Customer Service Tip: Pour Some Sugar On Me

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This post was mentioned on Twitter by ElizabethHagen: rt @nancymarmolejo Customer Service Tip: Pour Some Sugar On Me http://twurl.nl/05he5h...

Oh man! Not only is this a great lesson in customer service, but its a great lesson in putting our people in the right places. This secretary very well may be awesome at task oriented jobs – like detail work, organization, following the 'rules,' getting things done. She is the WRONG person to have out front dealing with prospects and people. But this is a very common mistake w/ businesses who put their admin person on the phone or out front. It is fairly rare to find one person who is strong in both of those areas. (task and people.)

You're right Gina, right person in the right place! Doesn't matter if it's a school or a business, that first impression does last.:-)Nancy

WOW! One of my favorite SmarTini Tips states very simply that "EVERYONE in your organization must have a marketing mindset" — this secretary obviously does not.

As the first point of contact for the public, it's her role to be warm and receptive regardless of the "business" they're in, but most especially in a school where you're considering sending your child.

Gina hit the nail on the head…regardless of how awesome she is at her admin tasks, this secretary isn't the person to be greeting the public and a savvy school administrator would take immediate action to address.

It's a great reminder to us all. My team often shakes their head at my frequent reminders to practice Extreme Client Care(tm) with all our clients but the reminders are there for a reason.

Perhaps printing this blog post and sending it to the school administrator as a quick refresher is in order…

Hi Nancy,

Oh, you've hit a hot spot with me. Customer service is so important and they key word is "service". I am continually amazed at how many people don't seem to care. I think it boils down to relationships and truly doing what you love with appreciation for how your contribution gives back to the world.

Because I truly want to be of service (even in the smallest way, a kind smile, holding a door open, being friendly and HUMAN) to everyone I come in contact with (not just customers, clients, friends or family), it's easier to provide excellent customer service. Since this is my philosophy, I tend to attract team members with the same philosophy and we support one another. Great customer service depends upon pride, loving what you do, knowing you are appreciated and truly being of service — especially in business.

If a customer has a bad experience, they are 10 times more likely to share it (heck, you just blogged about it because it frustrated and disappointed you so much). This means customers are ranting about you. Whereas, great customer service will prompt customers to rave about you and become your customer evangelists.

By the way– I love you and your services and continually send people your way becasue I had a positive customer service expereince when I invested in your product. It's been a few years but I still remember and you are appreciated.

Write on!~

Lisa

It's incredible just how common this scenario is…which is really unfortunate!So…how do you infuse great customer service in your business? You do it by leading and living the culture you want to develop.You hire for attitude and train for skill.You make sure that your people know that it's perfectly acceptable to go out of your way to assist your customers…with a smile…and the desire to actually help people.Years ago I remember being criticised on an interview panel for making judgements based upon mannerisms, body language, tone of voice etc…Those sorts of qualities can be the window to your true self…which relates back to hiring people for their attitude.A receptionist could type 600 words per minute with 100% accuracy, but that's going to be a redundant skill if they speak to your customers poorly. Pretty soon, they'll have nothing to type and no business to work for.Nice post Nancy

Brendan, you're so wise:"You hire for attitude and train for skill."I have done that in the past and been so happy! I remember having someone on my team who was technically perfect but I realized she had a cold personality and no matter how great all these other people said, I knew that attitude had to be #1.

Thanks so much Lisa, and appreciate the referrals! You're right… a bad experience will stand out 10 times stronger than a good one. I love to share about wonderful experiences, but there are such pointed lessons to pull from the bad ones.thanks for your perspective!

Yow! Sending this to the school administrator…OK, I'm going to think on this!Sandy, you being a guest blogger here has made me hyper aware of customer service in my business and how people get treated in general. Thanks for your views and for reminding us that client care does need to be extreme: extremely awesome.:-)

Well, to be fair it's a Richard Branson quote…but I guess I'm wise enough to hold onto it

It's funny that this post appear now as I was only having this same discussion with a friend last week (or maybe the week before) about schools and the grumps they sit in the front office.

I'm not sure how the schoo system works in the USA, but my previous discussions were focussed on State Schools in particular. And from there, the attention actually turned to state and federal services more than anything, where the service or organisation holds a "captive" market of customers who really don't have a choice about the use of their services.

Take a drivers license for example. In NSW, Australia…you have the Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA). It's not like you can "shop around" to find the best deal on a license renewal; thus the RTA have a "captive" client base. This doesn't give them the right to treat their customers like crap, because they know you can't go anywhere else.

Infact, I'm actually half way through writing my next blog on this very topic and I am specifically looking at issues of poor customer service and how they impact upon efficiency, funding and market impression.

There are many over here who think I'm crazy when I say things like…"well, the Health Department is funded quite adequately! If they spent more time treating people nicely, they would receive significantly less complaints, which in turn require significantly less time to investigate through a laborious and beauracratic process, when that time could be better spent improving and delivering services"!

