Stepping Up Service

There are some industries where customer perceptions are more based on how you handle the tough situations than on whether or not you deliver the “WOW” experience. In this episode, Ed Gagnon of Customer Service Solutions explains to Alan some of these examples, and then the key things the customer wants us to do when "things go bad". This discussion is based on one of Ed's "Tip of the Week" postings on the Customer Service Solutions web site: cssamerica.com/how-good-are-you-when-things-go-bad-8916-customer-service-tip/. And, as always, Alan and Ed share their "Customer Service Story of the Month". This month, both hosts share positive experiences that illustrate how the "little things" can make a big difference our perception of the service we are receiving. Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at wwww.thejacksongroup.com.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This month's episode addresses how many market professionals are claiming that customer service is really just a form of marketing... and how that’s a good thing. Alan and Ed talk through examples of how marketers are co-opting customer service and using as a core element of their marketing strategy. Ed explains how this is overall good for the customer service culture of an organization and how it can be good for customer service professionals. Plus, Alan and Ed share their "Customer Service Story of the Month"... with both of them having a positive story to share! Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at wwww.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ed Gagnon (Customer Service Solutions) shares a personal story about his experience with a telecommunications company and how their poor internal communications resulted in a unsatisfactory customer experience.  Ed and Alan Jackson (Bivarus) discuss the various failure points of the experience and how this it could have been improved through stronger communications - both internally and externally.  Alan and Ed also share their Customer Service Story of the Month at the end of the episode. Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are many great values that come to mind when thinking about what makes a great customer service team.  But Ed Gagnon of Customer Service Solutions (www.cssamerica.com) talks with Alan about how some of these terms - while seemingly contradictory - actually mesh very well to showcase different aspects of a high-performing team.  Alan and Ed also share their "Customer Service Story of the Month" at the end of the episode. Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Employees of any organization play a critical role in the level of service that is delivered to customers.  And employees that feel appreciated by the organization for the work they perform are going to have more incentive to deliver the best service possible.  Alan and Ed discuss why showing appreciation to employees for the work they do is important, explain some of the aspects of effective appreciation, and then provide examples of ways that appreciation can be shown to a variety of employee types. Alan and Ed also provide their "Customer Service Story of the Month" where they share their own experiences from the last 30 days and lessons we can learn from those encounters. Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This month’s episode is different than previous installments; in this episode, Alan Jackson (Bivarus/The Jackson Group) takes over the microphone to relay a recent customer service experience that has him a bit frazzled.  Along the way, Ed Gagnon (Customer Service Solutions) offers insight as to the various “pain points” Alan experienced and what the vendor should have done to make things right.  It’s an “Epic Rant” episode, but some valuable customer service tips and reminders emerge from the discussion. Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As customer service needs continue to change and evolve with time, it is important to make sure the employees we have in the future exhibit the qualities that are going to meet those needs.  Like the example of the "Six Million Dollar Man", Alan and Ed discuss how to design the ideal future employee to meet your customer service needs.  Ed explains the six traits that we need to look for in these future employees, and how those skills address emerging customer service requirements.  Plus, Alan and Ed share their “Customer Service Story of the Month” where Alan steps on his soapbox and issues a task to everyone that owns a store, restaurant, movie theater, or runs a government office. About the hosts: Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many customers nowadays note that “respect” is very important to them and they get angry when they feel “disrespected.”  Alan Jackson (The Jackson Group) and Ed Gagnon (Customer Service Solutions) discuss what customers see as “respect" and what the idea of “disrespect" looks like to them.  Ed gives several examples of what employees may be doing that could make the customer feel disrespected…and how to avoid those anger-inducing actions.  And to close out the episode, Alan and Ed share their “Customer Service Stories of the Month”. About the hosts: Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alan Jackson (The Jackson Group, www.thejacksongroup.com) and Ed Gagnon (Customer Service Solutions, www.cssamerica.com) discuss how employee engagement requires an emotional connection between the organization and its employees…and how emotional engagement with employees is so important providing better customer service to your clients.  Ed explains the importance of the emotional engagement with employees and several steps to take to make it happen within your organization. About the hosts:Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes all we need are simple, everyday reminders about the importance of customer service in our organization. Quotes by famous – and sometimes not-so-famous – people can provide us with those reminders in a very memorable way. In this episode, Ed Gagnon of Customer Service Solutions shares twenty “Customer Service Quotes” with his co-host, Alan Jackson of The Jackson Group, quizzing him along the way as to the author of each quote. These quotes are great for sharing with co-workers or colleagues to keep customer service in the forefront of our daily work. About the hosts: Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com. Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In many organizations, losing a customer could come as a shock or surprise…. but there may have been pieces of information that could have helped you predict which customers are planning to leave.  Gathering and using this information is critical to helping “predict the exit” of a customer or client.  Ed Gagnon of Customer Service Solutions shares with Alan Jackson (of The Jackson Group) specific examples of how to predict which customers may leave your business and what to do about those most at-risk. About the hosts:Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Ed explains to Alan the four “Must Do’s” to have the foundation your organization needs for a successful customer experience.  Some of these aren’t what you’d think – there are surprises galore!  This topic is based on one of Customer Service Solution's "Tip of the Week” which can be found at this address:http://cssamerica.com/the-4-ss-of-the-customer-experience-101315-customer-service-tip/ About the hosts:Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The generation known as “Millennials" are a large and growing segment of the customer base of many businesses. They are a unique – and in some ways – very demanding group.  When it comes to providing them with the customer service they are expecting, there are a few tips we all need to keep in mind.  Ed discusses this unique group, their needs and expectations, and how we can match those needs in this month’s episode of “Stepping Up Service”.  And, as always, Alan and Ed share their “Customer Service Story of the Month” with you at the end of the episode. About the hosts:Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If there is one phrase that is heard commonly when describing poor customer service experiences, it is “that person was RUDE.”  The term “rudeness” is used to describe a variety of ways customers may feel neglected, talked to in a condescending way, or treated with harshness.  But what is the cost to an organization of someone saying they were “rude”?  What causes people to perceive things as rude?  And, most importantly, what can we do to avoid being given this label?Alan and Ed discuss the concept of “rudeness” and ways to avoid having customers use that word to describe our service.  Plus, they give their “Customer Service Stories of the Month”, all in this episode of “Stepping Up Service.” About the hosts:Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alan and Ed talk about the concept of having “empathy” for your customers and why it is so important to delivering outstanding customer service.  Empathy is explained through the idea of “knowing the customer’s story”… understanding where they are coming from and what is driving their needs or requests can help to better serve the customer.Alan and Ed also talk about “Customer Service Story of the Month” where they share an experience they each had since the last episode and use it as an example of how to get customer service right (or wrong, in some situations).   About the hosts: Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

E-mail has become one of the most useful tools for marketing your organization… but many people forget that there is also a customer service element to using email to communicate with current or potential customers.  Alan Jackson of The Jackson Group talks with Ed Gagnon of Customer Service Solutions about some tips for applying a customer service approach to your organization’s e-mail marketing strategy.  Plus, Alan and Ed share their Customer Service Stories of the Month at the end of the episode, so make sure you stick around until the end! Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We talk a lot on “Stepping Up Service” about listening to the “voice” of the customer to see how we can improve the customer service they receive. But few realize that asking our employees is the second best way of learning about our customers! Alan Jackson of The Jackson Group (www.thejacksongroup.com) speaks with his co-host, Ed Gagnon of Customer Service Solutions (www.cssamerica.com), about how to gather and use the voice of our employees in order to better serve our customers. Ed describes how to use our employees to learn more about our customers, and then how to use their input to elevate the organization’s customer service culture. The two then provide their “Customer Service Stories of the Month”, where Alan’s negative experience is still very fresh on his brain! Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are several examples of how a company’s actual customer service experience impacted their brand (positively and negatively).  Alan and Ed talk through some of these real-life examples and how the company’s reputation for customer service - or lack thereof - has helped create a brand image even stronger than the service it actually provides.Alan and Ed also share their “Customer Service Story of the Month”, talking through a recent experience they each had and how the service they received made a lasting impression on them. Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What makes a “Customer-Centric Leader”?  Ed shares three examples of high-profile leaders that spend a great deal of their time and energy focusing on the customer experience and why it helps their companies be successful.  Mark Cuban’s fan-focused activities, Richard Branson’s “2nd Impression” philosophy and Jeff Bezos’ customer service tips are all covered during this episode.  Plus, Alan and Ed share their Customer Service Story of the Month! Ed Gagnon is the President of Customer Service Solutions, helping organizations develop long-term relationships with their clients and partnering with them to meet their core customer service needs. Learn more about Customer Service Solutions at www.cssamerica.com.Alan Jackson is President of The Jackson Group, a survey and consulting firm specializing in employee engagement surveys, patient satisfaction surveys, market research studies and leadership development. Learn more about The Jackson Group at www.thejacksongroup.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the start of a new year, so Alan and Ed bring out their crystal ball as they predict Customer Service Trends for 2015!  What will customers be wanting more of in the coming year?  And what should companies be paying more attention to with regards to their customer service approach?  Ed has some predictions to share in this month’s episode of “Stepping Up Service”. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.