Civility, Diversity, and Customer BLISS

 

 

Customer service involves the use of good manners and etiquette. Throw in civil behavior and regular customer service becomes Customer BLISS. Today's tip addresses civility and the role it plays in customer service. It includes areas in need of more cooperation, tolerance, and understanding. It's about communicating in areas of diversity. In other words, the human side of service and the basic behaviors that make everyone feel comfortable.

Regardless of what makes your customer (or anyone else) different from what you're accustomed to, (physically, racially, developmentally, etc.) always focus on your fundamental similarity; the fact that you're both people.

Be Helpful Without Condescension

If someone needs additional help in some way, offer to assist the same way you would offer to help someone with an armload of bags; without making a big deal of the situation. Answer questions and give explanations thoroughly, factually and without judging a person's understanding or capabilities. Never make another person feel stupid or inadequate because of a personal attribute.

Be Patient

If someone has a physical disability that reduces their mobility, patiently wait until they make themselves comfortable before you begin working with them. Never show signs of annoyance, irritation or impatience. Ask if they would like your assistance before you attempt to help in any way.

Be Considerate

An example of this would be when you are speaking with a customer who struggles with English because it is not their first language. Allow them to attempt communication in a way that is comfortable for them. If their message has been conveyed, but with a few grammatical errors included, don't correct just for the sake of correcting them. Let them know you understand their meaning. Speak at a moderate pace and, if necessary, ask them if they'd like you to slow down. Simple, uncomplicated words will help you convey your message. And please, speak in normal tones. A raised voice does not guarantee understanding. Instead, it could cause resentment. Raise your voice only if your customer requests it.

Note: Don't assume that a person's hearing challenge automatically means total hearing loss. There are levels and degrees of any challenge and you should let the person with the challenge inform you of the situation and their needs (e.g. asking you to speak slower, louder, or repeat a word, question or statement). Never assume that yelling is necessary.

Be Genuine

People know when you're being phony. Don't do or say something only because it's politically or socially correct. Genuinely care for others. When you take their issues personally, you will find all sorts of ways to create comfort for them (more on this in a later post).

Be that service provider who is always aware and makes others feel comfortable in any situation. With your helpful, patient, considerate and genuine approach, you will elevate every customer to the highest level...Customer BLISS. 


~~Tell Tammy~~
How's your Customer Service Week going so far?
How are you letting your customers know you appreciate them?
Please comment in the section below.

            City of Hampton's
          Administrative Professionals 
                    Support Group

                            April 26, 2012 

Author & Keynote Speaker,
TAMMY THOMAS HOPSON

                                          
                             
                            Getting Ready...                           

Setting Up

My Hype-man makes sure
everything's Just Right!

Final Inspection...Everything's A-Go!

A Blissfully Full House!

Mmmm...the food was
DELICIOUS!

Robert & Me

Email Etiquette

“Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication is totally disorganized.   ~Marilyn vos Savant                          

Recently, I spoke with a professional group about techniques for clear communication and quite a few questions came up about the proper use of email. Since virtually everyone is on the computer these days and are emailing in some form (via desktop, phone, DS, Facebook, etc.) I decided to address some of these concerns in this and future issues of Poise & Protocol.

Tips to Eliminate Easy Email Errors:

• Send only TO the people who need to see your email message. CC (Courtesy Copy) only when necessary. It's a CC, not an FYI. And never, ever BCC (Blind Courtesy Copy) to someone who has nothing to do with the message in the first place. If there's a real reason that person needs to see the email, place them prominently in the TO or CC field. If not -- don't be sneaky -- refrain from sending them the message at all. BCC is to be used in cases like mass mailings such as newsletters where recipients don't necessarily know each other; their addresses will be kept private this way. Use -- don't abuse -- the field for the recipients. 
• Make good use of the Subject Line. People are busy and get tons of email per day. What you place in the subject field could be the deciding factor as to whether or not the message gets read. So don't just say "Hi" when you are clearly sending the message for a specific reason. Instead, try: "Feedback on the report". Let the recipient know from the start exactly what your email is about. 
• Who are you to say your email's important? Ok, if you're the boss or someone equivalent, I guess you have the right. But so many times we're quick to slap on the 'important' symbol to give it a high priority listing when it's not...some bosses included. If your emails are regularly sent out that way, will the really urgent ones get the attention and response you'd like? Or will they be ignored? They'll probably be viewed as garbage that you're trying to pass off as urgent. Chances are they'll be set aside to be read later, if at all; not exactly the way you'd planned, huh? 

These are common email mistakes that happen all the time and believe it or not, readers do notice. Don't mishandle your email. Practice proper usage and eliminate recipients' frustrations that may lead to the deletion of your email messages altogether. 

In future posts, we'll be addressing Tips to Tasteful Email Responses.

If you have a question about emailing, please send it this way to be included as well. Remember, if you have a question about something, chances are someone else does, too.

