If you like this tip, I know you'll enjoy my book, "Influence with Ease". I've gone through all the tips that I've written over a 10 year period and, based on reader feedback, selected the best-of-the-best to merit inclusion in this book. In all, you get 101 of my most popular thirty-second tips. Plus, it's sprinkled with light hearted chuckles and cartoons to help lift your sprit - much needed when you need to deal with other humans!
Choose the CDrom version of Influence with Ease and you'll receive over 200 individual tips in a format that you can print-off and post in your workplace or forward by email to your team members.
Customer Service Blog by Jeff Mowatt
Usa a PUP to Grow your Business
May 16th, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
Customers making buying decisions tend to favour those who give them a PUP. PUP is an acronym I created that stands for three pearls of information that help customers feel confident they should buy from you over others. PUP should be the foundation of any proposal, website, brochure, advertisement, or buying conversation. The first “P” in PUP stands for payoff – the ultimate benefit that customers will derive from using your products or services. “U” in PUP stands for unique – explain how your product/service differs from others in your category. Finally, the last “P” in PUP is proof – evidence in the form of testimonials, credentials, photos, anecdotes, demonstrations, test results, that prove what you claim is indeed true. If you give your customers more than this, it may just complicate their purchase and overwhelm them. Give less, and customers may think the proposition is too risky or not beneficial enough to be worth the investment.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
The most powerful words in customer service
April 5th, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
When babies are born one of the first questions people ask the proud parents is, “What name did you choose?” Every culture chooses names for their children. As humans, we view our first and last names as more than mere labels; they’re our identity. Perhaps that’s why in our working lives, customers instantly (sometimes subconsciously) distrust employees who don’t identify themselves. If your switchboard operators pick-up incoming calls without identifying themselves, or if you’re at a worksite without a name tag, or if you initiate a conversation with customer without giving your name, it gives the impression you are hiding. Conversely, when you immediately identify yourself (it’s even more impactful when giving your first and last name), you convey that you are not a bureaucracy; you welcome being held accountable, and you are a grown-up professional. People’s names are the most powerful words in customer service; both yours and your customer’s.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
Stop Being so Nice!
March 22nd, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
What happens when your customers are tired, rushed, or angry? When that’s the case, employee perkiness is likely to be perceived as annoying. That’s why I encourage employees to go beyond friendliness to create trust. Here’s how…
To read the complete article click: “Stop Being so Nice! – customer service tips when people are stressed”
Client Corner
“This was one of the best presentations I have ever attended.”
Connie Anderson, Owner/Operator, Sundre location, Integra Tire and Auto Centres
Boost your Business without Cutting Prices
Smart business people know that your options to stand out from the competition are limited… cut prices? Not very profitable. Improve product quality? Certainly, but that can take substantial time and money. The fastest, most cost-effective way to differentiate yourself is to focus on your service. Customer service can no longer be merely average or simply friendly; it needs to be remark-able. Here’s your opportunity to make that happen for your team…
Register now for my half-day seminar, “The Art of Customer Service… Influence with Ease”.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
Are you hiding behind your website?
March 8th, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
When researching or shopping online, you’ve probably noticed that some companies regard their website customers who have questions, as being pests. Perhaps you’ve phoned a “customer-support” person, who attempts to send you back to their website. Of course the reason you’re phoning is because the information on their website wasn’t useful. Then there are the sites that don’t provide their email addresses. Instead, customers are forced to fill-in those irritating forms/fields just to ask a quick question. While the fill-in forms may prevent some spam, they waste the time of all legitimate customers. The irony is online customers are also the people who are the most cyber-savvy and able to trash the offending company via social media. I believe we’ve reached a turning point in customer service where companies who continue to hide behind their websites will be taking a costly hit to their online brand.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
What not to say to customers
February 23rd, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
You’ve probably noticed that some people try too hard to be liked. Their motives may be honorable but their methods are more off-putting than endearing. Check out this 2½ minute video where I share the five most commonly used phrases in business that turnoff customers.
