Is Your Customer Service Muddling Your Marketing?

Lauron Sonnier — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:00:00 GMT

No matter how great your external marketing, if your customer service team isn't upholding your marketing promises or taking advantage of prime marketing opportunities, you're missing out.

Explore this poignant list of questions to determine how well your customer service staff is advancing or muddling up your marketing impact. Use it to spur some stimulating conversation about how to kick up your customer's experience--and to capitalize on every customer interaction.

Share some candid discussions with your customer service team using these all-important questions:

--Do I look at everything from my customer’s perspective?

--Am I saying “no” to customers too often?

--Do I use the customer’s name when I speak to him/her?

--Do I treat my customer like I know him even when I don’t?

--Are my words polished, or am I always fumbling because I am not confident in what I’m saying?

--Do customers have my business card?

--Do customers ever get something from me that they have not asked for?

--Do I give more bad news that good news to my customers?

--Do my customers know I care about them?

--Do I dedicate quality time to my customers?

--Do I know more about my customers than their last job, order, purchase, proposal, or estimate?

--Do I tell customers how busy we are without saying, “but of course we always have time for important people like you?”

--Do I tell customers my personal troubles?

--Do I blame other people or departments for mistakes and hiccups?

--Do I share too much behind-the-scenes information?

--Do I share the right details about what happens to get their job done or product out?

--Do I ask the customer what is important to her?

--Do I listen for common comments from customers and pass those on to the proper people and departments?

--Do I take an opportunity to educate my customer anytime I can?

--Do I use the power of questions to market, understand, and further my relationship with customers?

--Do I tell the customer about our services and programs on a regular basis?

--Do I ask for the order?

--Do I offer my customers solutions even when I cannot help them personally?

--Do I get answers for my customers even when I cannot personally provide them?

--Am I apologizing to customers too often?

22-Nov-09 9:00 PM

Sonnier Marketing & Communications, Inc. - Articles

Is Your Customer Service Muddling Your Marketing?