Customer Service : career success through customer loyalty/ Paul R.Timm

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Customer Service: Career Success in the Service Economy, 4e provides a systematic process for building service skills that all business people need. Presented in a friendly, conversational manner, the book is filled with examples that demonstrate the link between service skills and career achievement. This edition emphasizes the impact of customer loyalty on business growth and discusses how to measure a company's ration of promoters, or Net Promoter Score. Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on exceeding customer expectations and translating customer loyalty into personal and corporate success. Explains why certain actions lead to better customer loyalty, and provides specific ways to accomplish these behaviors. Goes well beyond canned responses to help readers apply creative solutions to ever-changing problems. A greater emphasis on loyaltyand the latest techniques such as the Net Promoter Score, exceeding expectations, customer-friendly technology etc. Examines how loyalty translates to business growth and development through recommendations, referrals and promotions. This book is for employees and managers of customer service departments and human resource training departments.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• From the Author (p. xii)
• About the Author (p. xviii)
• 1 Know Why Service Matters (p. 1)
• Introduction (p. 2)
• No One Succeeds without Loyal Customers (p. 3)
• "Customer" implies an exchange of value (p. 3)
• Customers Have Many Names (p. 4)
• Customer Relationships Can Become Partnerships (p. 4)
• Positive Word of Mouth Gets and Keeps Customers (p. 5)
• The impact of E-Commerce on word of mouth (p. 6)
• The Good and Bad News about Customer Service-The Cost of a Lost Customer (p. 7)
• Calculate the terrible cost of the lost customer (p. 7)
• Appreciate the cost of the lost (p. 8)
• How much will it cost to replace these customers? (p. 9)
• Understand how lost customers mean lost jobs (p. 9)
• Some Key Changes in the Diverse Nature of Customers (p. 9)
• Increasing customer diversity (p. 10)
• Age issues (p. 10)
• Globalization (p. 12)
• Work-life balance (p. 12)
• Translating Slogans and Good Intentions into a Strategy (p. 12)
• The Ultimate Goal: Developing Customer Loyalty for Life (p. 13)
• Customer loyalty (p. 14)
• A Final Thought (p. 17)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 17)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 17)
• Key Concepts (p. 18)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 18)
• Applying the Ideas: Interview Service Providers (p. 18)
• Notes (p. 20)
• 2 Use Behaviors That Engage Your Customers (p. 23)
• Behavior and Personality Factors That Please Customers (p. 24)
• Fifteen Individual Behaviors Can Convey Personality (p. 25)
• 1 Greet customers like guests (p. 25)
• 2 Break the ice (p. 26)
• 3 Compliment freely and sincerely (p. 26)
• 4 Call people by name (p. 27)
• 5 Talk to customers with your eyes (p. 27)
• 6 Ask often "How am I doing?" (p. 28)
• 7 Listen with more than your ears (p. 29)
• 8 Say "please," "thank you," and "you're welcome" (p. 29)
• 9 Reassure customers in their decision to do business with you (p. 29)
• 10 Smile (p. 30)
• 11 Use good telephone techniques (p. 30)
• 12 Reach out and touch them (p. 31)
• 13 Enjoy people and their diversity (p. 31)
• 14 Maintain a positive attitude about selling (p. 32)
• 15 Watch your dress, grooming, and workplace attractiveness (p. 33)
• Six Organizational Behaviors That Convey a Customer-Centered Culture (p. 33)
• 1 Consider your company's appearance and grooming (p. 33)
• 2 Get customers to interact with your organization (p. 37)
• 3 Correspond regularly (p. 37)
• 4 Use hoopla and fun (p. 38)
• 5 Reward the right actions (p. 38)
• 6 Stay close after the sale (p. 39)
• A Final Thought (p. 40)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 40)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 40)
• Key Concepts (p. 41)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 41)
• Applying the Ideas: Does Behavior Influence Customer Loyalty? (p. 41)
• Applying the Ideas: Hooray for Waffle House (p. 43)
• Notes (p. 45)
• 3 Apply Your Best Listening Skills (p. 47)
• The Difference between Listening and Merely Hearing (p. 49)
• What Contributes to Listening? (p. 49)
• Internal elements affecting listening (p. 49)
• Environmental elements affecting listening (p. 49)
• Interactional elements affecting listening (p. 51)
• Listening Habits to Avoid (p. 54)
• Faking attention (p. 54)
• Changing channels (p. 55)
• Listening only for the facts (p. 55)
• Interrupting (p. 56)
• Positive Steps to Better Listening (p. 56)
• Solicit clarification (p. 57)
• Minimize the number of gatekeepers (p. 57)
