I supply most of my clients with a copy of Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service. Click on the Recommended Reading link and get yourself a copy. It’s thin, so take a couple hours and read the damned thing. Then go back, and read it again. You paid for it – write notes in the margin.
One of my favorite points raised: Customer service isn’t fair. We try to impose a “one size fits all” approach to handling sales and service, but more often than not if backfires on us. If life were fair, we wouldn’t need customer service. Products wouldn’t break during shipping, customers and vendors would be forgiving to a fault if the product or the check was late. Service would be perfect, and there would be no need for complaints or unhappiness.
The people in your organization responsible for customer service – this includes the Big Boss, and the front line people – should read the book. Better, go through the Zingerman’s customer service training. Not only will it save you money, but by practicing the techniques learned, you’ll make money and do more for your brand than almost anything else you can pay money for.
