The 4 A s way to be a Customer Service Superhero. And give your customers a reason to love you.

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1 The 4 A s way to be a Customer Service Superhero And give your customers a reason to love you.

2 Jacci and Michelle are pleased to share with you the 4 A s principles that make great customer service. In this easy to put into practise guide you will get practical tips and real insights into what it takes to create great customer experiences. And there are many reason why you would want to know this stuff and use it in your business. So here are the headliners: Who we are Jacci Wright and Michelle Holmes Training Professionals with a passion for great learning and great customer service New Chapter Learning is a training consultancy specialising in Customer Experience and Leadership Development 1. Free marketing when you delight your customers they keep coming back. When you wow them they tell others and do your marketing for you. Now that s efficient advertising! 2. Industry reputation you become the one that everyone else wants to be and talks about. Profile building with integrity. 3. Job satisfaction How would it be if by just by doing your job using the 4 A s you re not only putting a smile on your customers face but also your own! Result! So go on, dive into this little guide and create great customer experiences that will give your customers a reason to love you and keep coming back.

3 When you analyse great customer experiences to find out how they became so great, you quickly find it s because just four basic behaviours were used. These are Appearance, Attitude, Attention and Accuracy which spookily all start with A... It s then just a small step to see that the 4 A s principles make a simple and robust set of tools that can be put into practice straight away, no matter what your role or how your customers come to you. We will look at each of the 4 A s in turn and share with you some easy and practical ways to: The 4 A s of Customer Service - How to be a Customer Service Superhero Programme is available as both a workshop and as elearning. 1. Identify how the 4 A s work in your role or business now 2. Notice if any are missing or could be strengthened 3. Make small changes to how you do things to make a big impact 4. Get more job satisfaction and create fans for your business Our 4 A s are Customer Service Superheroes and they can t wait to share their secrets with you. So lets meet our first Superhero Alice Appearance and get some great tips.

4 Hello, I m Alice and I am a First Impression Guru and Visual Impact specialist. Its interesting isn t it. First Impression are very important and just taking time to see yourself as your customers see you can give you an insight into how welcoming you appear, or if you are presenting yourself in the most useful way for example. I bet you can name a couple of businesses that impress you with the way they look and present themselves. What do they do that makes that impression? What can you do that makes the same impression? So here is the first of my two easy to do tips Alice Appearance A first impressions guru and visual impact specialist Take time to look at yourself and the business through your customers eyes. You can do this very simply and quickly by getting customer feedback or asking colleagues. It can be uncomfortable to be self critical so see this as a makeover exercise and plan to do it at regular intervals so that your look never gets stale. You don t have to do everything all at once, but you do to have a vision of how you want your customers to see you. So sit down and think about what sort of impression you want to make and plan how you can make that happen.

5 Here's my second tip Its not just the fixtures and fittings, brand logo or dress code etc. that you need to take a close look at there is also the behaviour of the people your customers meet. Are your customers met with a genuine smile? Are they even greeted at all? A warm welcome makes a great first impression and can be a crucial decision point for your customer to stay or go. So put in place a code of practice for welcoming customers and keep it friendly with enough flexibility for colleagues to inject their own personality. Alice Appearance A first impressions guru and visual impact specialist Body language and voice are also very important when making a great first impression and a lovely smile is made even bigger when you stand tall and speak clearly. Its part of the same behaviour. So ensure the people your customers meet have the right personal presentation skills and understand the important part they play in giving your customers a reason to love you. Its so true that first impressions count and you are that first impression.

6 So, to wrap this up for you Who impresses you? What do they do that you could do too? Look at yourself and your business through the eyes of your customer what does your customer see, feel and hear on their first and subsequent dealings with you? How do you want your customers to see you? Have a plan as to how you want your customers to see you make small important changes first and review the plan regularly. Alice Appearance A first impressions guru and visual impact specialist How do you welcome your customers? Is it warm and genuine? Have a code of practice that allows personality to shine through. Do the people who meet your customers have the right skills? Are you using the right recruitment criteria and providing training that supports the right behaviours? Well that s all from me, just some of many Appearance tips I use to create Great Customer Experiences. Now its over to Andy Attitude.