Thankyou Your Honor…the prosecution rests…

Can I ask why you need to think about sending this blog (with comments) to the school?

I'm all for discussing poor services and ways they should be improved, but I'm also an advocate for telling people when they have problems so that they have the opportunity to fix them.

Without complaints…there is no improvement. And complaints, for the most part, change our world for the better

Nancy,
Your post was great; as were all the comments. I think the question becomes: How do we act when we receive great customer service; and the opposite, as you just did.
What I attempt to do when I get great service, as in a driver's license bureau (bureaucracy) is compliment the manager in the office on the employee who gave the great service; When bad service is received, more thought is required. I ask the question: How can I assist these folks in providing better or even great service? No easy one answer, but a great jumping off point.

Ok so I live and breathe by the idea of good customer service. And I think Nancy hit this one on the head — it can really be the simple things. But interestingly enough, one of my clients asked me last week, “Melanie, do you think the customer is ALWAYS right?”

My answer was no, I don't. But HOW we handle the customer when they've gone too far is key. Being respectful, having a smile on your face and acknowledging the boundary can be done with grace. The key I think is hiring people that reflect your business values so they will know how to do this from an organic place PLUS training them well on how you would handle certain circumstances.

Gina also made a great point…knowing people's strengths and making sure they are in the right place for customer contact. Someone analytical & detail-oriented probably isn't best in heavy customer service roles — but a supporter who is a good conversationalist is.

I inspire my team to think, give, act and receive as IF this was their very own clients/business, and their legacy to their family and the world, depended on it. We're all one…."eternally". I would ask the school administrator and the secretary too: "Is this how you want to be remembered?" Their behavior has a direct impact on the school performance going forward, both academically and financially. It reflects their future earning strength/power to grow, expand, facilitate, contribute and serve!

Thanks Ali, it is family. That's so true!

David, I can't agree with you more. When we get great service (especially at a place where we don't expect it) it's important to go out of the way to share the positive experience!

David, I can't agree with you more. When we get great service (especially at a place where we don't expect it) it's important to go out of the way to share the positive experience!

Brendon, I have a meeting coming up with them and I think that would be an appropriate time. Thanks for the nudge!

Thank you so much for bringing up the "customer is always right" angle. There are certainly people who want to torture you in the name of "pleasing the customer" and I agree that graceful boundaries are key. Way to go, awesome comment!

Yikes! My snarky self would like to ask this woman, "Did they train you to be this inflexible and clueless or does it just come naturally?" Of course, I never would. That said, I think the school needs to know what you experienced because this woman is in the wrong job. She's approaching the situation from a mechanistic viewpoint and when the "machine" broke down, she defaulted to parroting the rules (rather than choosing to connect with you where you were at). This scenario proves that social skills are just as important as math skills, writing skills, coaching skills, etc. In the end, it's our connection with people that matters, and if we can help them be seen and heard on an authentic level, amazing things happen. That's one of the reasons YOU rock; you do this.

Sounds great. Good luck! I hope your meeting goes well

This is VITALLY important, especially now. Imagine, you spend all this time and effort bringing leads into your business then someone (who isn't even you but a member of your team) is having a bad day and kills the sale. And maybe it could have been a really big sale. Without good customer service, all your other marketing activities completely go to waste.

Good job reminding us about this.

Michele PW

Having worked in the school system for 30 years I have seen this situation happen. I also know how stressed and overworked most of the school staff is- not that being overworked and stressed excuses rudeness. I guess my thought is that we can't know what happened earlier that day that caused this person to respond in the manner that she did. I suggest going back in to talk to her, perhaps about another issue, before making a final decision on her people skills.

Gee, it sounds like she is not very happy in her job. Aren't we all glad we don't have to do that? Seriously though, before starting Corporate Fugitive I was consulting to big organizations on the link between happy employees, better marketing and stronger bottom lines. This story is the classic example of a workplace culture that is out of sync. No amount of marketing will overcome the impressions consumers get from unhappy (or misinformed) frontline staff. If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Oh, brother. First off, I worked for a school district for eight years. There's NO reason under the sun they couldn't have accommodated your schedule. My question is, "How darn badly do they want recruit new students?!"

Secondly, I've been a medical professional in obstetrics for 25+ years and I forewarn expectant couples to "closely scrutinize" the personnel at pediatrician's offices before deciding on a doctor. If every time you phone in or every time you go in for a visit, you're greeted by "Nasty Nurse Nancy" (sorry, Nancy), then DON'T GO THERE.

