SEVEN HABITS OF HAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGERS

Everyone knows that when managers focus on great customer service the result is not only increased profits but also leads to greater job satisfaction. Understanding customers’ problems and forging strong relationships helps to provide customers with the best possible service and will ultimately bring more enjoyment to your work.

A recent study released by J.D Power showed that in general, individuals are happier when they are successful and as a customer service manager, success is measured by the relationships they develop with their customers. All that is required is a genuine understanding of what it means to deliver great customer service. To help boost your satisfaction in the workplace take a look at our seven habits of incredibly happy customer service managers.

#1 Happy Managers Empower Those Around Them

Rather than micro-manage and try to solve every problem alone, why not share the work with your team members? Empowering team members to make decisions energizes the work place. Let your staff take part in resolving problems, and creating new service strategies will result in happier workers and better customer service.

#2 Happy Managers are Proactive

Often, great customer service and job satisfaction means solving problems before they emerge, and one of the best ways to prevent customer service issues is to give team members more training. It is proven that organizations that provide extensive training programs to their staff have a huge advantage over those who offer limited training. A Gartner study revealed that relevant training with persistent follow-up specific to their tasks results in accelerated productivity and efficiency within the workplace. More training prevents customer problems, lowers staff turnover rates and results in better company-wide performance.

#3 Happy Managers Assume that Their Customers are Well Intentioned 

No one can read minds, and often, customer service team members don’t always consider the why behind customer actions. Simply assuming customers are out to just take advantage of your company only adds extra misery to your job, while assuming your customers are well intentioned leaves room for more creative solutions to client issues.

#4 Happy Managers Turn Setbacks Into Solutions

As Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers the greatest source of learning,” so don’t let pride stand between your team and a great opportunity to improve service. No one likes an unhappy customer but they can tell you more about how to improve service than anyone else. Client problems teaches you to become a great listener, and do not keep looking for excuses but look for solutions. It will benefit both client and company.

#5 Happy Managers Try to Give to Everyone They Meet

Giving just doesn’t mean service to a customer or a bonus on a staff member’s paycheck. Giving means a smile or words of encouragement or a gesture of politeness, or even simply friendly eye contact. It will help give your customers peace of mind as well as boost morale on the job

#6 Happy Managers Strive to Go the Extra Mile

While quality service should be standard, sticking to a routine could become stale and uninspiring. Why think outside the box and try and go that extra mile for your client. It could be sharing beneficial information or offering a contact that might help them in a different area of business. In today’s world a small amount of time making the client feel good can quickly deliver much more in terms of brand awareness and advocacy. Going that extra mile for clients is a powerful way of letting them know they are valued.

#7 Happy Managers Listen and Learn

Great managers never lose the passion that got them where they are today. They thrive because they care about each individual client. Remember it is the customers who pay the bills and not the employer so pay close attention to every customer you have. Learn about your customers’ lives, how they use your products and make them feel like they are a part of the organization. As Gartner analyst Michael Maoz states, “Customer service and support are the central opportunity for an enterprise to demonstrate ethical behavior”. Demonstrate you’re appreciation by listening attentively. Today’s small customers could be tomorrow’s biggest accounts.

Written by Amy Clark

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ROLE OF A CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER

A Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cer rep­re­sents the cus­tomer in the board­room and actively man­ages cus­tomer engage­ment poli­cies and pro­ce­dures across the orga­ni­za­tion. CCO’s embrace cus­tomer advo­cacy and strive to strengthen cus­tomers’ emo­tional con­nec­tions to the brand using tar­geted ad cam­paigns and new ser­vice chan­nels. The key role of a Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cer is to learn what cus­tomers value about the com­pany and how cus­tomers feel about the level of ser­vice cur­rently being pro­vided. A Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cer then takes that data and exe­cutes change to close the gap between cus­tomer expec­ta­tions and actual experiences.

Chief Cus­tomer Offi­cers have the abil­ity to form multi-channel, multi-department teams to closely mon­i­tor and proac­tively adjust poli­cies and pro­ce­dures to max­i­mize cus­tomer sat­is­fac­tion. When customer-centricity is pro­moted from the top down, an orga­ni­za­tion will see rapid adop­tion across all man­age­ment lev­els and a result­ing increase in brand advocacy.

86% of con­sumers quit doing busi­ness with a com­pany because of a bad cus­tomer expe­ri­ence, up from 59% 4 years ago. Source: Har­ris Inter­ac­tive, Cus­tomer Expe­ri­ence Impact Report

Most com­pa­nies have been mon­i­tor­ing cus­tomer sat­is­fac­tion, but not many have been act­ing on the results. To effec­tively increase cus­tomer loy­alty and the result­ing rev­enue – orga­ni­za­tions must employ an exec­u­tive who can quickly iden­tify unmet cus­tomer needs, rec­tify sat­is­fac­tion issues regard­ing pol­icy and pro­ce­dure, and most impor­tantly, man­age the cus­tomer experience.

