Yesterday I had to call the dreaded cable company. As my bot spewed the options I just kept saying “representative…REPRESENTATIVE…REP-RE-SEN-TA-TIVE.” And I was finally transferred to a real person.
But this wasn’t just a warm body with a headset. This was Shontell, who after about thirty seconds, I thought was an EVP of customer service, just sitting on the desk for the day. I actually even asked her that. She did absolutely EVERYTHING a caller would want.
The four steps* which will create a great customer service memory are:
1: Make it easy and timely.
2: Know what you’re talking about.
3: Personalize the experience.
4: Be authentic.
Shontell did them all.
I wanted to set up internet in a new apartment that already had cable supplied by the building. Shontell explained what I had, looked up the equipment in the apartment and suggested I swap it out, at no extra cost, at (and then gave me the address.) She asked if I needed a technician to install my modem. I said that I could do it myself but needed to know which modem to buy.
She directed me to the website where I could find compatible models.
Then she helped me transfer my user name and info from my previous account into the new one.
She did not sell me service options. She gave me ways to save money when I wasn’t going be using the services.
I finally had to ask her: “Shontell, are you a retired Customer Service coach or executive just sitting in for the day?”
She laughed and said, “Thank you, that’s very sweet. But frankly I took this job because I didn’t want other people to be treated the way I have been in the past.”
And it really is as simple as that.
*Thanks to the Strativity Group