Customers are fickle, demanding and opinionated. Keeping your customers loyal, satisfied and saying positive things about you is crucial. There are plenty of things that must be done via your technology, people and processes to make your culture customer
focused. Here are 5 strategies that need to be incorporated into your daily efforts.

1. Be nice. Sounds easy but we all know from recent service experiences that "nice" does not always happen. When it does, we remember it. Jaume Tapies, chairman of the luxury hotel group Relais and Chateaux, says, "The difference between a good hotel and a bad one is one word: care. Find people who care and you will have a great experience." It is time to check your niceness factor.

2. Be easy. Reduce the hassle factor. No one wants to repeat the same information twice. Customers want to talk to one person. Disney has reduced the hassle of the waiting in line experience with advanced technology. Ask your teams – what barriers and boundaries keep them from delivering an easy customer experience?

3. Say thank you. Customers want to feel special. Customers don’t want to be one
of many. Instead they want to feel connected to you and the brand. Apple store
employees use a process called The Five Steps of Service and the fifth step is a
fond farewell and an invitation to return. How do you end the contact with the
customer and do they feel appreciated? The lasting impression makes a difference
in the customer’s decision to return.

4. Do something extra. Call your customers within 30 days of a purchase to check
on satisfaction or tell of a new offer. Write a handwritten thank you note. Send an
extra item with an order. It is pretty easy to wow the customer with simple acts.

5. Connect 24/7. A Sitel Study shows 57% of customers search online first for
a solution when experiencing a problem. Customers want you to know where
they’ve been, what they’ve done and what they need. Working in silos will cause
your customers to flee fast and be vocal about it as they leave. How well are you
managing all the touchpoints?

Customers want to be loyal. It is easier and saves them time. These 5 strategies will help create the experience that will keep them returning.

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.

Creating a customer-focused culture requires strategy and constant review. January is a time for resolutions, goal setting and organizing. Take the time to apply these same disciplines to your customer focus. I suggest going as far as renovation and retrofitting.

I encourage you to look at two areas, processes and people, to strengthen your customer focus.

Organization’s processes and systems can get complicated. Too often businesses have an internal focus which can create hassles for the customer. Customers want ease, simplicity and responsiveness. No matter how the customer contacts your business, hassle free is their desire. Look at your website, social media, call center, phone handling and in person contact. Where are the interaction points that can cause glitches, delays and frustration? Evaluate how hard it is for the customer to reach you and get a timely response. Where might they "get lost", confused and irritated?

Many of you have done the overhaul on your systems and processes - - it is time to do it again. Lots of stuff keeps getting in the way.

The second area to renovate is your people. You have team members who are delivering
status quo. To have a customer-focused culture, your team has to be at its best. Look at
your current team, decide who needs to be "retrofitted".

It is time to coach and retrain. To get change, deliver feedback, decide upon a plan
of improvement, state your expectations and set a timeline. If the team member is still not
receptive to change, then take a hard look at their value.

Check your new employee orientation process. Retool it so it matches up with your
customer-focused culture. Dedicate enough time for orientation. Have key people be a
part of the training so the new team member feels valued and important.

Name a leader who is in charge of the customer-focused culture. This person keeps
important customer issues front and center. Their position must cut across all departments
so the processes can be seamless. This leadership position demonstrates your long-term
commitment to the customer.

Resolve to make your organization one that works well for your customer. A customer-
focused culture requires a regular "check up", a champion and strategy. Renovation and
retrofitting are not easy or cheap but required if you want to be known as "one of the best".

What do you think? How do you ensure your organization stays focused on your customers?

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.

It's interesting at the beginning of a new year to look back at what articles resonated most with our readers. With 14 speakers on our roster, we've covered quite a variety of subjects. The most popular articles covered such topics as positive psychology, customer service, branding, authentic leadership, adaptability, and franchising. We hope that you find our speakers' posts helpful, enlightening and inspiring.

Here are the ten most read articles on blog.speakersoffice.com/ in 2012:

1) 3 Ways Positive Intelligence Leads to Success - by Shawn Achor
Best-Selling author Shawn Achor shares his research on the "happiness advantage" and how it can boost your personal and professional success.

2) 5 Questions to Ensure Happy Customers - by Dr. Nido Qubein
International speaker and businessman Dr. Nido Qubein suggests 5 questions every organization should ask themselves to ensure happy customers.

