Rolling out " A red Carpet" for your customers

Monday, 1st June 2009


CUSTOMER CARE: Rolling out a ‘red carpet’ for your customers

BY SANDRA IDOSSOU

For my ongoing painting exhibition, we had to use the services of Imprimerie de Kigali for photo covers. Even though paper covers is not the main business of this big company, we were impressed to see such professionalism.

The staff was attentive to our request. They took time to understand our needs. They wrapped all the documents with care and when we arrived to collect them, they thanked us.
The whole order was just for 3000 Rwf but we were so impressed by the way the team made us feel important even for such a small amount of purchase.
Have you also come across situations whereby you felt so important by the way the service person treated you?

Customer service is all about dealing with people and their self esteem. Customer service is a people business and it is important for service people to know how best they can make their customers feel important, happy and loyal to their businesses.

Here below are some tips.

1) Acknowledge all your customers. Customers can see when the service person is busy. But all they want is to be acknowledged as soon as they enter your shop or office.
Just show them a little sign that you have seen them and they can wait for you. A smile, a look and maybe a hello will do. Or a “We’ll be with you shortly” will go a long way.

2) Try as much as you can to use your customer’s name. Using your customer’s name make them feel good. In a bank for instance or even in many service providing companies, customers always give documents bearing their names such as their passport, identification card, driving license or credit card etc… Do not just take these documents without reading the names. Please use them. “Mr Ndahiro” is certainly better than just a mere “Sir”. This makes the customer feel known and important.

3) Ask for your customer’s feedback. Customers always have an opinion on the services and products you are offering them. They see your services differently from the way you do as an owner or a worker.
Do not assume that if your customers still come to your business, it is certainly because they are happy with your services.

In most cases, it is just because they are waiting for a new service provider.
The day a competitor comes in town, they will simply run away from you. You need to have ‘Customer Satisfaction’ boxes and conduct frequent customer satisfaction survey.
Just ask your customers for instance if the product they bought the previous time was satisfactory to them. This gives your customers the chance to tell you what they think. And for the customer, he will just feel good about the fact that you ask his opinion.

4) Respect the customer. If you promise to call a customer back in 1 hour or to have his order ready in a week, please respect that promise.
If for one reason or the other, something comes up to prevent you from respecting your promise, just call them back in time to inform them. Do not leave your customers hanging. It is always a sign of courtesy that makes them feel important.

5) Thank the customer: I don’t think this is only me but I like being thanked by service people for shopping or doing business with them. It just makes me feel good and appreciated.
It shows that I hadn’t come to disturb. And I have noticed this at the Kimironko market from my vegetables seller. At the end of each purchase, she will thank me, wish me a good week and invite to see me again the next Sunday.
I always leave eager to come and meet her again the next week. And I really don’t think I’m alone in this case. Most of us like to be appreciated and a simple “Thank you” can make wonders.
Like a celebrity arriving in your shop, decide today to roll out the red carpet to your customers and make them feel like stars and you will see the impact on your reputation and your bottom line.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

The author is a Customer Service expert currently working in Rwanda.

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13913&article=1674&week=23

Customer Complaints

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13906&article=1656&week=22

CUSTOMER CARE: Dealing with Customers’ Complaints

BY SANDRA IDOSSOU

I’m presently organizing a painting exhibition and had to use the services of a printing company for the posters. At the reception of my order, I realized that the colors on the invitation cards were different from the posters. When I called the company, the only thing the service person was able to tell me was to see and talk to his boss. He didn’t even attempt to apologize. He just didn’t show any care, concern or empathy. Customer service is also when things do not go on well. Mistakes do often happen and this is the stage where service people need to be able to transform a complaining customer into a loyal one. It is often said that “customer complaints are the schoolbooks from which we learn”. Complaints actually help us to know the things that need improvement so that we can work on them. They are a real good source of correcting our mistakes. Customers who complain rather do us a favor by telling us what goes wrong. There are many customers who will not say anything about the poor services they receive but will go on and talk about their bad experiences to 10 different people who will also tell other people. Just imagine your reputation! Unfortunately, many service people unknowingly cause customer complaint situations to escalate and below are some tips to help you solve them professionally. 1) The customer is always right! (Even when they are wrong!), it is important to understand that there is no need arguing with the customer. Research shows that 7 out of 10 customers will do business with you again if you solve a complaint professionally. Getting in your last words may help you win the battle, however, even if you win the battle, there is a good chance you will lose the war.

