I recently watched a skillful manager at a Four Seasons hotel field a complaint from a guest who was hesitant about even bringing up her concerns. Guest (after describing a troubling interaction): “Of course, your employee may have a different perspective from mine on how this went down.” The manager’s immediate response: “Ma’am, as far […]
Only One Perspective That Matters: The Customer's Read More »
 A culture of saying yes. There’s an ice cream parlor 40 minutes from our home – a delicious enough destination that the drive is no deterrent. The ice cream’s made on premises, the awnings and décor both retro and creative. And the people who work there are nice. Or nice-ish. What they lack is a
A culture of saying yes: Corporate culture models from ice cream to banking to eBay Read More »
I think you’ll enjoy this 8 minute customer service radio and podcast interview Greg Corombus did with keynote speaker and bestselling customer service author Micah Solomon (yup, that’s me) for his Business Owner’s Toolkit. My subject: “The Power of Exceptional Service.” In the 8 minutes, we cover whether service has recently gotten better, worse, or
New Customer Service toolkit podcast with Micah Solomon Read More »
Some years ago I heard Tom and Ray Magliozzi–the humorous polymaths who host Car Talk on NPR–clue in an exasperated caller to their theory of customer service: Half the companies out there are like Honda – so rarely do they encounter a problem that when they do, the startled dealer is woefully unprepared to handle
The Car Talk theorem of customer service Read More »
Consciously striving to create a positive corporate culture may sound like a fluffy, expensive frill. But it brings hard-nosed, impossible-to-knock-off results. Ask Southwest Airlines: A host of low-cost, short-haul competitors (Remember United’s “Ted” brand? What, you don’t?) Those copycats are gone now: Southwest’s culture–a culture that’s impossible for
Consciously creating your corporate culture: Just a frill? Read More »
Labor Day is a good time to remember: you’ll never achieve great customer service without great employees – treated in the manner they deserve. There’s no shortcut here, no way to “game” this. The overlap between the “greatest companies to work for” and the companies with the highest-rated customer service is enormous. Container Store, Costco,
Labor Day, customer service, and serving your employees Read More »
It’s important to be aware that service begins when a customer comes in contact with you–it doesn’t always wait for you to make intentional contact with the customer. For example: suppose you’re the manager for the suburban superstore below – Suburban superstore – broad view from sidewalk approach ———— and a customer has just pulled
Customer service begins BEFORE you think it does Read More »
By Micah Solomon – keynote speaker, customer service speaker, customer service consultant, and #1 bestselling author of “Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization.” Visit with Micah at https://customerserviceguru.com Funerary art: Hermes guiding the departed Myrrhine Not that it comes down to this often, in most lines of work.
The ultimate reason to be nice to a customer Read More »
By Micah Solomon – keynote speaker, customer service speaker, customer service consultant, and #1 bestselling author of “Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization.” Visit with Micah at https://customerserviceguru.com Here’s an online conundrum: How you greet prospects and customers is crucial—but these days, by and large, you don’t actually