Ways to Avoid Customer Service Burnouts

Back when I was a still on the front lines handling customer relation issues, I recall that motivation was very difficult to keep up. When you are faced with constant problems, one can easily lose faith in the company’s product or service.

When I assumed the role as the Director of Customer Relations at my previous company, I looked at ways to keep my staff’s motivation up.  Here are some programs I’ve implemented:

Sharing key metrics. The first thing I decided to do was to share our departmental metrics that were shared with the executive management team to my staff. I focused on the monthly improvements we’ve accomplished, especially in the return rate and the warranty rate.

Since our department was responsible for identifying the underlying cause of a return, the department was also responsible for suggesting improvements. If the return rate decreased, then it simply meant that the department was successful in identifying a root cause of a return, thereby eliminating future occurrences.

Disclosing the warranty rate played a different purpose. I understood that when looked at as a percentage, warranty issues were quite low. In fact our warranty rate was around 1.5%. Even though the department handled numerous warranty issues, I was able to illustrate that the products we offered were of higher quality.

Mixing up responsibilities. Burnouts occur because the jobs that one performs become repetitive and non-challenging. Once the company launched the “Live Chat” program I’ve made it so that my staff had an opportunity to handle “Live Chat” for a couple of weeks, and then switch back to inbounds the next. This kept things fresh.

Sharing expertise. We regularly met as a department to go over any new problems and new solutions. At these meetings, the frontline staff had the floor. I understood that we required their expertise, not the other way around. Giving them an opportunity to share their experience and suggestion reflected how we valued their expertise.

Customer service burnouts are a reality. Implementing programs to combat the loss of motivation will keep your employee retention high.

Do you have to believe in what you sell in order to be a great sales professional?

I’ve always wondered what other sales professionals thought about this question: Do you have to believe in what you sell in order to be a great sales professional? Or are the real sales professionals those that can sell without actually believing in what they sell?

The curiosity led me to start a discussion with my LinkedIn groups: The Sales Association, Business Development, Salesblogcast.com, and Sales Training Drivers. Almost immediately I had over 60 contributions from my fellow group members.

Here’s what I found:

The vast majority agreed that you must believe in what you sell in order to be successful. Of them an overwhelming number of supporters brought up enthusiasm as the driving force of success. Belief in what you sell translates into enthusiasm and energy. It is possible to sell without enthusiasm, but the energy required to be successful will be tough to generate.

Amy Knoth, the Director of Business Development at ATC Logistics & Electronics, summed this up nicely:

“The ultimate sales person is one who has passion and believes in what he/she is offering to the marketplace. It is possible to be successful based on the numbers game. However, to generate enthusiasm and support for a product (or service) you have no interest is nearly impossible.”

Another popular reply touched on the lack of repeat business and job satisfaction. Some had even gone out to point out the effects it can have one’s personal brand.

Patricia Stanley Martinez, former Area Manager for Bergensons Property Services, explains her views:

“In (the janitorial) industry believing in what is being sold would be crucial to me. I would not want to sign a contract knowing that the company that I was representing would with intent not be living up to the contract specifications. Could I sell it - yes. Would I sell it - No.

There has to be a level of ethics, value system and personal integrity in sales. This goes to your personal brand and reputation.”

A few had even gone as far as to refer to the opposing sales people as frauds or scammers.

Perhaps my favorite comment was by Jim Barnet, the New Market Development Manager for GeNUIT:

“I think an even better question would be ‘if you are a sales professional and you're any good, why would you rep a product you didn't believe in...?’”

Well put.

Others argue that belief is not a requirement as long as their product or service eliminates a problem their client has.

Richard Hilliard of Practice Better Business illustrates his point:

“Is it easier to sell a product or service when you like and believe in it? The answer is absolutely.

Is it necessary to believe in the product or service to sell it? Not really. Belief in the solution that your product is the answer is more important”.

Carol Spieckerman, President of newmarketbuilders, adds:

“Passion for a product is absolutely NOT a requirement for selling lots of it and I teach this principle to my clients. In my pre-consulting sales career, I sold millions of dollars worth of products that other people were passionate about. I succeeded because I was passionate about making money. ‘Believing’ in a product is a different matter and is a more complex proposition. The only beliefs that were required for me were:

1) Belief that a market existed for the product

2) Belief that the product company could execute the order(s)”.

There were many more great comments left by my fellow group members. For those that are interested I suggest you join the aforementioned groups to take a look. Feel free to comment with your thoughts to this question as well.

The Ace Up My Sleeve - Handling Difficult Customers‏

 If you are dealing with customers you come across many types of customers. Some, if not most, are cordial. Some, unfortunately, are not.

When it comes to dealing with the hostile type, I've always have an ace up my sleeve.

I simply ask: "From your perspective, what can we do to resolve this issue amicably?"

About 95% of the time this question earns a moment of silence. After some thinking the customer (sometimes reluctantly) discloses their expectation.

In my previous post I talked about empathy and seeing the problem from the customer's perspective. Unfortunately, you can't always come up with the exact solution that they’re seeking.

Once their expectation is disclosed, you can now assess their expectation to see if it’s feasible.

Yes, on rare occasion customers will have unreasonable expectations. For these scenarios, I offer the best counter solution we can provide. But these cases are rare. From my experience I've found that people simply wishes to have their problems solved. Not to take advantage of such situation.

An important note: When offering a counter solution or assessing the customer's expectation, carefully balance the company's financial objectives against the cost of losing the customer prior to making a decision.

So when you are dealing with a hostile customer, pull out your ace and ask your customers what their expectations are. Give your customers the opportunity to help you, help them.

