| Your sales and customer service team are the | | | | step, you are really limiting them on providing quality |
| primary customer contact for every business. What | | | | customer service. If you free them up to do what |
| does their attitude say about your company? If | | | | they know is necessary -- based on agreed |
| some of your team are not communicating the | | | | expectations -- you are providing the freedom to |
| message you want, here are 10 questions to ask | | | | make your customers happy. |
| yourself to ensure they stay positive, focused on | | | | 7. Do you have enough team members? If you have |
| message and deliver an exceptional customer service | | | | a team who is spread so thin they can't provide |
| experience. | | | | quality service over the quantity of customers |
| | | | served, consider hiring more team members. By hiring |
| 1. Are you clear on your values and expectations? | | | | more team members, you will enable your team to |
| This is foundational to ensure that a consistent | | | | make more sales. |
| message is communicated across the organization. | | | | 8. Do you motivate your team? You are sure to win |
| Without clarity from the top, teams are unclear of | | | | more customers, if you reward your team for |
| expectations and rarely surpass them. | | | | delivering a great customer service. Look for ways |
| 2. Are your priorities constantly changing? If you | | | | to provide positive reinforcement on a daily basis in |
| aren't consistent with priorities and aligning them with | | | | addition to providing performance bonuses, gift cards, |
| activities that customer's value, you are leaving room | | | | or something for your team to earn. |
| for confusion. Eliminating confusion will keep your | | | | 9. Do you provide too much information during |
| team focused. | | | | training sessions? If you supply too much at once, |
| 3. Are you and your managers leading by example | | | | they will take longer to master those new skills. |
| and consistently reinforcing desired behaviours? | | | | Consider breaking training into smaller sessions to |
| Teams model behaviours and if you do not | | | | allow time to master a few skills at a time. Teams |
| demonstrate what is expected, how can you expect | | | | who feel successful will be successful. |
| your team to behave otherwise. | | | | 10. Does the entire organization understand the critical |
| 4. Are you providing enough information? Providing a | | | | role they each play in delivering an exceptional |
| centralized location for information on all existing | | | | customer service experience? Too many |
| clients, products and services will give your team the | | | | organizations do not place the same importance on |
| confidence to answer any question without having to | | | | internal customers -- and resultant, the customer |
| rely on others for information. | | | | facing teams do not get the support they need to |
| 5. Are you providing training for skills that your team | | | | deliver to external customers. Ask yourself these 10 |
| may be lacking? If you have hired the right person | | | | questions to identify areas for improvement. Then |
| based on their character and attitude, but they are | | | | pick one and focus on it -- attacking too many |
| making mistakes, make sure they have the | | | | initiatives at once will lead to frustration. |
| necessary training to ensure they know how to do it | | | | Once your team has mastered one goal, move on to |
| right. | | | | another. Working together for a shared goal and |
| 6. Are you providing too much direction? If you try | | | | seeing ongoing improvements will keep the team |
| to tell your teams how to do everything step by | | | | focused, motivated and positive. |