Reasons to Maintain and Improve Customer Service in Recessionary Times

This article is from key points that emerged at a recent meeting of the Customer Service Training Association chaired by Don Hales:

1. Recession creates opportunities as well as threats – an organisation with poor customer service stands less chance of benefitting from the opportunities

2. During a recession there are likely to be more floating customers around, looking for a better deal and better service for their money

3. Staff motivation will be improved and attrition reduced if they can see that the organisation still cares for customers

4. It is a good opportunity to prove wrong those who doubt the value of customer service. If an organisation can keep their customers during a recession, they will outshine their rivals

5. During recession, your training pounds go further (try it) so you can invest in customer service training. Better service now = more happy and retained customers now and better placed for future

6. This is a good time to improve processes and efficiencies. There may be more time and staff accept the need to change more readily

7. With unemployment likely to rise, it is an opportunity to raise the recruitment bar. Invest in the best!

8. Now is the time to develop your best people. They will appreciate the attention and improved skills and remain loyal. They will be even more energised in difficult times and unstoppable when the recovery comes

9. Invest where it makes a difference – this applies to customers as well as your staff. A concession or a joint investment (training, marketing promotions etc.) will be far more meaningful now that a “jolly” in times of plenty.

10. Staff, at all levels, are less likely to leave in times of recession. This is a good time to train them (not necessarily expensively – teaching each other to widen skill sets costs nothing).

11. Better skilled staff reflect confidence in the organisation and this shines through to customers and potential customers

12. During a recession, sometimes everyone is not so busy with “must do now” jobs. This creates time to spend with staff and customers and to listen to their ideas.

13. Improving service sends a strong message to everyone about the organisations beliefs and prospects.14. The stronger your customer service now, the better you will benefit from the eventual recovery (and it always comes – these things are cyclical, if not predictable as regards timing.

If you want to comment on the above – please contact Don Hales on don.hales@worldofcustomerservice.com

Don is the co-author of Wow thats what I call Service

Five tips for precision thinking

Last night I attended a workshop by speaker and presenter Kate Atkin. It was held in the Borders Bookshop in Cambridge and the only cost was a donation to the local charity, the Papworth Trust.

Kate presented a workshop on Precision Thinking for Confident Outcomes. She got the group to relax very quickly and took us through some very simple and easy to assimilate tips. I won't go into great detail (that's Kate's job), but I can share with you the main outline.

Firstly, and this is not at all unlike the comment I had from a trainer friend who said 'stop playing the failure film', she said we have to control what we think and run 'positive programmes'. Cut out negative messages and thoughts.

Secondly she talked about the language used. We looked at language and split an example into three categories, negative, neutral and positive. Instead of cutting out the negatives, she said cut out the neutrals. Be honest, if you are in a negative, don't mask it with neutrality, but do aspire to convert it to the positive. Using positive language as well as positive programmes will help boost your inner confidence.

Strangely enough I called a friend in the US immediately after the seminar. How are you? I asked. 'OK' she said. Netural answer! The truth was she wasn't feeling well.

Thirdly and very importantly, Kate said we must stay focused. It's too easy to revert to negative thinking and messages so keep that focus.

The next exercise/tip was about posture. She got us all to stand up and think of something good, then something bad (and the posture change was evident). She then asked us to maintain a positive posture and smile broadly whilst thinking of the bad thing. It made it a lot harder to think negatively, so posture (and a smile) do help affect not just how you appear to others, but your own mental processing.

Lastly we discussed breathing, and this I am very familiar with. In fact, I believe it's something we all do! Seriously, breathing deeply and regularly can help calm and relax you - important elements in feeling confident - and provide oxygen to the brain. It's hard to think without enough oxygen.

One very simple tool that Kate gave us was the Confidence Wall. I'll ask her if I can share it with you.

It was a very positive session, and Kate only briefly mentioned her book The Confident Manager and the evening ended with the group chatting and swapping business cards and engaging Kate in further discussion until the shop closed.

The Problem With Affirmations (And What To Do About It)

By Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales

To start with, let me ask you the most important question of your sales

career: Do you have an affirmation card, a few sentences or a paragraph, that describes in detail the feelings and emotions that you will have once you have accomplished your current financial goal?

