not, we think far too grandiose when we talk about “making people happy”. We greatly devalue the power of simply making someone smile or laugh, or the pure goodness of showing just a brief nod of courtesy or respect to others. We underestimate how far these little things really go.

Businesses make this mistake too, and that’s a very unfortunate thing. Obviously businesses have a less than selfless motivation for making their customers happy, but a good business cares about their customers and their happiness above and beyond profitability too. Either way, the same paradigm exists and the same problems arise from it. Companies try too hard to make their customers happy by trying to unabashedly impress them with grand gestures that often either don’t work, turn out to be impossible, or are too general and absurd.

It’s time to think about this with a smaller metric. Consider the last time someone went out of their way to make some grand gesture to make you happy. Did you feel a little guilty accepting such hospitality? Probably. Now, compare this to someone who was just, with no prerequisite, was respectful, or just made you smile or laugh. They stand out in your memory, do they not? And was there any guilt in enjoying the laugh, smile or edification they bestowed upon you by this little, selfless and cost-free gesture? That’s highly unlikely!

Now, draw a parallel in business, with making your customers happy in the long run. One can divide this into smaller things, in the way of just showing extra courtesy to your customers, and bringing a humble but lasting smile to their faces. What are some ways to do this? Well, from one industry, demographic and scenario to the next, there are a ton that can’t really apply across the board, but there are some generalities in business where it does.

For one, in CRM, individuals who deal with distressed customers, but are willing to laugh with them, to empathize with them and speak to them on their level are an excellent step. Making a customer smile through empathy isn’t hard. If they complement your great customer service, thank them deeply and sincerely, because they will get a smile out of having made you smile in turn. See, it goes both ways with that.

Small incentives and shows of gratitude also work well. You don’t have to offer some grand free prize to a millionth customer, or as a reward for years of loyalty. Simply offer small discounts, or tokens of appreciation that may not even be worth a lot, but show that you care. This will get a smile out of the customer, and they will remember that you care. This will stay with them.

Finally, you probably don’t have to spend a fortune on CRM software or high technology to wow your customers. You need only to keep it simple, and make it very direct and easy for a customer to contact you. The ease of procedures and the simplicity of handling things will bring a smile to their faces, when they’ve been through the wringer with other companies in the past on this.

It’s the little things like this that make people smile, and while a smile is a little thing itself, everyone remembers someone or something that just brings a pure and simple smile to their face. Something that wows them is subject to novelty wearing off given time.

Are You Creating Customer Experience or Just Waiting for It To Happen?

We’ve all had this experience. The service employee is pleasant, smiling, not rude…just not offering anything extra beyond what you request.

You ask a question…they answer it.  You make a comment…sometimes they acknowledge with a head nod or a smile.

You haven’t received bad service.  You’ve received “blah” service.  Nothing memorable to make the experience stand out in your mind when you think about doing business there.

I used to make purchases at a large pet supply chain retail store. They carried the brand I needed for my cat with allergies, and so I returned there often.  It wasn’t the service that brought me back, but rather the brand of food seemed difficult to find anywhere else.  The store always had lots of cans available too.

During one of my visits, I was disappointed to find that only 8 cans of the special food were on display….much less than I usually purchased. I stopped one of the store associates walking by and asked if there was any more in the back. She said she’d check and in a few minutes she returned and said there were no more in the back storage area. She added that more were due to be delivered in a couple of days and suggested I call them to check on the delivery.  I took the cans they had and left.

As I was driving home, I thought how nice it would’ve been if she’d offered to take my name and number and call ME when they came in.  Instead, she had passively suggesting that I check back.  As the cans rolled around in a bag on the floor of a car, I wished that she had offered a small box for those loose cans.

Two days later, I called the store before making the 20 minute drive there.  I wanted to make sure that the food had been delivered to them.  I reached the same clerk who had told me to call back while at the store.  She told me that the shipment had come in yesterday (a day earlier than she had told me at the store), and all they had left were a few cans instead of the full case I wanted.

