This Week: Nov. 27, 2001

1) New Products & Free Previews

We've just released two new helpcards, available in electronic format only (instant download). You can get your free preview of these new cards at: http://www.work911.com/preview. They are:

How To Get Along With Just About Anyone Helpcard
Stress Busters Helpcard

Ordering and previewing can be done from the same page.

2) Other Free Stuff

At the same url: http://www.work911.com/preview, there are 26 chapters, helpcards and books. Most can be previewed free of charge. We'll be adding even more material over the next months, and we'll let you know.

3) Articles Directory Updates

What's new this week? Fourteen new articles on Business Ethics, outlining the importance of ethics in building a profitable business. Another 50 new links including topics like: diversity and gender issues, job sucess including dealing with layoffs, and a completely new section on marketing. Don't forget there are over 1,300 articles listed on a range of workplace and business issues. http://www.articles911.com

As always you can browse NEW articles by going to:

http://www.articles911.com/New

4) Final edits for my new book, "A Complete Idiot's Guide To Consulting". Amazon.com lists the release date for this book as late January, 2001.

Feature Article:

Referring Customers & Avoiding The Pass-The-Buck Syndrome

If you deal at all with the public, it is probably a rare day when you don't have to refer a customer elsewhere for service.  It may be that the person is in the wrong place, or the person is required to see several people in sequence and you are the first.  Sometimes, the customer's issue needs to be dealt with by someone with a different authority level, such as a supervisor or manager.  

It is a reality of government that some referring is necessary.  Unfortunately, a common complaint on the part of members of the public is that they tend to be shuffled from person to person in government bureaucracies.  On occasion one hears of situations where a person is moved from one person to another until he or she ends up back at the first person that was contacted.  

Members of the public have come to expect this "shuffle of referral", but many times, they prepare for it by behaving in a hostile manner towards you, even though, you may have never met...kind of a devil effect, where all government is painted with the same brush.  

If that isn't bad enough, one of the most common complaints that civil servants have is that when customers are referred to them, they are not given the information to appear informed and helpful to the customer.  It can be embarrassing.  

We are going to look at some ideas you can apply to help reduce customer frustration, and make the jobs of other civil servants a bit easier.  Hopefully other civil servants can do the same for you.  

Tips:

1) Do everything practical to ensure that the  customer does not have to repeat his or her story  to the next person.  

2) When transferring a phone call to another staff  member,  make every effort to "fill in" the staff  member about the particulars of the problem.   Some phone systems allow conferencing, so you  can have a brief 3-way conversation, to introduce  the customer to the staff member.  

3) Keep a list of names and phone numbers of other  government employees to whom you might refer  clients.  You probably have a pretty good idea of  the kinds of services your clients might need, so it is a good idea to learn a bit about who supplies those services.  If possible, make personal contacts with those people, and find out how they can help your customers.  

4)   Keep in mind that  hostile customers may  be best calmed down  by referring to a  supervisor.  We know  that people tend to  behave less  aggressively when they speak to a supervisor,  regardless of level in the organization.  However,  you and your supervisor need to be clear when  customers should be referred, and how they  should be referred (eg.  number given, escorted to  supervisor's office, supervisor calls customer,  etc).  

5) Again, when referring to a supervisor, make sure  the supervisor is aware of the problem, and the  emotional state of the customer (hostile, angry,  threatening, etc).  

6) When referring to another member of your  immediate organization, try to give some choices  to the customer.  For example, suggest that the  person can take a seat for a moment, or offer to  take  the customer's phone number for a call back.   Let  the customer choose.  It reduces hostility.  

7) Before referring, make sure you understand the  customer's situation and what he or she wants.  A  major error that employees make is to not listen  well, or, not ask the right questions, and assume that  a referral is in order.  Good listening skills are  important.  If they are not applied, what can happen  is that the customer is referred to the wrong place or  person, resulting in frustration for everybody.   

8) When referring, try to tell the person how long the  wait will be, or what to expect.  If there is a  procedure to be followed, explain it if necessary.  If  the wait is longer than expected, make the effort to  tell the customer (and apologize).  

Conclusion

It is the little things that make a difference.  Keep in mind that when referring you are trying to:

. reduce the need for the customer to repeat his or her  story from the beginning.

. show the customer that you are making an effort to  reduce his or her frustration.

. reduce waiting.

. appear knowledgeable by referring to the correct  place the first time.

You can search the ezine archive to find just what you want