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Mystery Shopping, Customer Surveys or Social Media?

December 16, 2011

We are officially closing in on 2012! While we are all waiting for Santa to arrive, you may be assessing your customer relationship management. Are you contemplating whether to conduct mystery shops, customer surveys or just rely on social media for customer feedback?

Each service has it’s function and can be utilized in conjunction to provide the most complete picture of customer satisfaction.

MYSTERY SHOPPING is a service used to provide objective feedback about product quality and service delivery. Mystery shopping is more about the processes and less about the emotional state of the customer. Were you greeted with “hello”, were your needs assessed, were you helped in a prompt manner?

CUSTOMER SURVEYS are utilized to poll your customers and get to the heart of what they are thinking. Surveys are meant to uncover the more intimate feelings of their experience. It’s a way for the customer to talk directly to you by making specific suggestions, airing their pleasure or displeasure.

SOCIAL MEDIA is how customers talk ABOUT you! Social media is forging business transparency, creating both new challenges and opportunities. The days of carefully crafted press releases or flashy ad campaigns to communicate, the game has changed and customers are demanding a direct relationship with the companies with which they do business.

These days business success has less to do with the size of ad budgets, and more to do with the attention it pays to it’s customers.

The Voice of the Customer - It's Getting Louder

December 8, 2011

Savvy customers are planning to take you down! I recently read an article written by a “disgruntled” customer to other “disgruntled” customers on how to effectively get your attention in case your not listening.

http://www.businessinsider.com/when-social-media-fails-heres-how-you-can-get-your-complaint-to-the-top-of-the-pile-2011-11

Suggestions on how to get things done..

THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS – Sending multiple complaints to multiple resources will certainly let you be heard!

TWEET IT IN…If you have been living under a rock then you may think I am talking about birds! Take to Twitter this could spread your concern like wildfire.

FORGET PHONING IT IN…Go directly to the store! They cannot ignore someone who is physically present requiring an immediate resolution.

KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR COMPLAINT JOURNEY…Keeping a records of calls, visits, e-mails will only enhance your case. If you can present a complete picture of your problems they will be much more likely to listen.

GO STRAIGHT TO THE TOP…If you can manage to go straight to the top (or at least to their administrative staff) this will certainly expedite a resolution to your problem.

BEING SWEET AND KIND WILL GET YOUR EVERYWHERE…Positive results will more likely be the outcome to your concerns when you remain calm, kind and civil.

The “Occupy” movement is coming to customer service! Services such as mystery shopping and customer surveys can put you in touch and keep them camping on your doorstep.

The Power of the Customer

December 1, 2011

Ever thought about how much power your customers have these days. They can blog, tweet, post a video, or Facebook how much they don’t like you. Your customer truly has the power to make or break your business and it’s reputation. If a complaint goes viral, it’s possible that millions of people will learn about the problem.

In September a major insurance carrier, MetLife, lost a contract for LA Unified School District. Due to ONE disgruntled customer who just happened to be a board member with alot of important ears at his disposal. Richard Vladovic persuaded fellow school board members to reject a multimillion-dollar insurance contract after receiving what he says was improper billing and poor service. That was just the power of one.

You can avoid customer service nightmares such as the one described above by adopting customer first policies, implementing customer surveys and conducting mystery shopping. By implementing a customer centric attitude, the only thing that will go viral are sales!

Tis the Customer Service Season!

November 25, 2011

You did it…slept off the turkey coma and are now ready to serve your holiday customers! This time of year brings many joys and challenges. Serving the masses of shoppers with a smile on you face and glitter in your heart can be daunting.

Providing the same level of good customer service during this time of year is even more imperative as it is the most profitable time of year. According to the Accenture 2011 Global Consumer Research Survey, your customers CAN be kept happy by keeping a few of these things in mind…

1) Employees who are consistently polite and friendly.
2) Employees who are knowledgeable and always willing to help.
3) Not being transferred to another service service representative for help.
4) Employees who remember details about a customer’s history.
5) Access to environmentally friendly options.
6) Convenience.
7) Ability to resolve issues without speaking to more than one representative.

