From the customer’s perspective, this is an irritating and unfriendly company policy. I understand that this is a busy street and I understand it is annoying for the people who work in the store to make change, but how does this policy affect customer service? I may not have been a Puma customer that day, but anyone who walks through the door is a potential customer…one day. This experience left me, the potential customer, jaded and upset with the store’s rigid, and harsh policy.

So, why would a retail store on a busy street enforce such a policy?

1. The store does not want employees to open the register without a transaction.

 2. It is an annoying, repetitive action to employees.

 3. It takes away from employees focusing on actual customers.

These are all valid objections to passing out change. But consumers are fed up with being treated poorly! And customer service provided by staff affects all levels of your operation, especially word-of-mouth marketing. Any individual who interacts with your staff (customer or not) has the power to share their “experience” with all 453 of their Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and real-life contacts. So, are your policies customer-service friendly or are they more about what is convenient to the company?

What are some solutions for Puma? How could they have handled this scenario better? If the reason is employees cannot open the register without a transaction, this could be explained to the potential customer. I might have decided to wait for someone to purchase something or better yet, and more likely, I would have just purchased a small item for some change, thus increasing revenue and getting my desired outcome. If this is a common occurrence, Puma could keep a change jar behind the counter for just this circumstance – then be sure to train employees to send the “right” message so potential customers understand the value service Puma is providing. For example, a sales clerk might say, “We are not allowed to open the register but we want to provide everyone on King Street with a great shopping experience, so we keep this change jar here just to provide change. Thanks for coming in to Puma today!” Now, that would be a WOW moment and an opportunity to create brand ambassadors.

Today, so many companies use the cliché phrase “going the extra mile” and describe it as a core customer service value. But how does that show up in your policies? Do they really encourage the “needle mover” moments of truth or do they encourage looking the other way because it is easier?

The Hampton Inn brand is a great example of a company who “gets it.” Hampton Inn has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. 100% satisfaction or you don’t pay. Now, that is customer service oriented company policy. Does it scare you? Of course it does! It is a bold offer to put out there. But it is important to remember the principles of the bell curve grading system from school. One or two students get the highest grades in the class, one or two students get the worst grades and the rest fall into the middle. Our customers are like this too. We should not make polices based on the outliers, or the one or two bad apple customers who will try to take advantage of the system, but instead focus on the middle. So, take a moment with your staff to review your company’s policies. How do they affect the customer? How can you tweak them to WOW the customer?

Ways To Show The Love

•Take two minutes at the beginning of every interaction to build rapport. You want to build business beyond one interaction. Think of your interaction as a cocktail party (without the drinks.) Take time to ask questions and get to know the customer before you jump into business talk. People do business with people they like.

•Send your customers a birthday shout-out on your social media channels or send a handwritten note for special occasions or to congratulate them for a personal or business success!

•Utilize Google Alerts. Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic. Enter your top customers or competitors names. Use the information to be the first “in the know” about your customers. Be sure to follow up with an action supporting your customer.

•Align your business with a higher purpose. Customers feel good about supporting a business that does good. For example, Tom’s Shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair bought. You don’t have to go that far but what can you do? Offer a special shopping day where 10% of the proceeds go to your favorite charity? Get creative but most importantly, get philanthropic!

•Reward your customers for their loyalty. Offer something of value for free with purchase, a coupon, free seminar, early bird sale, Facebook discount or hold a customer appreciation event.

We decide the role we play in our customers’ lives. Let’s make it a positive one! Show love for the people who keep you in business. Lastly, remember, when it comes to customer service you don’t have to do anything extravagant to WOW people. It is the little things that make the biggest difference.

1. Snobby Sales Person – First and foremost, keep in mind that being snobby is a defense mechanism for people who feel inferior or inadequate. By understanding this weakness, you can utilize the Q-Tip method. Q-tip stands for quit taking it personally. Remember, this is their issue – not yours! Never buy anything to try to prove a snob wrong. The best way to deal with a snob is to ignore him or her. The snob thrives on attention. If you must interact with a snob, diffuse the situation with humor and wit.