7 Use this space to make notes about what you want to do differently to make a great first impression

8 Hello, I m Andy and I make every customer interaction a personal mission to have them leave with a smile. I know that how I think and feel on the inside about my customers shows on the outside in everything I do. Because I am passionate about making sure my customers have a great experience I do everything I can to help them and show that I care. Customers know when you are genuine and I do everything with heart. So here is the first of my two easy to do tips Andy Attitude On a personal mission to make very customer smile with help from the heart. Take responsibility. You are an expert in your business and customers, in general, know nothing about how your business operates. Quite often all of the processes and rules of your business are hidden from them yet they often have to conform to them or go through them. Make it your mission to hold your customers hand and create a smooth hassle free experience. Review your processes and check to see if they are customer friendly. Do you have a Computer says no attitude? Be ready to make things right when they go wrong. Taking responsibility for mistakes and learning from them is what makes customers smile.

9 Here's my second tip Tell your customer what you CAN do, not what you can t. There are occasions when you don t have the expertise or the answers to hand so it s easy to say I can t help. How frustrating is it when that happens to you as a customer? Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States once said When you are asked if you can do a job tell them certainly I can and then get busy and find out how to do it Andy Attitude On a personal mission to make very customer smile with help from the heart. I propose you go one better than that and find out as much as you can about your business and your role to be as ready as possible to help. Then, when a customer asks you to help with something, whether it s to you or the business, you feel confident in your ability to help. And even if it s something that you are unable to fulfil yourself, you will can be ready to point them in the right direction. What does your business do to support those who deal with customers? Have a robust induction programme and ongoing skills checks plan for Attitude.

10 So, to wrap this up for you How much responsibility do you and your business take for the satisfaction of your customers? Learn from your mistakes and make it your mission to have your customer smiling when they leave. How easy is it for your customers to do business with you? Is it all about making easy for yourself? Review and make changes if you find your processes are not customer friendly. Hold you customers hand and see it through with them. Your customers will know its from the heart and appreciate your expertise. Andy Attitude On a personal mission to make very customer smile with help from the heart. How skilled and knowledgeable are your people who deal with customers? You can build useful attitudes when there is a base of confidence. Have an ongoing programme of up-skilling and capability building. When faced with a challenge only tell your customer what you CAN do. Its all they are interested in and shows you care. Well that s all from me, just some of the many Attitude tips I use to create Great Customer Experiences. Now its over to Anne Attention.

11 Use this space to make notes about what you want to do differently to make your customers leave smiling

12 Hi, I m Anne and when you are with me I make you feel like you are the centre of my world. Paying attention to customers is vital. It takes concentration and focus and when these skills are not there, customers get ignored. No business can afford to ignore their customers and as humans we crave attention. Have you every been ignored as a customer? It s a very lonely experience and one which I know you would never want your customers to go through. So here is the first of my two easy to do tips Anne Attention When you are with me I make you feel you are the centre of my world Manage distractions. With technology at our fingertips its too easy to check your smart phone for s, messages and social media updates. What does looking at your phone and keeping your customer waiting say to your customer? Think about where you should keep your phone and when you should use it. Give yourself a chance to focus on your customer 100% As a business you could provide secure places for staff to keep phones while dealing with customers and encourage distraction free practices. Customers love attention and being made to feel special so keep those things that can distract you out of reach.

13 Here's my second tip Don t just hear - listen. What did I say? I think you heard me loud and clear! How irritating is it when you have already told someone some information and then they ask you for it again? Focus on the conversation and listen to every word. Make notes where possible and show that you have heard by repeating back. Anne Attention When you are with me I make you feel you are the centre of my world And, as mad as this may sound, look at your customer as they speak to you if you can. You will give your ears and brain a helping hand by actually seeing the words being said! In your business, do you have a lot of ambient sound? Things like background music and chef theatres give great atmosphere but can be difficult to communicate clearly against. Check that yours is not getting in the way of your people getting the customers requests right.

14 So, to wrap this up for you When is the right time to look at your phone? Never when you are with customers. Keep it locked away until break time. Remove as many distractions as you can. Is your business set up to allow your people to focus on the customer? Remember that we all love a bit of attention. What can you do to show your customer you care? How are your people trained to focus and concentrate? Be prepared to listen and hear everything your customer is saying to you. Make sure you look your customer where you can. Anne Attention When you are with me I make you feel you are the centre of my world Is your atmosphere getting in the way? Give some thought to the quietly spoken and the hard of hearing and give your people a chance to hear them and be heard! Well that s all from me, just some of the many Attention tips I use to create Great Customer Experiences. Now its over to Adam Accuracy.

