Customer Service Training, Tips, Articles & Videos with Myra Golden
Bad Customer Service Really Ticks Me Off [Managers you must train and support new employees. Thanks.]
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So, I went to my bank today to make a routine business deposit. I was surprised to not recognize a single Teller in the branch, as I’m a regular there and know many of the staff. My Teller was clearly in training. She typed away on her keyboard for at least 2 minutes without making eye contact with me or even explaining what she was doing. It was taking so long that I thought something was wrong. After another 3 minutes had passed and no interaction had taken place, I asked if something was wrong. “No.” she replied. “I’m new and I just have to get some overrides.” With that, she disappeared into the back.
After a good 4 minutes had passed, I got the attention of a Teller walking by and asked if he could check with my Teller. I was in a bit of a hurry to pick my son up from school. Never imagined I’d be in the bank this long. The Teller came back to tell me my Teller was on the phone with another bank and she’d be out shortly. Ok. Weird.
Several minutes passed and finally my Teller walked out and explained, “Your check is good. I just called the issuing bank and verified funds. But since I’m new I have to have a manager’s initials. I can’t locate a manager after calling 4 branches.” And she handed me my check and deposit slip. I was seriously confused and I said, “So, you’re giving me back my check when I came to deposit it?” “Yes,” she said, “Because I can’t find a manager to initial this.” I asked what I was supposed to do and she literally told me to try another branch.
What went wrong here? This bank needed to have a mentor to shadow the new-hire to show her how to communicate with customers while waiting on the computer and on-hold on the phone. When several new employees are working at a branch/location/area, a veteran employee needs to be on stand-by to offer assistance. If management approval is needed for anything at all, managers must be standing at the ready to help employees help customers. It is absolutely absurd that an employee would not be able to reach a manager and that a customer would be sent to another branch across town.
The bottom line: Management must be onsite and immediately available to help employees help customers. When management is not available, employees need to be empowered to make decisions to help customers.
Like this:
Some banks to offer overdraft grace
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Some banks are now setting limits on overdrafts, voluntarily. Huntington Bank will now give a 24 hour grace period, allowing you to restock your account.
US Bank, Bank of America, 5th 3rd, and SunTrust, among others, will not charge overdraft fees if the overdraft is less than $5 or $10 in some cases. Read the full story here.
Imagine Managing a 5,000-seat Contact Center and handling 3.5 Million Interactions Every Month (and you thought you had it tough)
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The Absa Group is one of South Africa’s largest financial services groups. With nearly 5,000 seats, 3.5 million interactions monthly and 30 locations, Absa’s Connectzone contact center is the largest contact center in South Africa.
When I spoke at Microsoft’s Dynamic Business Week in June, I presented a case study on Absa’s award-winning contact center to help contact center leaders improve the operational efficiency and customer experience in their own contact centers. I want to share with you what I shared with my clients, as they found the insights fascinating.
Take a look at the Absa story in this short video.
Absa’s Connectzone is world-renowned for their outstanding customer experience and for operational efficiency. I don’t have to tell you this is an amazing accomplishment for one of the largest contact centers in the world. (It would be impressive if we were talking about a 75-seat contact center!) Absa has become top-rated by focusing on 3 key areas:
1. Removing silos
Running a seamless customer experience within a large organization with multiple locations is a challenge that keeps many Fortune 500 executives up at night. But with over 30 locations and nearly 5,000 seats, Absa makes it look easy by fiercely focusing on becoming ONE organization. All Absa agents see customer portfolios through “one lens,” not multiple applications. Every agent has the tools and access to help every customer, regardless of why the customer contacts the bank.
2. Making Customer Experience Management a Strategic Initiative
A strategic corporate goal for Absa is managing the customer experience. One example is the company’s relentless focus on first-call resolution, which they know is a critical component of the customer experience. Absa realizes and acts upon the fact that the customer experience is the only true differentiator banks have. Technology can duplicated, interest rates can be matched and services carbon copied. The customer experience is what sets Absa apart.
3. The Customer is at the Center of Everything at Absa
Absa seems more like a “Service Company” that happens to offer retail banking services rather than “just a bank.” The company’s foundation and core is customer service. From the top down, the main objective is to deliver a service that feels effortless, consistent, seamless and error-free.
Absa’s Connectzone is proof that large organizations with multiple locations and huge contact volume can achieve an excellent customer experience and run efficiently. Their accomplishments didn’t happen overnight and they don’t run on auto-pilot. Managing an enterprise of this magnitude takes executive buy-in, fierce and consistent focus, financial investments, a commitment to continuous quality improvement and most importantly, putting the customer at the center of everything you do.
Dare to put the customer at the center of everything you do and wonderful things will begin to happen: Customer satisfaction will improve. Profits will increase. Growth will astound you. Go for it!
For help shaping your customer service culture so you can deliver a better customer experience, take a look out our customer service training programs.
Green means yes…Red means no…and Yellow means you can negotiate: A simple Customer Recovery Strategy
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I read about a bank that made problem response a cinch for Customer Service Representatives. From responding to requests to lower credit card interest rates to handling requests to waive NSF charges, all responses are driven by little squares on customer’s accounts. The tiny squares — green, yellow or red — pop up on the screen next to the customer’s name.
Customers who get a red pop-up are the ones whose accounts lose money for the bank. Green means the customers generate large profits for the bank and should be granted waivers. Yellow means there is a chance to negotiate. Reps don’t have to seek management approval or fear that they’ve given away too much. The color of the square has already predetermined the response.
Consider adopting your own simple recovery method to help frontline staff quickly and easily make smart decisions that will protect both customer loyalty and company profits.
I work with companies that are serious about delighting and keeping customers. My blog includes thoughts, articles, videos, and even rants about customer service. Thanks for stopping by. :)
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