As I expressed my disappointment, she made no response other than a few “uhuh” and “sure”.  She offered no empathy or apology.

I finally asked, “Is it possible to order a case or two in advance with my name on it…prepaid if needed?”   She offered to check with the Manager and placed me on hold. When she came back on the phone, she told me that the Manager could order for me but it would be 10-14 days until the case of food would come in.  I reluctantly agreed.

On the way home, I passed a small locally owned pet supply store (All Is Well).   I hadn’t checked for the food there so I stopped and spoke with a personable young woman named Christie, and explained what I was looking for.  She said that they didn’t stock it but she would be happy to order a case for me.

I asked her how long it would take and the price, assuming the worst since it was a small business and not able to order huge discounted amounts from a supplier.  She replied that she could definitely order tomorrow and I could have the following day but she would have to check the price and call me back. I agreed and provided her with my information wondering if that call would actually happen.

Thirty minutes later, she called and said that the case would be $___ (only $2 more than the big chain store) and she could definitely have for me in 48 hours as promised.  She told me that she would call me when the product arrived.

I was thrilled with the prompt delivery and even more so with her proactive approach to meeting my needs.

I’m still doing business with them and when I call, I just say my name and they respond, “Hi!  How are you?…Do you need 2 or 3 cases this time?” and thank me for my business when I’m done.

I’m treated as a valued customer who is recognized.  Personal treatment rather than transaction number 2038.

So how can we be proactive about creating a great customer experience?

1. Offer simple inexpensive extras when you can (like a box for all the loose cans).  It’s called a “lagniappe”….an extra for a customer like 13 donuts for the price of 12.

2 Don’t wait for the Customer to request a service.  Anticipate and offer with a smile.

3.Callback when you say you will even if you are still checking on something for the customer

4. Ask the right questions so you can offer a good solution that works for them personally. Don’t offer them the “policy carved in stone” response.

5.When the customer says, “Thank You”, respond with “You’re welcome (customer name), and thank you for allowing us to help you today” or some other words of appreciation for their business.

Start making great customer experiences happen by proactively making every customer feel important and valued.

Book Review: RoadMap to Revenue

Click to visit Kristin’s website

I just finished reading Kristin Zhivago’s book, “Roadmap to Revenue: How to Sell The Way Your Customers Want to Buy.”  Kristin is a well-known “Revenue Coach.” The premise of her book is that we need to be Customer-Centric instead of Company-Centered.

How shocking!  Sell to Customers the way they want, instead of forcing company-focused marketing, sales, processes and services on them whether they like them or not?

And the best part is that Kristin doesn’t talk pie-in-the-sky theory about this.  She shares a system that she says, “uses proven methods that have worked” regardless of the product or service sold or who the buyer is.

In the beginning pages of the book, she lists 21 “Barriers to the Sale” that companies create which make it difficult for customers to buy. She adds that these are just a FEW examples.  Scary reading indeed!  As I read her list I found myself nodding in affirmation.  I’ve experienced most of these either as a customer or as a consultant observing how some companies operate.

Here are just two of the sales barriers:

• Failing to include needed and helpful information on product packaging and in product documentation (I had to call, wait in queue and then finally get the information)

• Using the latest technology without regard to how it impacts customers (loved the one that disconnected me 2 times and the Agent when reached said, “Yes, it’s been doing that all week”)

She also discusses a common mistake the C-Suite team often makes: imitating the competition (What is Joe doing? What kind of system did XYZ competitor buy, and so on), instead of creating their own marketing and service culture based on what their own Customers love and how they want to buy from them.

Once she’s laid out what is happening or what could be happening that’s failing, Kristin gives us three key steps to get on the right track:

1. Discover: Start to approach things from your Customer’s point of view.  Get feedback on everything they experience, perceive and even their thoughts on your competition. Kristin provides specific instructions on how to get this information quickly – as in, weeks – using a simple but proven method.

