How to Talk to Customers E-Book

Diane Berenbaum

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 291

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Filled with case studies and anecdotes, How to Talk to Customers demystifies the most critical aspect of customer service: conversations employees have every day with customers. In this must-have resource, Diane Berenbaum and Tom Larkin outline a proven system based on their MAGIC customer service training program. MAGIC, which stands for Make A Great Impression on the Customer, can help anyone become the type of communicator that makes their customers feel special.

For more on this book, visit www.howtotalktocustomers.com

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Praise

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

PREFACE

PART ONE - The Essence of MAGIC

INTRODUCTION

chapter ONE - What Does MAGIC Really Mean?

MAKING THE CHOICE TO BE MAGIC

COMMUNICATING WITH THE CUSTOMER IN MIND

PRACTICAL TO THE UTMOST

chapter TWO - What Are the Benefits of MAGIC?

CARING CREATES PROFITS

CUT CUSTOMER LOSS, BOOST YOUR BOTTOM LINE

PART TWO - MAGIC—It’s Your Choice

chapter THREE - Releasing Your MAGIC Mind-Set

THE MAGIC IS WITHIN YOU

CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS . . . WHAT?

chapter FOUR - Create a Climate for MAGIC Relationships

THERMOSTATS AND THERMOMETERS

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

PART THREE - Build MAGIC Relationships

chapter FIVE - First Steps

GETTING TO KNOW THE FIVE MAGIC STEPS

MANAGING PERCEPTION

MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION FROM THE START

THE WORDS YOU USE

TONE AND PACE

chapter SIX - Connect with Empathy

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPATHY

HOW TO EXPRESS EMPATHY

RESISTANCE TO EXPRESSING EMPATHY

chapter SEVEN - Build Customer Confidence

THE NAME IS THE GAME

THE ART OF NAME CAPTURE

OFFERING HELP

MAGIC WORDS—HOW TO SAY YOU’LL HELP

“HELP” DEFINED

THE NEXT STEP: ASKING PERMISSION TO GET MORE INFORMATION

chapter EIGHT - MAGIC Words and Phrases

WHAT MAKES A WORD OR PHRASE MAGIC?

BE PERSONAL

BE SPECIFIC

BE EMPATHIC

chapter NINE - Tragic Words and Phrases

SUBTLE TRAGIC WORDS AND PHRASES

OTHER FORMS OF TRAGIC LANGUAGE

HOW TO AVOID TRAGIC WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

PART FOUR - Express MAGIC Accountability

chapter TEN - Voicemail

YOU’RE NOT THERE, BUT YOU ARE

CREATE A PERSONAL, EFFECTIVE OUTGOING VOICEMAIL

LEAVE PROFESSIONAL MESSAGES

chapter ELEVEN - Listening

THE CHALLENGE OF LISTENING

THE FOUR LEVELS OF LISTENING

HOW TO LISTEN AT LEVEL THREE

chapter TWELVE - Get to the Heart What’s the Catchpoint?

ASK QUESTIONS TO FIND THE CATCHPOINT

REPHRASE AND REPEAT

THE “T” WORD

WHY ASK QUESTIONS?

LET ME PUT YOU ON HOLD . . .

chapter THIRTEEN - Moving On

BE PROACTIVE: OFFER OPTIONS AND SOLUTIONS

SET A DEADLINE

EDUCATE THE CUSTOMER

SUMMARIZE THE NEXT STEP

GET AGREEMENT ON THE NEXT STEP

chapter FOURTEEN - Close with the Relationship in Mind

MAKE A LAST OFFER OF HELP

USE THE CUSTOMER’S NAME AND A MAGIC PHRASE

STAY WITH THE CUSTOMER TO THE END

FOLLOW THROUGH

chapter FIFTEEN - Assess Your Calls with MAGIC

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: WHAT IMPRESSION DO YOU MAKE?

