Read this only if you are interested in really changing the way you think about creating customer loyalty. Pick up any customer service book or listen to any lecture and you will be told, "Rule 1: Listen to the customer, Rule 2: See Rule 1". If every customer service manager knows this, then why is there a disconnect? Ask a few friends how they felt after the last time they interacted with a customer service department. You may notice that they first give you a scowl before a word comes out of their mouth.
Most companies view the customer service department as a necessary business evil. Their goals are simply just to meet expectations. With such a low goal, they usually miss the mark by a wide margin. They think and act like customers only call to complain...as if that's a really bad thing. From the perspective of companies, the whole customer service experience is framed as a trying to minimize the negative. Companies do not capitalize on the fact that an interaction with a customer is an incredible opportunity. Your customer paid you money and now they are giving you some of their valuable time. Sure, they may have a beef that they want solved on the spot. If you are smart, then you will solve their problem or present them with a plan to solve their problem. If you can do this with some success, then you have an opportunity to leverage the customer initiated phone call.
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Here is a great White Paper on Customer Service Best Practices-What Features and Functions to look for in Customer Service Software.