 |
The Human Touch Will Never Be Replaced
Author: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D.  | Posted: 20-03-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 11 | Rating: (57) (?)
Historically, customer service was delivered over the phone or in person. Customers didn't have many choices, and switching to competitors was cumbersome. Today, these methods are but two of the many possible points of entry for any given interaction. With all the options the Internet brings, competition is literally a click away.
However, online customer service is not good--to put it mildly. In fact, some people say it stinks. Why? The web is but one dimension. It doesn't have the human response -- the necessary for back and forth live communication--that is so critical.
Twenty five years from now customers will still be human beings, still be driven by desires and needs. Virtual environments do not create virtual customers. Except for the simplest transactions, customers still need to be connected with and nurtured by a live person. Amazon.com has learned this. They employ hundreds of traditional customer service representatives using phone lines to help customers with questions that cannot be dealt with online.
In today's competitive marketplace there is little difference between products and services. What makes the difference, what distinguishes one company from another, is its relationship with the customer. Who has the awesome responsibility for representing themselves, their companies, perhaps your industry in general? Your front lines whether they're receptionists, admins, customer service reps, or you..
However, being great on the telephone doesn't necessarily translate into the written word, whether it's e-mail, faxback, or text-chat. As former Labor Secretary Robert Reich has said, one out of six Americans are functionally illiterate. (New York Times, August 11, 1999).
What can you do about this? Hire for attitude, train for aptitude. For instance, train for language skills, basic or advanced. Train for communication and listening skills, rapport building, empathetic responsiveness, conflict resolution, anger diffusion, and other soft skills. Customize training based on a needs assessment so you are getting exactly what you need and want in real time. Look for what is not being communicated powerfully, what the biggest complaints are--not only from your external customers, but from your internal customers as well. By this I mean other departments, peers, people who report to you, people you report to, etc. Discover the strengths (and weaknesses) of your people and build on those strengths.
Uncover the changes that are going on presently and the impact, if any, they have on morale, stress levels, and ultimately the bottom line.
Perceive training as an ongoing process, not an event. See training as an investment in your people rather than a cost or necessary evil. Give your people the tools they need to do their job and this includes world class customer service skills training.
One of the most powerful documents in the world, the U.S. Constitution, begins with "We, the people..." Yes, we, the people, make the difference.
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/the-human-touch-will-never-be-replaced-365140.html
About the Author:Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D., customer service expert, provides needs analyses, customer service training; authors Wake Up Your Call Center, Customer Service & the Human Experience, Lay Your Cards on the Table, Kick Your Customer Service Up A Notch tips newsletter at http://www.HumanTechTips.com
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
Listening for Dollars- Customer Complaints Create Profit By: Mary Sandro | 09/10/2006 | Customer Service Customer complaints are like medicine. Nobody likes them, but they make us better. Actually, they are probably more like preventative medicine because they provide advanced warning about problems. Financial statements, in contrast, provide a historical perspective. By the time problems manifest in the financial statements, forget the medicine. It's time for emergency surgery.
Four Ways to Motivate Service Professionals- a Guide to Getting Wow Performance By: Mary Sandro | 09/10/2006 | Leadership The only thing harder than delivering excellent customer service consistently is motivating someone else to deliver excellent customer service consistently. Customers are more demanding than ever. Professionals are more difficult to hire and retain than ever. Splitting an atom might be easier than rallying an entire organization to Wow customers. Yet, some organizations succeed. Four motivation strategies can help your organization succeed too...one professional at a time.
The 5 W's of World Class Customer Service Training By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 01/02/2008 | Customer Service The preamble to the United States Constitution begins, ‘we, the people.’ I feel strongly that we, the people, are what make the difference in life, both personally and professionally.
How to Address the Customer Service Gap By: Drew Stevens | 08/07/2008 | Business Organizations believe that they provide exactly what customers desire. Ask any firm and the Paretto Principle prevails. 80 percent of most organizations believe they deliver exemplary customer service. Ironically, less then 20 percent do.
How to Handle Customer Complaints By: Robert L Moment | 25/02/2008 | Customer Service Turn customer service complaints into sales. Learn how to make every customer interaction count.
Company Policy Does More Damage to Customer Service Than Anything Else By: Alan Boyer | 12/12/2005 | Business Company policy is frequently the biggest barrier between customer satisfaction and your company.
It can start with either
o Company policy
o Employee trying to do the right thing, but in their eyes the right thing is protecting the company from the s
Customer Service Problems--Help Your Employees Look at a Customer Complaint from the Customer's View By: Alan Boyer | 13/12/2005 | Business Too many times employees tend to look at a customer complaint, or even a request for help, as an opportunity to do a CYA.
