10 Rules for Customer Service

Transcription

1 X:/thomson/delmar/milady/ BMB/Work/3B2/c06.3d 02/04/2008 2:31 PM Page Rules for Customer Service E L A L E A R N IN I N G O B J EC ECTIVES After completing this chapter, you should be able to: S R O F 1. Discuss the specific concepts of good customer service. 2. Define the 10 Rules for Customer Service. 3. Discuss bad customer service. T O N CHAPTER 6 77

2 78 CHAPTER 6 INTRODUCTION Figure 6 1 A positive attitude on the phone is essential for a successful spa business When we talk about operations in the spa sector, without a doubt many feel, and understandably so, that customer service is the most important part of a spa business that a spa director will manage. From the happiest client to the unhappiest client, the operations manager should be involved. But, as you have seen, there are many important aspects of the operations manager s job, and customer service is just one of them. Customer service should be an obsession for the operations manager and the staff. What exactly does this mean for the staff and the operations manager? That the customer is always right? Or that good customer service equates to water served on a silver tray? While good customer service may mean all of that and more, it is hard for some to differentiate among the niceties of running a business, customer service, and meeting the customer s needs. Furthermore, there are the necessary concepts of tracking customer service and identifying new areas of potential growth based on conversations and feedback with consumers. But let us start at the beginning. Tracking customer service is one among many important tasks for the spa that is focusing on growth and success. This can be accomplished by simple outbounding calling or it can be more complex. When it is handled in a more complex fashion, it is a mathematical indicator based on value and retention. For example, a good operations manager will assign a value to clients. Some clients can be valued at as little as $200/month or as much as $1K+/ month. This is simply the amount that the client spends per month. Layered over this is the number of referrals that the client makes to the clinic. What we know is that passive customer service creates low spending and low referral of clients. On the other hand, those who are very happy and feel positive about their experience will refer more clients. Now you may argue the point that if the treatment is well done the client will be happy. But this is not necessarily so. Many studies show that it is the customer service that drives the practice. The point is we do not have to provide terrible customer service to create an unhappy customer; we only have to be passive. Customer service can make or break your business. Since the spa and medispa provide environments for caring, pampering, and well being, it is important that the customer service have the same tone. A negative or hurried attitude over the phone (see Figure 6 1) or in person, does not meet the standards of good customer service and may determine whether or not a client books a follow-up appointment or feels positive about his or her experience. Having the right personnel to manage the front end of the business is only one component of the larger picture. In the grand scheme

3 10 RULES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE 79 of things, it is important that employees are well schooled in the area of customer service and that all of your employees display a consistent and unwaveringly high level of customer service. A high level of customer service might include the following: call a client by name, ensure the schedule is running on time, and be polite, to name only a few. Since you cannot expect to be all places at once, being certain that this high level of customer service is being consistently performed is difficult, yet manageable. It is very possible to do so, in fact, as long as your staff has the innate skills, which are fostered to bring out their best service skills. How does one accomplish this? The first step is to establish a firm set of rules that every employee will adhere to unwaveringly. These rules are not meant to govern the employees, but to manage their relationships with the clients as well as how they view the clients in relationship to their livelihood. RULE #1: THE COMPETITION IS ANYONE THE CUSTOMER COMPARES TO YOU While you may think that your competition is the neighboring spa or the one that just opened up across town, you would be both correct and incorrect. From a business standpoint, yes, they are your competition. Yet from a customer service standpoint they are not your only competition in customer service. In this light, your competition is everyone that provides customer service. If your clients expect good customer service, as most should, they will compare your customer service to the clerk at the grocery store and the person who takes an order at the catalog company or the finest restaurants. In fact, they will compare your services to every spa they have ever visited, or even heard of. When it comes to customer service, you and your staff must strive for excellence at every given moment. Every single interaction with the client, every phone call, and every treatment ought to be performed as though the success of the spa depends on that client s satisfaction. While this may seem an impossible challenge, your goal is to attempt to be the ideal against which other businesses are compared. RULE #2: ATTENTION TO DETAIL IMPROVES CUSTOMER LOYALTY One common misconception among business owners is that customer service is limited solely to the one-on-one exchanges between the client

