Dot Connector Blog

This post is part of the One Goal Project to achieve exceptional performance at work.  Learn more about the project.  Learn more about April’s Goal.

To get additional insights on our April goal of exceptional client service, I reached out to the Dot Connector Group on LinkedIn and LinkedIn Answers to see what tips other people had.

Here’s the question I asked:

• We all have Clients we serve. What tips do you have for being exceptional at Client service?

Here’s what our LinkedIn experts had to say:

Sam Makhoul Sales Executive/Seminar Leader/Trainer at Makhoul Consulting and Seminars

1. Know your customer!
2. Define the expectation from how they perceive it!
3. Ask yourself: Will we be able to deliver on this and is it worth our while to do so?
4. Exceed the expectation!

Dave Maskin “The WireMan” WireNames.com” Professional crowd gatherer for events and trade shows” 100% recycled wire used. GREEN VENDOR

• The most important aspects of exceptional client service is:
• Be respectful and polite. Listen to your customer when they request something and try and accommodate them to the best of your ability.
• If you’re in a business like mine, get there early and always put on a happy face…

Midji Rovetta Accounting and Office Operations Professional

• Always remember that the customer(s) or client(s) is always right, we work for them, always keep our promises to them, be polite and happy to help them.

Emma Crabtree Virtual Assistant & Chief Organiser, Red Box Virtual Office

1. Understand your client’s business goals
2. Be proactive
3. Listen to their feedback

Prashant Bhekare Dreamer and Business Builder

• Really Listen.

Maureen Areia Operations Professional – Call Center & Admin. Operations

• To me, there are two aspects to exceptional customer service. The first starts are the top of the organization with a strong, corporate mission to understand your customers in order to drive marketing and product decisions:
  1. Who are your customers?
  2. Do your customers’ needs vary based upon a set of common characteristics?
  3. How does your product or service meet these needs?
  4. Can you uniquely differentiate your product or service to increase consumer value?
• The second level is in the actual customer service (frontline) support provided. The frontline customer service personal need to fully understand the customers being served and the unique value your product or service provides (especially if segmented), have the autonomy to make decisions that will improve the customer experience and have processes to supply feedback on emerging trends. Add a basic common set of skills needed by every customer service professional (below), customer and product training, procedures and continuous monitoring and coaching, exceptional customer service is possible:
  1. Listening
  2. Empathy
  3. Conflict management
  4. Positive attitude
  5. Excellent verbal communications

• Finally, I’d like to touch upon an earlier comment suggesting that the customer is always right. I’d argue whether that really is true. And I’d like to use the information supplied above to illustrate how to deal with situations when the customer is not right:
  

  Consider the customer who, recently unemployed, now faces decisions on what bills to pay on time. The customer chooses to pay his auto insurance premium late. The customer has received notice that late payment will result in a coverage lapse or termination, but he feels there is no other option. The customer is involved in an accident. His coverage lapsed.

  Undoubtedly, the customer calls to report the accident and someone needs to explain that coverage has lapsed. Here is where exceptional customer service comes into play. Regardless of whether or not you’ve heard this story (or some derivation) before, really LISTEN to what the customer is telling you. Use empathy – you’d feel awful if this happened to you, right? Remain positive and explore ways that you can help the customer under these circumstances. There may be little you can do at this point in time . . . but you can suggest alternatives for repair, how to avoid a similar situation in the future (call and we may be able to help with an alternative payment plan), etc. Overall, the situation is very unpleasant and the customer will surely be upset. However, if handled properly, the customer may actually thank you for helping him.

  But it should not end there. If there is a growing trend surrounding late payments and lapses in coverage, someone in marketing and product development needs to know about it. Here is where having a process for feedback is essential and can reduce the frustration of frontline service personnel who feel helpless in securing changes that can benefit the customers serviced. With the growing number of unemployed, there may be some real opportunities to establish an outreach program, alter product features to reduce expense or extend payment terms, etc. It costs more money to get a new customer than it takes to keep a customer for a lifetime. And, if service does start at the top of the organization, I’d argue that payment trends, customer retention, etc. should have been monitored and reacted to much sooner.

• Exceptional customer service is about continuously examining the relationship, needs and products of your customers across the entire organization.

