Great customer service isn’t rocket science. It just takes a caring nature, tireless amounts of energy, and a dash of discipline. Easy, right?
Those who are successful do find it easy. So we spoke to them to find out their secrets and came up with this Top 10 list of little things you can do to help keep a tight ship.
The questions: What one little thing do you do in the workplace that helps you run a tight ship and ensure your team delivers great service?
- Pens and scrap paper: “I notice when I go into businesses and they offer me a pen to use that has a completely different company name on it. Even worse is when I ask for information, and they jot it down on paper from the scrap drawer. That should be for internal use only! So I make sure my team only has our bank’s pens on hand and company sticky notes for small bits information that needs to be given out. It looks way more professional.” —Henrik, Branch Manager, Victoria
- Speaking in the positive: “The little thing I pull my team up on all the time is when they do not speak in the positive. Usually, it is saying something such as ‘No problem’ instead of ‘You are welcome.’ But it also could be the construction of a larger sentence such as ‘I am confused about what you want’; saying something such as ‘I would like a clearer understanding of what you need’ is more positive. Some of my team find it quite difficult to get accustomed to, so I make a bit of a game of it with them, and they can award each other points when they get it right, which earns them extra break time. Positive language breeds positive outcomes!” —Richard, Front Office Manager, Vancouver
- Spatial awareness: “I make sure my team is the best at saying “Hello” and acknowledging people. No one goes unnoticed on my watch! I test my staff on the details to make sure they always have a set of eyes on the game: ‘What color was that man’s tie? How long was the lady waiting in line for before you said ‘Hello’? It makes us the best, and we always get complimented on how attentive we are.” —Tracey, Guest Services Manager, New York
- Name tags: “Everyone on my team must have their name tag on before they can clock in. I think it is important for customers to know who they are speaking with when they have questions. It makes things much nicer and more personable. We have back-up names tags for those who forget, and they get fined in donuts if they get caught without one! On the flip side, they also get bonuses when their name gets passed along for doing something good as noted in our customer feedback form. So the incentive is there to make a connection. The name tag is something simple that makes it possible.” —Brian, Store Manager, Seattle
- Smiling as you speak: “I put a mini dressing table mirror on the desk of anyone who seems like they are tired or are struggling to sound excited on the phone. The mirror has a fake mustache glued to it and is placed perfectly, so the team member’s reflection then has a mustache! It soon puts a smile on their face and makes them sound much more interesting to talk to. In our line of business, where the client cannot see who they are speaking to, it is so very important that our reservation agents sound like they want to be there and help them get deal. —Ellen, Reservations Coordinator, Chicago
- Being tidy: “I know what my team will say about me—I am a neat freak! I am forever doing laps of the spa, fluffing the cushions and straightening the towels. All the labels on the products need to be facing the front; no clutter should be on the reception desk; and the water and tea station must always be full. I love it when I see my team take this on board, and I see them keeping things tidy. It gives the spa a sharp look. We want our guests to see that they are getting the best when they come to us, and it is these little details that can subconsciously make a difference to their opinion.” —Michelle, Spa Manager, Toronto
- The answer plus one!: “I get my team to use the ‘plus one rule.’ Whatever a guest requests, they should give the answer, plus one other bit of information that potentially will answer another question the guest didn’t think to ask. It is so easy to do and makes such a difference. For example, if someone asks for directions to the pool, after giving them directions, you also can remind the guest that they do not need to take their bath towels from the room as there are fresh towels at the pool. Tips like that always get a great response from the guests, and being extra helpful seems to put a smile on my team’s face, too.” —Rebecca, Manager on Duty, Vancouver
- Stay on the line!: “One of my pet peeves is when I call a company, and the receptionist transfers me to someone’s voicemail. If my matter were urgent, then I would need to call back again to speak with someone in person, and it becomes a big hassle. At my company, it is the policy that every phone call does not get released until either the caller has been announced to the employee, or the receptionist goes back to the caller and notifies them that the employee is not at their desk. They then get the option of leaving a voicemail. This step not only gives the client a chance to speak to someone else who is available but also means that the employee they end up speaking with already knows who to expect on the other end of the line. This makes the call much more seamless.”—Kevin, Owner, Toronto
- Product recommendation: “Each week, I test our stores on their product knowledge. I believe it is important for all our employees to be experts on 100 percent of what we offer, so they can help make recommendations to our customers. The inter-store rivalry gets them engaged in learning. We also have found that employees’ added confidence of has increased job satisfaction levels. Win-win!” —Katie, Regional Sales Manager, Denver
- Saying thank you: “Every day as each team member leaves, I say, ‘Thank you,’ to them for their efforts and name something I noticed that helped make the day go better. Sometimes it is something someone else picked up on and shared with me. Then I can say so-and-so told me you did ‘this’ today, ‘thanks.’ I find it helps strengthen the team and makes them feel more appreciated. Happy employees = happy callers.” —Emma, Helpline Supervisor, Seattle
Feel free to use some of these ideas in your workplace, and get your team to come up with some ideas of their own. Please share the ones that work!
Rachel Bailey is a training and instructional design associate for Oculus Training, a British Columbia-based corporate training and mystery shopping company offering sales management, reservations, sensitivity, and customer service training programs for a variety of service-based industries throughout Canada, the U.S., and the world. For more information, call 888.OCULUS4 or visit www.oculustraining.com. You also can connect with Oculus on Twitter @oculustraining, via e-mail at peoplecare@oculustraining.com or visit it on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