After viewing, please help me – post a comment, click “Like” and “Share” with others who deal with customers.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
How to Not Sell Yourself Short
February 8th, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
Whether you are resolving a problem with a customer, negotiating a better price with a supplier, or deciding how to split a tab at a restaurant, your goal is not to get the best short-term deal for yourself. Imagine dissecting a bill at a restaurant with friends to ensure you don’t pay a nickel more than what you consumed. Sure, you’d save some money; but you’d gain a reputation as being cheap. That reputation costs you more than it saves. Instead, simply ask, “What do you think would be fair?” When asked this, most people – including customers – become amazingly reasonable. Chances are they’ll respond with much less than what you might have offered at the outset. At that point, don’t just agree to their offer, add-in something extra. It’s more than what they expect, less than what you might have originally offered, and you are perceived as being generous.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
The worst way to break bad news
January 26th, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
Chances are one of your least pleasant tasks at work is breaking bad news to customers or co-workers. I’m referring to times when you need to communicate delays with projects, unexpected costs, or what that person wants simply isn’t doable. To avoid the unpleasant reaction of the recipient, we may be tempted to send a written correspondence; be it letter, text-message or email. That’s the worst way to break bad news. Text is cold, and often leads to more correspondence and an escalation of the problem. Instead, take the grown-up approach and either go talk to the person or at least pick up the phone. Then, if you need to for the record, you can follow-up with a brief written message. Even a 30-second voice mail message briefly explaining the situation will have more impact than a 1000 word email. It takes less time, conveys more meaning, and is more likely to maintain your positive relationship.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
I’m not your Buddy
January 12th, 2012 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
Here’s a scenario you may find to be helpful with some of your team members. A manager of a computer helpdesk team, explained to me that some of his younger technicians; particularly the males, are too casual in their client conversations. Trying to be friendly and disarming, they routinely address male customers as ‘buddy, ‘bro’, or ‘dude’. The manager was hoping that in customizing my seminar for his team, I could address this issue so his employees could get that this is inappropriate.
I focused the half day seminar on how to be perceived by customers as a trusted advisor. I pointed out that helpdesk team members are like medical doctors diagnosing problems and finding solutions. “As trusted advisors, doctors don’t try to position themselves as your buddy,” I explained. “Imagine if after examining you, the doctor asked if you wanted to go for a drink later on. That would be weird.” They had a chuckle. More importantly, they got it. I suggested an easy way to avoid the mixed message is to simply drop the dude, buddy, pal, terms and instead just use the customer’s name
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
Attitude test – what are you like on bad days?
December 7th, 2011 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
Typical customer service training programs tout the importance of being passionate about your job. In my seminars – not so much. Fact is, I don’t know of anyone in the real world who loves every aspect of their job. There are days when you’ll deal with customers or coworkers who are tired, rushed, or stressed. Check out this 3 minute video where I share the secret to being perceived as being positive and helpful – even when you’re having a bad day.
After viewing, please help me – post a comment, click “Like” and “Share” with others who you think could use a boost.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
What makes you different?
November 17th, 2011 by Jeff Mowatt No Comments
Customers are now getting too much information. When they consider buying, they can search Google and get thousands of pages of information in under a second. That means whether you are submitting a written proposal, deciding what to include on your website, or having a buying conversation with a customer, you need to help make their decision easier. That’s why, of all the info you can provide, here’s perhaps the most useful… Explain (without naming names) what most other providers of your type of product or service supply. Continue by briefly explaining the downside of this approach. Tell the truth. Don’t exaggerate. Then explain how your product or service is different. Again, tell the truth. Don’t exaggerate. That’s it. You’ve now done the comparison shopping for the customer and conveyed the implied risk of going elsewhere. Customers need clarity not clutter. Help them understand what makes you different.
Find more customer service training tips, tools, and resources at www.jeffmowatt.com