Move your customers experience in a positive direction this holiday season, and maybe Santa will be good to you too!

Rewarding Customer Loyalty

November 17, 2011

Our company has been a faithful customer to a certain water delivery service for over 18 years. I will not name names…but their trucks SPARKLE in the sunlight!

About 3 weeks ago our office manager was approached by a competitor company with betting pricing AND other promotional goodies in an effort to win our business. It was a deal the office manager could not resist because of the significant cost savings.

Later that week our regular water delivery person (who drives the shiny truck), arrived at the offices with the usual order. He was informed at that time our service with his company had been cancelled. He was sincerely disappointed that we switched services without consulting him first. He admonished the office manager (in the most professional way possible!) and informed her how she could have approached him for a better deal on pricing. He explained how he could have beat the pricing of the other company AND would give us his “new customer” pricing.

WHAT!? Our company had been a faithful customer for 18 years and new customers are getting better long term pricing than us? My point after 4 paragraphs is, why wait until a cancellation to pass on the savings. They lost a customer not only on price but on principle as well. Morale: trying to make the extra buck off the loyal is no way to keep business.

Selfstorage.com is SERIOUS about customer service!

November 10, 2011

Zappos, Amazon and Overstock.com are internet companies who are leaders in providing outstanding customer service to their customers. MOVE OVER (no pun intended!), selfstorage.com should be added to this prestigious list of internet companies who provide OUTSTANDING customer service.

In an effort to reach more potential self-storage clients, I contacted selfstorage.com about an on-line presence for our company. Things began with a speedy call back from one of their sales representatives. Allison was pleasant, helpful and most importantly took her time to explain all of my options. After deciding on which advertising level was best for our needs, I gave the sales representative the word to proceed.

Usually at this point you are left to fend for yourself, but not by selfstorage.com. I was contacted EXACTLY at the time quoted by another associate to run through things with me. This could have EASILY been another reason to sell me something, but it was not! To my surprise Dan called to help (wow, the sale was booked and he still wants to help!) Dan explained that our on-line profile was completely set up, my logo was loaded, our written profile was started, and I was on my way. BUT… it did not stop there, he offered to help me navigate the site and assist with some back linking questions I had. Believe it or not, he even offered to load the back links for me if I preferred. Wow!

Being a mystery shopping company we are hypersensitive to good and bad customer service, which prompted me to write this blog entry. So many times we are reporting on bad customer service and how to improve…selfstorage.com needs no improvement. Had this been a mystery shop, their score would have been 100% plus bonus points! Their main concern was my happiness as a customer and ease of use of their website. I never felt this was a sales call…rather one company to another trying to create a lasting relationship.

Good Samaritan Policy - would this apply to their customers too?

October 18, 2011

I know this blog entry is a little off topic, but I just had to address. Some policies are just made to be broken.

In an astounding article I just read… http://tiny.cc/r0ace a popular cable company was willing to sacrifice an employee’s life over avoiding legal troubles for becoming involved in administering CPR.

An employee was in apparent medical distress, clearly needing urgent and immediate attention. A fellow co-worker proceeded to perform CPR and the supervisor intervened and demanded they stop and get back to the phones. According to the article and by the companies own admission they have “policy” for such situations. The popular cable company released the following statement: “**** * responded appropriately to a medical emergency. Our company has procedures in place to respond to emergencies. We are saddened by the loss of one of our employees who was a co-worker and a friend. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”

What if it was a customer in distress can you imagine the PR nightmare. Whether it’s an internal customer or external customer the basic rights to administering live saving techniques should not come down to “policy”.

The Best and Worst of Customer Service

September 8, 2011

After nearly a year and a half of planning, my daughter and her Fiance were married this past Saturday. She was beautiful, the Groom was adorable and this major milestone was a dream come true. Our family, guests and the Bride and Groom had a magical time celebrating becoming high school sweethearts for life!

Being in the business of customer service management for 18 years, I knew something was bound to go awry. Not being negative, just realistic! About 2 weeks away from wedding day we discovered the reception venue would not be available for set-up until AFTER they were married…hmmm seems to be a bit of a problem!