When you hear an employee saying, "Stupid customer" that is an opportunity for you, as the business owner, or manager, to ask the
Communication Is Not A 4-Letter Word By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 09/02/2008 | Communication Poor communication is the most frequently reported single major source of frustration in companies today. What is communication? Simply, communication is threefold.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Saying no to customers
By: Patty | 04-06-2008
How do I say no to a customer without losing them as a customer? We manufacture frozen specialty foods & make over 1200 varieties & we are asked each day to produce something slightly different. We say yes to the requests that are feasable, but, about 10% of the time must say no. Some are understanding but, many of them are not and make us feel that we have let them down. Please advise. Thanks!!
Automated customer service
By: ManuelGarcia | 17-11-2007
Hi, I am looking for reliable articles that will give me some information about automated customer service. Can someone pls provide me with a website? Thanks Manuel
Customer service
By: rubyc | 21-10-2007
what is customer service
Give an example of when u had to deal with a ...
By: mayreeder | 23-07-2007
give an example of when u had to deal with a customer that was upset
Can you provide an example of when you provied ...
By: aisha80 | 10-07-2007
can you provide an example of when you provied excellent customer?what was the situation?what did you do and what was the outcome?
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Communication Articles
Solidworks Tutorial By: Robert | 26/07/2008 SolidWorks allows you to view 3d parts from all different angles. There are infinite ways to view an object, but engineers usually only concern themselves with 4 main views. You can see these views in the above picture of the green link.
Udp By: Robert | 26/07/2008 UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is one of the two main transport protocols utilized in IP networks.
Samsung G600 - Now Enhance Camera Skills Through Phone By: Adam Caitlin | 25/07/2008 Mobile phones in this high technology world have become part and parcel of life and have evolved out as a technological icon in modern day world. Among present day mobile phones, Samsung G600 is a great and savvy handset with modern technology.
Nokia 6236i Cellular Phone By: Monty Alexander | 25/07/2008 The Nokia 6236i is designed to appeal to a wide range of users with a slim form factor, classic chrome accents and a number of features including a 65,536 color screen, VGA camera, streaming video capability and an integrated FM radio. A built-in speakerphone and voice recorder add a high level of convenience, while high-fidelity MP3 ring tones and streaming video capability add a high level of entertainment.
Free Icons By: Robert | 24/07/2008 We have animated icons, funny icons, naughty icons, and pretty much any other emoticon you can think of.
Recording Calls on a Telephone Network Vs Hosted Call Recording By: PXR5 | 24/07/2008 Many telephone networks and providers are now bundling phone call recording systems in with their line rental. Whilst these services may be useful for some businesses, they are not without their flaws...
More and More Businesses Using Call Recording Equipment By: PXR5 | 24/07/2008 More and more businesses across the UK are experiencing the benefits of using phone call recording equipment These systems are becoming increasingly popular in a variety of industries and sectors...
Is Cheap Broadband About to Go the Way of Cheap Petrol, Cheap Flights, Cheap Rice...? By: Shirley Stevens | 24/07/2008 BT is keen to increase the amount they charge broadband providers to access its telecom services and Ofcom (the communications watchdog) is considering granting BT permission to do so. If this transpires, cheap broadband deals may well become a thing of the past. However, there is no need to be too concerned just yet, as we explain.
More from Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D.
First Call Resolution: What About That 14%? By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 11/04/2008 | Management Customer satisfaction is crucial to customer loyalty, positive word of mouth, and return on investment--this is a given.
Who Are Your Customers? By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 12/03/2008 | Management Are you aware of who your customers are? Are they male or female? What is their age? Are they married or single? If you answered no to any these questions you are not alone. Many organizations are unaware of who their customers are.
Do You Do Too Many Things At Once? By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 06/03/2008 | Advice Does this ever happen to you? Do you feel overworked? Overwhelmed? Overtired? Most of us are busier than ever: We're doing our jobs plus sometimes the jobs of one or two gone-but-not-replaced colleagues and doing it all with less support.
Customer Service Training Remains Inadequate By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 29/02/2008 | Management Most organizations still do not provide comprehensive, let alone adequate, training in today's marketplace.
Are You Satisfying Your Customers? By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 10/02/2008 | Management While high levels of customer satisfaction typically lead to company growth, it is not always the case that business growth leads to satisfied customers. In many cases, the opposite is true.
Communication Is Not A 4-Letter Word By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 09/02/2008 | Communication Poor communication is the most frequently reported single major source of frustration in companies today. What is communication? Simply, communication is threefold.
The 5 W's of World Class Customer Service Training By: Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D. | 01/02/2008 | Customer Service The preamble to the United States Constitution begins, ‘we, the people.’ I feel strongly that we, the people, are what make the difference in life, both personally and professionally.
|
 |