Susan Hoekstra
shoekstra@theservicejourney.com
Customer Service Expert
Author: The Service Journey
Importance of Diversity to a Great Service Experience
If you read my book The Service Journey, you know I have gained my conviction for great service by having gone through situations which gave me a personal appreciation for service's fundamental premise: actions produce reactions. Many statistics also prove this to be true, but for me these statistics have personal meaning, as I have worked in many different industries that have seen this premise in action, through unsuccessful leveraged buyouts, fraud, and most recently the financial services upheaval.In each of these situations, calamity could have been avoided if the voice of the dissenter was heeded. On one particular occasion the voice of the dissenter was my own. In my late twenties, I worked for a manufacturing company as an accountant and financial analyst. After completing the cash forecast, I told senior executives they were on the brink of imminent financial collapse; they brought in a consultant to show me where my analysis was incorrect. "Did you show this to senior executives" "Yes", I replied. "And what did they say?" ...<< MORE >>
The Importance of Keeping Clients
It’s five times cheaper to keep a client than to get a new one. ~ U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs
Many statistics and studies exist that prove great service pays for those businesses who place a priority on delivering great service. Intuitively most people know good service is good business. Did you ever stop to really think about why some of these statistics are true, however? << MORE >>
Why Didn't You Just Tell Me? Great Customer Service and Computer Passcodes
Have you noticed that computer passcodes are getting longer and more complex lately? Capital- and lower-case letters, numbers, and even symbols are a frequent requirement now. I understand that it's done in an effort to ensure privacy and protect individuals from identity theft, but honestly, the complexity of the passwords are making it so it's difficult for me to remember who I am. In addition, I probably have 20 - 30 sites I need passcodes for, making it nearly impossible for me to remember them.
From a customer service perspective, this can be a nightmare, because ...<< MORE >>
You Are All The Same: Differentiating Yourself in a Commoditized World
Today, nearly every business is commoditized: stores, airlines, financial services, car companies, wireless service, hotels, restaurants. Even professionals are commoditized: accountants, realtors, trainers, builders, and the list goes on. Don't believe me? If your clients can't get the product or service from you, how hard is it to find a very similar product or service elsewhere?
A commoditized product or service coupled with low client loyalty is dangerous, as the impact can immediately be felt when and if issues occur. To exemplify, look at ...<< MORE >>
Great Customer Service via Operational Excellence
This article is written by my friend and colleague Peter Sluka
Very often when service issues exist, the cause of the problem is complicated. The fact is, the cause may be due to the employees, training, measurements, lack of service standards, objectives, or many other factors.
But that’s not enough. Your motivated, accountable, aligned, caring, customer-centric workforce must also be enabled to achieve service excellence through highly capable processes and the appropriate tools. Too often the rug is pulled out from << MORE >>
Great Customer Service: Changing the Culture
"I don't know ..." was the response I received to my question about whether or not it was supposed to rain a few years ago. My kids and I went to the roller coaster mecca of the United States: Cedar Point, the tourist attraction in Sandusky Ohio. If you're familiar with the location you know a strip of hotels is located on the road right outside of Cedar Point; the hotels' entire business is dependent upon the traffic brought in by the amusement park. Weather is of utmost importance to their guests, and yet ...<< MORE >>
How Much Do Your Clients Love You?
Today, in the United States, we celebrate the love we feel for someone special to whom we are loyal and advocate. Likewise, in order to grow a business that is truly profitable, we need to create clients who are not only loyal, but advocate on our behalf. Did you know in the typical business, the majority of clients doing business with someone really don't care about that individual, business, or firm one way or the other? According to Reicheld's The Ultimate Question:
- The average firm has net promoter ...<< MORE >>
How much is it worth? Great Customer Service
Have you ever had a really poor experience at a restaurant, store or business that made you stop going there? Probably all of us have. Furthermore, there are probably places you used to frequent often, where you've cut back. I know for me personnally, after many years shopping at the local grocery store, I started food shopping at a store much further away. I still may shop at my local grocery store for odds and ends, but the bulk of my food shopping is done elsewhere. How many businesses would provide better client service and train, hire more customer-oriented employees, or emphasize the importance of a better client ...<< MORE >>
Clients, Employees and Shareholders: How To Achieve a Culture of Excellent Service that Doesn't Break the Bank
"Sure we can give our clients everything they want, but then we will go out of business." This is something I often hear when helping firms implement a culture of excellent service. Sometimes, if I don't hear it, I can sense the concern. Perhaps this may even be a concern of yours. If great service was delivered to the detriment of the shareholders however, and money was spent on service without ...<< MORE >>
Are We There Yet? The Service Journey
If you go on a long trip with young children (and sometimes not so young!), they will inevitably ask when you're going to arrive at your destination. Mine used to ask that age old question seemingly a thousand times, "Are we there yet?"When we are on a journey to deliver excellent service, we can never ask if we are there, though. Because there will never be a time when we can say 'we've arrived'. As our service improves, our clients will ...<< MORE >>