15 Use this space to make notes about what you want to do differently to make your customers the centre of your world

16 Hi, I m Adam and my favourite saying is Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. It comes from a Greek historian called Xenophon. He really knew what was important. Being accurate is the difference between success and failure and customers expect us to get it right every time. I know that when I get things right, it gives my customers confidence that they are in safe hands. They trust me and I I aim for 100% accuracy every time, but I can make the odd mistake. So a big part of what I do is say sorry, put things right and learn from my mistakes So here is the first of my two easy to do tips Adam Accuracy Aiming to get it right first time, every time. Check then do. There is an old builders saying, measure twice and cut once. It s a false economy on time to rush ahead when you are under pressure. It takes more time to sort out the mistakes that taking that extra few seconds to check before you do. Spelling names is a prime example where just taking time to ask your customer to spell their name can stop a lot of problems later. Do you really have enough time to do what you need to? Review your processes and make some changes if there is not enough time to get the job done right. It will save you time and money later.

17 Here's my second tip Learn from your mistakes. No matter how hard you try, mistakes will happen it s a fact. But it is not an excuse. Every mistake happens because something went wrong and it is usually something that can easily be rectified and avoided in the future. To be able to avoid making it again you have to work out how it happened so here is a simple process to find the source of the mistake. Adam Accuracy Aiming to get it right first time, every time. What actually happened? The sequence of events that led to the mistake Why it happened Which part of the process failed exactly? What needs to change How can things be done differently? Ignoring mistakes turns into complaints so save time, money and reputation by dealing with the causes and learning from them. Be brave and use your mistakes to create great customer experiences more often and give your customers a reason to love you.

18 So, to wrap this up for you Aim for 100% right first time, every time, and accept nothing less. When you aim for 99% you are happy for 1 customer in 100 to get less than the best and that is not acceptable. Check that the information you have is right before acting on it. Spelling a customers name wrong can cause problems later so always check, then do. Mistakes happen no matter what so use them to sharpen up your accuracy by finding the cause and putting it right. Adam Accuracy Aiming to get it right first time, every time. Always say sorry. The first step to making things right is to acknowledge that your customer is unhappy. Is there enough time to do what you need to and get it right? Review your processes regularly and make sure everyone has sufficient training to do a great job. Well that s all from me, just some of the many Accuracy tips I use to create Great Customer Experiences.

19 Use this space to make notes about what you want to do differently to get thing right first - time every time

20 Start now and before you know it your customers will be raving fans and coming back for more. Like everything on one page? Here it is for you to get working on the 4 A s straight away just tick off the tasks as you do them! Appearance Attitude Attention Accuracy How do your customers see you? Get some feedback and plan how you want customers to see you then make changes. Do your customers get a warm welcome? First impressions count so sharpen up personal presentation skills Bring in a code of practice that gives a consistent welcome and is flexible enough to allow personalities to shine through Make it personal and take responsibility. Make it your mission to have every customer leave with a smile on their face. Are your processes making your customers think you only care about yourself? Make them customer friendly. Say what you can do and be prepared to help. Make sure you know everything you need to do your job with pride. Manage distractions. Get rid of the things that take you away from your customers. Give your attention some attention! Don t just hear listen! Keep a note book to make notes and look at your customer as they speak. Check your environment is the music or background noise making it difficult to focus? Give your customers a chance to communicate. Aim for right first time every time. Accept nothing less that 100% because its never acceptable for 1 customer to get less than the rest Check then do get in the habit of repeating back and make sure your right, even when under pressure. Learn from your mistakes work out how they happened and make changes to avoid them happening again. Always say sorry.

21 Why should you provide Great Customer Experiences? Customer service is the biggest factor for customers when they make decisions to buy and even more importantly - if they will come back to you again in the future. Customers will go past a cheaper competitor if you give great customer service. Its more expensive to attract new customers than it is to keep them coming back to you. Customers will buy from you if you have been recommended by a friend or family and the will only recommend you if you have given them a reason to love you. WOW - You are now on your way to being a Customer Service Superhero! These few tips are just a small sample of the really useful skills building that you could experience when you sign up to the 4 A s Customer Service Superhero programme. In house workshops or licenced elearning - the choice is yours. The 4 A s principles have been designed to provide really useful behaviours that work in any industry or role that has customers. So it doesn t matter if you call the people who use your services clients, patients, stakeholders, buyers or just plain ole customers, they expect the same high standards and the 4 A s of Appearance, Attitude, Attention and Accuracy hold true across the board. You may have a personal desire to get some great workplace skills or have a business that wants to realise the benefits of giving great customer service. The 4 A s programme has a solution for you. Why not look at this short excerpt from the elearning? 4 A s preview or read Our Story which tells you about how we came up with the whole 4 A s concept, from scratch! Then just call us and tell us what you want to achieve. Michelle or Jacci us: Letstalk@newchapterlearning.co.uk Or visit our website: