Do your clients feel connected to you?

Impeccable Client Engagement
Staying Connected and Engaged

massageMy wife, Maggie, and I enjoy the occasional professional massage. We’ve visited many different service providers over the years – everything from the local Groupon massage referral … to a honeymoon couple’s massage on the beaches of Roatan Island – and we’ve observed that not all practitioners are created (trained) equally.

One specific thing we’ve noticed is that while some massage therapists do a wonderful job of staying connected to you during your massage, others may leave you feeling a little disconnected. I’ll explain…

I’ve recently learned that the professionals are taught to practice something really special and quite effective. They’re trained to keep at least one hand on you at all times, no matter what. This would explain why many of them keep a holster of massage oil on their hip, instead of a side table or storage cart, which could end up out of reach. Think about it. Here you are, face down, eyes closed, treating yourself to a luxury – all while putting your trust “in the hands” of a professional.

This “one-hand-at-all-times” best practice is what maintains that trust; it keeps you feeling connected and engaged – both physically and emotionally.

Your clients should be receiving the same treatment. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to make a physical connection but some form of ongoing engagement is important. More than keeping your name and face in front of your clients and prospects, this is about engineering ongoing experiences that exceed expectations. And there are bonus points for creativity …

One Valentine’s Day, I opened my mailbox to find [Read more…]

Impeccable Listening

Impeccable Customer Service Tip #79

“Active listening means being fully-engaged with the client and listening for answers within the answers. You can tell when someone is ‘half listening,’ and so can your clients.” -from the book: Upside-Down Selling by Ian Altman

By the way, when you purchase this book, 50% of the proceeds go to NFTE (The Non-Profit Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship).

Do you trust your customers and clients?

Trust begets trust

Last weekend my wife, Maggie, and I stopped by our local Lowe’s home improvement warehouse in search of some spring plants to hang on our porch. By the time we made it out to the garden center, we’d already filled our shopping cart with a few unrelated items from inside the store. We browsed the adjacent outdoor garden center but were unable to find exactly what we were looking for. We wanted to exit that area and see the expanded selection in the parking lot and on the front sidewalk. I parked our semi-full cart in the garden center as we prepared to exit and asked a cashier if it would be OK to leave it there while we shopped outside the traditional store boundaries. The cashier said, “Actually, you can just take your cart with you into the parking lot, if you’d like.”

A policy of mistrust

Our Lowe’s experience got me thinking about the psychology of trust – specifically the trust that exists (or fails to exist) between businesses and consumers. I’ve noticed that merchants typically have policies on one end of the spectrum or the other – sometimes written, but usually implied. While some companies are as trusting as Lowe’s, many create policies that clearly demonstrate their mistrust of consumers.

On our way to Lake Anna, VA, one summer day, we stopped by a deli to grab some breakfast sandwiches. We were jolted when we heard the owner yelling across the store at a patron, “No, no, no, no, no!” The patron, who appeared to be a construction worker, was at the ice machine dispensing ice into a plastic bag – seemingly in order to cover his Styrofoam-enclosed lunch in that bag. The man was clearly embarrassed and unaware that he’d been doing anything “wrong.”

When he finished scolding his customer, the owner barked at his employees for allowing such a practice. (He wasn’t about to give away ice for free.) Then he grabbed paper, a permanent marker and prepared a sign that said, “Ice for Sodas Only!”

All too often business owners create rules for the 1% who are – or who might be – “misbehaving,” thus demonstrating mistrust to the other 99% of us who never will. Those actions, rules and policies communicate a clear message: “Sorry, but our policy is to not trust you.”

In business, actions speak louder than words. Even if a business doesn’t formally exhibit such mistrust (e.g., a wall sign), its culture and actions communicate it all the same, and the company ends up suffering.

Trust begets trust

A company that maintains a culture of trust sets a positive tone and communicates a positive message: “We believe that people are good and trustworthy.” This attitude has the power to permeate everything a company does. Trust has a profound impact on your company’s culture and your brand’s perception in the marketplace.

A funny thing happens when we expect our clients to be honest – not only do they usually fulfill our expectations, they also become more trusting of – and loyal to – us. (Note to the skeptics: Don’t let one “bad apple” spoil your perception of the whole “bunch.”)

Bottom Line: Trust begets trust. Once you’ve earned the trust of your customers and clients, price becomes less relevant. Additionally, you will be creating more raving fans and that segment of your clientele is responsible for a whopping 80-90 percent* of your referral business. Trust not only creates profit, trust builds a rewarding and positive culture among your team and with your customers.

Trust is ultimately profitable: Just ask companies like Amazon, Costco, Lowe’s, Zappos.com, or FedEx. These companies all do a wonderful job of demonstrating trust and the positive ramifications of this trust (including profitability) are immeasurable.

  • Do you trust your customers and clients?
  • How are you demonstrating that trust?
*The Ultimate Question, by Fred Reichheld

Lessons from Mom and Dad

Dad Maggie Steve Mom

September 24, 2011

“Your life can be a stepping stone for your children to do greater things or it can be a stumbling block that causes them to struggle and live in mediocrity.” –Joel Osteen

We all have a mom and dad. Some of us are even fortunate enough to feel proud of them. If you fall into that category, do you think of your parents as leaders?

My friend, Lowell Nerenberg – an executive leadership coach in the DC area – blogged about the notion (fact, really) that we’re never not leading. This is especially apparent with parents. Many of us look up to our parents, learn about life from them and … perhaps even spend a lifetime seeking their approval. Entering my 41st year as Marvin and Sharyn Dorfman’s son, I’m especially conscious of the multitude of positive examples my parents have set for me, my brother Rich, sister Jodi and countless others who’ve been fortunate enough to know them through the years.

