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.…
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Author: Lisa Ford
Empower your Employees for Real Results
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…
3 Strategies to Enhance your Customer Experience
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…
Lisa Ford’s 12 Fundamentals of Exceptional Customer Service
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,…
Build Customer Loyalty with Transparency
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…
Customer Service is Good Medicine
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…
Lisa Ford’s Tips for Stellar Customer Service on the Phone
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…
Use the 5 Bs In 2012 – Be What Your Customers Want
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.…
5 Ways to Make Your Customer Service a Game Changer
All companies would love to be able to say they are a game changer. Whether it iswith their service, brand or innovation, few companies really can claim such a grand statement. Some of the few can, include Ritz Carlton, Southwest…
Four Strategies for Customer Service Leadership
The best customer service organizations have many things in common. I believe the most important is that leadership focuses on customer service and the customer experience. Check yourself and your leadership against these 4 strategies. 1. Leaders dedicate dollars, time…
Do Happy Employees Create Happy Customers?
Could it be so simple? I define a happy customer as one who is loyal and willing to refer you to others. Happy customers mean their problems were solved and their needs met. Statistics tell us that the service experience…
4 Customer Service Stats to Improve your Bottom Line
There is plenty of great research on why customer service should be a differentiating strategy for organizations. Given that my business is helping companies improve their customer service experience, I love the statistics. Customers for years have been telling us…
Tagged with: profitability
7 Simple Ways to Create Loyal Customers
OK, here it comes, I am about to tell you something you know already — Little stuff delivered well by your service team can create loyal customers. Whew, there I said it. Why? Because recent experiences reminded me of the…
4 Strategies to Kick Up your Service Experience
The new year is traditionally the time to re-focus and get serious about goals. For customer loyalty, your customer experience better be at the top of your goal list. Over the last few years, customers have made it clear they…
Customer Loyalty can be Surprising
Many companies use a customer loyalty scheme whether it be miles, points or other free stuff. All are based on dollars spent and frequency of usage. None of that is big news. I am a member of plenty of these…
Cable Companies Forced to Connect
It is a shame that New York City regulators have been forced to get involved in the repair business of cable companies. The city has drafted a contract with the cable TV providers that states: “If the technician fails to…
First Time Clients Only
It doesn’t get any better than when a colleague sends me her recent customer experience. It is best if I let you hear it from her – “I made an appointment to get my hair cut a week ago because…
So What Do Customers Want?
Recent research from the Strativity Group, (August 2009), gives us insight into what seems to be a tough to answer question. What do customers want from their buying experience? Their research found – 1. Quick and Effective Issue Resolution. This…
Tagged with: customer experience
Your Attitude is Showing
In this marketplace, you can not afford to have a poor attitude showing to your customers. What are your employees saying when you are not listening? I have to admit my jaw dropped when I heard this on a recent…
Where is the Leadership for Customer Focus?
The most frequent question I get from clients is how do we get our people to do something differently tomorrow. They are asking about execution from their top leaders, managers and front line teams. The executives have spoken of service…
Tagged with: customer focus