The Customer: Service at its BEST (MASTER SERIES)

Let’s take a look at how you can show your customers they matter to you, by exploring service from their perspective.

They say actions speak louder than words. Take a look at actions we might want to avoid when trying to show our customers we care.

Take a look at some questions you can ask to develop an effective customer service strategy.

Let’s take a look at ways to build a customer centric strategy and how to create an outstanding customer experience.

References and Further Reading - PricewaterhouseCoopers 2013, ‘10 Minutes on building the customer-centered organization’, pwc.com, 2013, viewed 8 May 2015 (see external resources)

Here we will take a look at Miffy’s story, before answering a Q&A on her customer journey.

Let’s look at what Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, thinks about the importance of the customer experience, then test your knowledge with a Q&A under the downloadable resources.

References - Hsieh, T 2013, Delivering Happiness, Business Plus: Hachette Book Group, New York.

Here we will understand a bit more about the customer experience and look at strategies for improvement.

References and Further Reading - Beard, R 2013 ‘Customer Experience – 15 Statistics You Can’t Ignore’, infographic on blog.clientheartbeat.com, viewed 8 May 2015, (see external resources)

Click the link under external resources to check out Google Garage, the collaborative workspace that thrives on crazy, creative ideas.

A customer’s journey with you starts before they even walk in the door, and ends long after they leave. Take a look at how you can map out your customer’s journey.

Let’s take a look at how you can actually build a customer journey map.

So, you’ve identified certain customer service issues. What do you do about them? How do you get it sorted? You need a plan.

For more information, watch Jeff Tobe speaking on ‘Customer Touchpoints’ via the link under external resources.

Here we discuss how you might define which roles are critical, to the delivery of your customer experience.

Let’s consider how to build a customer experience strategy based on the ideas of Denise Lee Yohn.

References and Further Reading - Yohn D 2015 ‘7 Steps to Deliver Better Customer Experiences’ 3 February 2015, hbr.org, (see external resources)

Here is a quote from Denise Lee Yohn for you to download and takeaway.

If there’s one company that gets it right when it comes to a compelling customer experience, it’s Apple. Let’s look at Apple’s ‘Five Steps of Service’ to help us understand strategies for success.

Once you have finished this lecture, check out the downloadable resources and test your knowledge with a Q&A on Apple.

References and Further Reading - Gallo, C n.d. ‘The Apple Experience: Secrets to Insanely Great Customer Loyalty’, webinar on zendesk.com, viewed 8 May 2015 (see external resources)

Take a look at the external resources for an article from Forbes which describes 20 of Apple’s touch points that help them outclass many of their competitors.

Let’s take a look at how you can show your customers they matter to you, by exploring service from their perspective.

Let’s take a look at the relationship between employee and customer satisfaction and how this affects the customer experience.

Let’s take some time to focus on our internal customers. Remember they’re the ones representing us on the outside.

What are our needs as customers? We’ve given you a list that may help you figure out where you can focus.

Let’s consider the work of Dr Rick Nauert, on why employee satisfaction is key for customer satisfaction.

References and Further Reading - Nauert, R (PhD) 2011, ‘Employee Satisfaction for Customer Satisfaction’, psychcentral.com, viewed 12 May 2015 (see external resources)

Let’s take a look at a quote from Mark Cuban.

Our expectations of service grows so quickly! Let’s take a look at how our modern day customers are choosing to connect with us.

Have a look at some ways you can cater to the needs of your customer today.

Let’s take a look at some stats of the Modern Shopper.

So, what do customers want and how do we give it to them? It’s not an easy question to answer. But we can start by understanding that the expectations of our customers are all different.

To explore more, check out the YouTube video under external resources 'Little becky phones up demolition company!'

Take a look at these top 10 reasons why to exceed customer expectations.

What is a personalised customer experience? Let’s take a look.

References and Further Reading - James, G 2013, ‘10 Things Every Customer Wants’ 7 May 2013, inc.com, viewed 13 May 2015 (see external resources)

Let’s take a look at an example of how Rogue Wallet exceeded their customers expectations, before testing your knowledge with the Q&A.

Think about how you personalise for your customers, take a look at these responses on Twitter before taking a look at the Q&A.

In the digital era, ‘shopping’ has changed. Let’s consider the buying habits of contemporary customers, and in particular, Millennials.

Resources - Solomon, M 2014, Your Customer Is The Star: How To Make Millennials, Boomers And Everyone Else Love Your Business, Short Books, London

Let’s take a look at the link between decision-making and emotions.

Resources and Further Reading - Jones, B 2014, ‘Why are Emotional Connections The Key to Exceptional Customer Service?’, 23 September 2014, disneyinstitute.com, viewed 14 May 2014 (see external resources)

Brooks, D 2012, The Social Animal, Short Books, London.

Take a look at the external resources for an example of how a Netflix employee went above and beyond for a customer.

Using the information throughout this course, take a look at these scenarios and think about what you would do in each.

Feedback is information about the past, delivered in the present to positively influence the future. Check out how you can effectively communicate customer feedback to your team to create meaningful change to their behaviour and your business.

In here we’re going to explore how you can turn complaints into real opportunities, through these key strategies.

