Are You Service Friendly?

Here are articles to help leaders and their staff create customer loyalty by building robust relationships, delivering more reliable, responsive, remarkable service and delighting the customer every single day.

1. Walk in Your Customers' Shoes

• The "3P" Experience
  Do you have repeat customers or regrettably "one-night stands?" Those who have positive product, people and process experiences (the 3P's), are more likely to recommend your organization and personally do business with you again and again.

  Note: This article can be customized with specific examples and tips for your organization or industry. Contact us to request an article for your publication, newsletter or website.

• Are You Easy to Do Business With?
  What messages are you sending to your customers every day? Here's are four way to determine if you are easy or difficult to do business with and tips to design customer delight in to every aspect of your organization.
• How Can We Better Serve Those We Serve?
  You don't have to be a huge corporation to cultivate a service culture. Check out 4 simple, strategies for small to medium size organizations that will prime the pump for great ideas.
• Is the Customer at the Heart of Your Organization?
  The litmus test for being customer focused is fairly simple. Does everyone, not just sales or customer service, see the importance of the customer in everything they do? Take this quick quiz and rate your organization.

2. Deliver Delectable Service

• Customers Have Long Memories
  Did you know that, on average, dissatisfied customers tell 10 people about their negative service experiences? Here are 3 guidelines for delivering outstanding service.
• How to Handle a Service Emergency
  Responding to a customer's anger and frustration can be one of the most difficult communication situations. Stay in control by following the 6 easy guidelines.
• Add Your Own Special Brand of Sauce
  There are no small jobs. No matter what you do, it is important to someone. It should also be important to you as well. See how Mary turned her job into an ambassador for her company
• Customer Service Tips For the Front Line
  Little things don't mean a lot; they mean everything in customer service. Rate yourself and your staff on 35 customer service skills.
• Positive Words: The Vocabulary of Service
  We all have heard that action speaks louder than words. But at times, words speak as loudly as actions. Here are examples of positive words that create positive customer experiences.

3. Create Loyalty, Build Relationships

• Are you in the Relationship Business?
  Of course you are! Everyone who has to work with, deal with, sell to, convince, etc. is! Leaders must connect with, interact, and influence people every single day. Learn the three rules for business and professional success.
• Client Relationships: Keeping Them Coming Back
  In service businesses, transactions occur between individuals, not companies. It’s Sally who continues to buy from Joe based on a relationship that has been built and nurtured. Learn nine basics for keeping your clients coming back.
• Contacts Are the Bread and Butter of Business Life
  There’s an art to successful networking and business development. Here are ten tips to help you connect with people immediately, develop meaningful conversations and move on to profitable relationships.
• Quick Inexpensive Ways to Build Business Relationships
  Take a look at 15 quick and easy ways to connect and build ties with your present customer base and with your prospects. Some ideas will work for you while others will not seem appropriate. Select what feels right.
• High Impact Presentations
  Speaking skills are paramount for getting the attention of your customers or clients and building a positive public image. Here are six steps to hone your presentation skills and overcome your fears of public speaking.

4. Power Up the People Engine

• Get Rid of "It's Not My Job" Syndrome
  How do you make service a really big deal and prevent "It's not my job" from happening in your organization? Here are 3 ways to develop people's commitment and enthusiasm.

  Note: This article can be customized with specific examples and tips for your organization or industry. Contact us to request an article for your publication, newsletter or website.

• How to Encourage Everyone to Do Their Best Work
  Don't underestimate the need people have for recognition. Here are 4 quick and easy ways to praise and bring a smile to everyone's face.
• Do Your People Feel Like Hired Hands or Business Owners?
  Would you like your employees take pride in their work and feel accountable for the organization's future? Here is how one well known airline creates a feeling of ownership.

Additional resources to ring your customer's bells:

• Coaching 4 Results
• Branding 4 Service
• Speaking 4 Impact
• W. W. O. W. Products

Take a look at our other 5 Minute Power Bites. These articles offer the best practices in effective leadership, teamwork, customer service and career management.

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