2. The Pushy Sales Person – No one likes a pushy sales person! Don’t feel pressured. You are not obligated to buy anything. Politely say No. Try phrases such as, “I’ll look around and let you know if I need help.” If that doesn’t work, you can simply let them know you are not buying today, just looking. There is safety in numbers so shop with friends or family. At the very least, when all else fails, you can use your phone as an escape device.

3. The Incompetent Sales Person – Some items on Black Friday require a little bit of extra help in purchasing. Fancy technology, appliances, tools or other gift items may require an industry expert to guide you in the right direction. If you get stuck with a less than stellar salesperson, politely thank them for their help but suggest your questions might require a more experienced or knowledgeable salesperson. Most of the time, the sales person will agree and as long as you are friendly and polite, it shouldn’t be a problem. Remember, on Black Friday all the extra help is on call so it will be likely that employees will be working outside their usual department or comfort zone.

4. The Upseller- Upselling in retail is the equivalent of asking, “Do you want fries with that?” Yes, of course we want the fries, but is it good for us? Probably not. So, this holiday season, stay focused on your mission. Did your original gameplan include fries or just the entrée? In the moment, some deals may seem to good to pass up, but your credit card will feel the burn after the holidays. To avoid getting roped into last minute deals, keep in mind they will located in close proximity to the register at check-out. Once in the store, remember what you originally came in to buy and lastly, politely thank the Upseller with a “Thanks, but No Thanks!” because he or she is just doing his or her job.

Perhaps, it is because we are so caught up talking on our cell phones in the grocery store or Facebooking from our iPhones that we no longer care about the living, breathing real people who are right behind us in the check-out line or sitting beside us in the airport. But, here’s the thing, your cell phone does not make you or me invisible. It just makes us oblivious.

This Holiday Season, let’s try to remember what this holiday is really all about – giving thanks to those who are around us, behind us and beside us. Let us give thanks to the people we interact with everyday, the strangers in the mall, the check-out clerks in the store and the drivers on the road. These people are the extras in our lives and without them, life just wouldn’t be as interesting.

So, with that in mind, we should model the behavior we wish to see in others, which means we must set an example of courteous and polite behavior ourselves. For this holiday season, here are a few tips on things to avoid…

• No one likes the person who chats away on his/her cell phone while holding up the line at the grocery store, Starbucks, etc. Newsflash Yappy – You are NOT the center of the universe. Be respectful to the clerk and your fellow shoppers by finishing your conversation at a later time. Your fellow shoppers be thankful, the clerk will be thankful and most of all, so will you friend on the other line. They would probably appreciate your full attention as well.

• Think about what you are thankful for this year. Don’t be shy in sharing it with your guests, friends and family this year. Remember, the # 1 rule of being hospitable is being gracious. Set the tone by making everyone feel comfortable in their setting and in their own skin. By being courteous and loving to the people around us, we are showing them that we are thankful for their presence. I think this is a holiday lesson we can practice all year long.

Right now, I’m in my “happy place.” I’m sitting on my bed with my two dogs nestled beside me. Dixie, my 10-year-old beagle, is stretched out on the pillow and Maggie, my three-year-old beagle, is lying by my feet. My bedroom is my happy place. I love to sleep and cuddle with my dogs. This is also where I write. Perched against several pillows, coffee in hand is where I feel most comfortable. My beside table is filled with all the comforts of home: a rock salt lamp that has a soothing glow, books of the moment, a picture of my fiance and I on Edisto, along with a jar of Dr. Weil’s Bedtime Face Cream.

However, I don’t always get to go to my “happy place.” I travel at least two times a month for my job, so I often find myself in a foreign city, crummy hotel room, or waiting in an airport. I have had to learn to carve out routines and happy places on the road. Being able to find comfort in these routines makes travel a more enjoyable experience. When I’m on the road, buying trashy magazines in the airport, ordering room service, and watching a movie in my hotel room are all things I do to create my “happy place” on the road. But sometimes, a space is created for you quite unexpectedly. It is learning to appreciate these moments in life, these gems offered up by strangers, that make life so sweet.