How Empathy can Improve your Assessment of Reasonable Expectations

I cannot over emphasize the importance of empathy when you are dealing with customers. When you put yourself in their situation you are more likely to come up with better solutions. Within reason, of course.

For instance, if I bought a toaster that didn’t work, I expect it to be replaced or refunded. Reasonable expectation, right? I don’t expect the toaster to be replaced with an oven. But what if these expectations aren’t met?

Let’s take a look at a situation when my expectations were not met.

I recently made a purchase where it required either a credit card payment or through Western Union. Initially I wanted to pay with a credit card but the vendor charged an outstanding processing fee, so I decided to pay by Western Union.

I contacted Western Union over the phone to pay but they told me about their over-the-phone fee which would be waived if paid on-site. Since I needed to run errands that day during lunch I decided I’d stop by a Western Union location along the way.

When I got to the first location I was told that the machine was not working. I called Western Union and had them give me two other locations and they confirmed with each location that the machine was working fine. When I got to the first location they told me the machine was not working. The second location, a foreign bank, didn’t even know what Western Union was.

I called Western Union back and explained my situation. I asked if they would waive the over-the-phone fee since none of the locations I visited had working machines. Their supervisor instead suggested that I go to another location, approximately 20 minutes away. He never gave any real consideration that I had already attempted to pay on-site three times.

I ended up paying for the item using a credit card, even though Western Union’s over-the-phone fee was less than the credit card processing fee.

If you can put yourself in someone else’s situation you can see if the customer’s expectations are reasonable or not. Meeting these expectations translates to customer satisfaction and retention.

Learn to assess each situation with an open mind and always keep in mind how much more it would cost to gain a new customer to replace the one you lose.

A Valuable Lesson - It's not always about the Price

Recently I had an opportunity to read a blog by Colleen Francis on sales relationship. The blog reminded me of when I was still working as a sales rep for my current employer and the lesson that I learned from making one phone call.

Back when I was a rep I remember trying to land the business of a fairly well-known construction company. But Jack, the owner, was very up front with me from the get go.

"Chris, I know that your company carries high quality products. It's just not feasible for me to pay 8% more for something I'm already happy with".

Each time I approached him he would give me the same objection.

One day he inquired if our company carried rollers for his equipment. He had been having problems finding this part because it was for a newer model equipment. Unfortunately our company didn’t carry that product line so we missed out on a golden opportunity.

A week or so had passed when I came across an ad showcasing the rollers in one of the heavy equipment magazine.

Recalling Jack's interest I decided to call Jack to let him know about this company. He didn't pick up so I just left a message with their contact info.

A few days later I received a voicemail from Jack.

"Chris, this is Jack. I wanted to thank you for the recommendation. The company you referred me to had the rollers in stock. And despite your higher price I've decided to do business with you. Give me a call when you have a chance".

He's been a loyal client ever since.

Months later he told me that he chose to do business with us because I went out of my way to help him when I didn't have to. He also confessed that it was never all about the price. He wanted to do business with someone that genuinely cared about his business.

Looking back at the situation, that one phone call taught me a valuable lesson in my career. Sales is about relationships and people will always choose to do business with those that have their best interest in mind.

Connecting the Dots between Your Customers and Subway Restrooms - A thought provoking story of QB House

 Over the weekend I watched a show that featured QB House, an innovative Japanese company that specializes in a quick haircut service. To be more specific they cut your hair in 10 minutes for 1,000 yen (About $11). That's their motto.

The company appeals mostly to Japanese businessmen because it's quick and it's cheap. So naturally they open locations in business districts and subways.

In Japan the majority of the businessmen take the train, so rents are typically very high in subways. But QB House found a creative solution that not only captures relevant foot traffic but also charges much less rent as compared to other stores in the subway.

Their choice of location? Next to the restrooms.

You see, most of the businesses in the subway are restaurants and therefore they wouldn't even think to place themselves next to restrooms. But QB House realized that people tend to notice the need for haircuts while they stare at themselves in the mirror.

Imagine that while you are washing your hands you notice that your hair is getting long. Now imagine, as soon as you step out of the restroom you find a quick, cheap hair salon. Odds are that you are going to stop by for a quick trim.

The proof? Of all the QB House locations, those that are stationed next to the subway restrooms tend to generate the highest revenues.

In today’s global economy we have access to the most sophisticated technology - some even capable of analyzing terabytes of data. Yet companies like QB House illustrates that simple observation of their customer's behavior can turn out to be just as effective as the most sophisticated technology deployed by businesses.

The Impact of Social Media on Business

Blogs, Twitter, Digg, del.icio.us. Social media is everywhere and it continues to gain popularity. What impact will it have on your business?

Social media provides transparency about the brand. These days anyone can share their experiences instantly through blogs or tweets to a much larger audience than before; which means one negative experience is all it takes to damage your brand. So what can businesses do to prevent this from spreading?

Companies like Comcast are already monitoring Twitter in effort to quickly resolve problems with unsatisfied customers before they spread. While I consider damage control as an important function in business, re-evaluating ways to provide a better level of service ought to be taken as a priority. Why?

Two reasons: For one, it eliminates the need to invest time or capital in a dedicated damage control team if you have qualified people resolving problems on first contact.

Second, stories of great service are also shared which strengthens your brand. A blog about Nintendo’s customer service or a blog about United Airlines (by Steven Levitt, author of Freakonomics) are some examples of such.

Like it or not social media is here to stay. Whether to benefit from it or not will largely depend on how seriously you take your company's customer service.