Seven steps to great customer service

Today I want to introduce you to a wonderful, in my opinion, article. Of course, about the service :). Its value is not only in a light style or interesting practical examples. The fact is that it was written by a software development business owner, which is especially nice. The author of the article is Joel Spolsky, the founder and owner of a small software company in New York, Fog Creek Software . According to reviews of knowledgeable people , he is a good specialist. In my opinion, he also writes quite well, as you can see by visiting his blog, Joel on Software. And most importantly, he appreciates quality service. What confirms the following article. We read. Bravo, Joel! Utility - 5. PS - for lovers of original texts - please - Seven steps to remarkable customer service. Since we created the company with our own hands, Fog Creek did not hire customer service specialists for the first couple of years, because Michael and I did everything ourselves. The time we spent on helping consumers distracted us from improving our software, but we learned a lot of new things and now our service is much better. There are seven elements of a great customer service that we have learned. I use the word “wonderful” in its literal meaning, because the goal is to provide customers with a service that they will “notice”. 1. Solve everything in two ways (see the root). Virtually any technical support problem has two solutions. A surface solution involves only local elimination of a specific client problem. But if you think a little more, you usually find a more comprehensive solution: a way to prevent this problem from occurring in the future. Sometimes it requires increased security of the software or its installation programs; Now our installation programs are loaded with special test blocks. Sometimes you need to improve the wording of the error message. Sometimes the best solution comes with an article from the knowledge base. We parse each call to the technical support service in the same way that the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Committee) studies a plane crash. Each time the plane crashes, they send a research team to clarify the situation, and then develop a new strategy to prevent similar problems in the future. This increases the safety of air travel to such an extent that plane crashes happen extremely rarely in the USA, in practice there are rare unusual cases. From here there are two conclusions. First: the presence of a team of engineers for technical support is critical. This means that you cannot give technical support to outsourcing: it should be located right here, at the same address as the refinement specialists, and give the opportunity to pass on the problem to debuggers. Many software developers only think about saving and run tech support in Bangalore or the Philippines, or give it to a third-party company elsewhere. Yes, the cost of solving a particular problem will be $ 10 instead of $ 50, however, you will have to pay these $ 10 again and again. When we fix these problems by attracting highly qualified specialists here in New York, we may see an incident that has happened before. However, getting one problem costing $ 50, we eliminate a whole class of problems. For some reason, telephone and telegraph companies, and Internet service providers do not understand this. They give technical support for outsourcing to the cheapest performers, which ends with endless ten-dollar payments for solving the same problems that constantly arise, instead of once and for all solving their cause. Cheap call centers have no mechanisms for identifying problems; in fact, they have no motive to identify them, since their income is based on repeated requests and there is nothing better for them to answer the same questions again and again. The second conclusion is that all simple permanent problems will be solved one day and you will be deal only with strange and unusual problems. And this is wonderful, because there are incredibly few of them, and you will get a wonderful opportunity not to do this routine anymore, because you will no longer have it: only serious questions and tasks. You no longer have to teach your people “ten standard solutions”: you will teach them how to fix problems . For us, the principle “look to the root” has become a religion that has paid for itself in full. We were able to increase our sales tenfold, increasing the cost of technical support just doubled. 2. Suggest Blowing the Dust Raymond Chen (Raymond Chen) from Microsoft told a story about a customer who complained about a broken keyboard. Naturally, off the network. If you try to ask if it is turned on, he will be extremely offended and indignantly answer: “Of course! Do I look like an idiot? ”And they won’t check whether it really is on or not. Instead, Chen suggests, say,“ Well, sometimes the connection is clogged and the contact becomes weak. Can you pull the plug out of the slot, blow it out and put it back in? ”Then the client climbs under the desk, finds that the keyboard is disconnected or not connected there, blows to the plug, connects it and answers:“ Mmm, yes, it helped, thanks ” Many customer problems when installing something can be solved in this way. Do not offer them to verify the installation, better suggest changing the setting, and then returning it back "just make sure the program recognizes your setting." 