And if you do, do you have it on you right now?

Most sales reps, managers and business owners will answer no to that, and that’s too bad. Without a doubt, the most important determinant to your success is what your belief and expectation of your success is. Every sales rep already has an image of what their results are going to be, a number, if you will, of how much they are worth and how much they are going to earn, and it is that image that will always determine your results.

Not the economy, not your leads, not your territory or the price of your product. Rather, your belief and expectation of your performance is the BIGGEST predictor of your results. What you believe will happen, happens.

What you think about all day long becomes your reality. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself this:

Isn’t it true that what you are currently thinking about all day long, in every area of your life, is exactly how your life currently is? Think about your weight, your income, your success, your relationships – aren’t they the mirror image of what you think about all day long?

Of course they are. That’s why the only way to really change anything in your life is to first change how you think about it. There are hundreds of great books about The Law of Attraction, and I recommend you buy some of them and read and apply the truth immediately, but the bottom line is that until you change your currently dominate self-image or picture, your results won’t change.

And that’s where affirmations come in. The proper use of carefully crafted affirmations can and will change your image, your actions and your results faster and more effectively than any other tool you have access to. The problem is that most people give up on affirmations because of one big mistake they make at the beginning:

They set their goals too high and because of that, their affirmations are unbelievable. The fact is, most people who write affirmations make them so unrealistic that their subconscious minds reject them and so they feel they are just lying to themselves, and, in a sense, they are. That’s why they stop using them after just a few days.

For example, if you make £1,500 a month in commissions, and you read a book on sales or goal setting and affirmations and get fired up and think you can make £3,000 or £5,500 the next month or two, chances are you will have some self talk that says, “Who are you kidding?” And it is that voice that will win out and in short order you will go back to earning your old self-image of £1,500 a month.

The solution is to make incremental increases that you can truly believe in. For example, can you actually see yourself making £2,000 a month, or £2,500 a month? Which amount truly feels like a realistic (and yet still stretches you a little) goal that you can really believe in? Once you determine what truly feels achievable, set a goal around it and begin affirming how it feels now that you’re earning that amount.

This is the proper use of affirmations and you will go much further by setting realistic goals and then achieving them. In three or four months, you can revise that goal higher because the more you achieve the more you will believe you can achieve.

If you have given up on affirmations because they never worked for you, then revisit them TODAY and develop ones that you CAN believe in. Then begin using them immediately. Remember, the fastest way to change your results is to change your image of what is possible for yourself, and using affirmations, properly, is the most effective way to do that.

If you want to Double Your Income Selling Over the Phone, then check out Mike's Award Winning 5-CD Series and learn the techniques and strategies of Top 20% producers

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps throughout the US teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance.

Giving away products

If you visit our site you will find not only our usual free resources, ice breakers etc, but some of our full products absolutely free!

We are offering a range of our standard training programmes free for the next few months for a very simple reason - we know that our programmes are great and our products are great, so we want as many people to visit the site and recommend us as possible.

Our best-sellers at the moment are things like the Customer Services books, Self Development and coaching materials.

Don't just read this blog, go to the site and start downloading! This is what one of our customers has said:


"Wow – thanks for this very generous offer. You have just saved me massive amounts of research/design time for a project management course!

I will let you know how it goes. Rest assured I will pass your details on to anyone who will listen!

Thanks again

Carol
www.cooperparry.com"

One question that was thrown at me was 'will this devalue your products?'. I don't think so. The quality will show that they are very worthwhile - I've already seen people who downloaded a free pack come back for more, and also buy from the site too. That's what this is about - encouraging people to visit the site and to understand what we have to offer and how we can help them. It should be more than an interesting exercise, it should be a good business move.

How To Re-Energise Your Training Business

By Sharon Gaskin:

The Trainers Training Company http://www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/

Over the last few weeks I've been talking to my network of trainers trying to get a feel for how people are faring in the current economic climate. Most people are holding up pretty well but are definitely finding it a lot tougher than in previous years with corporates scaling down their training activity and training companies trimming down their associate contracts. I've been talking to a mixture of people from freelancers who are just starting out having been made redundant and also trainers who have had successful businesses for years and are now finding the work harder to come by.