3) The First 9 Seconds - by Sally Hogshead
We have been reduced to a 9-second attention span, says Sally Hogshead, which is why the most fascinating messages always triumph. Always.

4) 3 Ways to Strategically Leverage your Book & Platform - by Peter Winick
Guest blogger and thought leader, Peter Winick offers strategies for speakers and authors to leverage their book and platform.

5) Brené Brown: On Leadership, Love and Vulnerability
Dr. Brené Brown says, "As a vulnerability researcher, I’ve noticed a pattern in my conversations and interviews with leaders and entrepreneurs."

6) Lisa Ford's 12 Fundamentals of Exceptional Customer Service
According to Lisa Ford, there are 12 fundamentals of customer service every organization should follow.

7) Grow Your Franchise: An Unconventional Approach - by Desi Williamson
Desi Williamson’s successful Dickey's BBQ franchise is proof opportunities still exist. In this article, he explains his unconventional approach.

8) Howard Putnam: What Makes Southwest Airlines Different?
Howard Putnam, former CEO of Southwest Airlines recently chatted with Brian Lord of Premiere Speakers, about what makes a company like Southwest Airlines consistently great.

9) Are you Adaptable? by Dr. Tony Alessandra
Tony Alessandra says, being willing and able to adapt your behavior increases your ability to communicate and build relationships with other people.

10) New Book! Daring Greatly - by Dr. Brené Brown
Dr. Brené Brown recently announced the title of her new book, Daring Greatly which came out September 2012 and quickly became a New York Times' Best Seller.

Were there other articles that you enjoyed? If so, please let us know in the comments below.

Organizations serious about creating a customer focused culture have spent time studying Zappos. Zappos has developed an unusual approach to serving customers and building loyalty.

They have redefined empowerment. Team members have the ability to spend time on customer calls as they see best. Zappos measures total time spent on calls with the goal being 80% of time spent on customer facing interactions. This is much different from the usual measure of time per call with a focus on quantity.

Excellent insights on Zappos can be found in this Software Advice blog,
A Zappos Lesson in Customer Service Metrics. Look closely at the 4 factors
measured in the Happiness Experience Form. Ashley Furness outlines
the secrets to creating real relationships with an emotional connection.

Employees also called the customer loyalty team are empowered to connect
with the customer and then are rewarded when their scores are high on the
Happiness Experience Form. The reward is a spin on "the wheel of happiness" to
win gift cards and other items. Smart hiring, training and empowerment is a part
of the culture, so true customer connections can be made.

Does Zappos unusual approach work? Furness states that 70 to 75% of
purchases come from returning customers. Real empowerment of team
members does pay off on the bottom line growth and profitability.

Think about your own metrics and how well they support a customer focused
culture. After reading Furness’s blog, get moving on the lessons from Zappos to
build happier, loyal customers.

What do you think about Zappos' approach? We'd love to hear your comments below.

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.

Customer experience is a tough concept to define. It is designed and delivered by the company yet defined by the customer. According to research and customer conversations, the experience can be the reason for defection or loyalty. You must make it your priority to keep improving the experience so you create an engaged and loyal customer. The best organizations are constantly tweaking their customer experience.

To be at your best, here are strategies to put in place. The reality is most of you will think you already have these in place. I challenge you to review how well they are being implemented on a daily basis.

 1. Are you easy to like?

• Nice counts
• Hire a likable team. Customers are much happier to give money to someone likeable.
• Be kind and respectful

2. There is no substitute for a real connection.

• Eliminate the scripts
• If you’ve hired and trained well, allow your team to use their common sense.
• Great data "married" with common sense will create satisfied customers. The connection comes when using the data to show customers you know them.

3. It is time to really listen to the customer.

• The customer is talking to you via many channels. How are using "their voice?"
• Use their input to make appropriate improvements.
• Showing you are listening engages the customer and drives loyalty.

The reality is you must get the basics right first. Once you have a reliable, responsive process to serve the customer, it is time to work on creating a memorable experience. Get moving on doing - not just talking about it. 

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.

Customer service is mostly average, mediocre or worse. I find it amazing that the delivery of high quality customer service is so uncommon even with all the talk and focus on the topic. When speaking to groups of CEOs recently, the attendees state that customer service is "not rocket science". The reality is many of their employees are not delivering the basics. It is tough to move on to a discussion of "customer experience" when the basicsare not the standard.