3. Turn customers into fans. Every time we buy something with our company logo, we do it with Lands' End. Why? Let me tell you a story. We needed several shirts for the show. I called Lands' End and ordered two dozen, with the same logo that we used before, buying backpacks. When the shirts were delivered, we were, to our horror, unable to read the logo. As it turned out, the backpacks were brighter than shirts. The color of the lettering, which was good for backpacks, turned out to be too dark to read on shirts. I called Lands' End. The man picked up the phone even before the phone started ringing. I was happy to make sure that they used the system when one operator was always ready to answer the call, so the buyers did not have to wait even for one ding-ding before someone answered them. I explained that I was shocked . They replied: "Do not worry, you can make a full refund, and we will embroider a logo on your shirts with threads of a different color." I said that my exhibition was in two days. They replied that they would send me a new batch of shirts by FedEx, and I will get them tomorrow. And I can return the old shirts to them when it is convenient for me. They paid for shipping in both directions. I have not lost a cent. Even despite the fact that they would never have managed to sell the shirts with the fuzzy logo of my company, even for a meager price. And now I tell this story to everyone who needs something. In fact, I am telling it when it comes to telephone systems. We were talking about customer service. By providing a wonderful service, they simply force me to talk about them. When a client has a problem and you solve it, they can be even more satisfied than if they had not encountered a problem at all. The whole thing is waiting. The experience of most people is formed through interaction with technical support and service of airlines, telephone operators, telegraph companies and Internet providers, and the service of most of these companies is terrible. It is so bad that sometimes you don’t want to go anywhere at all, do you? So, when someone calls Fog Creek and immediately connects with an employee, not with a voice mailbox or menu, and this employee is pleasant and friendly and really solves their problem, they tend to rate us higher than those who never He had a reason to interact with us and simply believes that we are a mediocre company. Of course, we don’t go so far as to make special mistakes just to be able to demonstrate our excellent service. Many customers simply do not call, but are angry “to themselves.” But every time someone makes a call, look at it as a wonderful opportunity to get a fanatically loyal customer, one of those who will endlessly chatting about how wonderful you are working. 4. Admit guilt One fine morning I needed an extra set of keys to my apartment and on the way to work I went to a locksmith around the corner. 13 years of living in an apartment in New York taught me not to trust the people who make the keys. Every second duplicate made by them does not fit. So, I returned home to check the new keys, and then, lo and behold, one of them did not fit. I went back to the locksmith. He made a new copy. I came back and tried again. The key still did not fit. I began to boil. Smoke wavy lines rose from my head. I would be late for work for half an hour, going to the locksmith for the third time. I was gripped by a strong temptation to change a specialist. But I decided to give this "loser" one more chance. I fell into the shop, preparing to give vent to my rage. "He again did not fit?" Asked the mechanic. “Let me see.” He looked. I mumbled, trying to think of a better way to express my indignation because I had to spend the morning going back and forth. “Oh. This is my mistake, ”he said. And suddenly, my besh? The property has disappeared. Fiction, the words "this is my mistake" completely discharged me. This is all that has been said. He made the third duplicate. I no longer raged. The key worked. And all the forty years that I live, I can not believe how these three words "this is my mistake" can completely change my mood in seconds. Most of the mechanics in New York are not among those who can admit their mistakes. To say "this is my mistake" is not in their character. Although they commit them constantly. 5. Memorize "difficult" phrases Ok, since the morning was short, I can not afford to go to breakfast in the diner. I went to one of the classic New York diners, such as in the TV series Seinfeld. With a thirty-page menu and a phone-sized kitchen. This defies explanation. They must be using Star Trek technology, since they do it all in such a limited space. Perhaps they can instantly move the atoms. I sat at the cash register. An elderly woman went to pay the bill. When she paid for it, she told the owner: “You know, I have been coming here for many years and this waiter is always rude to me.” The owner became angry. "What does it mean? This is not true! He is a good waiter. I have never had any claims to him. ”The visitor did not believe her eyes. She was a loyal customer and wanted to help the owner of the establishment, letting him know that one of his waiters requires little training in good manners, but the owner started arguing with her! “Fine, but I’ve come here for a few years and everyone is very nice with me, and this the guy is rude, ”she repeated patiently.“ I don’t care that you come here all the time. My waiters are not rude, ”the owner screamed. “I never have any problems. Why are you creating them? ”“ Wait, if you treat me like this, I won't come here again. ”“ I don't give a damn! ”The owner cried. The most interesting thing you need to know about the owners of the New York eateries, is that you can insult every visitor who constantly comes to you, and you will still have a lot of customers. “And don't come. I don't need such customers! ”Good for you, I thought. You are a sixty-something old old man, the owner of a cafe, won a great moral victory over a little old lady. Are you proud of yourself? What kind of macho need to be? Has this victory improved your well-being? Do you really need to lose loyal customers? Is it really so difficult to say: “I'm so sorry, let me talk to him?” So just add fuel to the fire when someone complains. Relationships are memorizing a few key phrases and practice using them, so that when you need to say them, you can forget about your testosterone and make the customer happy. “Excuse me, this is my mistake.” “I'm sorry, but I can't take your money. This dinner is at the expense of the restaurant. ”“ This is terrible, please tell me what happened so that I can make sure that this will never happen again. ”It’s quite normal that you find it difficult to say“ This is my mistake. ” It is human. But these three words can make your angry customer much happier. So you need to start using them. And pronounce them as if you really think so. So, start practicing. Repeat "this is my mistake" a hundred times every morning in your soul until the phrase begins to seem meaningless to you. Until you can say it when needed. Just one more moment. You may think that admitting a mistake is a wrong step that will lead you to a trial. That's nonsense. A sure chance to avoid ships is not to have people infuriating from you. The best way to do this is to admit a mistake and fix the damn problem. 