![\"Tired](\"http:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/tiredrep.jpg\")
\nHave you ever called a company and been greeted with the phrase “Hold, please”? Does it make you think that customer service is dying?<\/strong><\/p>\n Maybe you can\u2019t hold; maybe you have 10 seconds of juice left on your cell phone and your hair is on fire!<\/p>\n Then you finally get someone on the phone, only to be told, \u201cI can\u2019t actually help you; I\u2019m just paid to apologize, and I\u2019m really sorry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Being frustrated, by a lack of customer service is nothing new. It just seems that in the last few years, companies have become more innovative when it comes to not helping you solve your problems.<\/p>\n I recently asked a hotel employee to help me with my luggage. He told me to hold on and he would have someone look into it. I thought, \u201cHey, you\u2019re someone\u2014why can\u2019t you look into it?\u201d<\/p>\n I realize that we are as busy as we have ever been, and that many younger people, were not brought up in the traditional culture of customer service. But none of these excuses will protect your business in today\u2019s challenging economy, where customers are questioning value even with companies they have known for years.<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s time to get back to basics and make service a real priority. Sure, plenty of companies claim to offer great customer care. But raising your service standards requires more than a promise; you need to set concrete goals and establish effective procedures to meet them.<\/p>\n Whether you own the company, handle key accounts or just accidentally encounter your customers, you\u2019ll reap huge benefits by applying the following customer service goals:<\/p>\n On the Phone<\/strong><\/p>\n Be friendly! No one wants to send a check to people who seem to be bothered by their call.<\/p>\n Ask permission before putting a caller on hold. If a customer is greeted with \u201cHold, please,\u201d what the customer really hears is \u201cHang on! Someone much more important than you just called in.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep it professional. Smoking cigarettes, slurping a drink, and playing the drums on your desk makes callers feel like they are getting advice from a guy in a bar.<\/p>\n Make sure that callers don\u2019t have to repeat themselves. Someone who has explained a problem three times to three different people hangs up angry, whether or not the problem is solved.<\/p>\n Create a positive image to attract business. Remember that squirrels are just rats with good publicity.<\/p>\n Display compassion for people who are upset. People who don\u2019t think you care won\u2019t value your solution.<\/p>\n Be very clear when you explain a process. When customers don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about, they assume you don\u2019t either.<\/p>\n Do what you say you\u2019re going to do. When you don\u2019t follow through, people don\u2019t think you have forgotten. They think you don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n Know when to bring in someone else. When it becomes clear that the customer thinks you are the problem, set your ego aside and send in a fresh face.<\/p>\n Establish a simple, easy-to-implement customer service plan. When something is really complicated, it\u2019s hard to tell if it\u2019s working.<\/p>\n Well, I think customer service will survive\u2014and I feel better now that I\u2019ve written this article\u2014but it\u2019s important that we help nurse that ailing customer service to a full recovery, ensuring a healthy prognosis for today\u2019s businesses.<\/p>\n The companies that attract and keep the best customers are usually the most effective at managing expectations and emotions. Successful companies train their people to anticipate customer needs and to solve problems before the customer knows they exist.<\/p>\n But before you can do any of this, you have to start with the basics. If you really want customers, set customer service goals. Remember, if you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going, any road will take you there.<\/p>\n