Customer Service Critical to Success

I received some interesting emails last week when I spoke about the customer service training I was delivering for the State. Those emails led to some interesting conversations about the priority certain organizations place, or don't place, on the importance of serving the customer. To be perfectly honest I was surprised and dismayed to learn what little emphasis some well known companies place in continually training their employees on how to take care of the customer.

I don't want to go out on a rant here (thank you Dennis Miller) but customer service in my opinion is one of the most important functions a company undertakes and it plays a critical role in the success and longevity of the company. Employees at every level serve, regardless of rank and file, serve a customer. Those customers are either internal customers such as staff, co-workers, colleagues, management, vendors or suppliers or external and well, those are the people that vote with their dollars and agree to keep you receiving those nice little things we call paychecks. If you are in a company....simply put you serve a customer.

So why don't organizations place more emphasis on customer service training? Well I believe they have taken their eye off the ball. They focus too much on making this quarter's objectives and long range forecasts but forget that their foundation was and continues to be built by both their people in the trenches and those people/companies that paid for their products and services last week, last month, last year.

Smart organizations know that every single person needs constant and never-ending reinforcement that we as employees are all in the serving the customer game. Smart organizations don't just talk a good game but invest heavily in making sure every single player within an organization appreciates, understands and executes in a manner that delivers outstanding customer service to all internal and external customers period!

Interested in learning how easy (and yes, cost effective) it is to create a more customer focused approach to servicing your customer and ultimately growing your company? Let's chat for a get acquainted session on what my Ripple-Centric approach to delivering my Customer Service Essentials Training can do for you, your team and ultimately your customers.

To schedule some time to chat email me at steve@ripplecentral.com.

Ripple On!!!

Steve Harper

You Think But Do You Know

I just finished delivering my 3 day customer service training to the State of Texas tax assessors and collectors and boy was it a fun class! I had an amazing group of students who were willing to engage and share, learn and challenge and most of all have fun. It was a good three days and I can honestly say I felt a bit sad yesterday afternoon when everyone said goodbye.

One my students came up to me near the end and told me that she appreciated me challenging her to think about how her staff looks at serving the customer. It made her aware not to assume that her staff understands or appreciates the importance of certain approaches to handling customer situations just because she does.

That's a really big point when it comes to customer service. I think we all assume a lot when it comes to our employees' understanding the hidden rules and unspoken expectations but do they really? You think they do but do you know for sure?

I mean just because you would (without fail) return an important client's voice mail at 5:15 on a Friday afternoon and not wait until Monday doesn't necessarily guarantee your staff will, right? Or perhaps understanding you let the next customer in line know you are ready to check them out by saying "may I help the next person in line" rather than shouting "NEXT!" (Hey Fry's Electronics...are your customers cattle?) Or what about letting a customer walk right out the door without saying a simple "thank you and please come back and see us."

Hmmm can someone say the kiss of death to the customer impression and experience?

These are the little things we all assume our staff understands but I submit they do not. Sure some people are smart enough to catch on and do what they see others doing and you as the manager, business leader or owner hope the powers of observation take in more good rather than bad right? But what happens when you are not around? What happens when the new employee only sees bad examples?

One of the first steps in creating a customer service culture is to focus on the entire experience. Never assume that the person whom you just hired understands or knows what is appropriate language, demeanor or attitude. You have to teach that to them. You have to say, without fail, what your expectations are in no uncertain terms. Then and only then will they begin to understand what you expect of them and how you want them to create an outstanding customer impression and experience.

The little things matter. In today's society we can not take anything for granted. People need to have their level of expectations clearly defined and understand that anything less is unacceptable. Great customer service begins with a good understanding of what it takes to train our people to deliver it. It is worth the time to do it and to keep doing it over and over again so that your staff lives and breaths the little things that your customers need and expect.

Ripple On!!!


Steve Harper

It's Easy When You Have Passion

Today was a great day! As some of you may know, I am in the middle of delivering my comprehensive 3 day customer service training program for the State of Texas tax assessors and collectors. Today was the first day of the course and after a power-packed couple of modules I was paid one of the highest compliments that I think I have ever been paid.

At our final break one of the students came up to me and said, "I have attended training courses throughout my career but this is the first one that I have actually enjoyed from start to finish. I know we have a long way to go but if tomorrow and the next day are as a good as today has been, then I can't wait to see what's next."

She then made a comment that ironically has some relevance to a BLOG post I had a few weeks ago on the subject of passion (click here if you want to check it out). She said, "Who would have thought a boring topic like customer service could be so much fun."

I was of course humbled by her compliment and appreciative of her assessment of the course as being fun. I work very hard at what I do to deliver a performance that will undoubtedly stick in someone's mind long after they have left my class. It is my sincere goal that the information and how I share it will hopefully serve as a compass which will guide and stir not only them, but those that they work with and ultimately serve.

As I left the Omni Hotel today I was both proud and excited to have such positive feedback on the first day of my course. As I drove home I thought about what she had said and some of the other positive comments that had been received by other students throughout the day and I just smiled. I know without a doubt that I am destined to do exactly what I am doing and that is one of the most surreal and incredible feelings you can imagine. My passion, my drive and ultimately my desire comes out when I am training, speaking and pontificating (yes, I do that from time to time) and I am having more fun than a person should be allowed to have. Obviously it shows...or at least it did today.

On days like this my passion can't help but shine through and burn with such intensity that it (hopefully) leaves an indelible mark on the people I am lucky enough to serve. I feel absolutely blessed to be to be able to impact someone (hopefully many people) in some way. Talk about the ultimate Ripple!

I guess this is what Bruce Springsteen feels like as he holds the microphone as the first notes of Born To Run begin to play and the crowd goes absolutely nuts. Man....what a rush!!!

Ripple On!!!!

Steve Harper

P.S. If your organization sells a product or service and has customers....you might be interested in what my course has to offer. I promise your people will walk away with a truly refreshing approach to servicing both your internal and external customers. This ain't your typical blah blah blah boring same old customer service training....I can assure you of that. No organization can get enough education when it comes to serving the customer so why not learn how to service those customers...Ripple style?!? If you're interested in learning more about my course, please email at steve@ripplecentral.com