6. Participate in the “submission”. The enraged diner owner undoubtedly took everything too close to his heart, but the mechanic did not do it. It’s too easy to start defending when a visitor complains or disgusts your anger at you. You will never be able to win this argument if you take everything into your account, on the contrary, you will only make a million times worse. That is what you observed when the owner said, “I don’t need such customers!” He was only concerned about his Pyrrhic victory. Wow, isn't it great? Since you are a small business owner, you can “put up” your client. Chic. Summing up the line is NOT good for your business and is NOT great for your well-being. Each time, winning over the buyer by “expelling” him, you remain angry and annoyed, and he takes his money, canceling the credit card transaction, and tells a dozen friends about this case. As Patrick McKenzie writes, “You can never win a dispute with a client.” There is only one way to deal with an annoyed customer: you need to imagine that he’s angry not at you, but at your business, and you’re just his representative. And while he treats you like a puppet, as the personification of your company, you also have to imagine it. Imagine yourself a puppeteer. The customer yells at the doll. Not on you. He's mad at the puppet. Your task is to understand, “hell, what does a doll have to say in order to turn this type into a satisfied buyer?” You are just a puppeteer. You are not part of it. When a client says “what the hell is going on with you,” he just plays his part (in this case quoting Tom Smakovski from the Office show). And you also play a role. "Excuse me, blame." Imagine what a doll must do to make the client happy and stop this personal transition. 7. Greed will not bring you to good Recently, I spoke with people who provide most of the service at Fog Creek last year, and asked you to share ways that are most effective when working with disgruntled customers. “To be honest, we have very good buyers. In fact, there is not one evil one. ”Fine, we have wonderful clients, but it seems unrealistic that in the course of a year of answering phone calls, no angry one would get caught. I believe that communication with angry customers is a normal daily work of a call center. “Nope. OUR BUYERS ARE GREAT. ”That's what I think. I think our customers are great because they don’t worry. And they don’t worry because we have a ridiculously liberal policy: “we don’t need your money if you’re not happy”. Customers understand that they have nothing to fear. They are a strong point in this relationship. And they have no reason to swear. The "90 days no questions asked" money back guarantee is one of the best decisions we made at Fog Creek. Try it: use our Fog Creek Copilot program 24 hours a day, call us three months later and say, “Hey, guys, it took me five bucks for a cup of coffee. Give me back the fee for the day access to the program, ”and you will get it. Try to call the 91st, 92nd or 203rd day. You still get it. We really do not need your money if you are unhappy. I am fully confident that we are the only job search service that returns you money if your ad does not work. This is unheard of, but it only means that we will get many more new customers simply because they have nothing to lose by turning to us. For the last six years or so, allowing people to return our products has resulted in only 2% of returns. 2%. you know what. Many people pay with credit cards, and if we do not return their money, some may call their bank. And make a refund through it. They will take their money, we will pay the cost of this operation and, if this happens too often, the cost of processing will increase for us. Look at what percentage of the withdrawn transactions in our company? 0%. I’m not joking. money, the only thing we will achieve is a few offended buyers.That will chat and whine on their blogs. We can no longer keep their money (by force). I know some companies that produce software that clearly write on their sites that you cannot return the purchased product under any circumstances. But in fact, if you call them, they will eventually return your money, because they know that if they do not, they will make their bank. This is the worst option. You will not return the money, you will not be able to reassure potential buyers that everything will be in order, and they will begin to doubt. And in the end will not buy. 8. (Bonus!) Provide career growth for service professionals.The last important lesson we learned at Fog Creek is that you need highly qualified people to communicate with customers. Fog Creek vendors should have significant software development experience and be able to explain why they need to work at Fog Creek and how they can help make our team better. Fog Creek technical support specialists do not have to mechanically respond to requests of the same type, since we fix them by improving our software, so technical support should deal with actual problem solving, which usually means debugging. Many qualified people work at the forefront of customer service, and I arranges. To compensate them for this, I do not hire people for positions that do not imply a clear career growth. Here at Fog Creek, working in customer service is the first yearpart of a three-year program of management training, providing a master's degree from Columbia University in technology management. This allows us to attract ambitious smart "hackers" for this "promising" "wonderful" career - talking with customers and solving their problems. We add wages faster than the industry average for the same position (especially if we take into account $ 25 thousand per year for training), but we also receive much more value from our employees than usual.than the industry average for the same position (especially if you take into account $ 25 thousand per year for training), but we also receive much more value from employees than usual.than the industry average for the same position (especially if you take into account $ 25 thousand per year for training), but we also receive much more value from employees than usual. , «Clientservice.ru»