Seven Steps to Remarkable Customer ServiceTIANRAN HAO(CHRIS)

Content• 1. Fix everything two ways

• 2. Suggest blowing out the dust

• 3. Make customers into fans

• 4. Take the blame

• 5. Memorize awkward phrases

• 6. Practice puppetry

• 7. Greed will get you nowhere

• 8. (Bonus!) Give customer service people a career path

1. Fix everything two ways• There are two ways to solve the problems – • The superficial and immediate solution

• The solution which can prevent this particular problem from ever happening again

• Can’t outsource tech support• Because support people must know the development

• Teach support people how to solve the problems rather than only offer the solutions

2. Suggest blowing out the dust• Customers are always confident• Hard to ask them to check something

• The art of speaking• Ask them indirectly

• Such as telling them to check the settings

3. Make customers into fans• Every company wants fanatically devoted customers

• Perfect software is not “perfect”• You may lose opportunities to interact with customers

• And you may lose opportunities to own the fanatically devoted customers

• Sometimes you need to remain some mistakes on purpose

4. Take the blame• People are willing to accept others’ faults

• WHEN others admit their faults

• Say “It’s my fault”

5. Memorize awkward phrases• If you want to make your mad customers happier

• Calm down and admit your faults• Say “It’s my fault” or some other apt sentences

• Admit your faults will not get you sued• On the contrary, it will avoid getting sued

6. Practice puppetry• You will never win an argument with your customer

• Because you cannot win the argument both in economic aspect and emotion aspect

• Lose money or compromise to your customers

• In order to avoid feeling bad after compromising, you need to believe that • Customers are angry at your business

• Not you

• Pretend to be a puppeteer and get to play a role with your customers

• Figure out what to make the puppet do that will make customers happy

7. Greed will get you nowhere• Customers will not be angry when they have nothing to

fear• Especially when their money is back

• Refund customers’ money without hesitation when they are not satisfied with your software

• From Fog Creek’s data, return software has cost them 2%

• And chargeback rate is 0%• Do not be penny wise and pound foolish

(Bonus!) Give customer service people a career path• You need very highly qualified people talking to

customers

• But many qualified people are bored with this job• So, train your people

• Returning is much higher than spending

Questions

References• http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/

customerservice.html