Here is my list of the 12 Fundamentals of Customer Service. The list is short and to the point – no need to elaborate on simple steps that should be the norm for all teams interacting with your customer.

1. Answer your phone. It is a pleasant surprise when real people answer
phones and are ready to serve.
2. Respond to emails and social media contacts fast. Engage and
acknowledge.
3. Do what you say you are going to do. This strategy solves most
problems and creates satisfied customers.
4. Get it right the first time. First time resolution is expected.
5. Fix problems fast. Apologize sincerely and follow up.
6. Stop blaming. Customers don’t care about your internal issues.
7. Listen the first time. Let the customer know you heard them to keep
them from repeating.
8. Use the customer’s name. This easy step can make a big difference
when done with respect.
9. Make eye contact. When face-to-face, look at the customer and not
just acknowledge from a distance.
10. Be sincere and real. Customers are tired of the practiced phrases.
Connect and engage.
11.Thank the customer. Leave the customer with a positive impression.
12. Have fun. Customers want to do business with likeable, happy people.

Check your daily interactions against these 12 Fundamentals. My guess is
you need either a brush up or a complete rehaul just to get the basics right
with every customer, everyday and every time.

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Lisa Ford has over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She designs content personalized for each audience and the challenges they face. Her presentations focus on customer service, leadership, teamwork and change. Her most recent book is Exceptional Customer Service: Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.

I am still amazed at how a customer has to complain before they qualify for the "better deal". For example, I have been a customer with the natural gas utility company for over 25 years. Our payment history shows timely payment for those years. After receiving our last bill, I called to question the 100% increase from the prior month. I knew it had been colder and we had been at home more due to snow, however the large increase was still surprising. The customer service representative was very thorough in her explanation and I was a calm and receptive customer.

Here’s the issue – after coming to grips that the bill was accurate, she finally offered me the "better deal". The company has a locked-in per therm rate which would have saved me over $100 on the bill in question. The locked-in rate is offered for 6, 12 or 18 months time periods. I am a savvy customer and I had never heard of this option. I am familiar with budget billing but not a lower per therm rate for a fixed period of time.

So, exactly when does a customer find out about this? Does it really mean calling to complain, and question a bill before I get this info? Again, I am a loyal customer with an impeccable payment record, this strategy does not make sense to me. Loyalty is at stake here, there are other natural gas providers I can choose from. Don't your best customers deserve the best treatment? Your best customers deserve good information to make informed decisions.

Are you guilty of having great offers but not telling your customers until they complain to you? Is it up to the customer to have an issue before they are informed of options? Are some of those options mostly used to lure the new customer but not offered to the long time loyal one? Don’t risk losing a customer due to your reluctance to share valuable information. Customers don’t like to think you are hiding from them, or worse taking advantage of them.

Be transparent. Be proactive. Show the customer you value them.

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change.  Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits. 

When a medical practice gets customer service right, it is worthy of examining and applauding. Unfortunately, I found myself having this positive service experience at Resurgeons Orthopaedics of Atlanta. I say "unfortunately" due to a nasty break and injury to my arm and shoulder. The brief back story is, I had a fall in Mexico, got to visit the international hospital, knew the injury required surgery (which I preferred happen in the states) after stabilization of my arm we left on a flight about 15 hours after the fall.

A friend back in Atlanta worked hard at securing an appointment with an ortho surgeon.

Within three hours of arriving back home, I was at Resurgeons. Fortunately, I had no reason to have a relationship with them until this accident. My surgeon, Evander Fogle, his assistant Mary Bligh, R. N., and the front office impressed even in the face of my incredible pain. Here is what worked so well in this large busy orthopaedic practice.

Warm Welcome. My husband and I were met with eye contact and friendliness.
The front desk was responsive and attentive. The area was open with none of the
usual barriers of glass windows and clipboards slid back and forth between the
patient and hidden away staff.

Expressive and Engaged. The team was personable and treated me as a real
person or should I say customer. The receptionist immediately asked what
happened, acknowledged my pain and then assured me they would take care
of me. The sling from the Mexico hospital visit caught her attention and she
humorously let me know they could do better to alleviate the pain. After all this,
she moved to the required paperwork. Most medical practices are concerned with
paperwork first and foremost, concern for the patient/customer is usually a distant
second.

Dr. Fogle and Mary continued the warm welcome and engagement. They
were efficient but did not give the impression they must get moving to another
patient. Both continued the banter of the poor sling and were impressed with
my "undermedication" for the last 20 hours and how I seemed to handle it.
The conversation and examination showed their medical skills and expertise.
The medical profession does not require customer engagement; however
they choose to do it.