Colm Connolly Manager, Customer Service at Sulake

• Trite, but true: Treat others as you would wish to be treated.

Laura (Stevens) Alten Manager, Global Accounts at HelmsBriscoe

• Wish I could give credit to the author of this quote: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Sheri Manska Logistics & Materials Analyst

• Whether your product is a burger or a million-dollar service contract, exceptional client/customer is summed up in a few simple steps:
  1. Provide a very prompt response.
  2. Make sure the order is complete and understood by all.
  3. Fill the order accurately.
  4. Treat past and long-time customers as would new and potential customers.

Note from Regis: a big THANK YOU to all who responded on LinkedIn!  Your time is valuable, and I appreciate you sharing some of it – and your knowledge – with us.

This post is part of the One Goal Project to achieve exceptional performance at work.  Learn more about the project.  Learn more about April’s Goal.

Practice finding growth everywhere. (Source: iChaz)

Last week, I sat down with Graham Skidmore, the VP of Growth and Opportunity at Quicken Loans.  Graham is an accomplished and award winning leader of sales people and creator of successful sales teams.  He has spent the last 11 years at Quicken Loans, and is someone who can help grow your Client Service skills.

Your Goal for this Week: Try to practice at least one of the tips Graham offers below!

My only interview question to Graham was “what are the Client Service lessons you have learned over the course of your career?”  These are his responses.

1. Think like your Client and ask, “What’s in it for me?”

All your Client cares about is what’s in it for them.  They definitely do not care about your policies, processes, or procedures.  Therefore, never say “you can’t” do something, always find a way to say “what you can do.”  To help understand your Client’s needs, ask them “What is the outcome you desire?” or “What is an acceptable solution?”  Then, ask your Client for recommendations and suggestions as you go about solving their problems.

2. Listen.  Really listen.

If you find yourself talking more than 30-40% of the time when you are with a Client, you should put yourself in check.  Instead, ask a lot of questions to find out how you can meet your Client’s needs.  After all, how can you meet the needs of your Client if you are talking all the time? [Note from Regis: Be sure to check out this post on Building Rapport with your Leaders.  The same lessons apply to Clients.]

3. Develop loyal Clients.

The first step to loyalty is honesty.  Always be extremely fast in updating your Client with news, good or bad.  Even bad news is well received better when it’s received promptly.   How you handle yourself when things go wrong is how you gain loyalty.  Bottom-line: don’t give excuses, apologize when something goes wrong, and set proper expectations with your Client.  It might not always be what they want to hear, but they will value the truth.

4. Take adversity head on.

When things get to the point where they are so bad all your Client can do is yell, shut up and get yelled at.  Let them vent.  Then, they are more likely to listen.  Take notes on what the Client is saying (you don’t want to miss ANYTHING – this is a great learning experience).  Then, recap the concerns, provide solutions, and ask, “Did I address your concerns?”

5. Truly care about making Clients happy

You can’t fake sincerity and being genuine.  Just be sincere in what you do.  It will help build a bond between you and the Client.  [Note from Regis: remember, what you don't do is just as important as what you do, so put yourself in check by asking "what am I not doing right now that would show how much I care about this Client?"  Then, do it!]

6. Always put the responsibility on you, not the Client.

Things go wrong.  They always do.  Throughout my career, my biggest times of growth have been from my biggest times of pain.  When failure happens to you, simple say to yourself “I gotta fix this.”  Failure isn’t an option, so you need to change yourself to make things right.

7. Create good client service through your team

Treat your team like you’d treat your Clients (like you’d want to be treated!).  Listen to team members, never assuming you always know the answer.   Teach your team how to do this by creating the same atmosphere with your team that you want with your Clients.

Note from Regis: Graham’s final point hit me the hardest.  He said: “I need Clients more than they need me.  They need to feel that.”  That’s what this month’s goal is all about.  Good luck achieving exceptional Client Service this week!

This post is part of the One Goal Project to achieve exceptional performance at work.  Learn more about the project.  Learn more about April’s Goal.

Use the tips below to weather high seas with your Clients. (Source: wili hybrid)

When I first started at Quicken Loans almost 5 years ago, I found something in my inbox from Art Steiber, Director, Marketing Communications.  It was a copied article called “How To Be a Near Perfect Account Exec.”  Art put a note on it saying that the article was a bit dated, and focused on advertising agency account folks, but the 13 principles in it are timeless.  I agree.