2) Listen to the complaint. This means allowing the customer to speak without being interrupted. Don’t assume you already know the problem. One particular way of showing the customer that you have understood his problem is to repeat or rephrase his complaints. For example; “What I hear you saying is that, the colors of your order isn’t exactly what we agreed on. Is that right?” 3) Offer an apology Whether the problem was caused by you or someone else in the company, it is all the same the fault of the company and you represent that company! You need to owe the complaint and offer an apology. Never defend or justify. The customer is not interested in how or who is responsible for the poor service. 4) Offer a solution. The main reason why a customer brings to you his complaints is because he/she wants a solution. Too many excuses do not solve the complaints. Just offer him an alternative solution. As says Donald Porter, “Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong”. And in my case with the printing company, I was lucky enough to talk to the manager who was professional enough and who offered to do again the whole printing process. And today, I have become an advocate for this printing company because I know that in case things go on wrong, they are able to fix it. 5) Thank the customer at the end for having complained Why? With the simple act of complaining, your customers are telling you, “I care about your business”. They are giving you the opportunity to solve the problem so that they can come back. Thank them for giving you a second chance. Always try to rectify the problem because it is in your company’s best interest to solve any problems and try to make sure that they do not happen again. Complaints should help your company to initiate a corrective action. sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com The author is a customer service expert currently working in Rwanda.

IFC Business Edge Certification

After going through a rigorous Training of Trainer of 5 Days at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, Sandra IDOSSOU has been certified by IFC (International Finance Corporation), a World Bank Program. This certification will allow Sandra Idossou with other 19 trainers to be able to conduct IFC Business Edge Trainings.

Trainings were held from May 11th till May 15th and were conducted by a very good master Trainer Marc Nielsen.

During the Tot, we were thought training methodology and BE standards. The IFC Business Edge Trainings is a world-class training system, that provides practical solutions for small & medium-sized businesses. Backed by IFC and delivered by certified local trainers, Business Edge™ sets a new standard for business training in developing countries. The program was rolled out in the Middle East since 2004.

IFC’s Business Edge ™ aims at improving the business performance and competitiveness of firms and creating jobs in developing countries. This is achieved by strengthening the management skills of SMEs and middle managers of larger firms, providing them access to Business Edge ™ practical training solutions. Business Edge ™ consists of management training products in five topic areas (HR, Marketing, Finance, Operations and Personal Productivity Skills), based on international curricula and adapted to the local business context. It also includes products to build the capacity of its local franchisees and certified trainers, to ensure the quality of the training delivery.

The Business Edge Trainings have about 36 different modules and in Rwanda, we are launching the BE with at the moment 11 trainings modules on all the areas of management.

CUSTOMER CARE: Eight ways to improve your phone etiquette

BY SANDRA IDOSSOU
This article is to respond to Ernest’s question on how to improve on our telephone etiquette.

The telephone is often the first point of contact for most businesses yet many people seem to ignore its importance.

It is a customer service tool that is necessary not only with existing clients but most especially for potential customers. It doesn’t matter whether the caller is a new customer or an established one, how the phone is answered and how the caller is handled should be done in a professional manner.

The last time I called a certain big company in town; I had a first impression that I had dialed a wrong number. It was just a “hello” without any greeting. I could barely hear the person’s voice.

There was no enthusiasm in the person’s voice. Strangely, I felt that the service person was irritated and busy doing hundred other things at the same time.

Excellent customer service is about creating a good first impression by making your callers feel welcome, excited and valued through the phone.

Today, as we very often use our mobile phones for our businesses, we need to be extra careful when responding to calls with numbers we do not know; the callers might be potential customers who will straight away form a first impression of ourselves and our businesses.

Phone answering skills are therefore critical for all and at all times. The following tips will ensure that your callers know they are dealing with a winning and professional business:

1) Make sure all incoming phone calls are answered before the third ring.

2) While answering, be warm, enthusiastic and smiling. Your voice at the end of the telephone line is often the only impression of your company a caller will get. Smile can be heard on the phone and it creates a warmer impression of friendliness. It really does make a huge difference.

3) Welcome all your callers courteously and identify yourself and your organization. Identifying your organization makes the caller feel straight away that he is at the right organization. Say, for instance, “SHEI Consulting Good morning, how may I help you?”

4) Articulate distinctly with enough volume the words you use on the phone so that they can be understood. Remember on the telephone, a message is understood by 80 percent by your intonation and 15 percent by your words. Your voice here is the most powerful tool. As the caller doesn’t see you directly, your voice makes him imagine who you are.

