Anybody can drop inspiring, compelling or just funny customer service quotes into a speech or on a presentation slide. In fact, it's so common, many people consider it mandatory.
But it takes a deeper level of engagement and understanding to apply the lessons of those quotes to fundamentally improving your approach to customer service. You can't just hear it once and then tell your staff you want them to put the information into practice. You've got to act on it yourself so your team learns by your example.
If you're not sure where to start, try applying some of the following compelling customer service quotes to your business.
Priceless Customer Service Quotes
"It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages."-Henry Ford
Customer service quotes that tell us the customer should be at the top of everybody's mind-from the CEO to the maintenance crew-are right on the money. But how can you make this happen?
- You can act on this by talking and acting in a way that shows everybody in your company how much you value your customers and care about their experience.
- Your managers can act on this by treating their team well enough that everybody in your company is proud and happy to work there. If they care about your brand, their enthusiasm will spill over into interactions with your customers.
- Your team can act on this by developing the habit of interacting with every customer the way they would with the highest levels of company leadership.
"Customer satisfaction is worthless. Customer loyalty is priceless."-Jeffery Gitomer
The best customer service quotes don't just provide information, they lay down a challenge-in this case, to do more than what is generally expected.
- You can act on this by creating a culture-supported by tangible rewards-of going beyond stated expectations for performance.
- Your management can act on this by rewarding their teams any time they catch somebody doing something extra to develop loyalty in your customers.
- Your team can act on this by constantly looking for opportunities to exceed a customer's expectations.
"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."-Bill Gates
It's so easy to forget the truth behind this customer service quote, because dealing with unhappy customers can be so unpleasant. But just like that weird noise coming out of your car's engine, it's the unhappy customers who will lead you to what's wrong with your business.
- You can act on this by reviewing a handful of complaints each week with the appropriate personnel and looking for patterns that suggest what you should fix.
- Your management can act on this by making customer complaint processes more about identifying how something went wrong at a systemic or organizational level instead of leveling blame on an individual.
- Your team can act on this first by addressing and correcting an unhappy customer's issue, second by identifying exactly what caused the problem, and finally by suggesting a fix "up the food chain" so that the problem is eliminated at the highest level.
"If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to keep getting what we're getting."-Stephen Covey
Unwillingness to change is why Hollywood Video is Hollywood Video instead of Netflix. This customer service quote underscores the importance of being willing-even eager-to embrace positive change.
- You can act on this by responding to suggestions first with a sentence or two about what might happen if you accepted it.
- Your management can act on this by fostering a culture within their departments of openness to suggestions from everybody and then by acting on that culture when great ideas trickle up.
- Your team can act on this by looking for both small and large changes that can make their jobs-and their customers' experiences-easier and better.
If you're tired of just accepting the status quo at your company, these customer service quotes can inspire you to look around and make changes that will have a real impact on the success of your business.
What are your favorite customer service quotes? Tell us what they are and how you act on these customer service quotes in the comments.
About the author
Jason Brick has contributed more than 2,000 blog and magazine articles to local, regional and national publications and speaks regularly at writing and business conferences. You can find out more about Jason at www.brickcommajason.com.
Source: OPENForum