It’s easy – especially when it comes to immediate family – to find and focus on what’s “broken,” wrong, or that which simply drives us crazy. However, [Read more…]

Impeccability: How to Create Remarkable Customer Experiences, Raving Fans & Increased Profits

“The secret to capturing market share lies in how impeccable your customer experience is … consistently.” -Steve Dorfman

Impeccability as a Brand: Google simplified search and today its sites account for more than 6% of all of the world’s Internet traffic. Apple’s products, retail establishments and customer experience all draw rave reviews and the company continues to increase market share. In fact, Apple recently posted record first-quarter revenue of $46.33 billion. Starbucks is so committed to its patrons that in late 2010, it enacted a new policy prohibiting baristas from creating more than two drinks at a time (only starting a second one while finishing the first). And Nordstrom has become the benchmark by which other companies measure themselves. It isn’t unusual to hear a business owner say, “We aspire to be the Nordstrom of the __________ business.”

Engineering Experiences that Exceed Expectations:
Leaders come to Steve Dorfman to explore what impeccability means for their teams and to work with them on creating a culture of impeccability in their organizations. Through his highly interactive style, Steve will demonstrate how a culture of impeccability allows you to work smarter, not harder.

Workshop attendees walk away with:

• A clear understanding of how impeccability is a cornerstone of business growth in 2012 and beyond

• Fresh action items to create impeccable experiences tailored specifically for your clients

• Personal i-SAT (Impeccable Service Aptitude Test) score

For more information call 202.556.3235 today!

~

Your Free Impeccability Chapter >>

Impeccability Chapter

CLICK on IMAGE for FREE DOWNLOAD

~

“It’s not my fault!”

Impeccable Service *Recovery*

Taking Responsibility Doesn’t Have to Equal Guilt, Blame, Fault, or Shame

There’s a dichotomy here that comes down to basic human nature: As (human) service providers, we don’t take too well to being regarded as “wrong.” As (human) customers, we have a much easier time letting go of mistakes when the other person simply takes responsibility for the error.

Saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean you’re sentenced to “take the blame,” “feel the guilt,” “assume fault,” or “feel shamed.” It doesn’t even necessarily mean that you were wrong. It simply means taking the high road (and sometimes “taking one for the team”) so that your customer (and you) can move on; feel complete; let go.

The Power of One

Frontline employees don’t often recognize or appreciate just how much power they possess.

Every business founder has a vision of what the customer experience will be – even if they don’t put a lot of time or thought into expressing, or communicating it. Most of them simply put their time, money and energy into getting their doors open to the public, then wind up entrusting their frontline staff to deliver a customer experience that is worthy of repeat and referral business. It’s mind boggling to think about how much responsibility is on the shoulders of these frontline folks.

When I was in sales, my former boss would remind us – regularly, I might add – how many advertising dollars had been spent to get each prospect to walk through our doors. When we consciously thought of it that way, we were certainly less likely to squander an opportunity to connect with a potential client.

The Right Way to Apologize

Getting this right isn’t easy for some. Taking ownership of the error should not include saying things like, “I’m sorry if …” And it doesn’t even mean saying, “I’m sorry that …” For this to really work, an apology should start with, “I’m sorry for …” even if it wasn’t their “fault.” For example, an employee could say,

“I’m sorry for letting you down; for what you’ve experienced; for the way you were treated; for what you’ve had to endure. We’ve clearly dropped the ball and would love to have the opportunity to make it right for you.”

Additionally, the delivery must be congruent – the words must match the voice tone and body language – in order for the customer to feel acknowledged and complete. If the employee can’t make a sincere apology, then maybe he’s in the wrong position. (Wouldn’t this be a wonderful discussion topic – or role-play scenario – to include in your hiring process?)

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.Maya Angelou

Customers for Life

There is a great gift in all of this … and wow, is it ever a gift. A satisfied customer is okay, but a customer who’s had a bad experience that you were made aware of and were able to turn around would likely become a customer for life; a promoter. You see, satisfactory service isn’t all that exciting. In fact, “satisfied” is passé. It doesn’t exactly warrant a story or even much of a memory. But bad customer service experiences can be treated as opportunities for what is called, service recovery. Taking responsibility as the service provider, delivering an impeccable recovery and exceeding your customers’ expectations … that’s where the magic happens.

Making clients feel valued

Impeccable Customer Service Tip #21

A fundamental practice in providing impeccable client service is finding ways to have your clients feel smart, important and valued. What are you currently doing to make your clients feel valued … and what more could you be doing?

.

Your thoughts? (Look for “Leave a Reply” below, or click here)

© Copyright 2012 to Present – Driven To Excel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Requesting Referrals

Impeccable Customer Service Tip #20

“In the long run, 80 percent of your business comes from 20 percent of your clients, so focus on providing excellent customer care and seeking repeat business from current clients. Ask them for referrals frequently throughout the engagement life cycle. Do not just ask for referrals at the end of a project, but plant seeds at the beginning and make referral requests throughout your service cycle with a client.” –Suzi Pomerantz

.

Your thoughts? (Look for “Leave a Reply” below, or click here)

© Copyright 2012 to Present – Driven To Excel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Innovate or Stagnate

Impeccable Customer Service Tip #19

Innovate or stagnate. Join the customer service revolution by intentionally crafting; engineering systems that improve customer experiences. Special Note: Create these systems *with* your team.

 

“How do you mean?”

Impeccable Customer Service Tip #16

When you need clarity, elaboration, or just don’t understand what someone is saying, ask, “How do you mean?

.

Your thoughts? (Look for “Leave a Reply” below, or click here)

© Copyright 2012 to Present – Driven To Excel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.