Call it customer service, call it PR, call it common courtesy, call it anything you want to. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

I didn't notice mention of this in your post, but I wonder if this school is actually trying to cultivate an aura of exclusivity through their (snooty) attitude? In my industry (couture apparel), it seems that the more arrogant a designer is, the more people seem to want to use that designer. The implication is that the product is so superior, so desired, that people will put up with poor customer service to obtain the services of this highly-regarded designer. Even designers who are just starting out seem to think they have to establish their credibility by acting "hard to get." I can't count how many of my clients have told me horror stories about dealing with these "prima-donnas" before they finally recognized that they were spending a lot of money and didn't deserve to be treated poorly as they were emptying their bank accounts for custom designed gowns. This phenomena might be more applicable to the entertainment and arts industries, but I've even spotted the attitude in as diverse places as my doctor's office and the distributor I buy rhinestones from…no wonder I groan at the thought of making an appointment at the doctor or ordering more Swarovski crystals. And you can bet that as soon as I find alternatives to those providers, I'll certainly switch (I'd even pay a little more for a little less attitude!).

Hi Nancy,I have been in the customer service field in one capacity or another for my whole career and I can tell you this much. It is key to any business. Whether you are an internet marketer or a school.As a VA, I have many clients that I handle their customer service for. I answer the emails immediately, I offer them freebies when it is something that was a snafu on our part or just offer it as a goodwill gesture. It doesn't have to be a high priced item.In today's ecomony, one has to be hyper vigilant in regards to satisfying the consumer or they will go some place else.Many times, I get a return email thanking me for the great customer service and how much they appreciate the prompt and generous response. They will be coming back and that is the key.

One reason why I'm in business for myself? So I never have to work for someone again who doesn't have the highest standards of customer service. Those standards don't mean the customer is always right, but they do mean treating my clients the way I would like to be treated. (Now where have I heard that before? Something about a Golden Rule???) Sometimes they may even mean — gasp — apologizing for a mistake I've made. Novel concept!

Hi Nancy,Did you receive an application from me in November 2009? I faxed it and never received an acknowledgment. It just occurred to me that maybe it didn't really go through and you never got it.It was from me, Cindy Cummins and was sent from Oceanside CA.I have to admit I got a bit upset and unsubscribed from your newsletter (after following since 2004 that was hard for me) BUT since I evidently had two email subscriptions I still receive some updates and haven't unsubscribed. I always have recommended you and know you to be a caring authentic person. This post seemed like a time to just ask if you had received it. It cost me $17 to send it! Plus I wrote like mad on the airplane to meet the deadline. It was some sort of drawing that would have allowed me some coaching with you at a reduced rate. thanks for looking into , in advanceCindy

Hi Cindy:I'll talk to my assistant about that, I am so sorry that you had that experience! I so appreciate you sharing it here. OK, so this is indeed a teachable moment for all of us in follow up!thanks so much! We'll be in touch.blessings,Nancy

Well, it's a public school so dear me, if they start copping attitude I don't know what I'll do!

This is a great blog, Nancy. Thank you for raising this point. I believe that everyone in a company should have Customer Service as part of their job description. Even if they never have contact with a customer. Never can tell what someone may "see" that will make the customer experience better. In the case of the secretary, I think a polite, "by the way", comment to the school principal is in order. But I like to make comments like this in a positive – helpful manor. Pour that sugar on. It goes a long way.

You got it! And I may switch to agave sweetener, hear it's stickier and better than sugar.:-)

thank you!! I got your emails too!!

Just saw this post and since it is a few days ago- not a whole lot of new I can offer. What I would like to say is that many times we all feel frustrated and put upon. In those moments I find myself taking a deep breath and asking "I sounds to me like you have had a hard day and it is Monday OUCH, while I feel for you here is how this is sounding to me…you do not care to accommodate my needs and if that is how it is in the beginning I am afraid of how our relationship would look later on-is that how you meant to come across? (then smile real big) It gives them room to save face while still expressing the "un-coolness of her behavior".Not a big fan of leaving scene and letting situations be unaddressed. It does not help either party. I appreciate some folks want time to think and I find that the more you practice this form of asking "Is that what you meant?" the quicker everyone has a opportunity to move forward with clarity and love.I love your ability to share what you think here and use them as biz lessons.

Wow! This was an amazingly frustrating, but telling experience. You are so right that your treatment by this first-point-of-contact-person perhaps reflects what you can expect from the school in other ways. Since she was the secretary, however, and not the owner/administrator, I would definitely voice my upset and concern to the owner. There is a possibility that the owner does not know how this secretary is interacting with newcomers and reflecting on her school. If no one who received such treatment ever complained, how would the administrator know and make changes? As a matter of fact, you have already written about it in your blog so why not pass a copy of this to the administrator, pointing out that you shared it with thousands on the Internet.

I completely agree with so many of the comments and the basic idea of your blog post. However, you are talking about a public school. You are not their customer. Both schools and parents need to come together and make things happen for the benefit of the children. I wonder why you are being so inflexible? Why can't you change your schedule around to accommodate theirs? Why should they be the one to change and not you? It sounds like you think your time and how it is spent is more important than the schools. It's admirable that you help at your child's present school on Fridays, but I think they could survive a few hours without you while you tour the new school. Yes, the secretary could have handled this in a more friendly and professional manner. But what if every parent thought like you and felt they deserved a special day for their tour? It's easy to see flaws in others, but sometimes we need to look inward as well.