MAGIC—IT’S NOT JUST A CHECKLIST

OUTGOING CALLS

TAKE IT STEP-BY-STEP

chapter SIXTEEN - Handling Complaints and Difficult Situations

THE JOY OF COMPLAINT

HOT BUTTONS AND SELF-MANAGEMENT

CHANGING YOUR RESPONSES

PUTTING CHOICE INTO PRACTICE

DEFUSING IRATE AND ABUSIVE CALLERS

DEALING WITH DISTRAUGHT CALLERS

REINING IN RAMBLING CALLERS

DELIVERING BAD NEWS

THE BOTTOM LINE: RESTORING THE RELATIONSHIP

PART FIVE - The World of MAGIC

chapter SEVENTEEN - A Culture of Exceptional Service

PLANNING BEFORE YOU START

BUILDING YOUR SERVICE CULTURE

chapter EIGHTEEN - The MAGIC Coach

WHO CAN BE A MAGIC COACH?

WHAT MAKES A GREAT COACH?

WHAT DOES A COACH DO?

ESTABLISHING THE COACHING RELATIONSHIP

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT COACHING SESSION

TWO-MINUTE COACHING

COACHING AS AN ONGOING PROCESS

ADOPTING AN INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL

THE LIST OF TEN

SELF-ASSESSMENT

chapter NINETEEN - MAGIC Face-to- Face

A BRIEF REFRESHER

WHAT MAKES A VISUAL IMPRESSION?

MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION AT THE START

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

chapter TWENTY - The MAGIC of Relationship Selling

FOCUSING ON THE CUSTOMER

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

DID YOU SAY “OBJECTION”?

OVERCOMING THE MOST DREADED OBJECTIONS

FOLLOWING UP

chapter TWENTY-ONE - MAGIC in Collections and Default Negotiations

THE TRAGIC APPROACH—COMPETITIVE

THE MAGIC APPROACH—COOPERATIVE

NEGOTIATION TECHNIQUES

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

PART SIX - MAGIC in Real Life

chapter TWENTY-TWO - Personal Stories and Lessons for Life

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

THE LEGACY OF MAGIC

THE MAGIC CONNECTION

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE

A RANDOM ACT OF MAGIC

A MAGIC TRANSFORMATION

chapter TWENTY-THREE - Some Final Thoughts

Acknowledgments

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ABOUT COMMUNICO LTD.

PRAISE FORHOW TO TALK TO CUSTOMERS

“I hope you believe in MAGIC, because this system can really help you build the generous, intimate, personal relationships with customers that will power the growth of your business!”

—Keith Ferrazzi, author, Never Eat Alone, and CEO of professional development and consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight

“If you deal with people, this book is a must-have! The relationships with your ‘customers’ (clients, coworkers, family, and friends) will flourish as you put MAGIC to work.”

—Jason Checketts, manager of learning and development, Wells Fargo

“There’s no greater way to help your team build a culture of customer service than by using the MAGIC system. You’ll see results immediately . . . and those results will truly amaze you (and your customers!).”

—Brian Cole Miller, author, Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers

“MAGIC is one of those simple-but-far-from-easy ideas that can revolutionize a company because it transforms how people think and act. At FreshDirect, we believe in MAGIC and strive to practice it daily.”

—Dean Furbush, CEO, FreshDirect

“Any call center senior executive, manager, supervisor—or anyone who talks to your customers—should read this book then commit to applying its simple principles. Tom and Diane bring to light the fact that all consumers are seeking a unique experience from companies today, and this is it.”

—C. Paul Turner, managing director, Training and Performance Improvement, Citifinancial Mortgage, Inc., and Citicorp Trust Bank, fsb

“Any organization interested in creating passionate and loyal customers should read this book. The MAGIC system shows you how to impress even the most discerning customers.”

—Rudy Escalante, CEO, ICSA Software North America, Inc.

“I love How to Talk to Customers! I want this to be required reading for our employees going forward.”

—Monica Kelly, quality analyst, account services, Colonial Supplemental Insurance

“One of the most useful manuals for companies and individuals who are serious about exceeding customers’ expectations. Follow the 5 MAGIC Steps, understand why words are perceived as tragic and how they can become MAGIC, and MAGIC will become part of your company—and personal culture.”

—Jansje Stramwasser, senior training manager, Convergys Employee Care

“The journey required to develop a long-term relationship begins with that first, critical face-to-face conversation. Berenbaum and Larkin have created a masterful roadmap for how to build immediate rapport and lay the foundations for enduring trust.”

