Consulting & Training

Back to the Basics: 4 Customer Experience Management Tips

  February 22, 2012 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Customer Experience Enhancement, Measuring Total Customer Experience by Marci Bikshorn

There is no doubt that customer experience management is becoming more important than ever for companies as they settle into 2012. As the year begins to move forward, we challenge you to a new kind of resolution. Step back and take a hard look at everything your company is doing to exceed your customer’s expectations. Then, figure out a few areas that could use improvement.

Begin with the fundamentals. This is a good refresher for your employees, and a “must do” for new hires. After putting so much time and energy into product selection, pricing, marketing, advertising, and research, it’s easy to lose focus about the basics of customer experience management. Here are 4 basic customer service tips that can be utilized each day when interacting with your customers.

(more…)

3 ‘Magical’ Tips for Attaining Customer Experience Enhancement

  December 13, 2011 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Customer Experience Enhancement, Customer Experience Reporting by Marci Bikshorn

Magical Customer Experience EnhancementIn today’s competitive environment, it’s more important than ever to provide consumers with a positive and memorable experience to separate your business from your competitors. Due to advancements in technology and the way consumers are now interacting with brands, it’s becoming inevitable that they will start to form emotional connections and relationships with the brand or business as a whole and further continue to utilize their goods and services. The question then becomes, how can you improve your customers experience and develop these memorable encounters between the consumer and your brand? (more…)

The Benefits of a Performance Management Program

  November 03, 2011 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Measuring Total Customer Experience by Marci Bikshorn

A Performance Management Program ensures an orderly course of action by which companies involve employees in improving their work related tasks in order to meet the organization’s goals.

Companies that value and follow a pre-determined course of action reap the benefits.  We encourage a 5 step process:

Step I: Prepare your team by setting expectations

Step II: Continuously observe performance

Step III: Cultivate your team’s ability to perform to the set standards

Step IV: Assess each team member’s performance with frequency

Step V: Reward for exceeding best practices (more…)

Performance Management. Monitor Your Customer Experience Training Effectively

  October 26, 2011 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Measuring Total Customer Experience by Marci Bikshorn

If you are looking for your next big strategic move the answer just might be to tighten the rope between tactical business objectives and day-to-day actions.  Effective customer experience training and mentoring combined with a method to observe, measure and track progress against best practices and pre-determined core company objectives will contribute to your accomplishments.  In addition, as your organization views the results of these observations, it provides an occasion to recognize each employee for their successes.  Obviously your employees want to be praised and recognized for outstanding performance. (more…)

A Running Shoe’s Take on Good Customer Service

  July 07, 2011 in Blog, Brand & Market Research, Consulting & Training, Measuring Total Customer Experience by Guest Author

Customer Satisfaction MeasurementA good pair of running shoes is more important than where you run in them. How do they perform on a track, on a treadmill or in your neighborhood? Are they reliable? What about durability? Can you count on them to offer the same performance day in and day out? This comparison is just like customer service being more important than the location it is provided. Customer satisfaction measurement or at least your awareness of your service level is extremely important. You receive customer service every day in all forms. From the mail carrier to the grocery store to calling about your cable bill, they all provide various forms of customer service. (more…)

Looking for a Reputable Mystery Shopping Company?

  May 05, 2011 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Mystery Shopping by Marci Bikshorn

When it comes to choosing a Mystery Shopping Company, look beyond the promises and find out the value the organization and their services can offer your team.

Does the Mystery Shopping Company Present a Successful Track Record?

Seek a provider that has experience and relationships with multiple organization types. Service Excellence Group has almost 18 years of experience working within a variety of industries which allows us to learn and share business acumen.  Stifling our partnerships by limiting our reach to only one industry would prohibit our internal growth and our knowledge of cutting edge practices.

(more…)

How To Choose Your Market Research Consultant

  April 21, 2011 in Brand & Market Research, Consulting & Training by Marci Bikshorn

How To Choose Your Market Research ConsultantOf all the qualities and best practices that help turn good businesses into great ones, market research analysis is perhaps the trickiest. It’s also the most frequently overlooked. We’ve already seen how important an effective market research consultant is, but how do you go about finding one?

In a lot of ways, finding a good market research consultant can be like shopping for a good pair of jeans—on the surface they may all look very similar, but finding the perfect fit takes a little scrutiny, a little familiarity with yourself, and sometimes a little magic. (more…)

Customer Retention Ideas: Do You Really Need a Customer Relations Department?

  March 24, 2011 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Customer Experience Reporting, Customer Feedback by Marci Bikshorn

Customer Retention Ideas - Customer FeedbackIn our business, our customers judge the service they receive by every person and program component in which they come in contact and that we offer to them.  Many years ago we entertained multiple customer retention ideas, one of which was having a Customer Relations Department – after all we evaluate the customer experience for our clients inside and out.  How can we fail to provide them with every avenue when it comes to resolution of any area in which we may fall short of their expectations?  After much thought and consideration, we realized that every person representing our company should execute the role of any Customer Relations Department.  (more…)

Retail Customer Service Training – From One Person To Another

  March 17, 2011 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Measuring Total Customer Experience by Marci Bikshorn

The performance of your team is vital to your company’s success. A full-service Customer Experience Measurement Program company should address your team’s needs in an initial consultation session. An initial consultation session with a mystery shopping company should include: (more…)

3 Crucial Reasons Your Staff Needs Customer Experience Training

  March 03, 2011 in Blog, Consulting & Training, Customer Experience Reporting by Marci Bikshorn

Evaluation in customer service delivery happens every moment of every day. Thus, customer experience training is like a “lifeline” for any staff – it inspires people, it creates critical building blocks for high performance teamwork, all while reinforcing core values.

Obtaining new customers is a costly process, so retaining current customers is even more important. Customer service is at the heart of keeping customers satisfied. To really position a business or organization for long-term success, monitoring and training your employees to improve a customer’s experience is crucial.

(more…)