• Try counter-attitudinal advocacy (p. 57)
• A Final Thought (p. 60)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 60)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 60)
• Key Concepts (p. 61)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 61)
• Applying the Ideas: Discover Your Listening Style (p. 61)
• Notes (p. 64)
• 4 Use the Telephone Right for Good Service (p. 67)
• Know the Benefits and Drawbacks of Telephonic Communication (p. 68)
• Action Tips for Identifying Telephone Use Attitudes (p. 70)
• Action tip 1 Check your phone use attitudes (p. 70)
• Action tip 2 Contact a company (p. 70)
• Action tip 3 Avoid unnecessary call screening (p. 71)
• Action Tips on What to Do and Say (p. 72)
• Action tip 4 Answer promptly and be prepared to handle calls (p. 72)
• Action tip 5 Use courtesy titles (p. 72)
• Action tip 6 Thank people for calling (p. 73)
• Action tip 7 Smile (p. 74)
• Action tip 8 Be sure the conversation is finished before you hang up (p. 74)
• Action tip 9 Handle the upset caller with tact and skill (p. 74)
• Action Tips on How to Express Yourself on the Phone (p. 75)
• Action tip 10 Keep your conversation tactful and businesslike (p. 75)
• Action tip 11 Speak clearly and distinctly (p. 76)
• Action tip 12 Speak naturally and comfortably (p. 76)
• Action tip 13 Do not let "dead air" happen (p. 77)
• Action tip 14 Keep a constant flow of information (p. 77)
• Action tip 15 Keep callers on track (p. 77)
• Action Tips for Efficient Use of the Phone (p. 78)
• Action tip 16 When Calling others, asks "is this a convenient time to talk?" (p. 78)
• Action tip 17 Take messages cheerfully and accurately (p. 79)
• Action tip 18 Make your greeting message efficient (p. 80)
• Action tip 19 Learn to use your phone's features (p. 80)
• Action tip 20 Plan your outgoing calls for efficiency (p. 81)
• Action tip 21 Don't let the telephone interrupt an important live conversation (p. 82)
• Action tip 22 Consistently work to improve your telephone communications (p. 82)
• Call Centers: Building Relationships One Phone Call at a Time (p. 82)
• What a call center is (p. 83)
• How many call centers are there? (p. 83)
• A Final Thought (p. 84)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 85)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 85)
• Key Concepts (p. 85)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 85)
• Applying the Ideas: Try Rewording for a Better Tone (p. 86)
• Applying the Ideas: Hear the Difference (p. 86)
• Notes (p. 89)
• 5 Use Friendly Web Sites and Electronic Communication (p. 91)
• What Is Web-Based Customer Service? (p. 92)
• Self-serve common answers (p. 92)
• Delayed answers (p. 93)
• Live answers (p. 93)
• Self-serve personalized answers (p. 94)
• Acknowledge Cost Advantages for "Webifying" Customer Service (p. 94)
• Recognize Disadvantages of Web-Based E-Service (p. 95)
• Apply Five Action Tips for Avoiding E-Service Problems (p. 96)
• Action tip 1 Be there and be quick (p. 96)
• Action tip 2 Make site navigation simple (p. 96)
• Action tip 3 Respond quickly (p. 97)
• Action tip 4 Provide communication alternatives (p. 97)
• Action tip 5 Pay attention to form and function (p. 97)
• Utilize Five Action Tips for Evaluating and Growing E-Service Effectiveness (p. 99)
• Action tip 6 Track customer traffic (p. 99)
• Action tip 7 Benchmark service levels (p. 99)
• Action tip 8 Teach your site to learn (p. 99)
• Action tip 9 Build an ongoing E-relationship (p. 99)
• Action tip 10 End high for better loyalty (p. 101)
• A Final Thought (p. 101)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 101)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 101)
• Key Concepts (p. 102)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 102)
• Applying the Ideas: Explore the World of E-Service (p. 103)
• Notes (p. 105)
• 6 Recognize and Deal with Customer Turnoffs (p. 107)
• Be Aware. Be Very Aware-Recognize Pet Peeves about Customer Service (p. 108)
• Get a Picture of What Turns Customers Off (p. 109)
• 1 Value turnoffs (p. 110)
• 2 Systems turnoffs (p. 111)
• 3 People turnoffs (p. 114)
• Know That Reducing Turnoffs Is the Best Advertising (p. 115)
• Create Loyal Customers (p. 116)
• The zone of indifference (p. 116)
• Value service recovery (p. 117)
• Loyalty comes from customers' awareness that service is your business (p. 117)
• Earn your customer's loyalty with two steps (p. 118)
• Listen with More Than Your Ears (p. 118)
• A Final Thought (p. 119)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 120)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 120)
• Key Concepts (p. 120)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 121)
• Applying the Ideas: Discovering Customer Turnoffs (p. 121)
• Notes (p. 124)
• 7 Get Customer Feedback (p. 125)
• Why Feedback Is So Important (p. 126)
