Customer Service is a Matter of TRUST

Trust is an essential ingredient in Customer Service.

Few customer relationships begin with trust. While it is almost certain that Trust was established to make the initial sale and win the customer, the process of building Trust begins again ... after the sale.

Trust may be defined or described in many ways, but we can spell out TRUST for at least five of its key components:

T is for Truth. Trust cannot exist without truth. This may be more difficult than excepted in the beginning if products or services were oversold or unrealistic expectations were created in the sales process. Find out quickly and build a truthful foundation.

R is for Relationship. People still buy from, and deal with, other people -- the human touch -- and you need a personal relationship to provide customer service excellence.

U is Unity. Bring your team together to serve the customer. Break down silos and department walls to deliver on a united front.

S is for Service. Get the job done. Deliver it right (the first time) and on time. Exceed expectations whenever possible.

T number two is for Tenacity. You have to stick with your customer ... through good and bad, thick and thin ... always moving forward with new ideas, information and support.

Build and practice TRUST and you'll have a much better chance to DELIGHT CUSTOMERS!

10 Common CORRECTABLE Customer Service Mistakes

No matter the company or industry there are common mistakes -- ALL CORRECTABLE -- made by customers service practitioners

Here are 10:

1. Talking when you should be listening - to customers, supervisors, managers and mentors.
2. Thinking (or even worse saying) "its not my job" - it certainly will not be your job for long.
3. Documenting inadequately and incompletely - then no one has a complete understanding of what to do next.
4. Blocking and Tackling - unless you get the fundamentals right, things will go wrong.
5. Hoping for the best - instead of going the extra mile to assure the best happens.
6. Failing to note the Red Flags - they are signs of danger approaching and must be addressed immediately.
7. Viewing from the Inside Out - when you should be viewing your product or service from the customer's perspective: Outside In.
8. Following through ALMOST to the end but not quite - leaving final details to take care of themselves.
9. Adding up the numbers incorrectly - one way or another, in pricing or costing or counting. The numbers are your friends IF you get them RIGHT.
10. Lacking PASSION - if this is not the job for you admit it and move on to something you CAN be passionate about.