WRITTEN BY RACHAEL MILLER

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ETISALAT HOSTS CUSTOMERS AND CELEBRITIES TO THE SCREENING OF HALF OF A YELLOW SUN

According to acting Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher “Etisalat is pleased to be identified with this unique work of art that places Nigeria proudly on the world map and promotes the country’s movie industry. At Etisalat, we believe in pushing boundaries and expanding the frontiers in our product and service delivery to our customers. This movie with its stellar cast, all round quality in production and poignant story shares this same attribute”.The event was branded to the latter of course and had signature personalities and officials of the brand; Chairman, Etisalat Nigeria, Hakeem Bello-Osagie, Nollywood screen diva and Etisalat EasyflexAmbassador, Genevieve Nnaji, and OC Ukeje who also starred in the movie also had the prescence of some high valued customers.

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5 WAYS TO KEEP CUSTOMERS NUMBER ONE

Whether your small business is well established or in startup mode, one of the biggest challenges faced by many business owners is keeping customers as the top priority. This can be a real struggle with so many aspects of business ownership placing demands on your time and attention. However, the quality of your customer experience is arguably the most important aspect of your entire operation.

Here are five powerful ways to help you stay focused on priority number one—creating and maintaining an optimal experience for your small business customers.

1. Find the right frequency of communication

Is there anything more annoying than signing up for an online service, only to be bombarded with email? Don’t make the mistake of assuming your customers want to hear from you constantly. Overwhelming them with email or Tweets is the quickest way to turn off your customers and lose subscribers.

The opposite side of the coin, of course, is that you don’t want to ignore your customers either. Each business is different, but in general, follow the “less is more” principal. A good communication frequency is once or twice per month, and a newsletter is a smart, simple solution. It gives you an opportunity to summarize what’s new and exciting at your company and highlight the benefits of your service for your customers. Be sure to include a link to a more detailed article or blog post for each story. This keeps each communication relevant and newsworthy, helping readers to stay interested in your business.

2. Know what your customers want

Do you really know, with precision and confidence, exactly what your customers want? If you’re like most business owners, you realize the importance of listening closely and carefully to what your customers are telling you. But have you baked the ongoing gathering of input into your processes? If not, it’s time to start. Use SurveyMonkey or another simple survey tool to conduct regular emailed surveys of your customers. And, set up a virtual focus group. Get a group of 5 of your customers to agree to a one-hour monthly call to provide feedback. If you want to give participants a discount or some other perk for being part of the group, that’s fine. But, you may be surprised to find that many of your customers would be willing to provide input without any incentive, other than helping you provide a better service to them.

So don’t assume you already know what customers are thinking or feeling. Interact with them as much as you can. Listen attentively and be sure to take action based on their input.

3. Make it easy to do business with you

Revisit your own experiences with a physician, accountant, dentist or other service provider. Did you have to spend 30 minutes filling out paperwork even before seeing anyone? Was your appointment time kept, or were you delayed due to overbooking or some other problem? What about booking your appointment? Was it a simple process or a bit painful? All of these customer contact points, if not made smooth and easy, can become sources of friction that reflect poorly on the customer experience at your business. Whether you offer a product or service, run a retail operation or online store, make it easy for people to do business with you. This is a key factor in ensuring customer satisfaction even before the service is provided.

4. Make each customer feel special

No matter how many customers you have, each and every one of them want to feel valued. After all, they’re spending time and money with your business, so the quality of their experience really counts. Do you see your customers in person? If so, greet them warmly, make eye contact and reach out to them with a handshake. Remember their names—and use them—the next time you see your customers. Each customer is more than a source of sales revenue. They are unique and special, and smart business owners know that lasting businesses are built on making and maintaining good relationships.

5. Turn goodbye into another hello

Rushing a customer out the door is good way to ensure they’ll never come through your door again. When an appointment has concluded, use the moment as an opportunity to gain feedback and build rapport. Don’t rush the goodbye. Talk with your customer, ensure they had a good experience, and tell them you look forward to seeing them again. When you’re genuinely interested in your customers, they’ll know it and they’ll appreciate it.

Whatever you make, market, solve or sell, it’s your customers that keep you in business. That’s why it’s so important to give them a good experience. So, use these 5 tips to ensure you are keeping customers as priority number one – because they are.