• Feedback is a form of coaching (p. 126)
• Complaints are valuable feedback (p. 126)
• Getting input at the point of contact (p. 127)
• Commitment to Feedback Varies (p. 128)
• What statistics reveal about feedback (p. 128)
• Reinforce, Don't Challenge the Customer (p. 129)
• Be sensitive to your first reactions (p. 129)
• Act on Complaints in Productive Ways (p. 130)
• Feel the customer's pain (p. 132)
• Do all you can to resolve the problem (p. 132)
• Other Proactive Ways to Get Feedback (p. 132)
• Try focus groups (p. 133)
• Use explorer groups (p. 135)
• Use customer surveys (p. 135)
• Use "mystery shoppers" (p. 138)
• A Final Thought (p. 139)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 139)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 139)
• Key Concepts (p. 140)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 140)
• Applying the Ideas: Getting Customer Feedback (p. 141)
• Notes (p. 143)
• 8 Recover the Potentially Lost Customer (p. 145)
• Understand the Case for Customer Recovery (p. 146)
• Maintain Healthy Attitudes about Customer Recovery (p. 147)
• Develop Your Recovery Skills (p. 149)
• Feel their pain (p. 149)
• Do all you can to resolve the problem (p. 149)
• Go beyond: offer "symbolic atonement" (p. 149)
• Look back and learn from each situation (p. 150)
• Understand what happens if the customer is still not satisfied (p. 152)
• Handling the Occasional "Customer from Hell" (p. 152)
• 1 Be sure this really is a chronic complainer (p. 152)
• 2 Know what to do with this guy (or gal) (p. 153)
• Handing a Nasty Complaint Letter or Email (p. 153)
• Use Human Relations Skills to Convey Appropriate Tone (p. 155)
• People are strongly interested in themselves (p. 155)
• People prefer receiver-centered messages (p. 156)
• People want to be treated as individuals (p. 157)
• People want positive information (p. 157)
• People don't like abrasive people (p. 158)
• Understand the Distinction between Assertive and Aggressive Behavior (p. 160)
• A Final Thought (p. 162)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 162)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 162)
• Key Concepts (p. 163)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 163)
• Applying the Ideas: Recovering Lost Customers (p. 163)
• Notes (p. 166)
• 9 Exceed Expectations with Value (p. 167)
• Define A-Plus Value: What It Is (p. 168)
• Recognize the cost of diminished perceptions of value (p. 168)
• Create an Enhanced Sense of Intrinsic and Associated Value (p. 170)
• Intrinsic value of the product itself (p. 170)
• Associated value (p. 171)
• Seven Ways to Enhance the Perception of Value (p. 171)
• Build A-plus value with packaging (p. 172)
• Build A-plus value with guarantees or warranties (p. 173)
• Build A-plus value with goodness of product fit (p. 173)
• Build A-plus value with memorable experiences (p. 175)
• Build A-plus value with uniqueness and shared values (p. 176)
• Build A-plus value with credibility (p. 177)
• Build A-plus value with add-ons (p. 178)
• A-plus value and your employees (p. 179)
• A Final Thought (p. 180)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 180)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 180)
• Key Concepts (p. 181)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 181)
• Applying the Ideas: Creating A-Plus Value (p. 182)
• Notes (p. 184)
• 10 Give Customers A-Plus Information (p. 187)
• Understand What A-Plus Information Is (p. 188)
• Special informational demands of E-commerce (p. 189)
• Know How to Produce A-Plus Information (p. 190)
• Provide informational hand-holding (p. 191)
• Select informational media carefully (p. 191)
• Use Techniques That Enhance Message Clarity (p. 193)
• Audit of your company's writing (p. 193)
• Use some redundancy (p. 194)
• Make key information easily accessible with graphics and icons (p. 194)
• Create and Support Customer User Groups and Classes (p. 195)
• Pay Special Attention to A-Plus Information in E-Commerce (p. 196)
• Make customer support accessible (p. 196)
• Honor the customer feedback loop (p. 196)
• Evaluate Your A-Plus Information Efforts (p. 197)
• Logging common questions (FAQs) (p. 197)
• Audit your company's communication (p. 197)
• A Final Thought (p. 197)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 198)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 198)
• Key Concepts (p. 198)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 198)
• Applying the Ideas: Creating A-plus Information (p. 199)
• Notes (p. 201)
• 11 Exceed Customer Expectation with Convenience (p. 203)
• Understand What Is Meant by A-Plus Convenience (p. 204)
• How to Produce A-Plus Convenience (p. 205)
• Give serious regard to customer time and convenience (p. 205)
• Consider the Use of Virtual Waiting Techniques (p. 207)
• Match capacity to demand (p. 208)
