May I put you on hold?

"Wait. What? You're putting me on hold for a third time so you can connect me with your shift leader's supervisor's manager? I just needed to know one simple thing about my account..."

Sound familiar? All too familiar. Too often customers pick up the phone to find an answer to a question and don't receive a hint of customer service from the other end of the line. Customers start with the pretense that the entity they patron cares about them and is in the business of customer service. So why are some companies destroying that expectation for their customers? The short answer is that customer service has fallen off the corporate radar as a priority training item and expectation of employees.

The solution? It starts during the interviewing and hiring process - finding the right people with depth of character and a sense of empathy. Employees can be trained in technical skills, but personality is inherent. To paraphrase author Jim Collins from his book Good to Great, get the right people on the bus and get the wrong ones off.

Front-line employees, the ones answering the phones and interfacing with customers, often are the first glimpse customers have of your business. That representation is key. If apathetic, disinterested and under invested representatives are answering your phones, manning your cash registers, or responding on social media - you're in for a wake-up call. Your customers won't carry on a long-standing relationship with you. They'll move on and find a company that does care about them.

Don't delay, aggravate or negate your customers and their needs (no matter how small that need may be.) Customer service ties into personality and desire - hire the people that want to help your business and your customers be successful and valued.

Be Mortons, Not Chrysler

Every engagement, contact, conversation, interaction is a opportunity. An opportunity to give good customer service. Customer service is expected to be and should be a core focus of each of our businesses. Customer preferences and brand loyalty can shift quicker than you can blink an eye, especially if they perceive or receive any form of mistreatment from your business. As much as you can control, don't give them a reason to perceive or receive you and your business in a negative light.

There are a few simple customer service tenets, which are easy to learn and employ. What are the keys to success in customer service nearly every time? You will be surprised to learn that while all of them require investment, they don't have to cost you much "out of pocket."

• A Genuine Greeting - Muster a smile, eye contact, positive body language and a cheerful 'hello,' if you're interacting in person. If you're interacting via digital vehicles, use engaging and affirming words and tone, it goes a long way to starting off a transaction or interaction on the right foot.
• Gratitude - How many years did our parents spend teaching us verbal etiquette and the importance of an attitude of gratitude? Many years and many lessons later, here's your chance to put it into practice. Your customers help keep you in business, let them know that you appreciate that. Something as simple as "thank you" is a good place to start, but it doesn't end there. Handwritten notes, coupons, discounts, contests and giveaways, and more - there are numerous ways you can show your gratitude.
• A Sincere Apology - Every time something goes amiss with one of your processes, services, products or the like, you have an opportunity to make or break the relationship with the affected customer(s). Don't be afraid to apologize. The words "I'm sorry" are extremely powerful and meaningful.
• Responsibility - If something went wrong and it was your business's fault, own up to it. And, share what you steps you're taking to right the problem. If the steps you're taking are a matter of intellectual property, operations security or the like - obviously only share what's not proprietary, but certainly let customers know that you're working on it, and acting as quickly as you can.
• A True Interest - Customer feedback (positive or negative) can be invaluable, especially if you take the time to listen, process and act upon it. That's not to say every last, little modicum shared by customers will be your golden ticket, but there's potential in a lot of what your customers are saying. So listen, and listen carefully. If you're receiving this feedback in person, stop what you're doing and attend to the person with eye contact and full attention. People (no matter how angry, neutral or positive), like to know that their opinion is important.
• Helpfulness - Even if there's not immediate upfront gain for you; it pays to be helpful. You never know when the extra mile you went for someone can pay you back twofold or more. A customer may remember your business and it's kindness extended, and how that fact differentiated you from a competitor, at a time when they're ready to buy. Besides, how many people do you think that customer you went the extra mile for, told about the assistance your business offered?

Your current and potential customers may know more about your business then you realize, as they have a world of information available to them within a few clicks online. We're in an era where consumers can blast their experiences, good, bad, or ugly, via those real-time consumption vehicles - social media. So, be sure you're treating 'em right. Don't give them a reason to share, blog, post, or review your processes, products, and services poorly. Give them the tools to rave about you to their social networks both online and offline!

Wouldn't you rather be known across the web as a Mortons as opposed to a Chrysler?

Anatomy of a Social Customer

The widespread adoption of social media has altered the way customers are communicating with businesses and has facilitated the shift of a business-centric marketplace to a customer-centric one. Your once static patrons have become dynamic social customers. This new breed of customer is shaping and more often then not, leading the way we market our businesses, products and services.

Are you aware of the defining characteristics of Social Customers?

• They are hyper-connected - The smartphone or internet-ready device is the constant companion of this audience. The Social Customer treats a smartphone more like a pocket computer then a phone.
• They readily reach out to peers and influencers - Social media give customers wide spread access to the opinions and experiences of their family and friends, people they trust. Let's be honest, people care about what others think and certainly like to draw upon the past experiences of those they know. So if three of their friends tell the Social Customer they love a particular product, the customer may be a bit more inclined to buy it.
• They are constantly researching - Review sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google Places, etc., offer customers the opportunity to voice their praises and complaints of a product, service or business for future customers to read and evaluate. The good, the bad and the ugly about past customers' experiences is available for research and review.
• They are share what they think of you - It's not uncommon for Social Customers to use the very sites where they researched your business to also trumpet their thoughts about your business. The beauty of many of these tools is the fact that you can respond to these questions, comments and concerns quite expediently. If a Social Customer lodges a complaint via social networks and review sites, you can respond accordingly, too.
• They expect brands to engage them - Due to the real-time nature of social media and the precedent set by many businesses of near instant response to customer feedback, many Social Customers are expecting the same of all brands they patron. They want the information and response they desire when they want it.
• They control the purchasing cycle - The business no longer tells the customer when it's time to buy, the customer tells the business when they're ready to buy. When groups of Social Customers have the ability to band together online in favor of or against a product or service, that collective voice has strong influence over a their extended network of influence. If a large enough group finds disfavor with your product or service, watch out! It could be catastrophic to the life cycle of that product or service.

Keep in mind, these are general characteristics. Each industry and sector will have niche demographics specific to its audience. Don't let this untethered communication access get the best of you. Focused research, a strong strategy and a dedicated effort on the part of the business will assist with interacting with the Social Customer at the speed of social media! The way we communicate with current and potential customers has been revolutionized. Social customers are at the helm and businesses need to have their proverbial finger on the pulse of what's driving their audience.

What strategy have you developed or steps are you taking to learn about the characteristics of your Social Customers?

A Southern Hospitality Infusion

I experienced, as I have on previous trips to Texas, some of the greatest measures of customer service and hospitality that I've encountered. You'd be surprised how far these simple gestures will carry you in business, and in life.

• Smile, even when you don't feel like it. Every person I encountered in Texas from the concierge at my hotel to the police officer whom I encountered while strolling downtown Fort Worth, offered me a genuine smile.
• If someone takes an interest in your day, take an interest in theirs. Enough said.
• Treat everyone-absolutely everyone-with respect. I witnessed a man in a business suit stop and assist another man (the latter was dressed in tattered, worn-out clothing and saddled with numerous plastic bags) in his efforts to clear the Fort Worth sidewalks of littered cigarette butts.

Think about this next time you pick up the phone to answer a service call you don't really want to deal with, or the when your co-worker shows up at your office door to ask you the same question for the umpteenth time.

Folks, this isn't rocket science. It's common courtesy.

Will you join me in an effort to treat others how we want to be treated?