4 80 CHAPTER 6 Figure 6 2 A satisfied customer is a loyal one and the staff. While it accounts for a great deal of good customer service, it is only a component of the customer service interaction. Great customer service has its origins in the details. The choice of words, the cleanliness of the treatment areas, the availability of needed devices, like pens or tissues, and the efficiency of service are just a few of the many details that contribute to great customer service. Customer Loyalty Grows a Business One of the best rewards for providing great customer service is that your customers will keep coming back. (See Figure 6 2.) As anyone who runs a business can tell you, it takes a great deal of resources to get a potential client to walk through the door. It takes a mere fraction of that cost to keep a client coming back. As a spa owner or spa director, you should want your clients to walk away not just satisfied, but wowed. A satisfied customer is a loyal one. And a loyal customer will often be the best public ambassador to your business, and will likely refer friends and family. Be Consistent with Customer Service A significant division that separates good customer service from great customer service is the consistency with which it is practiced. No matter how high quality the best customer service you provide is, it will certainly be counteracted by the worst or even mediocre customer service. Just as your business s customer service will be compared to that of every other business, the customer service of one staff member will be compared to that of another employee. One way to counteract poor customer service is to have a consistent and enforceable customer service plan to which every employee adheres. Training on customer service should be provided when an employee is hired. (See Figure 6 3.) Regular workshops will remind existing employees of the necessity of customer service. Topics found in regular workshops should include role-playing, what creates the customer service wow factor such as outbounding calling, how to go the extra step for a client, and what a difference a smile and the yes, I can help you factor will make in the customer service relationship. Since the manager cannot be everywhere to monitor the customer service provided by all employees, the greatest resource to get the best overall picture of the machine at work is the clients. Periodically, have clients fill out evaluation cards. Ask them how they were treated, and if there is anything they would suggest for better customer service. To this effect, consistently great customer service begins at the top. Follow up with dissatisfied clients, and remedy their complaints swiftly. A possible

5 10 RULES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE 81 Figure 6 3 A training session customer service problem at the spa might be a poorly provided treatment, for example, a waxing treatment that lifted skin. It is the responsibility of the clinician to follow up with this client on the telephone and ensure that the skin is properly healing. But, it would also be wise for the spa manager to follow up with the client and offer a gift certificate or complimentary product for their trouble. While the client is warned of the possibility that this may happen, it is important for the client to recognize that it is not the treatment standard. By receiving good follow-up, the client will feel taken care of, and the customer service of a complimentary product or makeover communicates that the client is important to the practice. RULE #3: GREAT SERVICE STARTS WITH A GREAT ATTITUDE We have all encountered someone who is always happy, and nothing can seem to bring him or her down. Those people spread good cheer. How do they do it? What is their secret? The truth is, no one is always happy. Yet these people apply the philosophy that a great attitude will conquer anything. In the arena of customer service this is certainly true. If you choose to have a good attitude, Rate our Customer Service: 1 being poor and 5 being outstanding 1. I have always been treated politely by the front desk. 2. I have always been treated politely by my clinician. 3. My clinician always takes the necessary time with me. 4. I feel I am wowed by the customer service. 5. I always receive a followup call after my appointment. I would suggest:

6 82 CHAPTER 6 Figure 6 4 When customers see that you are positive and sincere in your efforts, they are more inclined to leave with a sincere smile on their faces your performance will be that much better. The fact is, a positive attitude is contagious. A heartfelt smile is evident in the eyes. (See Figure 6 4.) By having a good attitude, you are putting the smile in your eyes, which is transferable to everyone you smile at. When your customers see that you are positive and sincere in your efforts, providing well-wishes, they are more inclined to leave with a sincere smile on their faces as well. Since the goal is to have your clients leave satisfied, having the best possible attitude will help ensure that achievement. Follow the Golden Rule of Customer Service Providing good customer service is not always easy. Some days the smile that the client sees will not reflect the feelings that may be concealed inside. Adjusting your attitude is required, however. Sometimes the negative attitude the client comes in with has nothing to do with the spa or clinician she saw or is about to see. The important thing is that you catch more bees with honey than vinegar. The employee s ability to turn a situation around and make a client smile should be considered an everyday challenge that should be met with excitement and enthusiasm. If the spa employees are individuals who are unable to leave their personal problems or negative attitudes at the door, then perhaps another line of work is in everyone s best interest. Be Deliberately Friendly Whereas good customer service is polite, great customer service is friendly. Consider some of the better customer service experiences you have had. While the teller at the bank may have said thank you and good day, doing so may not have left an imprint on your mind. The truly friendly people will be the ones who leave the greatest impression. Asking someone how their treatment was is polite. Asking them how their day is, is intimate. Be personable and gregarious. Start up conversations about topics outside the spa, if the client seems like she wants to talk. But be careful; there is nothing worse than being held hostage by a clinician who will not stop talking. For example, if you ask a customer about his or her plans for the weekend, he or she may volunteer information that you can utilize later. For instance, suppose a client tells you she is going to the zoo with her granddaughter. Ask her about the granddaughter. How old is she? What is her name? When that client returns, she will be impressed if you ask her about the granddaughter. If, on the other hand, the client seems reluctant to share information, be quiet because maybe she wants

