Appraisal is Too Late - Teri's Tip #48

The system most businesses use to check their work is after-the-fact, after the output has been completed or delivered.  That's too late!  When the customer finds the error and complains, it costs you 10 times more than if you had caught the error at the beginning of your process.

Prevention means taking the time upfront to look at your process and test to see if it is capable of delivering the promised output every time.  This could be a meal, a tooth cleaning, an answered customer phone call, a paint job, etc.  Prevention on a new process means brainstorming what are all the opportunities for error that could occur in the process and how could they be avoided.

Appraisal is just a fix and requires rework that costs time and money.  Prevention pays in the long-term!

www.retainloyalcustomers.com
Teri Yanovitch is a leading speaker, trainer and consultant on creating a culture of customer service within an organization. Her firm T.A.Yanovitch, Inc. provides a clear and proven process on how to create this culture of service and helps guide organizations to ensure their success. Through her presentations, workshops and training, Teri has assisted organizations from all industries to differentiate their business through the competitive edge of the customer experience.

Contact Teri at ty@retainloyalcustomers.com
Her highly acclaimed book Unleashing Excellence – The Complete Guide to " Ultimate Customer Service" has sold over 32,000 books and is recognized as a practical, hands-on approach to providing a seamless extraordinary service experience to retain customers and employees. Contact Teri at
ty@retainloyalcustomers.com for your next speaking engagement or for a copy of her book.

Telephone/Cell Phone Top Service - Teri's Tip #47

1. Answer the phone with Good morning, or Good afternoon followed by your name. Always use your first and last name when answering.

2. Return calls by sundown. Even if you don’t have the answer or time to talk, let the caller know you received their call and will get back to them when you do.

3. When transferring a call, tell the caller whose voice that person can expect to hear on the other end. Introduce the caller to the person receiving the transferred call and explain the reason for the transfer.

4. If you must put a caller on hold, first ask the caller if they want to be placed on hold or leave a message on voicemail.

5. Act fresh all day long when answering your phone.

6. Always ask permission if you need to put a caller on speakerphone. Also, identify to the caller that there are others in the office who will hear the conversation.

7. When talking on your cell phone, be aware of another person’s space.

8. Don’t be condescending such as, “Oh, it’s you again.”