called the card company and they transferred me to the fraud protection unit who lifted the hold on the card and said she should have no further problems using the card.  Fast  forward 24 hours and again I get a call from my daughter saying that again charges were being denied. 

At this point I am a bit ticked off.  I had spent a good twenty minutes the previous day clearing up the matter and since on vacation did not look forward to going through it all again.  When I realized that they were going through the exact same process that had failed the day prior, I asked to speak to a supervisor.  It was a Saturday evening at 5pm.  I was told that the supervisor was in a meeting and would not be out for over an hour.  'On a Saturday night your supervisors are in a meeting?' I was a bit skeptical about there being a meeting of supervisors at 5pm on Saturday.  'Surely you have some supervisor who can talk to me... you are a big company!'    She put me on hold and came back and said that no supervisor could talk to me.  I then asked her how SHE could explain that after I had approved all future charges on this card in a specific location by my daughter, WHY this happened again.  Her reply? 

"Ma'am I'm sorry but our system is beyond our control." 

Seriously?  This is what this well known organization wants to convey to me when I am upset... that their system is out of control?

I was promised a call back by a supervisor.  Big surprise - that call never came.  So Lynn RVPG... (that was her rep number given to me when asked) maybe you never told the supervisor I was upset?  Not a good call!  If you did tell a supervisor and they never called back, even worse!

Lessons we can all take from this customer service close encounter?

• Review possible scenarios that will cause customer conflict and angst
• Determine causes of customer conflict and customer complaints to avoid such scenarios
• When service failure occurs, have a scripted explanation that builds confidence in your company - not destroys it
• Have supervisors available at all times if possible; Sometimes your customer just needs to talk to a voice of higher authority
• If a supervisor is not available and a front line rep gives a promise of a call back, make sure it happens
• One final thought:  what are the expectations of the level of service provided by your firm or organization.  In this case we were talking about a very reputable company, so my expectations were pretty high.  When you market based on an expectation of a high level of service, you are in greater danger of a higher level of dissatisfaction when service failure occurs!

Your customer service image should never be 'out of your control'.  Customer service training for customer confict and customer complaint scenarios will go a long way to protect and build your brand.  Customer service scripts should not make your customer service reps sound like robots but it can protect your from an out of control image!

​​Teresa Allen is the Ranked #1 on ​Global Gurus list of the world's top Customer Service Experts.  She is often asked to share strategies for customer service success at meetings held across the globe.  Teresa can be reached through her website at www.AllenSpeaks.com or via telephone 800-797-1580.  This article may be reprinted if this credit box is included.

Much of current investment in customer service is focused on expanding capabilities in digital service channels and artificial intelligence.  Recent customer service studies, however, have illustrated the need to focus on the human element of customer service.  Read on to find out the important findings of these studies.

Accenture Strategy’s Global Customer Pulse Research found that 88% of customers use digital channels at some point in their shopping journey.  While 41% want even more digital options, only 36% of customers believe that digital channels are better than human interactions.  

Adding digital service channels to the customer’s menu of choices is obviously designed to drive loyalty.  But what if all these new customer options are not doing that at all?  Accenture’s study points out that even with the myriad of available service channels, only about 25% of customers were willing to recommend a business to others and a whopping 65% decided to take business elsewhere.  These numbers are staggering given the investment in more expensive technologies that have been added to the customer service foray in recent years.

So what is going on?  Accenture suggests that organizations who are increasingly relying on digital may be abandoning the human personalization that leads to up-sell and cross sell opportunities.  58% of customers still prefer to deal with a human to get a quick answer to a question and when service issues arise, 73% prefer human interaction to a “digitized voice and blinking cursor”.  Even Consumer Reports is weighing in on this issue, identifying the biggest complaint in customer service as the inability to speak to a real person when a problem surfaces.

Does this mean we should not invest in digital channels?  Certainly not, but it does point to it being necessary to give the customer choice of digital and human in their journey, particularly when it comes to conflict and complaints and complex interactions.  Equally important is the ability to switch channels midstream should an issue become more complicated.

