You only get out of it what you put into it. So how much effort are you putting into making sure that your customer service and sales practices are top notch? Do you have training and quality assurance measures in place?  If not, you might be losing out on untapped revenue.  Never fear- we have some delicious ideas for your "pudding" so you will know what to do to make sure that you are putting in what it takes to make a difference.  

Having strong customer service and sales skills are your key ingredients in making sure your "pudding" is something your customers continue to want to taste, buy, and talk about.  What 5 ingredients do you need in your "pudding"?  Here they are (click on the image to download it and share as you please- you're welcome!)...

- Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business

I recently selected an airline that I had never flown before, and to my surprise, if possible, will never fly again. The overall feeling I had about my experience with this airline was not just about money, it was the way they made me "feel" about how they choose to do business. Just my efforts to check in to my flight was made difficult. Instead of just letting me check in, I had to sign up for their frequent flier program, regardless if I wanted to or not. Also, their website was not user-friendly. I learned while checking my bag in at the airport the day of my flight, had I checked the bag in online, the charge would have been about half cost and every bag gets a charge. Where is the customer care in that, especially when the website didn't navigate easily? They boldly, proudly, and in a condescending manner, said, "Do not give us 'that look' when the beverage cart comes around, and we charge you for water, because this airlines charges for everything." Interestingly, after this announcement, the two people sitting in my row both said they were warned by their friends not to fly this airline. 

All of this got me thinking about how many people on that flight felt like my row felt, and would they complain or just leave without comment? How dangerous for a company to have this large of a disconnect with their customers. My choice was to comment, which I hope informs this airline of my experience, however, sadly most will not complain to the company, but they will tell many about their poor experience. 

Even if you need very specific information... a good strategy is to start with a few open-ended questions and become more focused as you go.  This gives you the opportunity to develop a rapport with the other person while at the same time getting some valuable background data.  It just takes a little patience, which is essential anyway if you want to get honest, reliable information.

-Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, Ph.D. and Wendy Patrick Mazzarella, Reading People

 Some of you may recall when we introduced this concept nearly a year ago, and we are re-introducing it due to some great love for it and since we want you all to have the freebie that we are including. 

So you ask: what does KISSing have to do with customer service? A LOT!  For those of you who don't know, K.I.S.S. stands for "Keep it simple, stupid."  Implementing good, basic customer service practices is not hard (in fact, it's rather simple!), and for many people, it comes naturally once they are given a gentle nudge to embrace these skills.  What simple (K.I.S.S.) customer service standards and practices should we all embrace, no matter what business we are in?  Just nail these 4 skills...

At the most basic level, effective marketing is good storytelling.  It involves using a variety of means to communicate a cohesive message about your company.  Part of that message relates to the products and services you offer, but the rest has to do with the experience, or even the benefit a consumer gets from doing business with you.

-Kirk Kazanjian, Driving Loyalty