2. Debate: Brainstorming rules here.  What do your customers want, how do they want it, decide what you will promise to your customers and how will people, processes, policies, products etc. keep these promises.  She says the latter is your “brand” (not to be confused with “branding”).

3. Deploy: Take Action.

Many companies are great at Debate.  In fact, they will debate and then debate the debate (note: please see my Blog post on “Meetings”). Where they fail in my experience, in addition to effective Discovery, is the Action part. Lots of data collected.  Lots of talking. Not so much walking.  And so the same things they discuss implementing in January are still being discussed in November or even the next year.

Kristin goes into great detail on all of these stages, giving you examples that you can follow in theory, but more important, in practicality.  She was spot on with this observation:

“The (Marketing and Selling) Channels you decide to use should be guided by two reliable sources:  your Customers’ buying process and testing.”

 YAY!  Someone not afraid to say, maybe you don’t need the latest and greatest Marketing or Sales invention, media, etc. unless your Customers (or Prospects) want to find you, buy from you, learn about you using them.  Don’t set some marketing or sales plan in motion because YOU like it or you think you have to have it to keep up with everyone else.

Last but not least, Kristin discusses how to keep all this going including dealing with internal roadblocks that may continue to pop up.

I loved Kristin’s no-nonsense tough talk about what needs to be done to be successful. She pulls no punches and is clear about the roles (or whining of various departments) that you may encounter as you make the Customer-Centric changes needed, and how to deal with them.

Do Your Emails Just Generate Calls to Process First Agents?

I recently received a strange Email from my Bank regarding my credit card. The kind of Email you love to receive because you have no idea what it means and now you’re going to have to pick up the phone and make a call. I hate waiting in queue so I’m not much different from most of our Customers.

The email also had a lovely added twist for my confusion.  In essence it said  (not exact wording):  “Surprise!  we’ve moved your old card stuff to a new card.”  So now I’m wondering, Identity theft?  Lost card?  I quickly checked and still had my card, so one fear off the list.

Before calling, I went to my online account to see what my information said.  Sure enough, there is a new credit card number and recent purchases from the old card are there. But wait..for security reasons, there are only the last 4 digits of the new card visible.

What is the new number? Why do I have this number? What does it all mean?  I feel trapped in one of those old Sunday Night Mystery movies without Columbo to help me. 

The fun continues when I call the 800 service line and reach one of most non-empathetic Agents I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking with.  I explained the email I received and my concerns.  The first thing she does is begin her Process steps.  As you may know from my other posts, my mantra is “Empathy first, process second.” Needless to say and yet I must say it, my Moment of Truth is not a good one at this point.

The Agent asks me to verify the new account number I’m calling about.  I tell her that I only know the last 4 numbers. She says, “Since you said you were online, your number will appear to the left of your account”. Now we have a problem.  She doesn’t know that other accounts have the entire number visible but the credit cards only show the last 4 numbers. She may love her processes but she obviously needs training on the online screens. Another Moment of Truth…wrong information given.

I explained again that I could not see the number and repeated that I was not only calling to find out what it was, but also why I no longer had my old account.  She finally told me after more probing that while it appeared that my account had not been compromised, a percentage of customers who had shopped at (blank) store, as I had, had issues with their cards so accounts were closed and then reopened with new numbers.  I asked her when this had happened.  She replied that she didn’t know.

I had to ask every question I could think of because she did not offer any further information.  Finally, she told me that I would receive a new card in 7 to 10 days. Yet another Moment of Truth downhill slide for me.

“What?  First you people (yes, I love that standard angry customer phrase too!) move me to a new credit card number and now you can’t expedite the card for me?”  She replied that it was already in Process (she really did love her process) and I would just have to wait.  She could give me the new number over the phone due to the waiting time but not the security code on it. She added that she could do nothing else to help.

No apology.  No empathy. No interest in me.

“Why yes…I’d like to take your customer survey at the end of the call.”

It all started with an email….

Do you have “Welcomers”?