Last week, I was traveling from Providence, Rhode Island to Myrtle Beach, S.C. My flight was at 7 a.m., which meant I had to get up pretty early to get to the airport on time. I was tired and a bit road weary. My layover was in the Charlotte-Douglas Airport, an airport I frequent monthly. As I made my way to the gate, I stopped off to use the bathroom.

As soon as I entered the bathroom, I heard a woman saying, “Welcome to Valerie’s Happy Bathroom!” in a sing-song voice. The voice was so warm, friendly, and genuine, I could tell she meant it. I realized it was the bathroom attendant who was welcoming each grumpy, tired traveler who entered. She pointed out a stall and lead me to it. All the while, Valerie is saying things like “the day is what you make it,” “you never know when someone needs a smile,” and the “welcome to Valerie’s Happy Bathroom” thrown in every 30 seconds or so. I actually started to smile to myself. I heard several fellow travelers thank Valerie. Her genuine energy and enthusiasm was actually changing the energy in that room. Ill-tempered and cranky passengers were leaving Valerie’s Happy Bathroom happier. At one point, I hear Valerie exclaim, “I love my job!” When I left, I thanked Valerie and told her that she made my day.

As I walked away with a little extra pep in my step, I found myself wanting to pass on Valerie’s pure joy to the people around me. Some people might think Valerie’s job as bathroom attendant at a busy airport might not have the ability to impact people’s lives. But, as Valerie said, life is what you make it. I have traveled through that airport hundreds of times, and Valerie, in less than five minutes, made a greater impact on me than any other person I have EVER encountered. In fact, Valerie made more of an impact on me than any person I encountered on my trip the entire week.

On Friday after I visited Valerie’s Happy Bathroom, I went on to share my experience with my friends and family. I guarantee Valerie touches the lives of her patrons every day. In my opinion, Valerie is the difference. So from now on, my “happy place” when traveling is Valerie’s Happy Bathroom in the Charlotte-Douglas Airport. Valerie taught me a valuable lesson that day. Your “happy place” doesn’t have to just be a place in your home. It can be a place in your heart that you carry with you and share with the people you meet every day. Thank you, Valerie.

Technology can be overwhelming but here’s the good news – it doesn’t have to be. When I start talking with companies about utilizing technology to improve their customer service, the most common response is a “deer in the headlights” look complete with a mini meltdown after I utter the words: social networking. As managers, small business owners and overall busy people, using technology to assist in your customer service efforts can seem overwhelming, often because one doesn’t know where to get started. So, I’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation. Here are some simple, easy and effective ways to utilize free tools that can improve your customer service efforts.

1. Google Alerts (www.google.com/alerts ) Google Alerts is a free tool from Google. You can receive email updates of the latest Google results from the search terms you enter. You can use this tool to monitor what people are saying about your company on the web, keep up with competitors or customers and follow industry trends. I use it to monitor my own company and I follow my customers. I want to be the first to congratulate a client on good news or be aware of any problems. This is a great tool for online brand management. TIP: When entering search terms, be sure to put the terms in quotations if you want to search for an exact phrase, such as “customer service training” or you will get random results.

2. Tweetbeep (www.tweetbeep.com) : Twitter is a great place to monitor your online reputation and engage in active customer service. If someone writes about your company, you can immediately respond with service recovery. But, who has time to sit on Twitter all day? Instead, use Tweetbeep. You can enter search terms much like Google Alerts, and have the tweets emailed to you.

3. SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com) : SurveyMonkey is free online survey software. You can create your own survey or choose from one of their many templates. Your organization can measure customer satisfaction, get employee feedback or use it for education or training purposes. One of my clients uses the surveys to find out why prospective clients did not choose their service. Another client uses it to rate the entire experience.

4. Twitter (www.twitter.com) : Twitter can be used in so many different ways, depending on your end goal. If your goal is marketing, twitter is great to help create awareness or your product or service. You can even create unique urls to track your ROI. Twitter is also a great recruiting tool. Check out this story from the NY Times >

You can also use twitter as a customer support tool. Many companies are now committing online teams of people to monitor twitter and act as customer support. Best Buy is one of those companies. You can call the Best Buy customer support and wait for twenty minutes or you can hop on twitter and get a response from a Best Buy representative instantly.

