CREATING A “WOW” FACTOR THROUGH CUSTOMER SERVICE Presented by Bruce Hodes CMI 711 South Boulevard, Suite 10 Oak Park, IL 60302 Phone: (708) 383-7970, (800) 883-7995 Email: bhodes@cmiteamwork.com Website: www.cmiteamwork.com WELCOME TO:

OVERVIEW This session presents my perspective about what makes customers loyal and creates a wow.

This session presents my perspective about what makes customers loyal and creates a wow.

CREATING WOW IS A MOVING TARGET What is effective in one year, not in the next? It is about establishing a “cult” of loyal customers.

What is effective in one year, not in the next?

It is about establishing a “cult” of loyal customers.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Participants will learn the following: Exercises and data that help create awareness and enthusiasm regarding customer focus and service. Models and methods for groups to design, implement and monitor their own strategies for improving customer service.

Participants will learn the following:

Exercises and data that help create awareness and enthusiasm regarding customer focus and service.

Models and methods for groups to design, implement and monitor their own strategies for improving customer service.

BENEFITS Benefits you can get from this talk: Create a service differentiation Improve focus of your service strategy Have a shot at getting “there”, attaining your vision and growing your organization

Benefits you can get from this talk:

Create a service differentiation

Improve focus of your service strategy

Have a shot at getting “there”, attaining your vision and growing your organization

ACTIONS Actions we want you to take: Determine your service strategy Take real steps to improve your customer service Use the tools offered to improve your customer service

Actions we want you to take:

Determine your service strategy

Take real steps to improve your customer service

Use the tools offered to improve your customer service

GROUND RULES This is highly participative & an aerobics class Be safe -- be aware of yourself & others Ask a lot of questions Be prepared to apply this material Use it or lose it!

This is highly participative & an aerobics class

Be safe -- be aware of yourself & others

Ask a lot of questions

Be prepared to apply this material

Use it or lose it!

Discipline of Market Leaders Operational excellence Product innovation Customer intimacy

Operational excellence

Product innovation

Customer intimacy

TENT POLE Did the teams collaborate? What was the customer service strategy? Where was high performance?

Did the teams collaborate?

What was the customer service

strategy?

Where was high performance?

CUSTOMER SERVICE Customer kept informed on task progress Customer service strategy in place and operating Relationship with customer being developed Customer is overwhelmed with service AUDIT FOR TEAMS

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer kept informed on task progress

Customer service strategy in place and

operating

Relationship with customer being

developed

Customer is overwhelmed with service

KANO MODEL OF CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS (Taken from the book Fourth Generation Management written by Brian L Joiner) Must have: Characteristics or features we take for granted, like clean linens and hot water in a hotel room.

More is better: In this category, we are disappointed if a need is poorly met but have increasing satisfaction (and perhaps even delight) the better that need is met.

More is better:

In this category, we are disappointed if a need is poorly met but have increasing satisfaction (and perhaps even delight) the better that need is met.

Delighter: These are the features or characteristics that surprise customers…in a good way.

Delighter:

These are the features or characteristics that surprise customers…in a good way.

VALUE OF THE KANO MODEL 1. It helps employees set priorities in their own work 2. It help people avoid the trap of thinking that “no complaints” equals customer satisfaction

1. It helps employees set priorities in their own work

2. It help people avoid the trap of thinking that “no complaints” equals customer satisfaction

Ways Bruce Has Seen Companies Create Wow Conducting business over the web: Credit Cards Billing Customer Service information E-mail marketing E-mail customer newsletters Great website

Conducting business over the web:

Credit Cards

Billing

Customer Service information

E-mail marketing

E-mail customer newsletters

Great website

Having very defined customer niches: Finding specific segments of the marketplace in which you can dominate and leverage from a leadership position. Knowing who is not a fit.

Having very defined customer niches:

Finding specific segments of the marketplace in which you can dominate and leverage from a leadership position.

Knowing who is not a fit.

Customer gets a special relationship with, and access to the owner/leaders in the organization: Makes it safer Access Emphasize local owned You have a friend/family Leader directly involved in selling and keeping major accounts.

Customer gets a special relationship with, and access to the owner/leaders in the organization:

Makes it safer

Access

Emphasize local owned

You have a friend/family

Leader directly involved in selling and keeping major accounts.

Service –driven culture: You always get a voice (no auto-attendant) Quick turnaround regarding customer problems – always in the loop You never get a voice mail Better internal training for better quality products Profit-sharing/Retention bonus-internally; helps keep everyone focused on keeping the customer Voice mail messages are detailed oriented – How are yours

Service –driven culture:

You always get a voice (no auto-attendant)

Quick turnaround regarding customer problems – always in the loop

You never get a voice mail

Better internal training for better quality products

Profit-sharing/Retention bonus-internally; helps keep everyone focused on keeping the customer

Voice mail messages are detailed oriented – How are yours

Truly being the knowledge-driven specialist. Knowledge as a differentiation vs. price. Education as a differentiation

Knowledge as a differentiation vs. price.

