Posts Tagged ‘Test’
When you open a dollar store you soon discover there are so many different, yet important aspects to the business. There are so many responsibilities that must be dealt with on a daily basis that it can be very difficult to get them all covered. Still other duties might come up weekly or monthly. Yet they are often just as important. One of the most critical responsibilities you face is customer service. This is a 24×7 duty that cannot be forgotten even for a moment. In fact it is among the most critical responsibilities you are charged with handling.
When you open a dollar store, success in the customer service arena involves not just your performance, but also that of every employee. In this article I will present 4 critical questions to ask as a test of your overall customer service performance. So let’s get started.
1. How skilled and competent are you and your employees at providing memorable service to each and every customer? It is important to offer every new employee customer service training during their initial job orientation. Be sure to set clear expectations regarding customer service at the same time. Experienced employees should receive periodic reminders, updates and reinforcement through daily feedback and in writing on their performance reviews. .
2. Is there true commitment, caring and satisfaction associated link to your business? One of the real keys to becoming successful at customer service revolves around having a commitment and caring about the job, company and your work. No matter how hard you try, if you or your employees are unhappy it will be reflected in the overall quality and success of your customer service.
3. Do you and your employees take deep pride in providing outstanding professional customer service at all times? As mentioned above, when you open a dollar store with plans for success, you are committing to providing only the best of customer service. Be sure to reward those employees who role model exactly the customer service you wish for your business. Don’t forget there is great power in you role modeling outstanding customer service at all times as well
4. Let’s finish with the most important question of all. How well do you and your employees meet the responsibility of providing outstanding customer service? It is critical that each and every customer who comes in contact with your business receive the same high-quality customer service. If there is less than top-quality customer service provided, overall satisfaction is jeopardized.
If you plan to open a dollar store know the quality of your customer service helps to determine your overall success. The measure of customer service includes many metrics. Customer complaints and how they are handled is certainly to be included. More positive measurements include customer retention, average sale size, sales volume, the number of sales transactions and frequency of customer visits. Don’t forget to examine word-of-mouth referrals from existing customers as well. These and others metrics provide the numbers to support your overall level of customer service performance.
To your dollar store business success!
Who says service is serious? Customer service can be silly too. Take this fun quiz to test your customer service knowledge. You may be a service ace if you both pick the correct answer to each of these ten questions, and understand why these answers are correct.
1. A complaining customer is:
A. Always right
B. Almost right
C. Often lying
D. Always the customer
2. Customers who complain:
A. Had unhappy childhoods
B. Are genetically predisposed to be sourpusses
C. Have trouble in their primary relationships
D. Are doing you a service in identifying what isn’t working in your business or organization
3. The best reward for your customer service representatives is:
A. Earplugs and punching bags
B. Valium or other mind-numbing drugs
C. Recognition and appreciation on your part
D. Anger management seminars
4. CRM stands for:
A. Customers Rarely Matter
B. Can’t Remember Much
C. Communicating Random Meaning
D. Customers Rudimentarily Managed
E. Customer Relationship Management
5. Customers who complain want . . .
A. Something for nothing
B. To be heard and have their experience validated
C. To vent for the sport of it
D. To be made majority shareholders in the company
6. Customer Service departments:
A. Are the afterthought that cleans up messes other departments cause
B. Build customer loyalty
C. Are leaders in understanding customer behavior patterns and market research
7. For a company to be considered service-oriented:
A. It must mention customer service in its mission statement
B. At least 18.3% of its employees must work in the customer service department
C. Its managers must at one time have been CSRs
D. Customer service must be addressed by all departments
8. A Call Center is defined as:
A. The midpoint in duration of a telephone call
B. A revenue sink hole
C. A place where middle-of-the-road calls coexist with liberal and arch-conservative calls
D. A location where complaints and problems are converted into successful saves for your customers and your company
9. Customer Care is:
A. A managed care medical program for customers
B. A nifty alliterative phrase that looks good in company brochures
C. A new program where customers care for themselves
D. A philosophy wherein the customer is wrapped in service even before a problem arises
10. Customer Service Culture is
A. A new form of yogurt where the lid removes itself for you
B. Behavior being analyzed in a Petrie dish for contagions
C. A mythical civilization in which everyone smiles and welcomes you when they meet
D. An environment where customer service permeates the thinking of the entire company
KEY
1. D. Customers are often wrong but they never stop being the customer. Right or wrong they are to be accorded respect and cared for. Focus on the insights their complaint offers.
2. D. Complaining customers alert you to systemic problems before they drive off more customers. Their complaints represent many more customers who may not spend the time to tell you about problems, instead just leaving you for your competitors.
3. C. Your staff deserves and thrive on recognition and appreciation. Take the time to celebrate them collectively and individually. Whether through cards, gifts, surprises, outings and acknowledgements at company functions, let them know how important, valued and appreciated they are to you and the company.
4. E. CRM refers to systems designed to track and cater to each customer’s whims and preferences over a lifetime. CRM is about managing customer relationships over the long haul by attending to their individual needs.
5. B. Complaining customers have several needs. Implicit in their actual complaint is also a need to be heard and their unhappiness acknowledged. Fixing the problem is important. So is letting them know you understand their displeasure and feel for them. One without the other is an incomplete remedy for customer complaints. Don’t forget the emotional component in complaints.
6. B and C. When you solve a problem for a customer you actually build confidence and allegiance. You’ve proven you stand behind your products or service, giving customers a warm and fuzzy feeling of safety and protection. As well, you tap the pulse of the customers. Their complaints and feedback give valuable insight into how well your products are assembled, documented, sold and hold up. Listening to customers tells you a great deal about your company’s products and services (and your competitors’ too) from real life customers. That’s invaluable!
7. D. A Customer Service orientation must transcend the service department. All departments must understand and model good customer service for the company to be considered strong in service. Many problems can be avoided outright by attending to customer service. Why should the customer service department carry the weight of service for the entire company. Don’t operate under the adage “never enough time to do it right but always enough time to do it over.” Get it right at the source, in all departments.
8. D. Make your call center is a shining example of your company’s commitment to its customers. Your center is a visible symbol of your company’s commitment to customer success.
9. D. Customer Care is a philosophy wherein customers are cared for by a company – the entire time they’re customers. Care isn’t just to be administered as a salve for problems. Demonstrate care from the start and your customers will flock to your products and services.
10. D. Customer Service Culture is the infusion of service ideals into every department, from sales, shipping and receiving to legal, human resources and beyond.