I was delighted to read Richard Shapiro’s new book entitled, The Welcomers Edge.  I’ve corresponded with Richard on Twitter and LinkedIn and knew of his devotion to our Customer Experience industry.

One of the simplest but most important points Richard makes (and yet many businesses miss) is that Customers are people too.  They crave personal touches and recognition.  They want to feel important and valued.  Too often, this is sacrificed in the need to push employees to strive for a “get it and go” service approach.

Richard outlines the ways to success in building loyalty and begins by describing the types of employees businesses have.  Who hasn’t met these people as Richard describes them?  I sure have!

• The Welcomer – “Makes you feel important, appreciated and valued as a customer and as a person.”
• The Robot - “They primarily see each interaction as a task to complete…meeting the basic needs of the customer.”
• The Indifferent – “They simply ignore the customer…they see the customer as an obstacle to their own agenda.”
• The Hostile – This quote says it all: “Why is this person employed in this job?”  He adds, “..rude, nasty person..” —- Been there and experienced that unfortunately!

Richard goes on to describe scenarios of missed opportunities and asks the big question, “Why do business owners fail to see the connection …(between) having ‘non-welcomers’ in their business and not generating enough repeat business to stay in business over the long haul?”

As you read Richard’s book, you’ll think as I did I’m sure….it’s the things that businesses think are “simple” that are often missed or considered wasting time on the job, much like the”Welcomer’s” time spent connecting with the customers.

The best technology or latest marketing fad isn’t going to make up for the way your employees, and you as a business owner, make your customers feel during each and every interaction.

Well done, Richard!

When Sales and Service Meet

Interior Grocery Design | Frozen Foods Design | Interior Decor Design | Freezer Section Design (Photo credit: I-5 Design & Manufacture)

Recently, I went to my favorite Publix to shop.  I love shopping there because of the positive, friendly attitudes of the staff and the great selection of food items.  I enjoy cooking when time permits but also like some quick frozen options when we are busy. I’m also a bargain shopper.  I enjoy looking for specials on some of our favorite brands.

As I approached the frozen food area, I saw one of the department managers busily stocking items next to where I was headed. He greeted me with a big smile and “Good Morning”.

I turned to the glass doors to see the selections and studied them for a few seconds when the manager walked over to me and asked, “Have you ever tried those?”  He pointed to stuffed chicken breasts which had a variety of stuffing choices:  bread stuffing, cheese, cordon bleu, etc.

I replied that I hadn’t tried them.  He said, “They are really good.”  He opened the door for better viewing and then pointed to each variety and briefly told me which his wife liked, which he liked, which his kids enjoyed.  He was enthusiastic about the quality, how easy they were to cook and the time needed to prepare was short. I commented that I liked the quick dinner idea. Then, the manager smiled and simply said, “They’re on sale…Buy 1, Get 1 Free so they’re a great bargain too. Would you like to try them?”

When I entered that aisle, I had no intention of buying the item and had not even given it a thought until he spoke.  No high pressure push, just an honest discussion of the taste and quality and a personal reference to what his family enjoyed.   I said, “Sure” and made my choice out of the varieties available.  He went a step further and pulled those 2 boxes out.  He handed them to me with a smile saying, “Let me know what you think about them after you try them”.  I thanked him and walked away looking forward to trying them soon.

What did the manager do right?

• Probed for interest and experience with the product
• Related the product experience to his own enjoyment of it and enjoyment of others
• He believed in the value of the product: his choice of words and enthusiasm were genuine
• Mentioned some key benefits: save money, easy to use, great quality
• Asked if I was ready to commit
• Ended the sale by personalizing: handing me the product with a smile and request for feedback after trying

With his soft, customer service focused sales approach, he not only increased revenue for his department, but confirmed to me the reason I continue to be a loyal customer of Publix.

Sometimes we over-complicate upselling and cross-selling when our Customer Service teams are asked to take on this role in addition to service. Is our training creating selling “robots” who read an Upsell phrase or question without any genuine interest in the product/service?  That robotic approach will fail because the customer can tell that the Agent/CSR doesn’t believe what they are selling is a really a good thing.