Education as a differentiation

Icon that truly stands for something Parades Client days Good marketing Under used Has to be embraced by the culture

Parades

Client days

Good marketing

Under used

Has to be embraced by the culture

A real service guarantee with “teeth” in that we live by. Makes it safer to buy Hampton Inn CMI

Makes it safer to buy

Hampton Inn

CMI

Clear Billing and invoice: Striving to have the clearest and cleanest invoice in industry No “surprise” charges How do you handle price increases

Clear Billing and invoice:

Striving to have the clearest and cleanest invoice in industry

No “surprise” charges

How do you handle price increases

Being different – “We are not your typical company, and we are proud of it.” A different kind of culture SW Airlines Central States Ritz Carlton Saturn

Being different – “We are not your typical company, and we are proud of it.”

A different kind of culture

SW Airlines

Central States

Ritz Carlton

Saturn

Immaculate facilities and image.

Immaculate facilities and image.

THE SURVEY QUESTIONS ARE? How likely is it that you would recommend CMI to a friend or colleague?. How likely is it that you will use us again and why? (Taken from The One Number You Need to Grow - Harvard Business Review – December 2005) Are we your favorite vendor? Why?

How likely is it that you would recommend CMI to a friend or colleague?.

How likely is it that you will use us again and why?

(Taken from The One Number You Need to Grow - Harvard Business Review – December 2005)

Are we your favorite vendor? Why?

Lets identify where you are?

Lets identify where you are?

I did some mystery shopping.

I did some mystery shopping.

Lets take the audit

Lets take the audit

Level 1 Bean Counting

Bean Counting

Level 2 Posters, Pins and Plaques

Posters, Pins and Plaques

Level 3 Tiger by the tail

Tiger by the tail

Level 4 Bulls eye!

Bulls eye!

What do we do now?

What do we do now?

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus STEP ONE Distinguish out the customer It’s a special relationship Customer is not always right, but is always the customer

STEP ONE

Distinguish out the customer

It’s a special relationship

Customer is not always right, but

is always the customer

STEP TWO Distinguish between task behavior and service Service covers the product Service is a differentiation Five Steps to Building Customer Focus

STEP TWO

Distinguish between task behavior

and service

Service covers the product

Service is a differentiation

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus STEP THREE Define the service strategy How do I make them Loyal?

STEP THREE

Define the service strategy

How do I make them Loyal?

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus STEP FOUR Implement service strategy If it’s not implemented, you have done nothing Thinking about it gives you zip

STEP FOUR

Implement service strategy

If it’s not implemented, you have done nothing

Thinking about it gives you zip

Five Steps to Building Customer Focus STEP FIVE Build feedback loop “ Voice” of the customer needs to be shared & internalized

STEP FIVE

Build feedback loop

“ Voice” of the customer needs to be shared & internalized

BUILD A STRATEGY What can you take from this talk?

What can you take from this talk?

The Critical Question IS YOUR COMPANY BUILT TO LAST AND THRIVE VS DIE OR JUST SURVIVE?

IS YOUR

COMPANY

BUILT TO

LAST AND THRIVE VS DIE OR JUST SURVIVE?

DIFFERENTIATION What is the Holy Grail in business? Being the only game in town? OR How can you be a big fish in a small pond?

What is the Holy Grail in business?

Being the only game in town?

OR

How can you be a big fish in a small pond?

DIFFERENTIATION You can’t be all things to all people. Why should people buy repeatedly from you? - That is the “Question”?

You can’t be all things to all people.

Why should people buy repeatedly from you? - That is the “Question”?

AND A FINAL REVIEW… Experiment! Customer Service strategies need to be planned Be flexible Try new ideas that will make your organization indispensable to the people it serves

Experiment!

Customer Service strategies need to be planned

Be flexible

Try new ideas that will make your organization indispensable to the people it serves

THEREFORE… Pick your niche Pick your customers Create your culture Implement, Implement, Implement

Pick your niche

Pick your customers

Create your culture

Implement, Implement, Implement

RECOMMENDED BOOKS Customer Service for Dummies By Karen Leland and Keith Bailey Raving Fans By Ken Blanchard The Discipline of Market Leaders By Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema CEO Tools: The Nuts-n-Bolts of Business for Every Manager’s Success By Kraig Kramers

Customer Service for Dummies

By Karen Leland and Keith Bailey

Raving Fans

By Ken Blanchard

The Discipline of Market Leaders

By Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema

CEO Tools: The Nuts-n-Bolts of Business for Every Manager’s Success

By Kraig Kramers

AND AS YOU LEAVE, REMEMBER… “ THERE IS VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW, AND ONE WHO DOES NOT USE WHAT ONE KNOWS…” USE THIS STUFF OR YOU WILL LOSE IT!

IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION Bibliography Email Newsletters Questions Just leave your business card with Bruce!

Bibliography

Email Newsletters

Questions

Just leave your business card with Bruce!

THANK YOU! If you have any questions, please see Bruce! Or you can contact us by: Phone: (708) 383-7970 or (800) 883-7995 Email: bhodes@cmiteamwork.com Website: www.cmiteamwork.com

If you have any questions,

please see Bruce!

Or you can contact us by:

Phone: (708) 383-7970 or (800) 883-7995

Email: bhodes@cmiteamwork.com

Website: www.cmiteamwork.com