Kathryn Stelmack

Reading Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, opened my eyes to a lot of things I had not considered about costumer service. Before reading this book, I felt I had a good handle on how to handle costumers based on my own experiences with costumer services. After reading, I found there was a lot more to it, and the tips I read were extremely helpful.

The “use the I instead of they or we” tip. This tip exists in the very first, ‘unbreakable’ rule. The book explains that, to the costumer, we are the company and need to take necessary steps towards solving the costumer’s problem. Because costumers expect us to make the organization work for them, we need to take responsibility for the problem and address it as such.

Rule 8, the Costumer is Always Right rule, was another that stood out to me. In this rule it states that though the costumer is not always right, and is actually usually wrong, it is our job to help make them right…or at least point them in the right direction. The book lists three different ways to make the costumer right. The first is to ‘assume innocence’. It further explains that just because the costumer sounds wrong to you, that does not make them wrong. Listening to everything the costumer has to say before jumping in to solve the problem is an absolute must. In my opinion, this is somewhat of an obvious fact, but in my experience often forgotten. The second way to make the costumer right is to ‘look for teaching opportunities’. To do this, you first have to figure out where the costumer went wrong, causing the misunderstanding.  This is what I feel would be the most challenging. Many costumers already assume they are correct and do not need to be educated. Clearly, this technique should be used on a case-by-case basis. The last rule is to believe the costumer. This is also self explanatory, although often forgotten. The book explains that sometimes the costumer you thought was 100% wrong was in fact completely right, and when in doubt, give the costumer the benefit of the doubt.

Overall, I found this book extremely helpful, even beyond the main points I listed here. With the outline of tips, and things to keep in mind when dealing with a costumer I am now feeling even more confined in my abilities to do a great job this coming fall!