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Empowering Employees to Make Decisions That Protect Both Loyalty and Profits

Over the last several months we have received numerous requests from Customer Service Managers, Small Business Owners and Training Managers for a training that will position frontline service professionals to resolve problems in such a way that protects both loyalty and profits. Companies today want to empower employees to make decisions, but they don’t want to give the store away in the process.

One of the most critical skills customer service professionals must possess is the ability to make good decisions. It is imperative that frontline service professionals be able to work independently and make decisions that balance the interests of customers and the company and that they make decisions that are cost effective. Not all of your employees will possess such skill when they come to you, so you have to provide them with tools to help them make good business-sense decisions. Taken from EBooklets on our website and the content of our seminars, here are the specific strategies we teach to help frontline service professionals resolve complaints without giving the store away.

1. Develop a Service Contingency Plan - When I partner with a company that wants to build loyal relationships with their customers, I absolutely insist that they develop a service contingency plan. A service contingency plan is a tool frontline staff can use to quickly determine recovery strategies that protect a company’s best customers from defection and strengthen loyalty after a service mishap. The service contingency plan identifies top problems customers encounter and offers predetermined recovery strategies designed to protect both loyalty and profits. The Service Contingency Plan data can be stored in a contact management database or be easily accessible in hard copy form. The Plan provides answers to all top problems customers face and makes responding to questions and complaints effortless. For step-by-step instructions on developing a Service Contingency Plan, including a sample Plan, pick up Myra’s EBook #4706. Only $6.95.

2. Develop a Service Recovery Matrix - At First Union Corporation, customer recovery decisions are strategically predetermined by a service recovery matrix designed to help protect the bank’s best customers from defection and to keep employees from giving the store away. From responding to requests to lower credit card interests rates to handling requests to waive NSF charges, all recovery strategies are driven by the goal of loyalty and profits. Customer Service Representatives’ recovery strategies are all determined by the color of a tiny square -- green, yellow or red -- that pops up on the PC next to the customer's name. Customers who get a red pop-up are the ones whose accounts lose money for the bank. Green means the customers generate large profits for the bank and should be granted waivers. Yellow means there is a chance to negotiate. Taken from Myra’s EBook # 4701.

3. Train Employees – Employees who are armed with a toolbox of diplomatic phrases, anger defusing techniques, and negotiation strategies will make better decisions that result in increased customer satisfaction, a profit savings and increased job satisfaction. Every employee that serves customers needs to learn specific and tangible strategies (negotiation, anger diffusion, etc.) for making decisions that protect loyalty and profits. Contact us at 866-873-8419 to explore a training program designed to equip employees to resolve problems in such a way that protects both loyalty and profits or visit us at www.myragolden.com.

4. Empower Employees - Every manager should strive to empower employees because empowered employees will demonstrate a stronger work ethic, take on increased responsibilities, and hold themselves accountable. Empowered employees who have a full understanding of organizational goals tend to spend less money on recovery and not more. They spend less money because they don’t “throw money” at problems and they take their responsibility quite seriously and aren’t willing to make questionable decisions in which they’d be held accountable. Taken from Myra’s EBook # 4701. >

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