Making Lemons Into Sangria: A Customer Experience Tale

Image via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Infrogmation

I was excited to go on a long awaited vacation at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.  We are two big kids and the lure of endless roller coaster rides, Margaritaville and a stay at one of the beautiful onsite resorts is irresistible.

I’m also the ultimate pre-trip planner.  I always visit the hotel website, research activities at the location, and look at websites with tips and information.  If you are going to a theme park and love rides, you also check to see if any rides are under repair or maintenance.  I took a final peak the day before we left and was happy to see nothing noted as “closed” or unavailable.

Check-in at the lovely Royal Pacific Resort at Universal was effortless and we were met with smiles and welcomes from the moment we exited our car at the entrance.  Loews owns the property and it is clear that creating a wonderful Customer Experience has been part of the staff training.  Each “Moment of Truth” was positively met and even exceeded our expectations including early check-in to a fabulous room looking out towards Universal and a lagoon pool below.  We were thrilled!

Unfortunately the same could not be said for the start of our visit to Universal Islands of Adventure.

The first missed opportunity to delight the customer came during an interaction with the surly unsmiling ticket booth attendant who must’ve transferred in from an airport TSA interrogation team. No welcome, just a barked out “Can I help you?”.  That was my first clue to the quality of her service skills.

She stared at the paper I handed her which detailed my Credit Card points to ticket “purchase” months earlier.  She made no eye contact with me but instead focused on entering the code to print the actual ticket.  Apparently there was a problem.

As we know, most customers don’t mind that you have a problem accessing their information if you just tell them what the heck you are doing and apologize for the wait.  Not this agent. She kept entering the numbers, staring, shaking her head negatively, trying again.  Finally another agent came over and they both looked like someone had just cancelled their lunch breaks because the frowns were deepening by the minute.

The window had a tiny opening on the bottom so I bent low and said, “Is there a problem?…Do you need any other information from me to help?”  My question was met with silence and more typing.  She finally got the system to cooperate and I had my ticket.  As expected given her poor skills to this point, the ticket agent simply handed over the ticket without an apology for the wait or any other acknowledgement of appreciation.  In fact, she gave me more of a death stare as if I had done something to cause the issue.

We had decided upon arrival to go on some water rides since it was a hot day and after a long drive to the park.  As we entered the enclosed waiting area for the first ride, we saw many people with glazed over eyes and attendants looking worried.  As the film in front of the ride promised you a great time and showed happy people getting wet, the ride workers countered with the announcement that there was a minor glitch which would be fixed. Some people had been waiting 20 minutes in a hot interior area, apparently afraid to give up their highly sought place in the front of the line.  No water or beverages for purchase, probably 100 degrees inside, angry people complaining, helpless attendants trying to avoid eye contact with the crowd. This was one of Dante‘s levels of hell for theme park people that he had forgotten to add to The Inferno.

We’d had enough and left since there was no indication of a fix soon.  One of the workers told us it had been working “off and on” all day.  We understand malfunctions can happen but of course we were disappointed.  We went to the next water ride only to find the sign indicated what their Universal website did not:  “Closed for Seasonal Maintenance”.  We had now spent the first hour at our favorite theme park walking in circles or standing in a line to nowhere.

As we walked away feeling very disappointed with our visit so far, we decided lunch was in order.  We remembered the great Customer Service & food at an on-site restaurant called Confisco Grill we had visited when last onsite in 2008 (it was that good!).  We were not to be disappointed.  This is the wonderful “Moments of Truth” customer experience we had in dealing with the motivated, well-trained and customer focused staff:

1. RAPPORT: The Greeter/Hostess asked about the rides and how our visit was going while she checked for a table for us. We shared our disappointment about the ticket issue, the broken ride and the closed one.