A similar report by Verint on The Digital Tipping Point notes that when given the choice of how customers like to interact with organization, picking up the phone (24%) or going in store (23%) are still the most popular options.  Surprisingly, popular social apps such as Facebook and Twitter do not fare well in this study.  Only 3% of consumers indicated a preference for contacting via social and mobile apps.  Why do customers prefer a human element within customer service?  Verint’s global study indicates that it is because they are more likely to negotiate a better deal and receive good service.

A very notable graph in the Verint study shows significant disparity between customer service channels businesses are planning to offer and customer’s preferred communication channels.  Live chat (32%) and mobile apps (27%) score highest on future investment while the consumer’s preferred options – in branch and telephone contact – show little to no future investment increases.



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What does this mean for you as you plan your strategy for 2017?
Here are 5 Steps to Take:
1.     Look at recent customer service studies in more detail.   Some point to differences in varied industries that may be important for you.  (study links here)
2.    Talk to your own customers and find out what they want.  While studies are important, they cannot compare to ‘Management by Walking Around’ and customer survey data for your own business and market.
3.    Realize that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.  Customers are increasingly demanding multiple channels and more importantly a choice of channel for different contact/transaction types.
4.    Know your customer’s journey and plan a strategy for contacts along that journey.  Every business, even similar businesses in the same market have their own unique branding and customer strategy.  Make sure your customer service is aligned with that branding and strategy for every contact point.
5.    Invest in the human side of your customer service through customer service training and communication training!  Realize that customer engagement in linked to employee engagement.  Invest in your employees and they will invest in your success!

It is a complicated customer service world out there sure to become even more complex in coming months and years.  Instead of being overwhelmed by what you cannot do, focus on specific steps to maximize the impact of your digital and human touch points.  This will build your success and your profits in 2017 and beyond!

Teresa Allen is currently ranked #1 on GlobalGurus.org list of the world’s top customer service experts.  Allen speaks at meetings worldwide on the impact of customer service on success and profits.  Contact Teresa about your meeting: tallen@AllenSpeaks.com 800-797-1580  

A Year End Customer Service Inventory: 5 Questions to Ponder
1.    Are we becoming more or less connected to individual customers?
2.    Have we automated routine customer service tasks?
3.    Are we working to minimize point of dissatisfaction on the customer journey?
4.    Are competitors out-serving us?
5.    Does every customer feel appreciated?
As we approach the end of the year and look forward to the next year of serving our customers and building profits, the following self inventory will build our success:

1.     Are we becoming more or less connected to individual customers?
Customers are not served as a group, they are helped one at a time.  Thus surveys showing the percent of customer satisfaction is somewhat worthless if it is not supplanted with specific individual feedback from different customers in varied points on the customer journey.  When examining survey data, do not overlook individual customer comments (and if you don’t have a place for comments, add them NOW!).  Customers can be the best business consultants for the new year if we will just ask them how we are doing and LISTEN to their answers.  This can be achieved through surveys but also through conversations.  Since it is likely that front-line employees have more in person contact, either face-to-face or telephone, it is critical to tap into their insights in both formal and informal ways.  Direct supervisors should solicit customer feedback information at least weekly if not daily.  They should then report in a formal written way the feedback received to management and specifically to marketing.  Do you have a means to collect this feedback?  If not, make it a priority for the new year.

2.     Have we automated routine customer tasks?
Customer Effort Score (CES) is one of the rising stars of customer service metrics.  This is common sense of course as the most valuable asset of any human being living today is their time.   What has been done this year to minimize the effort of customers at various points on the customer journey.  These critical points include the product/service search, the inquiry, the order process, the delivery, and post-sale touchpoints.  Be careful here however… while customers want routine tasks automated, growing evidence suggests that more complex interactions indicate a preference for human touch.  In other words, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! While I might prefer chat for a routine question, I may want to speak to a live representative when you have completely messed up my order!