When you are faced with this situation, and let's face it, I'm no different to anyone else, it's easy to to get sucked into all the gloom and doom out there and let negative feelings overwhelm you. Sometimes you can feel so paralysed by the feeling that you must do something that you end up doing nothing at all!

So, to help you, here are some tips, simple steps that you can take to get you and our business back on track. If you want to read the full series: 20 Ways To Re-Energise Your Training Business go to www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/blog.

1. Get motivated to change your situation

Resolve to take action. Be positive. OK, so you know things are going to be tough for a while but you also know that this situation won't last for ever. The people who take action now will be the ones who will have the most solid business when we eventually come out out of recession.

2. Do an audit of your business
List on a piece of paper or on a spreadsheet every single piece of work that you have done since you set up your business. List client name, nature of the work, the number of days and the value. Once you have done this go back through all the items in turn and ask yourself this simple question:

Where did this work come from? This exercise is very useful for 3 reasons:

1. It gives you an accurate and realistic picture of what marketing methods have really worked for you

2. It identifies what you are good at - we trainers have a tendency to think we aren't very good at marketing.You've now got proof that you are!3. It identifies the things you must carry on working at to continue to be successful.
3. Try something new

There is also an old saying that if you do as you've always done you'll get what you’ve always got. If you're not happy with what you're getting at the moment, maybe now's the time to try out 1 new approach as well as your tried and tested ones.

Think about all the possible marketing methods you could use, for example public speaking, starting your own networking group or building your online presence.

Write them all down. Give each one a rating on a scale of 1-10 in terms of how happy and confident you feel about using them. It's important to choose something you feel confortable with, otherwise you'll just feel demotivated before you even start. You also need to feel positive to give yourself the best chance of success.

4. Stay Close to Your Clients
Beware of focusing too much on getting new clients. What about the clients you already have? You already have a relationship with them. They already like you, know and trust you. You are already half way there to your next piece of work. Spend some time thinking about your clients. Who are they? When did you last speak to them? What strategies do you use for continually building and maintaining a relationship with them? Do you stay in regular contact or only make an effort in your quiet times when you are not delivering training?
What 1 thing can you do today to re-ignite your client relationships?

5. Get Yourself Certified!
Todays Tip: Get Yourself Certified!
As competition for training contracts get tougher it makes sense to consider doing things that are going to differentiate you from the crowd. This is a perfect time for you to get yourself certified or accredited. There are 3 good reasons to do this:

1. Assurance to any potential client that you are knowledgeable, skilled, competent, professional and credible.
2. Increased opportunities - many of the bodies that provide accreditation actively recommend their accredited trainers to organisations looking to purchase training services.
3. Improved self confidence that comes from demonstrating and proving your worth.

One of the best accreditation schemes for freelance trainers is Certified Learning Practitioner from TrainerBase http://www.trainerbase.co.uk/

The Training Foundation also provides professional development, assessment and certification via the Tap Learning System www,tap-training.com/

If you train in the Financial Services sector you may want to check out the Financial Services Skills Council Recognised Trainer Scheme www.fssc.org.uk/

Or there are a wide range of qualifications available from CIPD http://www.cipd.co.uk/ from the Certificate in Training Practice to more advanced qualifications in learning and development.

I hope I have given you some ideas to try out and that you are already starting to feel re-energised and inspired! If you want to read more hints and tips that will help you move your business forward go to www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/blog

The Trainers Training Company helps freelance trainers to create successful businesses. Sign up for our newsletter and get FREE report 20 Things You Ought To Know Before Going Freelance at http://www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/

New book, new times?

I've just got hold of the pre-published version of the 'Best Practice Guide for Customer Service Managers', written by a highly regarded expert in customer services in the UK. What is interesting is how much more advanced customer services is now than, even say, two years ago.

Customer services is going to be a crucial differentiator in these challenging economic times, so for businesses to survive they really can't ignore the need not only to train their people, but to understand the theory and real application of customer services today. The times are a-changing, and we must, in all aspects, change with them.