5) Control your language when answering the phone. Don’t use slang or jargon. Your callers don’t understand your technical words used in your area of business.

6) Write down telephone messages completely and accurately. Our memory on the phone is shorter so if we do not write down messages, we might forget them rapidly.

7) Before putting someone on hold, let him know why. And don’t leave callers on hold for a long time without explaining the progress reports very often. Offer callers choices if possible, to either be on hold or call back.

8) Always thank the caller at the end of the conversation and wish him a good day. The way you finish a call is just as important as the way you start it. This is actually the last impression that the caller will keep of you and your business.

Don’t be in haste to hang up before the caller.
Remember that the telephone is a powerful tool that can market your business and services. Handle it professionally and always try to give an impressive conversation.

sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

The author is a customer service expert presently working in Rwanda.

www.sheiconsulting.com

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13899&article=1637&week=21

Mindset & Attitude

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13892&article=1614&week=20

CUSTOMER CARE: Mindset and Attitude

BY SANDRA IDOSSOU

There is an ongoing poll on The New Times website titled “What do you think is the solution to Rwanda’s poor Customer Service?” As I went through the results this morning, 30 percent of voters said the solution is training while 62 percent of readers advocated for an attitude and mindset change.

I agree with both groups of voters as customer care is all about attitudes and skills. Training and attitude change go hand in hand for service improvement.

In today’s global economy, managers and employees need to develop both their skills and behaviors to become more effective in serving their customers.

An attitude of serving people is very often the heart of good customer service whereas training emphasizes on the development of the skills to do so.

The issue about mindset and attitude is a frequent one that is often raised by many readers. We all recognize that it is the source of the problems affecting our businesses today and certainly also our bottom line.

It is high time we all look for ways of adopting positive mindset as we are collectively responsible for the improvement of customer service in Rwanda.


The last time I entered a post office in town; the lady was filling her nails and was in a hurry to finish with me so that she could continue polishing her nails.

Another time I went to this filling station, I had such a good service that for the past two months, I will always drive there to have my petrol though I have a nearby filling station next to my house.

The difference between good customer service and bad customer service is often just a simple single word: Attitude! As Winston Churchill says, “attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” Positive attitude can be described as an open and helpful state of mind or feeling towards a customer.

It is how we perceive and receive the customer. A good mindset in most cases helps the service providers to create a bond with customers.

Some of the causes of negative attitudes can be traced in areas of general low motivation of service providers. Many staffs still don’t make a link between the customer and their salary.

The fact is that they never think like an owner or a manager. Most of them are just there waiting for their salary without figuring out how the money comes in at the end of the month.

The attitude change will come if service providers understand the benefits of good service to themselves. Customer care has lots of advantages for the service people as well. The attitude change begins in our minds.

If we continue to allow negative thoughts about the customer, the boss, the colleague, the salary or even the weather to dictate to us, we will stay imprisoned to poor mindset and attitude.

A service provider with a positive attitude will always attempt to help, even if sometimes he doesn’t have all the answers.

If he can’t help, he will find someone else to intervene. On the other hand, a staff with a negative attitude will see a request for help as a bother or something that interrupts his/her work.

The good thing about mindset is that we are not born with it. We often chose it. Attitude is always under our control. It affects every encounter we have with people.

It is what makes customers wanting to shop with us or not. Our Attitudes can either be our greatest or worst asset. If we decide today to improve on it, we can see the change in our relationships with our customers and in our income.

“Attitudes are nothing more than habits of thoughts, and habits can be acquired. An action repeated becomes an attitude.” Paul Myer quotes.

Let’s all commit ourselves today to adopt positive attitudes for the benefit of our businesses and of our nation.

The author is an expert on Customer Service, currently working in Rwanda.
sandra.idossou@sheiconsulting.com

Sandra's Painting Exhibition

Sandra IDOSSOU from SHEI & ENZ Consulting is organizing a painting exhibition from May 28th till June 7th at the Laico Hotel Umubano (ex Novotel)

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”

Life is all about starting continuously new things that challenge our comfort zones. Painting has always been a passion though never been to an art school. The first step into painting started 5 years ago after passing through difficult health challenges in Dakar, Senegal.

Sitting on the bay of the Yoff beach, I watched young artists painting and decided with the help of Celine, an artist friend from Corse(France) , to take my first brush and canvas to bring out this hidden talent in me.

Since then, it has been an interesting journey painting mainly for friends and relatives.

Rwanda is such a beautiful country that it has inspired and encouraged me to paint more and to prepare for my first exhibition.