2. EMPATHY & TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: The Hostess empathized and apologized for the lack of communication and ride glitches (despite not being her work area!),

3. LISTEN & MAKE THE CUSTOMER FEEL IMPORTANT: The Manager visited all of the tables and when she came by ours, we complimented the Hostess on her excellent skills.  She told us that the Hostess had told her that we had decided to come there based on our past positive experience and to make up for the initial park problems we had.

4. THANK YOU: The Manager told us how much she appreciated that we chose their restaurant out of all of the choices there and were returning customers.

5 . ABOVE AND BEYOND: The Manager offered us a free pitcher of Sangria to make up for “the bad start to our visit”.

The Sangria was delicious, the food as great as we remembered and the waitress was equally welcoming and efficient.  In fact every employee in the restaurant was smiling and said “Hello” to us and other patrons throughout the restaurant.

We talked about the “can-do” and customer-focused attitudes we’d experienced and made a note of names so we could recognize them on the survey we would receive later.  We have also told this story countless times because we were so impressed, despite a poor start to our vacation there.

Customer Experience really is about all of our contact with the various Touchpoints along the way.  It shows that even one person (or in this case the entire staff of one of the Universal restaurants) can change a negative initial experience into a memorable one.  Or rather Lemons into Sangria!

(For another Customer Experience at Universal, please visit this post by my friend, Guy Winch: Why Customer Service at Harry Potter World’s The Three Broomsticks Lacks Magic http://bit.ly/hDUFdf )

All It Takes is One Bad Agent Experience

We’ve all had this experience.

The phone rings at home and you pick it up. If you’re in the Contact Center business, you hear the slight Autodialer delay and know it is a Contact Center call, possibly an outsourced one.  You hear the myriad of other voices in the background as the Agent asks for your spouse.  You say he/she isn’t available, identify yourself and offer assistance.   Then, one of these three things usually happens:

1. The Agent immediately hangs up without identifying themselves.

2. The Agent tells you he will call back later and hangs up without identifying himself.

3. The Agent identifies themselves and tells you the reason for the call (nothing violating HIPPA regulations). They politely listen while you offer to handle whatever they need.  They explain with a friendly tone that they need to talk with your spouse directly as his/her name is on the account.  The Agent thanks you in a pleasant way and says they will call back .

Unfortunately, the first two appear to be gaining popularity with many Outbound callers.  There is no focus on the Customer Experience.  They appear to see the “wrong party” reached as someone unimportant to their call goals.

If they are an Outsource Agent with these negative practices, it may be because their management team has negotiated a deal with the company they are representing for a high volume of contacts and what they consider to be “results” (i.e. volume equals higher sales numbers), which often results in a “get it and go” presentation rather than one of a high quality experience. Whether the call is originating at an internal or external Center, the negative approach used may be because the Agent is not being effectively monitored and coached for quality.  Internal Center management may also be using the numbers metrics solely as their business guide.

Most people have caller ID and can attempt to reach the offending company to lodge a complaint if the Agent handled this type of call poorly.  Some people just don’t bother but will announce their experience loudly on Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media outlets.  My personal experience when calling is that many Supervisors are pleasant and appreciative of the feedback.  Whether they are able to do anything once I lodge the complaint is another story.

Much depends on the management of the Center and what their true goals are:  numbers or quality, or a balance of both.  The Agent is delivering the message, good or bad.

If you are hiring an Outsource team to make calls for your business or if your internal Center is making outbound calls, you need to decide what image you want to portray to Customers and their families.  You can be successful, generate revenue and still be efficient in contact metrics. Your coaching with Agents on how to make that great first 30 second impression is key.  For all the high volume contacts and sales resulting from lots of dialing, you may also be losing business because of poor handling of decision maker “not available” calls.

Are you focused on speed or quality?  It only takes one bad Agent Experience to lose business for you.

1, 2, 3 Agents & You’re Still Out! – Moments of Chat Truth

Life before Cable TV...Image via Wikipedia

Sometimes I enjoy using Live Chat instead of calling.  As a Contact Center Consultant, it’s always interesting for me to observe business practices and the skills of Agents handling chat.

