Make A Strong First Impression With Customers

First impressions are always important, especially in the utilities industry where they can make or break an existing or potential customer relationship.

You Never Have a Second Chance to Get Customer Service
Off On the Right Foot With a Strong First Impression

Five Tips for Impressing Customers On the First Contact

For Immediate Release
Jan. 13, 2003
Contact: Tom Ellis
Ellis Communications, L.L.C.
Phone (623) 780-4558
E-Mail tom@elliscomm.com

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- First impressions are always important, especially in the utilities industry where they can make or break an existing or potential customer relationship.

Psychologists, writers and seminar leaders caution that you only have seven to 17 seconds of interacting with strangers before they form an opinion of you," says David Saxby, president of Phoenix-based Measure-X, a company that specializes in helping utilities improve their customer service and sales. Worse yet, it takes them three times as long to change their minds about you."

Saxby offers the following five tips for making that first impression with a customer a strong one.

No 1. Pay attention to your voice. If your customer interaction is strictly over the telephone, 87 percent of their first impression is based on the tonality, pitch and speed of your voice," Saxby says. Saxby notes that the warmth and friendliness conveyed in the first few seconds of conversation will have a positive impact on the customers impression of your business.

No. 2. Dont get lazy. Employees who answer the same question many times in a given week tend to speak quickly and use industry jargon or look for ways to shortcut the explanation. Train your employees to speak slowly and clearly to improve the customers understanding of whats being explained," Saxby says..

No 3. Use your customers name frequently but not too much. Weaving your customers name throughout the conversation shows youre paying attention and makes the interaction more personal, Saxby notes. This puts the customer at ease and creates rapport but its important not to over-use the customers name because then the conversation sounds impersonal and canned," Saxby says.

No. 4. Demonstrate good listening skills. Make sure your employees use feedback during the conversation to demonstrate to the customer they are listening," Saxby recommends. Asking questions and providing feedback shows a total commitment to understanding your customers needs. Its the perfect starting point to create a feeling of comfort thats essential to customer care." Saxby says listening should be as fine tuned as the ability to speak.

No. 5. Relinquish the need to be right. Confrontations with somebody youve just met will destroy rapport before you even start building it," Saxby says. He suggests establishing your credibility before you question anothers statements.

These are challenging times for customer service in the utility industry, but your customers dont care about that," Saxby says. What they do care about is that you demonstrate with your actions and words that you do care about them."

Measure-X is a measurement, training and recognition company that specializes
in customer service skills and employee retention. For more information on Measure-X,
call 888-644-5499 or visit its Web site at www.measure-x.com.
                                                            
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