Written by Bob La Loggia

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UNDERSTANDING CONSUMERS BEHAVIOUR FOR INCREASED PATRONAGE

A clear knowledge of the preferences of clients is required to make a company’s product attractive enough for the clients and, consequently, enable the business to be profitable.

The role of a marketer is to find out the needs and wants of consumers through research because they are the reason why the business exists. Their request will determine the kinds and quantities of products and services offered in the market.

 Market research

In order to optimally fulfill the needs of consumers, changes in their consumption pattern should be identified on time. A comprehensive market research is needed to get a better understanding of this concept.

Experts say market research is often needed to ensure that we produce what customers really want and not what we think they want.

A change in taste and preferences may also arise, especially since globalisation has been identified as a major factor that contributes to a shift lifestyle.

Moreover, in order to design an attractive marketing message that grabs the attention of the client, a discernment of what motivates a consumer is of utmost importance.

A business consultant, Mr. James Dickson, says research has shown that people purchase products for different reasons, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Patterns of behavior of individuals determine what they buy, when they buy it, and how they utilise such products.

An organisation needs to design products and services that give their client satisfaction by considering the categories of consumers they are targeting and their general characteristic.

Experts say the content of the research should comprise the identification of the market where it will be convenient to access the products and the acceptable price range clients are willing to pay. All the aforementioned information will then be used to generate an attractive marketing message that will motivate the target audience.

Determinants of consumer behavior, according to experts are:

 Values

Dickson says the motives for the demand of a product may be determined by the values of the consumers. Values are people’s broad life goals that symbolise a preferred mode of behaviour. By nature, they may be honest, compassionate, or independent and as such these attributes will shape their demands.  Consumers buy products that will help them achieve desired values; they see product attributes as a means to an end.

According to experts, understanding the means-end perspective can help marketers’ better position the product and create more effective advertising and promotion campaigns.

Another example of this is quality; when targeting consumers who value quality, marketers must sell them products that deliver and support their values.

 Income

The Chief Executive Officer, School of Success International, Mr. Seyi Olawunmi, says consumers of high social status that earn a lot and have extra cash at their disposal will likely be more able to afford expensive products that have high quality than a middle income or low income earner.

Experts say that one of the central considerations for a consumer in deciding their purchasing behaviours is their overall income level, and, thus, their budgetary constraints. The higher the income, the higher the purchasing power – although other factors may likely influence their choice.

For consumers who don’t care about the quality of the product but are concerned about the price, Dickson says marketing strategies that are channeled at making the price attractive to them will do the trick.

Offering pricing and discount opportunities attract new customers looking for value and entice old customers to try your new products or services.

Promotional messages that focus on a price reduction with increased quantity and value.

Also, offering free services have been shown to be effective in motivating patronage.

 Brand

Experts say for a business that is just starting out, the best option is to target clients within its reach, but gradually, with the right marketing message, others will be won over.

According to Olawunmi, an example of this is in a corporate world where formal mode of dressing is required, executives in an organisation may already have a brand of shirts and suits they favour and may not show interest in others. Therefore, for upcoming fashion designers, their target audience should be new recruits who do not have a favourite brand and can easily be convinced by a new brand.

Similarly, there are strong brands that have made their name in the market place and, hence, represent quality. Consequently, they are more preferred and even though some clients are unable to afford them; they will find ways of acquiring them.

 Lifestyle

Experts say lifestyle is a pattern of living that determines how people choose to spend their time, money, and energy and that reflects their values, tastes, and preferences. It has been discovered that consumers often choose goods, services and activities that are associated with a certain lifestyle.

Analysis of consumer lifestyles is important in producing insights into consumer behaviour. For instance, lifestyle analysis is useful in segmenting and targeting consumer markets. But the lifestyle of a consumer can be influenced by a change in income level, geographical location and relationship with other people.

Written by Ife Adedapo

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ARIK AIR FIXES APRIL 17 DEADLINE FOR EXPLANATION ON "FLIGHT FROM HELL"

The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has fixed April 17 as deadline for explanation from Arik Airline on the alleged inhuman treatment of passengers on its delayed New York bound flight WT3107.

The CPC Director General, Mrs Dupe Atoki, disclosed the deadline in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said that the flight billed for March 31 was delayed for about one hour and 30 minutes.

The Airline was reported to have kept the passengers of the flight on board for about one and half hours under suffocating condition due to the breakdown of its air conditioner.

Atoki said the council would not rely on a publication to draw conclusion on what had transpired, adding that she had demanded for a full brief of the incident from the Airline.

She explained that the brief would enable the council to take an informed decision on the case and further ensure that consumers got value for their money.

According to her, the council has taken up the complaints of the affected passengers and that the full brief from the Airline will enable it to take an informed decision on the case.