Recently we decided to try using an HD Antenna with our TV along with a new Recorder/Receiver (insert shocked expression here if you can’t live without 300 channels of cable).  We don’t TV watch often and when we do it is our favorite Thursday night shows.

We decided to keep our Internet and Phone package with them. We still had two products with them and I had looked at the pricing in a recent brochure sent to us that week so I was prepared to pay a few dollars more due to the dropped 3rd product.

The next bill came and whoa….the Internet cost went up but not as  described in the “prices effective…(date)” brochure.  It was much more.  I decided to do a “live chat” with one of their reps to see what happened.

Here’s some of the actual dialog:

Me:  Would like to check on billing for Internet and Phone. Think I was billed wrong.

Agent 1: I do apologize and will get this resolved for you and POSSIBLY you will get the promotional plan for the two services.   (OK, this should’ve been my first clue…possibly? ….promotional?) Let me connect you with a specialist

Now I’m feeling good because I have a “specialist”.  This will be fixed in no time!

Agent 2:  Hi!  You’ve reached the Order Entry Department.  I’ll be happy to complete your order today!

Me:  Hi  This is not an Order

Agent 2: Sorry about that. Let me transfer you to our Billing Department.  Would that be alright?

Me:  OK    (Already 10 minutes into the chat and nothing but wrong Agents.  Gotta see where this goes.)

Agent 3: My apologies for the frustration this issue has caused you.  I’m going to do everything I can to resolve this with you today.

Yay!  the magic “Resolve” word finally.  This is looking better.

Agent 3:  I already have your bill pulled up.   (nice!)

Me:  Internet is now $___.  I thought it would be lower because I have 2 products, not just Internet.

Agent 3:  How much were you paying last month for your service?

Me:  (1, 2, 3…deep breathe.  She told me she has the bill pulled up.  Why is she asking me?)  Can’t  you see?

Agent 3:  I just want to verify it

Me: I don’t have the last one, just the current one in front of me.  My question is… I dropped 1 product, still have 2. Should I be paying $___ now?

Agent 3: Well, on ___ you removed 3 products and then you added 2 products.

Me: I kept same 2 products and just removed 1 product. I didn’t upgrade either of the 2 products.  I have a current pricing brochure which shows a lower price if I have 2 products.

Agent 3: One moment…..(good, she’s checking with Supervisor I think)…………….The promotion has expired.

Me: What promotion?  This is a regular pricing brochure with new pricing as of _____(that week).  It has pricing for everything and no mention of a promotion on this,  just standard rates shown for 1 product, 2 products, 3 products, etc.

Agent 3:  (ignoring the brochure comment entirely)  I apologize for the confusion with your bill.  If you want the same 3 packaged services as before, please contact us after 3 months.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

How many Moments of Truth did you count?  Here’s just a few:

1. Multiple Transfers:   If you are balancing 3-4 Chats, be sure to actually READ what the Customer is asking.  Like Listening skills for Chat.

2. Asking for account information you just said you already had: Why are we making Customer’s jump through unnecessary hoops?

3. You’re Chat Number 5,368:   Been a good Customer for 8 years.  No mention or appreciation of that.

4. I’m Not Really Going To Do All I Can to Resolve This:  I said I had a brochure with lower pricing that wasn’t promotional.  Why didn’t you ask me if I could fax it or even discuss its existence with me?  Why are my pricing numbers different from yours?  Have you really done all you can? Don’t think so.

5. Brochures/Marketing vs. Internal Knowledge Base conflicts:  Give your Chat Reps (and all Customer Facing Employees) copies of your latest brochures so they know what the Customer is talking about.  Update your Knowledge base with Marketing/ Pricing/ etc information immediately upon release and don’t make it so complex that Customers and even Employees have no idea what the price is.

6.  We Really Love Our New Customers Better:  Don’t ask Customers to call back in 3 months and pretend to be New Customers.  How about some Customer love NOW?