Until then, 

Easy Emailing & Continued Bliss!!!

Customer Service Week Begins Today

Today begins Customer Service Week 2011. This special week was introduced over 20 years ago by the International Customer Service Association as a series of week-long events to recognize the people who worked in areas of customer service. 

Dedicate this week to honor your customers' contributing role in helping you achieve success in your business. By focusing on them, you ensure them of their importance to you and your organization. 

Great Customer Service begins with the relationship that you establish between you and your customers from the start. It’s important to build a positive connection with them by building strong rapport. Use these quick and easy methods to create solid connections:

• Give your customers the PERSONAL TOUCH. You can easily show how much you value them simply by taking the time to know their names.
•  BUILD TRUST in your relationship. Don’t just let it happen, make it happen. Honor your word. Keep your promises.
• SHOW APPRECIATION for your customer’s business by doing little things for them. Reward them for repeat business; give inexpensive incentives such as gift certificates or thank-you letters and encourage them to keep coming back.
• SHOW INTEREST in your customers. Recognize milestones. For example, let’s say a customer tells you they are on their way to their son’s soccer game. If within a few days, they come in to see you or they call, ask them, “who won the big game the other day?” This not only shows that you listen and remember, but that you care about them as people and not just as a customer. 

Rev up your team now! Get your workplace involved! Prepare some exciting activities for fun and recognition. 


Need inspiration? Check out the official Customer Service Week site for product, ideas, & more at http://www.csweek.com/customer_service_week.php

~~~~~Tell Tammy~~~~~

I'd love to hear about your Customer Service Week plans. Why not share them here. 

How to be Etiquette-Savvy in the Workplace

It is a natural desire to want your children to know the socially acceptable rules of etiquette, so you teach them often and reinforce the lessons even more. Some of you even provide additional training from an outside organization or etiquette coach. After all, they’re your children and you will do anything to nurture them into caring, well-mannered individuals that you can be proud of, right?

But what if you work with adults who know less about manners and proper etiquette than your child’s pet rock? What if you’re constantly in the presence of people who just don’t think at all about cordial behavior? How do you keep your own manners intact when you’re reeling from the faux pas of others?

Well, a large part of proper etiquette is knowing what to do when the behavior of others around you is less than proper. Below, you will find three common “missteps” that are often made in the professional arena. Following are tips on how to respectfully handle them without anyone’s feelings getting hurt. 

Misstep #1: You are in the middle of a telephone conversation with a colleague and find that, without your permission, you have been placed on ‘speaker’.

Your Etiquette-Savvy Response:

If you don’t care about being on speaker, then don’t worry about this and let it go. But if you do care about proper telephone etiquette and this behavior of your colleague, which is rude; whether intentional or not, politely ask to be taken off speaker and request that in the future, you are asked before being placed on speaker for surrounding ears to hear. After addressing this, you can freely search your mind to be sure you hadn’t said anything that could be considered inappropriate if you were overheard.

Misstep #2: During a formal business luncheon, the person next to you unknowingly takes the cutlery that is meant for you which leaves you with no utensils to eat with since the person on the other side of you knew which pieces belonged to them.

Your Etiquette-Savvy Response: 

Avoiding a big fuss, simply signal your waiter or waitress and mention that you are missing your utensils. This is neither the time nor the place to give basic table setting lessons to your business colleague. Hopefully, they will realize their mistake without embarrassment and appreciate your consideration in the matter. Then everyone is free to proceed with the business lunch.  

Misstep #3: You work in adjoining cubicles and your ‘neighbor’ is carrying on a personal telephone conversation that is getting progressively loud.

Your Etiquette-Savvy Response:

Avoid the impulse to go over and hang up your co-worker’s phone, stand up (if the partition’s height allows you to be seen) and gently tap on your ear to indicate that the phone conversation is too loud. Another response would be to write your co-worker the following note and pass it to them: “You may not be aware, but your voice is carrying and I’m sure you don’t want the office to know your personal business”.   

There you have it; three ways to address less than proper workplace behavior while remaining Etiquette-Savvy. Keep in mind though, that it is never polite to point out someone else’s mistakes in front of others or in such a way that will embarrass them. Etiquette is about respect; for people and relationships. By considering the feelings of others, you build trust in relationships.

When a behavioral error has been made, there’s no guarantee that anything you do or say to correct that behavior will be positively received by the person who made the mistake. But chances are great that a polite response from you will be appreciated, maybe even reciprocated somewhere down the line. Remember, no one’s perfect. We all slip-up from time to time and being reminded of basic etiquette is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s all in how we deliver those reminders.

So in the interest of employee morale; and not to mention, your own peace of mind, don’t you owe it to your place of business and to yourself to do what you can to keep relationships trusting and behaviors pleasant? And since etiquette is all about respect and considering others, what better way is there to show loyalty to colleagues and ultimately, your workplace.