Come and discover a variety of acrylic paintings with collage and photographs showcasing the beauty and lifestyle of Rwanda and Africa.

sandraidossou@yahoo.fr

Tel:+257 78 878 15 62

IFC CERTIFICATION

Sandra IDOSSOU has been part of a team of 17 consultants in Rwanda who went through the IFC Train of Trainer Course and who got certified to deliver the IFC Trainings in Rwanda and in the region.

The training was falicilated by Seth Fletcher who came down from Washington to faciltate this training program.

The IFC SMETOOLKIT will offer business management information and training for small businesses / small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on Accounting and finance, business planning, human resources (HR), Marketing and Sales, Operations, and information Technology (IT).

The SME Toolkit is made up of a wide range of how-to articles, business forms, free business software, online training, self-assessment exercises, quizzes, and resources to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers in emerging markets and developing countries start, finance, formalize, and grow their businesses.

The SMEToolkit is deployed in 19 Languages, in 30 Countries and in 7 AFfrican Countries and we are priveledged to have Rwanda as the 8th country to benefit these online training tools.

IFC (www.ifc.org) fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments.

IFC helps companies and financial institutions in emerging markets create jobs, generate tax revenues, improve corporate governance and environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities. The goal is to improve lives, especially for the people who most need the benefits of growth.

CUSTOMER CARE; ARE HOSPITALS CONCERNED?

http://newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13885&article=1597&week=19

CUSTOMER CARE: Are hospitals concerned?

BY SANDRA IDOSSOU

Lately I have received quiet a number of feedback, comments, suggestions and questions on the Monday articles on Customer Service.

I must confess that I’m happy many people enjoy reading them as it is a clear sign that together, if we all put in efforts, we can in one way or the other improve on the image of customer service in Rwanda.

For this reason, for the coming weekks, I will be responding to some of your questions. The last I received was “how can health care people be part of the customer care campaign?”

This question is interesting in a sense that many people still link customer service the private sector alone. In today’s economy, the public services, government institutions and every single company that deals with customers need to improve on their services.

We can all agree that going for a good meal in a restaurant, or shopping in town is often our own personal decision and choice. But unfortunately, going to a hospital or a health center is never a joy. It is often an obligation.

We wish we didn’t have to. But when we are sick, we have no options than to go and seek medical attention.

Customers in hospitals are defined as every patient, family member, visitor, who comes for whatsoever reason they have. In addition to offering very good medical care to patients, hospitals and health centers are supposed to be good at customer service.

By customer service, I mean making the patient’s experience a positive one while in that hospital. Patients need to feel welcome and cared for. It also implies helping patients and their family members navigate through the difficult moment in a health center.

Last time I went to this hospital in my area at Kibagabaga and was so much impressed by the cleanliness of the place. The greenery and the benches in the gardens made me think for a second that I was in a recreational center.

This environment gave me such a peace of mind that even before meeting the doctor, I was less anxious.

You might think that the environment is not the important thing we look for when we go to a hospital but believe me it is an essential element in caring and curing patients.

A clean and spotless environment makes you feel better. I’m sure you don’t want to go to a hospital that is dirty, where the nurses and doctors have stains of blood in their blouses.

Hygiene is actually one of the pre requisites of all health centers.

Here below are the elements that can contribute to good customer care in health centers:

Greeting and welcoming; Medics need to know that they have to greet customers and if possible introducing themselves by their name to their patients.

As patients, we do not want to wait for hours before someone takes care of us. We don’t want to be ignored.

A quick first contact reassures the patient that the hospital will provide directions or assistance when necessary.

Avoiding noises; One of the things that contribute to patient’s peace of mind is the quietness of a hospital.

Staffs should avoid shoes that make noise, telephones with loud ring tones and loud conversations in the corridors.

Keeping patients’ confidentiality and privacy; Customer service care in a hospital requires that the staff knock on patients’ doors for instance before entering. This should be the minimum to protect the dignity of patients.

It is also important that staff protect and keep confidential all the healthcare information concerning their patients by avoiding disclosing them to outsiders.

Improving on communication; As patients, we appreciate when health staffs listen carefully to us by focusing on us and checking for understanding.

I don’t know whether you have also noticed that doctors and lawyers are the people who ask the most of questions before making a diagnosis.

In a hospital, patients don’t want to be numbers or cases. They want to be assured that their ailments are well understood by the people who need to take care of us.

Though we acknowledge the fact that health people have a tedious and stressful job in dealing daily with our difficult and complicated health issues, all we want from them is to show empathy and care.

Ends