—Andrew Sobel, author, Clients for Life and Making Rain

“What distinguishes you from your competition is often the customer’s perception of his or her service experience. Read this book to discover practical ideas that you can use to delight your customer, every time.”

—Deb Ketcham, manager of process improvement, ACCO Brands Corporation

“Trust-based supplier-customer relationships are the wave of the business future. How to Talk to Customers is the handbook of how to create and navigate those critical relationships.”

—Charles H. Green, founder and president, Trusted Advisor Associates

Copyright © 2007 by Communico Ltd.

Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741 www.josseybass.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax [phone], or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax [phone], or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

The term Magic Moments is used with permission from Shep Hyken. Mr. Hyken is a business speaker and author who helps companies build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. Mr. Hyken is the owner of the trademark, MOMENTS OF MAGIC®, for certain printed materials as well as educational services in the field of customer service. For more information, visit www.Hyken.com and www.TheCustomerFocus.com.

Readers should be aware that Internet websites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax [phone].

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Berenbaum, Diane, 1956-

How to talk to customers : create a great impression every time with MAGIC / Diane Berenbaum, Tom Larkin.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-7879-8752-7 (cloth)

1. Customer relations. 2. Interpersonal relations. I. Larkin, Tom, 1953- II. Title.

HF5415.5.B445 2007

658.8’12—dc22

2006101788

HB Printing

In memory of Bobbie Chila, who epitomized the spirit of MAGIC and never wavered, and To our clients and certified facilitators around the globe, who bring MAGIC to life in their organizations. This book could not have been written without you.

PREFACE

It seems so simple, yet it is rare. In fact, we’re still surprised when it happens.

When you answer the phone, it’s nice if you sound like you are having a great day. Sound like you are happy to hear from me. When I walk into your store, look me in the eye and offer a genuine smile. Greet me as you would like to be greeted.

It seems so simple. So why are examples like these the exception rather than the norm?

The late Buckminster Fuller, American visionary, designer, architect, and inventor of the geodesic dome, was one of these great exceptions. Ten minutes shy of giving a speech to thousands of people in a huge auditorium, he had disappeared. Finally someone found him in the public restroom. He was picking up trash off the floor and wiping the counters around the sinks. The person said to him, “Mr. Fuller, what are you doing? Aren’t you speaking in ten minutes?”

He replied, “Oh, I’m just cleaning my bathroom.”

Whose world is it? Whose responsibility is it to make it a place where we like to be? Bucky felt it was his. And we feel it is ours.

Can actions like Bucky’s become the norm? We think so. This book was written because we are passionate about interpersonal sustainability. We believe in treating each other in such a way that our actions make a positive contribution to another’s day. Every interpersonal contact should contribute to the desire to be in a continued relationship with the other party.

We’d love to think about what that could do for business, and for mankind.

It seems so simple.

We actually believe it is. This book is filled with commonsense, instantly applicable ideas and tools that you can use to Make A Great Impression on the Customer (or anyone). To be MAGIC.

Having over twenty-five years of experience in interpersonal training and consulting, we decided it was time to reach a broader audience and share our findings with the world. We are grateful that our publisher, Jossey-Bass, feels the same way. Our hope is that you will find the ideas useful and the stories inspiring.

Results matter, and so does the process used to get those results. In this book, we outline a logical process that yields tangible results. Making every contact MAGIC can be simple, and we guarantee you will stand out in the crowd if you apply these concepts in your daily business and personal interactions.

As you heighten your awareness of what the gold standard of customer service looks and feels like, you will see just how many little moments you have every day to make a difference. You will also become increasingly aware of how many hundreds of missed opportunities there were where you could have been treated better.

Our goal is to bring about a sea change so that the new norm is simply MAGIC. You will know when this is happening when you interact with like-minded people who are as excited about making your day better as you are about doing the same for them.

Have fun cleaning your restrooms. We’ll see you there.

It really is that simple.

Westport, ConnecticutJanuary 2007

Diane Berenbaum Tom Larkin

PART ONE

The Essence of MAGIC

INTRODUCTION

Five MAGIC, Memorable Minutes

“We met in a hotel lobby in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was in town for the funeral of a dear family member. Gus was new at the hotel, but brought years of experience to his job at the front door. He had checked luggage at American Airlines for over thirty years.