7 10 RULES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE 83 the time for herself. Doing so creates a sense of genuine intimacy between your clients and your business. It also creates loyalty. RULE #4: DO WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT, NOT WHAT YOU THINK THEY WANT In the spa environment, it is easy to get caught up in the belief that you are the skin care authority. However skilled you may be, though, you are not the one who has to wear the skin of your clients. Part of performing a high degree of customer service is not what you say but what you hear. A client may come in presenting with what you perceive to be hyperpigmentation and wrinkling. They complain only about the wrinkling, saying they want microdermabrasion. As a skin care service provider you may think that the hyperpigmentation is a greater concern. How do you address this situation? Ideally you want to address your client s concerns. Pose a series of questions to your client, and offer your professional advice to address his or her concerns, not your own. Listening to your client when you have a difference of opinion may not always be easy, but it will go a long way in developing trust and a sound professional relationship with your client. The Customer Has the Final Decision It is often said in the customer service area that the customer is always right. Well, that is not exactly true. If the client knew everything about skin care, he or she would not be seeing you. It is important that a professional opinion is provided about the subject of skin, products, and skin treatments. This means that everyone clinician and front desk personnel alike must be educated and able to answer questions that are appropriate for their job description. Poor customer service includes poorly educated employees. A client s final decision can be based on poor information as well as traditional poor customer service. That said, the objective is to communicate with the client and ensure that the proper information is heard by the client. (See Figure 6 5.) If after the client has received the information the answer is still no or they are still unhappy, it is important to ask what will make them happy or what you can do to further improve the situation. Sometimes the solutions are possible; sometimes they are not. But asking is always important. Figure 6 5 It is important to communicate proper information to the client

8 84 CHAPTER 6 RULE #5: PHONE SCRIPTS ARE SIMPLY FOR REFERENCE Customer service is very important when addressing a client, or a potential client, over the telephone. It is often the first contact a client will have with your business. You will want your receptionist and administrative staff to be informed and be able to answer as many questions as possible without hassle, while seeming informed and helpful. One way to ensure that they have all the necessary information is with the use of scripts. Scripts are meant to serve as quick references for questions that may arise. They are not meant to serve as word-for-word conversations, as the name might imply. People can always tell when someone is reading a script. The tone is flat, without inflection. Consider some of the obviously scripted calls you have received, likely from a telemarketer. That is not how you want your staff to be talking to your client base. Remember, being friendly to a fault cannot be accomplished with a script. This is not to say that scripts are not helpful; they can be very useful, especially for newer employees. But they must serve merely as reference materials. Typical scripts might include confirmation calls, outbounding calls, or follow-up calls where specific information is being given. Scripts should never be read by employees. RULE #6: EVERY CLIENT IS DIFFERENT As you will quickly learn, if you have not already, every client will have different needs, different manners, a different knowledge base, and a different response to treatment. The true masters of customer service are adept at modifying their approach toward their clients to accommodate the specific personalities of the individual clients. For example, a client from another country might have cultural differences that require a clinician to be more thoughtful in her customer service skills. Or an executive might not find a brisk clinician s attitude problematic since time is limited and getting in and out of the spa is more important than the slow paced pampering sometimes mastered at certain types of spas. It may take several visits with a client to develop enough of a rapport with the client to know what he or she likes. Other clients will be so easy to read that it will come naturally. One suggestion is to observe the client. If he or she is reserved and conservative, a more professional approach is warranted. If he or she is casual and friendly, a more friendly approach

9 10 RULES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE 85 might be easier. This should not be confused with pandering to the client. It, in fact, is acclimating to them and developing a rapport. Make Sure That Feedback Gets Passed Along to the Right People Once you have developed a comfortable and easy rapport with a client, you will be surprised by the confessions. While some clients feel it is their duty to express their opinions, others will be conservative with their complaints. This is just one of many reasons why developing a healthy relationship with your clients is valuable. Great customer service requires that you handle the information that your clients convey to you in an appropriate fashion that will benefit your client, as well as the spa itself. To do this, you must use the proper channels to correct the problem. Sometimes it is something that can be managed one-on-one, but other times an intervention may be necessary. Typically, the process is one of direct communication with the spa director. If the spa director did not hear the problem to begin with, then when the problem is addressed by the client to the clinician the issue should be immediately communicated to the spa director. RULE #7: IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF CLIENTS; BUILD A RELATIONSHIP This concept has been woven throughout this chapter. Exceptional customer service is a function of relationship building. The rapport you have with your clients, the respect you give them, and the counsel they seek from you are the foundations upon which a healthy line of communication is built. Without this repartee, there is a hindrance to your ability to provide them with an optimal outcome to their skin care concerns. Like any relationship, there needs to be trust, honesty, and communication. If your client does not feel comfortable with you, you are limited in your capacity to help him or her. Clients come to you with not only their skin care or aging needs but also with emotional needs. In fact, they are often intertwined. A woman with a broken nose may be in an abusive relationship, while someone with acne is lonely and unable to sustain a relationship. Taking care of the skin requires good listening skills as well as good skin care knowledge. That said, it is important to note that a clinician s job is to listen but not to offer advice or opinion. This is outside the scope of the aesthetic license.