This dilemma lead to many extra tasks a new Bride would not need to endure, hiring extra help, more meetings and several additional e-mails to send. Clearly our reception venue had created a huge problem for us because of poor planning on their part. It really did not surprise us as during the course of planning, we had experienced mediocre customer service at best.

Things escalated quickly to upper management as you might imagine! Upper management fully admitted the lack of customer service and planning on their part and went into action. Plans were hatched, financial compensation was made, and upper management follow-up was executed.

NOW THIS WAS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MY BOOK! Customer service breaches are bound to happen BUT it is how the breaches are handled that matter. We most definitely experienced pain and suffering through this ordeal, in the end the venue made everything that was wrong…right. The reception was beautiful, the staff was attentive, and my daughter and son-in-law had the wedding of their dreams!

Consumers -- Rulers of the Economy

August 21, 2011

Over the last 2 weeks it’s safe to say everyone is shaking their heads over the state of the economy. The only stable thing right now is gold…I guess now is the time to cash in on that 80’s serpentine chain gentlemen!

While there are good arguments about why the economy is so unstable, there is another force in the economy that can’t be overlooked — consumers. Consumers dominate the economy. In any year, spending by consumers accounts for about 70 percent of all economic activity, more than twice as much as spending by businesses and government combined. Yes, spending is down but no matter how much consumers spend, consumers still rule.

So… you cannot control the stock market, you cannot control HOW much a consumer spends, but what you can control is how your consumer perceives you. Is your brand doing everything it can to keep old customers and gain new ones? Understanding how your company, employees, services or products are perceived could be accomplished through utilizing services such as mystery shopping, and compliance audits. Controlling what we can and letting go of what we can’t can bring some peace to this wild ride called the “economy”.

Fishbowl Customer Service

June 27, 2011

If you have not noticed while passing an Apple retail store there is something intoxicating about the store front. I find myself stopping EVERY time I walk by. There seems to be an ever present buzz that always gets my attention . It was not until I came across an article http://ow.ly/5rrRa that I put the puzzle pieces together.

The large fishbowl glass windows, genius. The obvious presence of customers, genius. Hardworking staff wired to the moon, genius. Apple has managed to take a simple operation such as customer service and create a live picture to every passing customer in the mall.

While I am not a Mac person, my daughter is so I have accompanied her to the store a few times. There is always one or two salespersons ready, willing and able to help for all the mall to see. During a particular transaction our sales person left us for under 1 minute during which time we had 2 other people approach asking if we needed help. A customers dream, service when you don’t even need it!

Rather than a couple of dusty shelves in the back of the store and a guy staring intently at a computer screen only available to assist when he decides to, Apple has taken their operation to the store front for all to see. It’s no secret a successful business is a customer centric business, take ANY opportunity to promote the act of customer service.

The Whole Enchilada!

June 19, 2011

We read books from cover to cover, we watch movies from beginning to end. Clearly we need the whole picture for it to make sense, no brainer! Why wouldn’t we take the same approach to our customer feedback programs?

Conducting customer feedback projects one time per year is a great way to obtain a distorted view of what your customer thinks. The decision to initiate a survey can be due to a nasty complaint from a customer and becomes a reactive situation. Yes, dollars are saved on budget…however in reality businesses miss out on the opportunity to gain a better understanding of its customers on a greater scale. By being proactive and engaging in a consistent program, a more meaningful and lasting relationship is developed with the customer.

Collecting customer feedback isn’t just about finding out what your customers are unhappy about–instead, it’s about gaining a better understanding of what your customers want, need and care about most in order to create more and lasting value for them. Consistently talking to your customers and listening to their feedback is the only means through which you can gain clarity about what’s most important to them.

The new luxury is the old luxury: customer service

June 3, 2011

Who needs plush robes and fancy freebie soaps when you have a smile? Some of the largest hotel chains in the world are electing to rethink what makes the customer happy. The economy has caused even some of the flashiest hotels to cut costs.