Although many people assume that good customer service is a 'no brainer', it still astonishes me how many people just have no sense of customer service at all. The checkout lad who is soooo bored you can just see his disinterest oozing from every pore, the telesales person who sounds cross when you say you don't actually want to take their call right now thank you and perhaps even the traffic warden who swaggers up to you just as you reach your car and the ticket is about to expire...

Are people so secure in their jobs that they think they do not need to treat their customers with respect, and with at least a little dignity? No, of course not, but in these three examples (all real), there is a motivator behind them.

The checkout boy is doing this job just to earn money before he goes to Uni, he has no vested interest in the company's success or desire for a career in this organisation. The telesales girl is on a target! My 'no thank you' is a dent in her performance record, and targets are getting tighter and harder and... The traffic warden sees himself as an enforcer. I am a wrong-doer, not a customer!

Now the book I am reading (I've only just started so no in depth review here) focuses far more on the higher principles of customer service, but you have to take it back to grass roots.
Perhaps, even, it goes deeper than that. Is there a dysfunction in how we interact as people throughout society, not just in the customer/provider situation? There are many who would scream 'yes!' and cite examples of rude behaviour, lack of manners, simple disregard. Oh, and I'm not guiltless, I let a customer wait for a product without contacting them and didn't check that it had (in fact had not) been dispatched. Result: one unhappy customer, one cancelled order. Yes, I have learned from this experience! Personal circumstances are irrelevant, whatever my excuses, I should have got on the phone or emailed and let the client know what was happening, even if it was 'nothing'. People are usually fine if they are kept in the know.

'Fixing' society is a massive challenge and one which will need addressing before we all disappear into our own virtual 'hubs' of existence, and only connect through electronic means. But we can certainly address behaviour issues at work and give that lad who is studying to be an architect a sense of worth, in the value of a job well done whatever he is doing, even if it is just checkout! Who knows, that guy he helped with the cracked eggs may be someone important in his intended industry...

All speculation, true, but by taking control of customer service in our organisations, by applying the premise of respect and understanding (and, of course, training and following the right Best Practice guidelines), it will have a knock-on effect in our whole society. Yes, customer service takes effort, but the rewards are very possibly survival against closure in this harsh economic climate.

Customer Services & Training Standards

I was asked a very simple question by a contact (Susan Robinson of http://www.fundraisingcpd.com/):

"Just wondered if you know what the 'best practice' guidelines are on training? For example, is there anything published on how many learners to each tutor? maximum numbers of days that one tutor should work with a group?

I have been involved in developing a NVQ Level 4/HND Level Management Course, which is currently run in a five-day block with a maximum of 14 learners. Up until now, we have used two trainers throughout but it is being suggested that the course run with one tutor. I'm not sure that this is in the best interests of the learners or the tutor. Any advice would be gratefully received."

Thank you The training company I used to work for were very strict on delegate number, maximum 14 at a push, preferably 12 maximum. But I asked the question of a Customer Services expert (Trevor Arden of http://www.pdmtc.co.uk/) who said:

"As far as I know there is no published guidance on the maximum number of students per tutor on any particular type or level of programme.
However, there should be a small enough ratio to enable:

a) the learning content to be effectively delivered and understood
b) individual students' needs, questions and requirements to be efficiently dealt with quickly
c) any whole-group or small-group activities and tasks to be achieved
d) assessment of individuals (where it is required in a classroom situation) to be achieved effectively (could be both formal and informal assessment)

Conversely, the ratio should not be too small, especially on a management type of programme, as this could detract from some of the types of discussions and group activities that would be expected.

Students should also have access to some form of support or personal tutoring outside of the classroom situation."

In this world of guidelines, compliance and recommended daily dose, is there a definitive answer? I am sure that the ratio of trainer:delegate will vary according to what you are training in (for example some technical or equipment based training may only be possible on a one-to-one basis), but this is a great subject for a great subject for debate, and one that Susan and I will pursue.

I'd love to have your comments on this. Please contact us, or comment below if you are a blogspot member.