5. HootSuite (www.hootsuite.com) All this tweeting and facebooking takes time so HootSuite is a tool to save you precious time. You can update your status in one place and HootSuite sends to everywhere it needs to go. You can also schedule updates for later.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started. And it is important to note, that you don’t have to utilize all these tools. Start by picking just one that aligns with your business and then do it very well. It is better to be great at utilizing one of these tools, then get overwhelmed by starting all of them. And of course, if you need help, kewsolutions, inc is here as a resource.

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K.E.W. Solutions from PDA Video on Vimeo.

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Click below to listen…

Carolina Perspective’s Interview

We’re all busy. How many emails do you receive per day? How many inquiry phone calls? For some of us, it can be hundreds! That’s a lot of messages to filter through, process and respond to, so how can we best represent ourselves to provide optimal customer service and keep our sanity?
In the business world, a response is typically expected within 24 hours, whether it is a voicemail message or an email message. For best results, here are ten simple guidelines to follow:

1. If you are going to be out of the office for more than 24 hours, leave a message on your voicemail explaining when and why you are out (for vacation, don’t get personal) and who they can contact for immediate assistance.

2. Make sure to leave an auto-response for email.

3. Once you return from your conference, vacation, whatever, CHANGE your voicemail and email back. Nothing says outdated like an old voicemail message.
4. Always respond to voicemail and email messages within 24 hours. If you cannot deliver the request within 24 hours, still respond with an explanation of what you ARE going to do. Remember, when we don’t respond, our customers form their own conclusions about why. This is bad. More communication is ALWAYS better than less.

5. Follow the one-touch rule. When you open your email, respond to that email right then. Don’t wait! It saves time and makes you much more efficient.

6. Always become a resource for people. Once you are a resource, people will think of you as helpful, useful and a problem solver. Carry a notebook with you to keep track of what you need to send people. Example: Send Beth a copy of the Social Media PowerPoint.

7. Create folders in your Email Inbox to quickly file and find important emails.

8. Utilize the Search button in your email program. It makes finding an email quick and simple.

9. Ask yourself this important question: Are all the emails you are receiving important or are some of them junk mail clogging up your inbox? Unsubscribe to e-newsletters, stores and promotions that you don’t even read. Sometimes, just the sheer amount of emails received can be overwhelming. By cutting down on unnecessary emails, you are going to give yourself a break.

10. Don’t make your customers ask more than once for ANYTHING.

Do you know Kathleen E. ‘Katie’ Wells?
Denise K. James,
Thursday, September 3, 2009

Kathleen E. ‘Katie’ Wells

BIRTH DATE AND PLACE: July 1980 in Charlotte.

RESIDENCE: James Island.

OCCUPATION: Owner, KEW Solutions Inc., a hospitality training company.

EDUCATION: B.A. in corporate communication, College of Charleston; working on master’s degree, communication.

WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE ME: Adventurous, sentimental, loyal, funny, hard-worker.

INTERESTS: Community service (board member, Lowcountry Earth Force, Charleston Green Fair), cooking, travel, beach.

BIGGEST CHARLESTON COUNTY ISSUE: Lack of recycling options for bars and restaurants.

IN MY SPARE TIME: I love to entertain.

SOMETHING I HOPE TO CHANGE OR ACCOMPLISH: My best friend from elementary school and I just made a pact to write each other one letter a week for the next three months.

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT MYSELF: When I was growing up, I was an 18th-century re-enactor with my dad.

ACCOMPLISHMENT OF WHICH I AM MOST PROUD: Starting my own company last year.

FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY: Camping with my dad.

IF I COULD TRADE PLACES WITH ANYONE FOR A DAY: My brother. He works for (director) Ridley Scott in Hollywood. I would love to see what his daily life is like working in the movies.

MY PHILOSOPHY ON LIFE: Live the life you love