Good customer service can go a long way. By putting a greater focus on the things that matter…greeting with a smile, using a guest name, prompt room service, the hotel trendsetters are finding the value in what really is free! It does not cost a dime to go that extra mile. I guess we will have to find another way to stock up on those little bottles that come in handy when the empty bottle of shampoo is discovered! http://ow.ly/59JnL

Are we human or are we dancers?

May 24, 2011

Being yourself is something we have always taught our daughters. Now young adults, we were blessed with a comedian, a animation Illustrator, and hair stylist. Traditional career paths they are not, but they followed their hearts and we fully supported this. Don’t get me wrong, being the butt of most jokes has it’s downside! My husband and I both agree the most important life lesson for our girls was to teach them to be themselves, as it is a much happier journey than being someone else. The perception of others is important, however people are much more drawn to “the real you”. You ask how do comedians, illustrators and being the “real you” relate to mystery shopping and customer relationship management?

In a recent blog entry by David Armano http://ow.ly/52d34 he detailed the importance of being more human in our social networking – as organizations who put a human face to themselves are industry leaders in customer service such as Zappos. People turn to Twitter and Facebook to be human, to express displeasure and triumph. They want someone to listen, to respond, and to validate their feelings. Companies who foster a customer service environment that’s approachable and human, do far better than companies who push robotic phrases and corporate answers. A theory validated by the explosion of social media.

Is your model broken?

May 16, 2011

Big box retailer, Office Depot, knew something was broken when they announced a $46 million loss in 2010. By their own admission, Office Depot was not taking care of their retail store customers. When Kevin Peter’s head of the retail division went undercover and mystery shopped nearly 70 Office Depot locations, his findings were “disappointing”.

Besides fierce competition from other giants such as Staples and OfficeMax, Mr. Peters found customer needs were not being met. Customers would leave without getting help they needed, store layouts were too confusing and difficult to maneuver. Immediate changes ensued. Office Depot adopted the new edict, “We drop everything and help the customer.” As a result of some undercover work as a mystery shopper from the man at the top, Office Depot is now a customer centric company. They downsized, reorganized store layouts and put customer needs first.

Is your model broken? Are you aware of how your business is perceived by the customer? Mystery shopping can keep your business model intact. http://ow.ly/4VVkY

Mystery Shopping gets "high five" from American Express survey

May 12, 2011

Americans clearly are willing to pay for superior service. In a recent survey conducted by American Express, 70% of the buying public will spend more if they know it will result in better service. With customers having the ability to take to the “social airwaves” via Twitter and Facebook, being in touch with your customer is more crucial to brand image than ever before. The American Express survey reinforces the value and importance of investing in customer experience services such as mystery shopping. http://ow.ly/4Tqah

Follow us on Twitter!

May 10, 2011

Cirrus is no Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or Britney Spears when it comes to Twitter followers. It’s quite okay! We are not looking for 8 million followers…just anyone who will enjoy some valuable information about good customer service and building a trusting consistent brand. Our tweets are not self-promoting but interesting thoughts, quotes and links to valuable information explaining the importance of incorporating customer experience solutions such as mystery shopping, audits and surveys into your business plan. If you have a free moment, look us up on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CirrusMarketing.

Blogtelligence is here...

May 4, 2011

With 400 million blogs out there, what more can I really say? I have put blogging off as long as I could to be quite honest! Admitting “tweeting” was good for business was hard enough. For 4 years I pondered why anyone would care what I have to say in 140 characters all day long. However, as my attitude has matured over the last few years about the importance of social media, so has the realization the last piece of that puzzle is blogging. Yes, I said it “I am officially a blogger!” Like it or not I admit blogs are the new face of the web.

My name is Monnie Howard, I am the Founder and Director of Client Services for Cirrus Marketing Intelligence. I finally succumbed to the monster notion I too must blog. They say your first entry can be short and sweet and I think I will take that and run with it. There…my first entry is complete and I can sleep tonight. Thanks for reading and I promise not to bore you in future entries with details of how wonderful my staff is and how Cirrus Marketing Intelligence is the first choice in customer experience services (OK, maybe I will just a little!) My plan is to share interesting, insightful pieces of information from a more personal perspective. Until next time…

P.S. First and last picture you will see of me!