Let’s consider the power of social media and how one customer’s negative experience can affect business. Here’s a case study about how United Airlines handled a customer complaint.

Checkout external resources to explore more on Dave Carroll’s customer experience.

Resources and Further Reading - Carroll, D n.d., ‘United Breaks Guitars Story’, davecarrollmusic.com, viewed 19 May 2015 (see external resources)

BBC 2009, ‘Singers airline tune YouTube hit’, bbc.co.uk, viewed 19 May 2015 (see external resources)

We have the big picture strategy, but sometimes we need a plan for when a situation gets tricky to manage. Let’s take a look at how you can diffuse a situation when it’s right in front of you.

Let’s have a look at how we can retain our customers, even if they’ve had a negative customer experience.

Let’s have a look at the sort of things that really get customers complaining.

In here we’ll explore the types of gaps that you can identify from service to delivery, by talking to your customers.

Consider the following points by Nicole Fallon on how customer service has changed, and how we can keep up with it.

Resources and Further Reading - Fallon, N 2014, ‘3 Ways Customer Service Has Changed (And How to Adapt), 15 December 2014, businessnewsdaily.com, viewed 20 May 2015 (see external resources)

So, you’ve been told that you’re supposed to try and understand the behaviour of hostile customers. That’s not easy! Here’s some advice from Robert Bacal to get your started.

References - Bacal, R 2011, If it Wasn’t For The Customers I’d Really Like This Job, Bacal & Associates, Ontario

Here we will take a look at what happens when people feel threatened as suggested by Daniel Goleman in The Brain and Emotional Intelligence (2011)

Let’s look at strategies for managing hostile customers.

References - Bacal, R 2011, If it Wasn’t For The Customers I’d Really Like This Job, Bacal & Associates, Ontario

Let’s take a look at Mr Pritchard and his complaint with Marty’s Electrical before working through a short Q&A.

Consider the following 7 rules for compensating your customer after a service or product failure, by Micah Solomon.

References and Further Reading - Solomon, M 2013, ‘Service Recovery: 7 Rules For Compensating Your Customer (After A Service Or Product Failure)’ 23 September 2013, forbes. com, viewed 22 May 2015 (see external resources)

Metrics are all about tracking performance. Developing customer centric metrics, means focusing your attention on the things that really matter to them. In here we’ll explore some considerations you might want to take on, before selecting your metrics.

Let’s take a look at some common customer metrics that can be effective in measuring the experience you’re providing to your customer.

Creating meaningful customer metrics is about asking the right questions, so you figure out more about your customers than just their buying habits.

References and Further Reading - Hasan, S n.d, ‘Selecting the Right Customer Experience Metrics’ customerexperiencemagazine.co.uk, viewed 25 May 2015 (see external resources)

Finding the right mix of metrics can be difficult, here are some common, well-established metrics.

Check out this TED Talk on applying metrics via the link under external resources.

Take a look at external resources to see Tony Heish, CEO of of Zappos, explaining how Net Promoter Score for zappos.com is not just a metric, but an outcome of management action.

Check out external resources to take a look at the full article about how Amazon makes a real difference for their customer with a focus on metrics.

Let’s take a look at a simple tool you can use to help you to assess the effectiveness of your customer journey.

Using the information throughout this course, take a look at these scenarios and think about what metric (or metrics) you would apply.

Let’s take a look at the real value of a building a customer for life, rather than just for a moment.

What does it take to design a customer loyalty program and how do you make sure it pays off? Let’s take a look in here and find out.

If you’re looking to build and retain more customers through a loyalty program, here’s some great examples of how they can be done well.

Checkout this article on more loyalty programs that work. Then checkout the links under external resources to explore more or to read the full article.

Let’s take a look at a top ten on how loyalty is achieved.

In here we’ll explore some key strategies to retaining your customers.

Let’s look at Ross Beard’s 5 ways to retain a customer.

If you like, you can read Ross Beard’s full article via the link under external resources.

References and Further Reading - Beard, R 2014, ‘9 Customer Retention Strategies For Companies’ 5 May 2014, blog.clientheartbeat.com, viewed 25 May 2015 (see external resources)

After providing outstanding customer experiences, what else can we do to ensure that our customers keep supporting us? Consider Bill Lee’s points on how to create true customer advocates.

References and Further Reading - Lee, B 2013, ‘How to Create True Customer Advocates’, 22 May 2013, hbr.org, viewed 25 May 2015 (see external resources)

Check out this quote from Simon Mainwaring, download and takeaway for future inspiration.

Let’s take a look at how easy it is to create customer opponents rather than advocates, by considering Abercrombie & Fitch and Lululemon. Then test your knowledge with the Q&A under downloadable resources.

To explore more. take a look at Chip Wilson’s apology via the YouTube clip link under external reasources.

References and Further Reading - Moore, H, 2014, ‘Controversial Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries to retire’, 10 December 2014, theguardian.com, viewed 23 March 2015 (see external resources)

Dockterman, E, 2013, ‘What Lululemon Could Learn From Abercrombie About Fat Shaming’, November 13 2013, ideas.time.com, viewed 23 March 2015 (see external resources)

Here are some coaching cards which you can download to continue helping you on your customer journey.

Congratulations! You have completed the Customer | At Your Service Journey