1. People & Culture Department Meeting Vestas Americas April 2010
Going the Extra Mile
People & Culture Department Meeting
Vestas Americas
April 2010

2. Course Outline What is CUSTOMER SERVICE? Who are Your Customers?
What do you provide?
Clarifying requests
Going the extra mile
Tough customers
Personal promise of service
Tips

3. “Customer Service” defined
Assistance or resources that are provided
Series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction– that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation
From Wikipedia

4. What is Good Customer Service?
Service that results in a customer feeling satisfied
Service that treats the customer the way you would want to be treated
Characteristics:
Listening attentively
Responding with empathy
Exceeding expectations

5. Destroying Customer Service
Customers have memories. They will remember you, whether you remember them or not.
Customer trust can be destroyed at once by a major service problem, or it can be undermined one day at a time, with a thousand small demonstrations of incompetence.
From Rules to Break and Laws to Follow, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, PhD.

6. What is a Customer?
A person who purchases goods or services from another
A person accommodated, given hospitality
Anyone under the patronage of another; a dependent

7. Who are Your Customers? To whom do you provide services?
Think about your customers within P&C
Think about your customers within Vestas
Think about any other customers you have
Write down different types of customers on the Going the Extra Mile worksheet.

8. What do you provide? Ask yourself–
Do I provide a service or a product?
Service: an act of helpful activity; help; aid; assistance
Product: a deliverable that satisfies a need or contributes to a solution
Some examples:
Answers
Reports
Assistance
Advice
Data

9. What do you provide?
For each type of customer on your Going the Extra Mile worksheet, write down the service or product you provide. You may provide more than one.
Examples:
Customer: Vestas field technician
Service/product: technical training
Customer: SAP Trainer
Service/product: LMS support, scheduling support

10. Communication Basics
FILTERS: Personal perceptions, ideas, experiences, preferences
1. Message
2. Feedback
3. Clarification
4. Validation
NOISE: Culture, expectations, stress, nonverbals, environment, etc.

11. Clarifying Requests
How can we be sure we understand our customers’ expectations?
Ask for more information
Clarify assumptions
Discuss your questions tactfully
Focus on the other person’s point of view
Provide detailed process information only when necessary

12. Clarifying Requests
What can you do to clarify your customers’ requests?
Add questions you should ask for each customer type in the Going the Extra Mile worksheet.
Share with the person sitting next to you.

13. Going the Extra Mile: Empathy
What is Empathy?
Intellectual identification with the feelings, thoughts, and attitudes of another person
The recognition and appropriate acknowledgement of another person’s emotional state
Putting yourself in your customer’s position so you can understand his/her frustration

14. Empathy What does empathy have to do with customer service?
Empathy is conveyed when you listen for hidden meaning in what a customer is saying and offer caring assistance
Empathy can diffuse emotion
“Customers don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

15. Empathy Easy Empathetic Responses:
“I can hear how frustrated you are.”
“I can see how that would annoy you.”
“That’s fantastic!”
“I understand that this is very time-critical.”
“That would upset me, too.”

16. Going the Extra Mile: Anticipating Needs
What does it mean to anticipate someone’s needs?
Recognizing what someone might need next and suggesting or providing it before they ask
Examples:
The waitress that keeps your coffee cup full
The concierge that offers directions (or a taxi) to dinner after making your reservation

17. Anticipating Customer Needs
How can you anticipate your customers’ needs?
Make a list of your everyday requests.
Review the steps in your interactions with customers. What are some of the logical needs at each step?
Get creative by asking about what else you could offer.
Start implementing! Begin with one thing at a time.
Ask for feedback to ensure you’re heading the right direction.

18. Going the Extra Mile
What can you do to go the extra mile with your customers? Does it involve more empathy or anticipating their needs? Is there something else you can do?
Write down your ideas for each customer in the appropriate spot on your Going the Extra Mile worksheet.

19. Dealing with Tough Customers
Tips for handling that upset customer in the moment:
Let him vent. He’ll feel better after and therefore be easier to talk with.
Don’t take it personally. It’s not you he’s mad at– it’s the situation.
Be empathetic. Acknowledge his feelings and the reasons for them.
Don’t over-promise. If you can’t deliver, it will only make the customer more upset.

20. Steps for Dealing with Upset Customers
Listen actively.
“Backtrack” some of the words used. Try, “What I’m hearing is that you’re…”
Clarify situation particulars and the desired outcome.
Summarize your understanding of the situation and what you intend to do.
Confirm your understanding and suggested solution.
Follow up! Send an after the discussion to summarize the agreement.

21. Personal Promise of Service
Having a Service Promise can:
For you:
Focus your responses
Clarify priorities
For your customer:
Set expectations
Explain what you do (and don’t do)

22. Personal Promise of Service
What does Good Customer Service mean to you?
Responses within 24/48/72 hours?
The right answer the first time?
Keeping your promises?
Think about it! Consider developing and displaying a Personal Promise of Service for your customers. Even a Service Level Agreement (SLA) can clarify customer expectations.

23. Customer Service Tips Always know your customers’ expectations.
Give more than expected.
Help customers understand your systems.
Discuss concerns around filling a request tactfully.
Always keep customers informed on request status.
Get out of your “silo”.
Get regular feedback.
Open your vision to the big picture.

24. How to Be a Good Customer
Discuss expectations openly and honestly.
Use effective time management.
Provide all necessary information.
Always be professional.

25. Thank you for your attention
Bonnie Howden