In this post, I’ll update these 13 ideas to bring them current in today’s business environment.  Your goal for this week is to practice these 13 ideas in your daily interactions with Clients. If you learn something while doing this, please share in the comments!

1. Take nothing for granted

Never assume that your Clients read your email, listened to your voice mail, or remembered your presentation.  Treat every interaction with them as an opportunity to teach, coach, and lead them.  Another tip: if someone commits to do something for you (and your Clients) by a certain date, add that to your calendar so you can ensure it happens.

2. Return Client calls within the hour

Your Clients typically feel possessive of you and your time.  This is a good thing, something you can use to your advantage.  Why?  Clients are not trying to make your life more difficult, they are directing you toward new virtues.  Leverage your voice mail system’s features, tools like Google Voice, and the Dot Connector Voicemail Tips article to use the phone to your advantage!

3. Put it in writing

Every Client meeting should be documented in writing within 24 hours.  Let me say that again: EVERY Client meeting.  Now, I know what you are thinking: “NO WAY!  I have ZERO time for that.”  Make the time.  It shows the Client how much you care about the meeting, and it’s a great reference later on.  You really only have to recap decisions made and next steps, not the actual conversation.  It can be as easy as sending an email with a bullet list in it.  Just do it!

4. Make no promises you can’t keep

Don’t agree to things before you know your ability to deliver.  Be humble, and tell your Clients when you don’t know the answer or aren’t sure about how long something will take.  That way, you won’t set you and your project team up for failure.  In your Clients’ eyes, be sure you only commit yourself to things you can do. And remember, every interaction with your Client is a personal branding opportunity.

5. Keep the promises you do make

If you commit to do something, do it.  If you commit to a deadline, hit it (and hit it earlier than expected whenever possible!).  Your Clients are keeping a scoreboard of your performance (even if only subconsciously), so be sure you are always racking up more points by keeping your promises, no matter how big or small.

6. Check mechanicals

I once delivered an inaccurate P&L statement to one of my Clients.  He called me to his office, sat me down, looked me straight in the eye, and said: “don’t EVER bring me an inaccurate report again.”  A small, simple moment?  For sure.  But, it stuck with me for good.  No matter how tight your deadline, make sure what you deliver (sales report, presentation, website, etc.) is accurate.

7. Double-check invoices

There are few things that command more attention from Clients than invoices or bills.  Be sure before they ever go to a Client that they: 1) Are accurate, 2) Outline the work performed in the Client’s language, and 3) thank the Client for their business.  Ensuring you can explain every charge is critical too.

8. Proofread your email

You are judged by the communications you deliver.  Beyond simple spell-checking, re-read your emails before sending them.  If you have a very important email, try to put it aside after a first draft to ensure you speak to the Client correctly within it.  Also, be sure to check out the Dot Connector Top 3 Business Email Tips.

9. Trust your true opinions

Develop your gut instincts and trust them.  Clients will ask for your opinions.  Don’t sound weak by being diplomatic.  Give your honest opinions with implied conviction.  Don’t steamroll or bulldog your Clients, but be firm whenever you give your opinions.  Don’t let a fear of being wrong hold you back.  Risk normalcy.

10. Be prepared

Become offensive (vs. defensive) in your Client interactions.  Stay ahead of your Clients by anticipating their needs and acting before they do.  Think and plan ahead.   Before a Client meeting, write a 20 list of things you might discuss or questions you might ask (See Tip #14 here).  Even if you aren’t expected to present at a Client meeting, bring a 3-slide presentation anyway.  Offer to share ideas, competitor strategies, and other things that will help your Clients.

11. Be prepared (again)

If you’ve created your Client Information System, then you have something to review before you meet or talk with a Client.  Be sure to review recent emails, notes, projects, reports, etc. so you are well-prepared for your conversation.  If your Client asks you a question and you don’t know the answer, say “let me check and get back to you shortly.”  Then, “WOW” your Client with your response time.

12. Take the initiative

If you only react to your Clients, you are nothing but a glorified assistant.  See point #10 above and practice being proactive.  Make a determined effort to anticipate your Clients’ needs.  It will help you lead them to success.

13. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

It’s critical that with your Clients and your project teams that you ask for help.  Asking for help is a great way to build relationships, practice humility, and encourage others (including your Clients) to reach out to you for help too.

This post is part of the One Goal Project to achieve exceptional performance at work.  Learn more about the project.  Learn more about April’s Goal.

Time to question your Clients like Socrates would! (Source)

By now, you’ve completed your first task: you’ve made a list of your Clients.  Good work!

3 Reasons You Made a Client List Last Week

1. To know who your Clients are. If you know who your Clients are, you can get down to the business of getting to know them better.  More on that below…
2. To think about who you really serve. Often we don’t clearly outline who it is we serve.  By not doing this, we tend to get overwhelmed by all of the requests coming at us.  However, once we know who our Clients are, we can then prioritize tasks and projects using the following priority order: #1: My Crew (those people who help you get things done), #2 My Clients (we know who they are by now), and #3 My Company (those people who are neither Crew, nor Clients, who ask you to do things)
3. To commit to a select group of people (and ignore the rest). Ok, that might sound harsh.  But if you have to decide between helping a Client solve a problem, or completing a survey for an internal team, you know what to do!  It’s important to know you are already committed to your Client, and should prioritize her needs first.

Your Goal for This Week: Get to Know Every Client

You are your Clients.  Remember: you are as good (or as bad) as your Client list.  So, for the next 7 days, put other things on the back-burner, and visit your Clients!  You want to cut through the surface-level conversations you have had in the past and go DEEP with them to understand their real needs.  Here’s how:

STEP 1: Create a Client Information System (CIS)

Your CIS could be as simple as a piece of paper about each Client in a file.  Or you could use shared contacts in Outlook, or tools like Salesforce or Highrise.  Whatever you decide, the key is to start collecting information about each Client!

21 Things to Record in Your Client Information System

Here are some ideas to get you started with your new CIS:

1. What do you know about your Client professionally? Personally?
2. What your Client’s family life like?
3. Does your Client have kids?  If so, what are their names and ages?
4. What are some important milestones in your Client’s life?
5. When does your Client get in to work?  When do they leave?
6. Where has your Client worked previously?
7. What are your Client’s priorities at work?
8. Why do they have those priorities?
9. Who does your Client report to?
10. How can you help make your Client look better to that person?
11. How does your Client like to communicate?  Email, voice mail, IM, etc.?
12. Who can your Client put you in touch with that you couldn’t otherwise talk to?
13. What other companies does your Client work with?
14. How do they feel about those companies?
15. What does your Client like to do for fun?
16. How can you make your Client do their job easier?
17. How can you make it more difficult for your Client (be sure to avoid that!)?
18. What does your Client do really well?
19. What does your Client need from you to perform?
20. What are your Client’s limitations?
21. How does your Client like to be kept informed?

STEP 2: Visit With Every Client this Week

To initiate a deep, ongoing, conversation with your Clients, you have to visit them.  If you can’t visit them all physically this week, that’s fine.  But, try to visit as many as you can.  If that’s physically impossible, have a serious phone conversation with each one.

3 Client Conversation Templates to Use

Here are 3 Client conversation templates you can pick from for your visit with each Client this week.  All 3 are taken from Tom Peters‘ book, Professional Service Firm50.

Client Conversation Template #1 – The “Humble Servant” Approach

• How are we doing?
• Are the current projects we’re doing with you “OK” or “WOW”?
• Or, are we doing a half-ass job?
• Are we listening to your concerns?
• Do you love us, like us, or heaven forbid, dislike us?

Client Conversation Template #2 – The “No-Holds Barred” Approach

• I’m here to serve you.  Period.
• I am here to do life-altering work.  Period
• So…how am I doing?

Client Conversation Template #3 – The “Trusted Adviser” Approach

• How are we doing?
• Rate us…mercilessly!
• Are we pushing you?
• Are we dazzling you?
• Are we disappointing you?

Good luck!  And remember what Tom Peters says…

YOU ARE YOUR CLIENTS!

This post is part of the One Goal Project to achieve exceptional performance at work.  Learn more.