• Respond to how customers perceive the wait (p. 208)
• Use virtual queues (p. 208)
• Make Things Easier for Customers (p. 209)
• Create once-and-done service (p. 210)
• Make doing business easy (p. 210)
• Offer ancillary services (p. 211)
• Simplify the product (p. 211)
• A Final Thought (p. 211)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 213)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 213)
• Key Concepts (p. 214)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 214)
• Applying the Ideas: Giving A-plus Convenience (p. 215)
• Notes (p. 216)
• 12 Managing Your Time and Tasks to Reduce Stress (p. 219)
• What Are the Causes of Job Stress? (p. 220)
• Unproductive job stress factors (p. 220)
• Working conditions that may lead to stress (p. 221)
• Five Key Skills for Better Time and Task Management (p. 222)
• Key skill 1 Target your efforts on the most important tasks (p. 223)
• Key skill 2 Be a goal-getter, not just a goal setter (p. 224)
• Key skill 3 Do the constructive things first (p. 225)
• Key skill 4 Foster teamwork (p. 226)
• Key skill 5 Avoid time wasters (p. 227)
• Effectively Delegate (Even If You Are Not the Boss) (p. 230)
• How delegation can go wrong (p. 231)
• A Final Thought (p. 231)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 232)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 232)
• Key Concepts (p. 232)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 232)
• Applying the Ideas: Managing Time, Tasks, and Stress (p. 233)
• Notes (p. 235)
• 13 Get Employees to Give Great Service (p. 237)
• Articulate a Vision: What Managers Should Do First (p. 238)
• Plan a Strategy for Customer Loyalty (p. 240)
• Organizing Processes, People, and Resources to Achieve the Vision (p. 240)
• Lead and Motivate Employees (p. 241)
• Create and Sustain an Effective Work Culture (p. 242)
• Continuously Harvest A-Plus Ideas (p. 244)
• Use brainstorming when you need creative ideas (p. 244)
• Use nominal group process when appropriate (p. 244)
• Control the Processes (p. 245)
• Help employees set contributing goals (p. 246)
• Empower and Engage Employees (p. 246)
• Tie the Reward System to Appropriate Actions (p. 247)
• A Final Thought (p. 248)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 248)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 248)
• Key Concepts (p. 249)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 249)
• Applying the Ideas: Getting Employees to Give Great Service (p. 250)
• Notes (p. 252)
• 14 Recognize the Emerging Trends in Customer Service (p. 253)
• The Importance of "One-to-One" Personalization for Customer Service in the New Future (p. 255)
• One-to-one opportunities with internal customers (p. 256)
• Social and Economic Shifts Impacting Customer Service for the Future (p. 256)
• Recognize changing demographics (p. 257)
• New Interactivity Options for Creating Stronger Customer Relationships (p. 258)
• Understand That Some Things Remain Consistent (p. 259)
• Demand for fair value (p. 260)
• Satisfy individual customer needs and wants (p. 260)
• Create promoters (p. 261)
• Apply relationship marketing (p. 261)
• Gain customer share, not market share (p. 261)
• A Final Thought (p. 264)
• Assignment Portfolio (p. 264)
• Summary of Key Ideas (p. 264)
• Key Concepts (p. 265)
• Reviewing the Facts (p. 265)
• Applying the Ideas: Recognizing Emerging Trends (p. 266)
• Notes (p. 268)
• Appendix How to Lead or Participate in an A-Plus idea Generating Meeting (p. 269)
• Index (p. 277)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

I've had the privilege of writing more than 30 books on a variety of topics dealing with challenges managers and career-oriented people deal with every day. My books on customer loyalty, human relations, management communication, and self-management have been translated into more than a dozen languages and sell worldwide. I have also written and appear in a series of videotape training programs produced by Jack Wilson & Associates ( www.JWAvideo.com ).

My writing is based on more than 30 years experience as a professor, trainer, consultant and entrepreneur. I have held positions with large companies (Xerox and Bell South) and have led small organizations such as Prime Learning, Inc. I also served in a helicopter company in the US Army in Vietnam.

For fun I run (marathons and triathlons), play golf, read, and enjoy observing the kinds of customer service people give-or, more often, fail to give.

I strongly believe that no arena offers as much opportunity for your professional advancement as does the field of customer service and loyalty. And with the skills taught in this book, you will greatly enhance your ability to build and sustain your greatest asset-your relationships with loyal, committed customers and employees-through exceptional service.