“In its quest to ensure that consumers gets value for their money, the council has written a letter directing Arik Airline to provide full report on the case on or before April 17, 2014.

“We will not want to draw conclusions from media reports.

“The Arik Air flight WT3107 billed for Lagos to JFK New York was delayed in Lagos from a scheduled departure time of 11.50 p.m. till 1.20 a.m. on April 1, 2014 under suffocating condition.

“The suffocation resulted from the failure of the flight’s air conditioner thereby leading to some passengers of the plane to remove their clothes due to unbearable heat,’’ she said.

Atoki, however, expressed the determination of the council to ensure adequate protection of the nation’s consumers of all products and services in the country.

She said that providers of goods and services must exhibit best ethical practise in all their interactions with consumers. (NAN).

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NESTLE UNVEILS NEW TASTE OF MAGGI CHICKEN

Consumers can now experience the new taste and packaging of their favourite chicken seasoning in style as Nestlé Nigeria plc rolls out new look and taste of the new Maggi chicken cube to retailers and consumers across Lagos metropolis.

The re-branding is in anticipation of consumer need and in response to rising demands for a rich, tasty chicken seasoning. The new product is part of ongoing effort to constantly improve Nestlé products and make them tastier, healthier, affordable, with better nutritional value.

The entry of the new Maggi Chicken cube into Lagos markets and surrounding neighbourhoods is the first of many steps taken by Nestlé to launch the new product into the Nigerian market.

According to Emeka Nwodo, brand manager, Maggi Flavours, the new seasoning enters the market in a strong position, “with a vibrant, intense and rich chicken flavour, Maggi Chicken not only gives consumers a wider choice of Maggi tastes but also ensures that we satisfy the taste and need of every woman in the kitchen, which is to create meals worthy of celebration by her family and friends.

The launch of the new Maggi Chicken cube will commence with colourful and exciting activations that will hold at major markets in Lagos; namely Ojuwoye and Mile 12, Agege, Ikotun, to name a few. The markets will be agog with the new taste and the celebration that is known to be associated with the brand. 

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WHICH BANK OFFERS THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE?

I've been to some banks where I got a good service and for them I'll give a thumbs up. I've also being to some banks, albeit, on on a wakapass mission but what I got was a bad service. Truth is, some Nigerian banks truly offer a good csutomer service and they do it much better than others. Which are your best Nigerian banks in terms of customer service?

Good customer service is what every right thinking bank customer would prefer from their bank wherever the bank is located and that includes Nigeria.

We have over so many banks in Nigeria and quite frankly, based on my experience,some of them just don't offer good customer service.

What does good customer service entail? Well, first of all it begins with the customer service desk, one of the first places a prospective bank customer would go to for making inquiries. The CS desk is also the place existing customers go to get details about their accounts such as making updates or requesting for special services.

It is essential for businesses to offer good service to their customers in order to remain in business for the long term and this is because businesses cannot exist in isolation and need to patronage of people in order to remain successful.

Good customer service may involve a lot of factors all geared towards making the bankwin the approval of their customers because there is a common business saying "The customer is always right". So, if your customer is satisfied with the service they get from their bank, that bank is said to have rendered a good customer service.

Some Factors that influence customer satisfaction
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1. Queuing time: Waiting at the bank is not something a lot of customers would want to do. Many will prefer a quick in quick out access to service. If getting service from a bank takes more time than necessary, customers would not approve of it in the long run.

2. Simplicity of operations: How simple or complex is it for customers to access your service? Some customers may prefer it to be simple while others may prefer it to be complex. You need to understand the level of your customers and adjust your service to suit them well. Customers will feel more satisfied with operations they can easily carry out.

3. Transparency: If a bank is introducing new charges, increasing current charges or setting a new policy, it's good for banks to be transparent to their customers and keep them in the loop. People are less likely to trust banks that have hidden charges. Customers feel more satisfied with banks that are honest and transparent.

4. Respect: In Nigeria, every bank customer wants to be at least respected. Bank employees would do well not to treat customers differently as everyone deserves some level of respect. Customers would feel less satisfied when they are treated as lesser human beings.

5. Environment: The banking environment should be comfortable to customers. It should not be repulsive or disorienting. People are more likely to patronize businesses when the environment in which they operate is suitable to them.

Some examples of a good customer service in Nigeria
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- Being welcomed into the bank as you walk in.
- Having little or no long queues
- Having seats available for people
- Spending less than 10 mins at your bank to get a service
- Customer service attending to you almost as soon as you get there
- Air-conditioning service

I've been to a bank that doesn't have air conditioning working and this is Nigeria. If you ask me, that is bad customer service.

Question: Which bank in Nigeria do you think offers the best customer service?

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