How To Be A Customer-Focused Organization

Would you say that your customers are satisfied with the products and services provided by your organization? Do you think that having satisfied customers indicates that your organization is one that provides exceptional customer service? If so, think about what the word satisfaction really means. When your customers are satisfied, it simply means that you have met their service and performance expectations. It’s like earning a “C” on your report card. Your performance is average – not worse than expected, but not better either.

If you want to be recognized as an outstanding provider of customer service, you have to consistently exceed the expectations of your customers. This is how your organization can build customer loyalty, which is much more important than customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers aren’t angry or upset with you, but they still may choose to do business with your competitors. Loyal customers, on the other hand, are those who choose to keep coming back to you, and choose not to purchase from your competitors. Customer loyalty is based on the relationship between your organization and its customers.

Organizations that are recognized as exceptional providers of customer service are the ones that have incorporated customer-focused behaviors into their daily operations. You can do this at your organization.

Customer-focused behavior requires:

1. Make the Customer #1

• Positive initial contact
• Establish rapport
• Don’t keep customers waiting
• Don’t rush customers
• Thank customers
• Encourage customer to return
• Make customers feel special

2. Appropriate Attitude

• Respect the customer
• Keep communication positive
• Professionalism

3. Determine Customer Needs

• Ask questions until you understand the customer’s request
• Use positively phrased, direct questions
• Use active listening to convey respect and verify understanding
• Ask how you can better serve the customer’s needs

4. Build Relationships

• Be fair
• Keep your word
• Provide peace of mind
• Seek service opportunities
• Know your products and services
• Admit errors and lack of knowledge

5. Effective Problem Resolution

• Empathize with the customer
• Apologize
• Take Ownership
• Respond to problems in a timely manner
• Formulate/negotiate a win-win solution
• Don’t take problems/complaints personally
• Recognize problems as a learning opportunity

Remember that perception is reality with customer service. If your customers don’t see your organization as one that engages in customer-focused behavior, then you are not providing exceptional customer service. Remember that every time anyone who represents your organization comes in contact with a customer or prospective customer, your reputation is on the line. Treating your customers as valued individuals is often more important than price. You can cultivate loyal customers by focusing on the qualitative factors of service that mean a lot to your customers.
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This is a guest post by Mary Gormandy White, M.A., SPHR of Mobile Technical Institue. Mary is currently the Training Coordinator for Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions, where she specializes in human resources, management, and marketing training. Her article is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

A Job Market Filled With “Irrational Expectations”

Being in transition is tough so advice is often offered with a spoonful of sugar. While well intentioned, however, I think that approach sends the wrong signal to those most in need of candor.

So, being as frank (and respectful) as I can, here’s the unvarnished truth. This job market is filled with “irrational expectations.” You cannot find a job today using job search strategies and techniques that were devised for yesterday’s workplace. To put it more bluntly, you won’t find work—any work—in such a tough environment with a wimpy career.

And sadly, that’s what a lot of people are bringing to their job search. They haven’t kept their skills up-to-date. Their ability to make a contribution commensurate with their experience has atrophied. Even their network of contacts has all but withered away.

Historically, all of that didn’t matter much. You could be laid off and, with little or no change in your credentials, hit the job search trail and in relatively short order, find another, similar (or even better) position. Basically, we had a come-as-you-are job market.

Well, that experience is now gone and it’s gone forever. Why is that? Remember the jobless recovery of the 2001 recession? Well, this recession built on that development to create the “less jobs” recovery. When things start to get better, there will be fewer jobs—not more or even the same number—as there were in the recession. Jobs aren’t being left open until things get better. They’re being destroyed.

What does that mean for people in transition?

Now, you have to enter the job market in a very different way. If you want to find employment in the new world of work, you have to fix your career first. Or, at a minimum, you must be fixing it while you’re searching for a job. But, the point is that Step 1 in a job search today—not step 2 or 3 or 4—is to upgrade your capabilities and your credentials. Whether you have 20 years in the workplace or 20 minutes. From now on, you have to have a strong career if you want to conduct a strong job search.

I know you don’t want to hear this. I understand that you will probably want to shoot the messenger. But, I’m trying to be as straight as I can with you. You can no longer achieve success by looking for a job the old fashioned way. That’s simply an “irrational expectation” in this recession, in the recovery that will follow it and beyond. The world of work has changed. Permanently. And so must you.

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This is a guest post by Peter Weddle of Weddles's Job Search, Recruiting, and Employment Resources. You can also follow him on Twitter. Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish | Steve Jobs Commencement Address to Stanford University 2005 Graduates

Other than Bill Gates, Steve Jobs (incidentally, they were partners when they were still carving a name for themselves in the Silicon Valley) is one of the CEOs and successful entrepreneurs I admired the most. When he was diagnosed with a rare pancreatic cancer, instead of retiring at the comfort of his amass wealth, he decided to stay at the helm of Apple and Pixar.

But like any other human beings, and in spite of the latest medical technology, he had to slow down and take that needed rest. And mind you, when he announced early this year about his leave of absence due to health reasons, Apple’s stock dipped by 6%. Last week, for the first time since 1997, Steve Jobs was not present on Apple’s shareholders' meeting. One of the pressing agenda is whether he will still be Apple’s captain.

I’m sorry if I digressed there a bit.

Steve Jobs on Resiliency in Joblessness and Loving What You Do

Many are still losing their jobs. Many businesses are losing their steam, and some have already close shop. I wonder how Steve Jobs would think and react if he was among those? Unfortunately, he was on the same predicament many years back:

“I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Steve Jobs on Living a Purposeful Life

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Steve Jobs’ Challenge to Stanford’s 2005 Graduates: Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish!

Read the full text of Steve Jobs' speech here.

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About the Author

Nor Franco is the Managing Director and Virtual CEO of nextManager.net. He's a former corporate executive whose passion is bringing out the full potential of HR in Businesses. This time that passion is pursued through Virtual Management. He writes and blogs about his management views and insights here. Follow him on Twitter.