10 86 CHAPTER 6 RULE #8: FIX THE MISTAKES RIGHT AWAY No one is perfect. Mistakes will happen, likely sooner than not. To this avail, it is not your mistakes that define your character or your career. Rather, it is what you do with them that decides. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is how you recover from the mistake that makes the difference. Do you act like it never happened? Do you deny it? Do you pass the buck? Eventually that will catch up with you, and it may have a greater effect than you anticipate on your career, your client, and your chances of rehabilitation. When a mistake occurs, whether it is the care of a client, a lapse in an administrative function, or anything that may pose a threat to the care of your clients, own it, and fix it. Everyone involved will be able to move on and deal with the consequences of the mistake when they have complete information. This may not always be easy, especially when the consequences might be great, for example, when pain or scarring for the client may be the result. However, handling your mistakes effectively might convey a greater sense of professionalism than if the mistake had not been made in the first place. By effectively managing your mistakes, you may be surprised by the results. While a segment of the population may be mad, or disappointed, you may be pleasantly surprised by the reaction of some. RULE #9: SMALL COMPLAINTS CAN GENERATE BIG IMPROVEMENT As mentioned above, once a solid rapport is established, your client will begin to divulge all sorts of things. Some may be innocuous or irrelevant. However, every now or then he or she may say something in passing that will tell more than was intended. In the medical spa the employees are guided by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; in the spa world employees are guided by the ethics of confidentiality. Wherever you are, the right answer is that confidentiality is key to the relationship. However, certain information may come to light that is necessary to share to improve on a situation or correct a problem. For example, a client may mention that she saw a friend and that the friend mentioned confidential information about your client s care. This

11 10 RULES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE 87 is an opportunity to correct a serious problem that has come to light: a break in the rules of confidentiality. Listening for small and large problems alike in the treatment room can help to build rapport and improve customer service. RULE #10: ANTICIPATE THE PROBLEMS Part of customer service, as mentioned, is managing mistakes and problems as they arise. Mastery of customer service is foreseeing the problems and circumventing them before they even happen. Anticipating problems can be as simple as keeping the waiting time to a minimum or eliminating rudeness on the telephone. These types of problems are explosions waiting to happen and should be managed before clients become unhappy. Anyone in the clinic can look for potential problems; it does not have to be the spa director s issue alone. In fact, brainstorming about issues and potential problems is a good staff exercise that benefits everyone, staff and clients alike. Conclusion More so than most other industries, the aesthetics industry requires a certain amount of finesse when dealing with clients and the general public. The clientele can be demanding and insist on having things a certain way. Most importantly, they want to be treated well and with respect, in addition to having the treatments done with poise and professionalism. Furthermore, it should be stated that just because all the rules of customer service are followed and the clinician feels good about the customer service she has provided does not mean that the client will feel the same. Sometimes, the client simply cannot accept good or wow customer service. This is out of our control. The treatments you perform, and how well you perform them, will only be a contributing factor to the success of your spa. Separating yourself from the pack can be accomplished on the treatment menu, but nothing will set your spa business apart from the rest like having the client satisfied with the outcomes, as well as the satisfaction in service that can only come from a well-established relationship. The foundation of this relationship is borne from excellent customer service. Customer service is so much more than a smile and a handshake these days. It is a function of relationship building that is critical to the outcomes of the treatments that you perform.

12 88 CHAPTER 6 >>> TOP 10 TIPS TO TAKE TO THE SPA 1. The competition is anyone the customer compares to you. 2. Attention to detail improves customer loyalty. 3. Great service starts with a great attitude. 4. Do what customers want, not what you think they want. 5. Phone scripts are simply for reference. 6. Every client is different. 7. It is not enough to take good care of clients; build a relationship. 8. Fix the mistakes right away. 9. Small complaints can generate big improvements. 10. Anticipate the problems. CHAPTER QUESTIONS 1. Why is it helpful to track customer service? 2. Why do clients value customer service? 3. Why does customer service contribute to spa success? 4. What does customer service have to do with customer loyalty? 5. Why is consistency important to customer service? 6. What is the golden rule of customer service? Why is it important? 7. Why is friendliness an important component of customer service? 8. Is the customer always right? 9. Why are phone scripts good? Why are they bad? 10. Should all clients be treated the same? 11. What is the best way to handle mistakes in the spa? 12. Why is relationship building important to customer service?