3.     Are we working to minimize the points of dissatisfaction on the customer journey?
The answer to this question implies that the customer journey has been mapped which can in and of itself be a daunting task, especially for a smaller business.  Do not be intimidated… you can start small and grow your understanding and use of this critical tool, but make the commitment to get started!  Not doing so risks silos in your organization where none is accountable to the customer for the overall experience.  A great first step is to review reports on customer complaints, and then to talk to individual customers about how and when the process failed them.  Information can then be used to design training to avoid these points of dissatisfaction.

4.     Are our competitors out-serving us?
While we may not have access to our competitor’s latest internal reports on customer satisfaction, in a transparent world of customer interactions, much information is available to us.  We must monitor not only our own social criticisms and accolades but those of our competitors as well.  In so doing, we can strengthen our weaknesses and market to our strengths.  What channels are competitors using to serve our common markets?  Recent studies show that the wider our channel options, the more likely our customers will receive the service they desire. Caution must be used here however… just because our competitor has launched a new social media channel does not mean we should immediately jump in blindly.  The only thing worse than not being in a channel is being there and not being ‘present’ due to a lack of research, preparation, and ability to follow through.

5.     Does every customer feel appreciated?
Customer appreciation needs to happen every day, not just at year end with the standard holiday card.  Look for ways to connect with customers through individual appreciation.  Remember that your front-line staff will most likely not show appreciation to customers if they do not feel appreciated themselves!  It is also critical to realize that no two customers wish to be appreciated in the same way.  Take the time to get to know what makes especially your most important regular customers tick and look for opportunities to strengthen your relationship through unique appreciation sprinkled throughout the calendar year.  Doing so only at the holidays risks that our message is lost in the waterfall of cookies and cards.

Certainly the world of customer service has gotten a lot more complicated this year and is sure to continue on that path in the coming months.  Taking a specific inventory of where we are and where we need to go will eliminate some of the stress caused by the changing world of customer service!

Teresa Allen is an internationally recognized customer service expert and customer service keynote speaker currently ranked #1 on GlobalGurus.org list of the world's top customer service experts. She is often asked to share her expertise at meetings in customer service keynotes and training.  To contact Teresa, call 800-797-1580 or contact her through her website at www.AllenSpeaks.com.  This article may be reprinted as long as this credit box is included.

Below is a simple downloadable form that you can email out to your staff that will make them more conscious of what they like and dislike when shopping. These common sense observations will open their eyes to what their own customers like and dislike about their close encounters with YOUR business.

Click on the link at the end of this article to download!

This exercise is not just for front line employees. Your managers should complete the exercise too and make a mental note of what management did wrong or right to lead to the positive or negative impression that you received of the business you are evaluating.


Let employees know that you will ask them to review their observations with co-workers and managers after the first of the year. I hope you will share your BEST stories with me. The first 5 to comment on the blog post with this subject will receive a book or audio CD of Common Sense Service to reward the staff members relaying the story.

Happy HOLIDAYS !!

​While watching the never ending media commentary on the the 2016 election, it has occurred to me that the political arena is not the only place where a new reality has emerged.

The fight for customers in this year's consumer election is also now totally in the hands of the disgruntled or delighted individual. Just as it seems that the power of multi million dollar campaign spend by super pacs has little effect, the investment of millions in product advertising campaigns now pales against the screaming voice of the customer. Whether it be a United Breaks Guitars song or the audio of the Comcast employee who kept a disgruntled customer on the phone for 45 minutes, the single customer service close encounter on the front lines has repercussions in today's marketplace louder than even a Super Bowl ad campaign.

So why has the landscape changed in such a profound way, and what is the message for those involved in the fight for customers? The power of social media in every channel is now indisputable. Companies who strive for customer success and market position cannot afford to ignore the voice of the customer as heard via social. Sitting on the sidelines with only a passing interest may be just as dangerous. The pulse of the customer must be monitored consistently and constantly. But simply monitoring the customer's heartbeat is not enough. Engaging in social media with two-way communication is necessary to keep the heart pumping. Giving a jolt from the paddles in the ER when a bad customer service close encounter goes viral just won't guarantee that the ailing patient lives!

