60-Second Guide to Establishing Great Customer Service

Every once in awhile it pays to sit back and take stock of how you’re running your business. Is the accounting software still the best for the job? Is the phone system meeting your needs? And most importantly, are you focusing on your greatest asset of all: your customers? Sometimes we get so caught up in the mechanics of doing business that we forget the reason we’re in business in the first place.

In just 60-seconds, you’ll learn to establish a way to keep your customers loyal to you.

0:60 Incorporate Customer Service into Your Business Culture
Customer service should be as routine as paying your bills or ordering office supplies. And it doesn’t have to be elaborate to make an impression. Often it’s the small things that customers remember: a phone call returned on time, a card to mark a special occasion, a thank you note or a gift.

0:46 Small Businesses Have a Customer Service Advantage
An advantage of being a small business is that it’s usually easier to respond quickly and personally to customer inquiries. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Ask yourself how you would like to be treated, and then act accordingly. Remember to be proactive toward your customers as well as reactive to their concerns and questions.

0:38 Communicate with Your Customers
Keep your customers apprised of the status of their accounts. If someone’s order is held up, let them know as soon as possible. If you promise to have a job done by a certain date and there are glitches, tell your client right away and let them know when you expect the issue will be resolved.

0:20 Respond to Customers Quickly
When dealing with customers or clients over the telephone, try not to put them on hold for longer than a minute or two. If you expect to be tied up for longer than that, take a message and respond as soon as possible. When you plan to attend an important meeting or event with a client, call beforehand to remind them of how they should prepare. After the meeting, check back with the client to find out their impressions. The client will appreciate your concern, and you will gain valuable feedback.

0:11 Let Customers Know You Appreciate their Business
Thank customers for their business. If customers regularly visit your place of business, make them feel welcome with coffee. Also, if customers are likely to bring children to your store or office, keep a basket of toys handy. Harried parents will appreciate the distraction, and are likely to stick around longer if their children are occupied.

0:03 Ask Customers for Feedback
Finally, when you sit back and ask yourself how you’re business is doing, be sure to ask your customers as well. Send them postage-paid response cards or make a questionnaire available in your place of business.

Brought to you by SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business”

留住客人 要先留住員工

我曾在這裡說過，「客戶忠誠計劃」始於「建立會員制度」，但當我讀完Jill Griffin的 "12 Laws of Customer Loyalty"，我必須修正我的說法，「客戶忠誠計劃」始於「建立員工的忠誠度」。有關「員工的忠誠度」對「客戶忠誠計劃」的影響，我們可以從多個角度來審視，Griffin所說的可說是最直接的角度。

客人購買「關係」和「熟識度」
Griffin的說法是：「若你的員工經常流失，要建立一個很強的客戶忠誠度幾乎是不可能的。為甚麼？這是因為客戶購買的不單是你的產品或服務，還有的是「關係」和「熟識度」(relationships and familiarity)，客人希望從那些熟知他們喜好的人那裡購物。所以，有關客戶忠誠計劃的第一條黃金定律是：首先好好地「服侍」你的員工，以致他們能好好地服侍你的客人。」

這一點，對服務業尤為重要，因為服務人員與客人之間的關係十分密切。以美容業為例，客人十分倚重美容師的手藝和美容顧問的意見，隨著服務時日的增加，美容師和顧問熟知客人的要求、關注、喜好和習慣，客人亦與這些人員建立起「關係」和「熟識度」。一旦一間美容院的人員經常流失，客人就購買不到「關係」和「熟識度」。結果會如何？客人即使沒有跟隨美容師和顧問「過檔」至你的競爭對手那裡，也會逐漸減少來訪，直至絕跡於你的店舖。

星巴克使命宣言首重善待員工
是以Griffin提出「首先好好地「服侍」你的員工，以致他們能好好地服侍你的客人」。這使我想到星巴克咖啡的「使命宣言」，內容包含六則「天條」，指導著日常運作和發展。所謂「天條」者，就是不容輕易修改，最高管理層也必須遵從，若管理層的一些決定違反了其中任何一則，員工可拒絕執行。這六則「天條」的首條是「提供完善工作環境，對員工要保持敬意及尊嚴」，第四條才是「盡力培養極度滿意的客人」。

有關善待員工這一則竟然高踞「天條」榜首。從排列的次序看來，善待員工獲得的重視程度甚至比客人的滿意度更高。單是這一點，星巴克可說是開商界的先河。不是說客人才是「米飯班主」嗎？何解員工竟成了聚焦點？！這跟星巴克主席霍華蕭茲（Howard Schultz）如何理解零售業的本質有關。

服務員以服務為榮
蕭茲認為，零售企業的形象以及業績，全繫於最前線服務人員或銷售員每天的工作態度，一旦有任何閃失，客人可能一輩子不再回來，因此員工向心力的強弱，攸關公司成敗，輕忽不得。另外，善待員工，員工流失率就會降低，也就可省下新進人員的培訓費用。

蕭茲花了很多心力「討好」他的員工，首先他打破了零售業服務人員低薪無福利的格局，有了好的待遇，員工自我感覺良好，不以服務為恥，心情開朗，對客人也就能不亢不卑，服務質素自然提高。

蕭茲又引入員工的配股制度，他稱之為「豆股票」（Bean Stock），按員工年薪為基準，無償配股，人人有份，這又開創了商界的另一先河。自此，星巴克不再有「員工」，只有「股東」。此法使所有「股東」也緊張公司的業績，人人都替公司省錢和提供各種開源的創見。上述各項「德政」，使星巴克員工自願解散工會組織，由此可知，管理層與員工的關係是如何親蜜！

必須配以優質服務
事實上，不少零售業經營者只懂關注「米飯班主」，花了不少資源在「辨識客人」、「鼓勵重訪」、「獎賞VIP」和「個性化行銷」上，但效果總是差強人意。究其原因，是服務的介面出了問題。服務人員態度不友善、不主動為客人解決問題，又或經常在客人面前投訴公司種種不是、服務人員持續流失……，這些情況都使客人對該公司產生不良印象，更先進的「客 戶忠誠系統」也無濟於事。

上下一心推動「客戶忠誠計劃」
正如文首所言：員工對「客戶忠誠計劃」的影響可以從多個角度來審視。服務人員的流失只是其中一點。除此之外，公司心須讓上上下下包括前線、後勤支援和市場人員都清晰了解「客戶忠誠計劃」的政策和精神，貫徹始終。否則，前線人員半心半意的推廣會員招募，市場人員沒有定期檢視「客戶忠誠計劃」的成效，VIP流失了卻沒採取挽回行動，則「客戶忠誠系統」淪為裝飾品，資源是浪費了，客人得不到實質好處，倒不如實實在在的給客人來個割價大平賣好了。

作者簡介：徐少驊｜Jeff 畢業於澳洲悉尼科技大學。先達智能有限公司創辦人及行政總裁，多年從事VIP、會員、客戶管理方案及諮詢服務，經常主講有關全球「客戶關係管理」（Customer Relationship Management, CRM）趨勢，為多間報刊撰寫企管文章。jeff@chinetekintel.com

原文刊於《盛世》月刊2006年10月號