Clients come in many shapes and sizes.  (source: fabiogis50)

Today is a great day!  Today, we start working on a One Goal: to achieve exceptional performance in Client service.  Throughout the month, I will be sharing weekly goals, relevant info, and tips and tricks to help us focus and achieve this goal.

What is a Client?

A “Client” is…

• a partner
• someone with whom I have an intimate relationship
• in it with me for the long haul
• someone with whom I co-invent the future
• a person in whose outcomes I have a big personal stake
• someone with whom I have an emotional bond
• someone with whom I can’t work with if trust is not paramount
• a fellow professional, like me, who wrestles with intractable problems
• the source of my reputation (for better or for worse)
• my #1 word of mouth marketer
• someone who grows with me
• someone who loses when I lose
• someone who wins when I win

Start now.  Use the word Client [yes, that's intentionally with a capital "C"].  Period and forevermore.  Words matter.

The Client pays the bills.

The Client says you’re reliable, trustworthy.  (Or…not.)

(The above is taken from The Professional Service Firm50 by Tom Peters.)

Does that make you uncomfortable? Good!  Get used to being uncomfortable.  The process of identifying and finding the best ways to work with Clients can be an uncomfortable, but critical, process.

At Quicken Loans we have an ISM (or saying): “Every Client, Every Time, No Exceptions, No Excuses.”

• Clients are the reason we exist.
• Clients pay the bills.
• Clients push us to be better (and vice-versa).
• We are only as good as the Clients that push us the hardest.
• And Clients are the way we grow.

SIMPLE STEP #1: Make a Client list THIS WEEKEND!

To Do:

• Make a list (paper, Google doc, whatever!) of every person you are accountable to, every person who can direct the work that you do, and every person who reviews your work.
• It’s better to have more people on this list than fewer.

Examples may include your immediate “boss”, business unit leaders, executives at your company, the Clients of your company, etc.

Once complete, take a few minutes to review your list.  Remember, as Tom Peters says…

YOU ARE YOUR CLIENTS!

Don’t get lost when serving your customers (Source: frielp)

“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead

My goal with this customer service article is to do nothing less than provide the blueprint for business-to-business (B2B) companies to change the world.  Why?  Because customer service is the single biggest issue in American business-to-business relationships today. If you are an organization selling services or products to another organization, the customer service lessons below are directly applicable to you.  These lessons are true regardless of the size of your organization, or the size of your customer.

Are you saying to yourself “but, Regis, in my line of work, I don’t have customers.”  Think again!  Every role in every organization has customers.  My team at Quicken Loans has no less than 3 customers: external customers (i.e. the Clients visiting our website who get mortgages from us), internal customers (other teams who rely on us to get things done online for them), and executive customers (senior executives who rely on us to execute business strategies). Bottom-line: Show me a business model that doesn’t have customers, and I’ll show you a business model that is about to fail.