Do you have to be a corporation with a Chief Customer Officer and a team of hundreds to compete? If you are a large corporation, the simple answer is yes. If you are a small business, the answer is obviously "I can't do that!", so what do you do? First and foremost, listen to your customers where they are talking EVERY DAY. Find out what they are saying and respond quickly whether the feedback is positive or negative. What if you are a small hotel or B&B and not Hilton? You can still monitor Trip Advisor customer feedback and respond to complaints and compliments. Let customers know how you are going to make it better for the next guest. What if you are a mom and pop printing business? Take interest in your Yelp profile; pay attention to what customers are saying about your quality, responsiveness, and delivery time and make business adjustments with those in mind. The scale may be different but the truth is, it now actually may be EASIER and obviously less expensive for a small business to respond to customer input than for their counterparts in high ivory towers. There lies the small business competitive advantage in today's world!

I am your customer. Hear me ROAR.... If you want my vote in this year's customer election, you better be not only listening, but responding with a common sense customer service strategy that keeps my heart pumping and my wallet spending!

Teresa Allen is a highly acclaimed customer service speaker and is the author of Common Sense Service: Close Encounters on the Front Lines. Visit her AllenSpeaks.com website to find more ideas on building your customer service culture. To contact Teresa call 800-797-1580 or email tallen at AllenSpeaks.com

As a provider of financial industry sales and service training for 20 years, I have been nothing short of horrified to learn about what Wells Fargo has been doing to their customers.  It truly was not a big surprise as my daughter opened Wells Fargo accounts as a young adult several years ago after moving to Los Angeles. Even though it has been many years, I have not forgotten her call to lament all the charges she was getting from Wells Fargo for products and services that she never requested.   I am married to 'an officer and a gentleman' (bank loan officer) and recall how it took him days of effort with nearly 4 hours on the telephone to get her out of all the accounts and services that they put her in without her permission.

Over the years when a potential bank or credit union client calls my office to ask about my sales training programs, I have asked two fundamental questions:

1.  Is your customer service where it needs to be?

In my humble opinion, it is not a good business decision to embark on sales training if your service is not top notch. Let us explore an analogy of olympic diving to illustrate this point.  The diver walks out onto the edge of the board, stands and thinks about the dive they are about to take and then has the all important bounce that propels them into the air giving them the inertia to have a good chance of completing the dive as designed.  If the right bounce is not there, the dive is doomed from the outset.  Similarly, unless you know your customers, and have asked questions to understand their needs, and have a strong foundation of service, you have no business attempting to sell them anything.  Yet many organizations look to sales training as a silver bullet to solve all of their problems.  Let me save you some money... invest first in customer service training, build strong relationships and then and only then invest in sales training.

2.  I tell the person inquiring about my financial service sales training programs that I am NOT in the business of teaching people to PUSH products and services on their customers and members.  

Why?  Pushing products and services on customers is a SHORT TERM success strategy.  I am interested in bringing a LONG TERM success strategy to my clients.  If you have your interests in mind more than your customer's, the customer will eventually see through your motives.  And that will be a fork in the relationship road that ever changes the dynamic of TRUST.  Wells Fargo is not the only financial institution or business to be guilty of such a strategy.  I have seen countless examples of this reckless approach (although none quite as blatent or widespread) in my 20 years of providing sales and customer service training to businesses of every type.  

Regardless of what industry you are in, learn a lesson from the failed strategy of Wells Fargo and others like them. Lead your staff to build relationships based on a position of trust that considers the customer's business and life goals and objectives a far more important factor than what your business happens to need at the moment.  If you do this with a foundation of great service, you will build long term profitable relationships!

The Impact of Customer Service on Customer Lifetime Value

A survey by Dimensional Research of mid-sized company customers showed a strong and direct correlation between customer service levels and future spending (83%), especially in B2B transactions.  Here are some specific highlights of the study regarding the impact of good and bad service encounters: ​