Responsiveness and Reassurance. Dr. Fogle and Mary listened to my needs –
and arranged for fast surgery so the healing could begin and I could work
with clients for upcoming some engagements. I pleaded for permission to travel
within an unreasonable amount of time. The doctor (and my husband) prevailed
on forbidding that short timeline.

However, the doctor was responsive with a fast surgery and then reassured me
of a recovery that would accommodate work within 5 days. Both offered phone
numbers for easy access and reached out with personal calls to check on me after
release from the hospital. Again, there were real human connections with me
the patient/customer. For years, I have talked about "processing the customer
vs. serving the customer". This team really serves and connects which creates
positive lasting impressions.

Dr. Fogle and Mary know the customer comes first and is the reason for the existence
of their practice. Exceptional medical expertise and surgical skills are the given and the
expected, yet they go beyond to making the customer experience count. My preference
would have been to never need Resurgeons however things happen. In this case, I was
fortunate to fall into the able hands and care of this medical team.
Customer service is definitely good medicine.

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change.  Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits. 

When customers call a company, they deserve the best treatment. However, many organizations continue to abuse their customers with poorly thought out phone handling. The guilty companies range for the largest to the smallest.

The reality is, most companies do not want the calls. Their desire is for the customer to check the website first, to engage in live chat or communicate via social media. Most customers have tried one of those options and as a last resort pick up the phone. So when the experience is daunting or down right rude, customers get even more frustrated.

It is time to do a review of what customers go through when calling your company. I recommend a small team, including a director level person, to check your roadblocks and make the needed changes.

Here’s where to get started –

1. Act as if you are the customer. Listen closely and experience the call
process. I know you have done this before – do it again.

2. Get rid of the instructions that inform the customer, "Listen carefully
as our menu has changed." Most of your customers do not call you
often enough to have the menu memorized. We don’t know or care
that it has changed. Just give us the choices, the fewer the better.
Also, give us the one chosen most frequently upfront, like press 1 not 6.
For example, physician’s office are the worst offender of this one –
"to make an appointment press 5". I don’t think pharmacies call more
often than patients yet that option is always stated before the patient
focused ones.

3. Stop telling the customer, "Your call is very important to us, the next
available representative will be with you soon." Say it once. The more
you repeat the same script the more it angers the customer and they
will not believe you. Change up the recording – some script, some music,
some information about products and services. And please don’t tell the
customer to go to the website, it is very likely they’ve tried it already and
may even be on it while having to listen to the recording, angrily.

4. Listen to the customer representative scripts. Is it time to let the team
be more respectful and engaging? Customers are exhausted with the
programmed scripts. They do not create a real conversation. The
customer called to speak to a real live person – not one with a script
and limited options. Remember the customer thinks their situation is
unique, so listen well and engage them.

Customers will love you when you hire smarter, train better and coach often.
Your team will love working for you and in an empowered environment.
You will get loyalty from customers and employees. Your phone handling
is part of the customer experience. If the customer has to call you, give them
what they deserve – easy access to real people with real answers.

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change.  Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits. 

Customers are impatient, picky, demanding and savvy. They are also THE reason a business exists – to serve and sell the customer.

To make 2012 a profitable year, here are the 5 Bs of what customers want:

1. Be Fast. Customers are impatient and want things faster than ever before. Think about your customer experience. Look at email response time, on hold time, IVR systems, live chat capabilities. Make it an experience that works for the savvy customer.

2. Be Good. Have team members who can answer customer’s questions. Make certain they have more answers than the customer has questions. Empowered employees make for happier, loyal customers. Get rid of scripts.

3. Be Complete. Do what you say you will do. Do it right the first time. Do it when you say you will do it. It is that simple. Customers want to talk to one person and tell their story one time.

4. Be Responsive. This is especially important as customers interact with companies more via their computer. Your social media presence is worthless if you are not responsive. Emails should be answered at least within 4 hours. Whether face to face or on the phone, connect and care. That is the essence of customer service.

5. Be Personable. Give customers a reason to do business with you. Make the experience memorable. Show you know them and value their business.

You may have a great product but it can not stand alone in this crowded, competitive marketplace. In this coming year, stand out by being what your customers want.

Is there anything else you would add to the list? We'd love to hear from you!

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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change.  Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service - Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.