15 Ways to Deliver Great Customer Service (in B2B relationships)

1. Turn your customers into raving fans. This should be the goal of every customer relationship you have, regardless of the situation.  You want to create customer relationships where your customers want to “shout from the mountaintop” about how great you are!  Everything else on this list is simply a way to help you get to this goal.
2. Provide multiple ways for your customers to easily communicate with you. It’s never been more important to be transparent in your communication with customers.  Providing multiple ways for customers to easily communicate directly with your team is critical.  Goal: every customer should be able to reach you via: cell phone, office phone, email, phone conference, and video conference.
3. Encourage immediate problem solving with customers. When a customer contacts you with an issue (via one of the methods in #2), get the right people on the phone immediately to deal with the customer issue.  Stop wasting time by “scheduling meetings,” “filing support tickets,” and “meeting internally first.”  Instead, have open, honest conversations with customers and key problem solvers at your organization.
4. Never tell the customer they are wrong, simply suggest alternatives. Your customers’ perceptions are your reality.  Whether they are right or wrong, whatever they think is the reality you have to work with.  Yes, they are paying you for your expertise.  However, if you continually tell them how they are wrong and you are right, they will start to tune you out.  Remember when your parents took that approach with you?
5. Never assume the customer remembers what you told them previously. Your customers are usually paying you to advise them.  What you deliver is rarely the customers’ only focus or daily focus.  Therefore, presume you need to refresh their memory on key decisions, reports sent via email, and previous discussions.  Doing so will increase the effectiveness of your customer interactions.
6. Never assume you know more than your customers. The second you assume you know more than your customers, everything changes: your tone, your patience, your propensity to ask questions, and your openness to new ideas.  Try to understand your customers’ business as well as they do, but be humble enough to know you never will.
7. Never assume you are meeting your customers’ needs. Even if things seem like they might be going well, they might not be.  What you don’t do in a customer relationship defines you just as much as what you do.  Your customers have more to do than simply tell you when you are not doing well, or when you are not meeting expectations.  Check-in frequently with your customers to ensure you are meeting their needs, and conduct anonymous customer satisfaction surveys to get additional feedback.
8. Find every opportunity possible to thank your customers for their business. Surprise your customers with your gratitude!  Every time you send an invoice, visit a customer, or hit a milestone together, you have an opportunity to say thank you.  The Thanksgiving holiday is coming up next week – do you have a plan to thank your customers that day?
9. Constantly bring new ideas to help your customers make money or save money. Your customers need new ideas, even if they don’t ask for them.  The pressure on your customers to generate or save money is greater than ever before.  Become a trusted adviser by giving your customers new ideas that help them do this, even if they aren’t related to the services your customer is paying you to deliver.
10. If you have a misunderstanding, take the blame, then relentlessly follow-up until you get it right. If you’ve missed your customers’ expectations, immediately take the blame.  Be brutally blunt about your strengths and weaknesses.  Then, do whatever is necessary to fix it and follow-up daily until it is done.  Then, follow-up at regular intervals (weekly, monthly) making sure that the solution still works, and that you continue to fulfill on your customers’ expectations.  This same method should be used after you have sold a customer something you have never done before.
11. Don’t commit to more than you can do. Only make promises you can keep.  Although sometimes it’s hard to do this, set expectations low with your customers and always exceed them.  Deliver on what you say you will do, and you will build trust with your customers.  Fail to deliver, and compound that failure with excuses, and the trust your customers have in you can evaporate overnight.
12. Don’t force customers to live by your rulebook. Companies create “rulebooks” – established ways to deal with problems that are rarely customized for a particular customer’s situation.  They do this to make life easier on them, not the customer.  Throw these rulebooks out, and challenge anyone who wants to create one!  Customers want personalized experiences, and fast resolution on their issues.  Rulebooks do neither.
13. Don’t assume that what your customer is asking for is what they really want. Practice using the 5 whys question-asking method to get to the bottom of a customer request.  Often, customers will come to you with a solution that they have developed.  Don’t throw out that solution (see #4 above), but instead take the time to understand why the customer needs it.  Listen more than you talk.  Doing this will help you get to know your customer better, and help you recommend alternative or complimentary solutions.
14. Ask really good questions. Your customers are tuning into everything you do.  Are you inquisitive?  Do you understand their business?  Do you understand their current need?  Tip: prepare a “20 list” (a brainstorming technique where you write down 20 questions you would ask the customer) before a big discussion with a customer.  You don’t have to ask all 20, but the exercise will help you generate really good questions to ask.
15. Check your greed at the door. Don’t simply look at the current sale as your only interaction with the customer, and milk it for everything you can.  Think about the future value of the customer relationship too.  Will this customer be a referral, or provide a testimonial for you?  Will they be a great addition to your customer list?  Will this project introduce you to other new customers?  Factor this value into your pricing model.

Bonus: Customer Service Manifesto

My team at Quicken Loans has a customer service manifesto that guides our work.  Inspired by Tom Peters, the key points of this manifesto are outlined below.  Feel free to adapt this for your team!

We believe…

1. We ONLY do two things: continuously improve our website user experience and develop leaders
2. We ARE our customers + our projects…and that’s how we’re remembered.
3. Every single one of our projects makes a difference, or we don’t do it.
4. We are only as good as our customers who push us the hardest.
5. Our customers are the source of our reputation.
6. We spend 80% of our time with customers
7. We push our customers to tackle new challenges and soar to new heights
8. We are paid to lead our customers to success
9. We focus on our legacy (What do YOU want to be remembered for here?)
10. We relentlessly serve our project teams, because we know without them we are nothing.