style='font-family:Helvetica'>By John

Tschohl

"Thank you for

calling Safeco. If you know the extension of the person you are calling, enter

it. If not, press 1 for more options."

I

was calling Safeco Insurance Company of America, because I was in the market

for a homeowner’s insurance policy. I had read an articlenormal'> Consumer Reports in which the results of a reader survey on

insurance companies were published. Readers gave Safeco a high rating, so I

added the company to my list of potentials. I don’t know what kind of

experiences those readers had with Safeco, but mine was definitely not a

positive one.

I

called Safeco in anticipation of talking to a sales person and getting a quote

on an insurance policy. I never got the opportunity to talk with anyone or to

leave a message. I listened to a list of nine options, none of which was for

buying homeowner’s insurance. At the end of the message, the voice said "good-bye,"

and I was disconnected. Apparently, no one buys homeowner’s insurance from

Safeco. It was telephone technology at its worst. That disconnection told me

the company didn’t want my business -- and they didn’t get it.

Safeco

joins a growing list of companies that is driving customers away by making it

virtually impossible to have a two-way conversation with a company

representative. Many companies spend thousands of dollars to advertise their

products and services, then make it almost impossible for potential customers

to contact them and make a purchase. The invention of the telephone did much to

improve and increase communication, but with the addition of voice mail and

other computer components, it is wreaking havoc and leaving customers

frustrated and angry. I am one of those customers.

I

have been developing and presenting customer service training programs to

businesses throughout the world for more than 20 years now. Customer service, I

tell my clients, is doing whatever it takes to satisfy the customer. It’s clear

to me that company executives who install elaborate telephone systems have

something other than customer service in mind. They say their goal is to make

communication with the company faster and more efficient. I think their goal is

to eliminate a receptionist’s salary and benefits.

Too

many executives don’t understand that their business isn’t really selling cars

or computers, shoes or shampoo. What they’re really selling is service. A key

factor in providing good customer service is response time. The more quickly

you respond to a customer, the better your chance of making a sale.

When

selling anything, you have a specific window of opportunity. It might be 30

minutes, a day, or even a week. If you don’t respond to the customer within

that time period, you won’t make the sale.

Increasing

competition means most companies don’t have the luxury of being the only source

of a product or service. Thanks to technology, particularly the Internet,

customers today can search the world and make purchases any time of the day--or

night. It’s no secret that most consumers, when planning a purchase, contact

several companies. Response time, whether verbally or via the Internet, is

critical when it comes to making a sale. Often, the first company to respond

will get that customer’s business.

Amazon.com

is a great example of how a company can use technology to provide superior

customer service and gain an edge over its competitors. In fact, it is a rare

occasion when a customer actually talks with an employee at amazon.com. But,

customers are able to place orders 24 hours a day, seven days a week and

receive, within minutes, an acknowledgment of their orders.

In

another search, this one for life insurance, I contacted Itech Corporation, but

I did so via the Internet. Within 15 seconds, that company provided me with

price quotes that were substantially less than any written quotes I had

received. It was technology at its best.

Amazon.com

and Itech know how to use technology to serve customers. Safeco, on the other

hand, does not. Out of curiosity, I called Safeco again, this time to check on

life insurance. There was an option for life insurance, but when I pressed it,

it was for agents only. The voice mail message again said "good-bye,"

and I was disconnected.

If

you think your company is doing a good job of serving customers, test it. Act

like a customer. Call the company’s main telephone number and see what

customers must go through to be connected to a real person and get an answer to

a question. Or, log onto the company’s web site through the Internet. Is your

system user-friendly? How long does it take to reach someone who can help you?

If you must leave a message, how long does it take that person to respond to

you? Use your findings to makes changes that will make it easy for customers to

do business with you.

Then

make a commitment to customer service. Train your employees in the art of

customer service, and reinforce that training every six months. Look for ways

you can make it easy for people to do business with you. Identify ways you can

improve your response time. Then do whatever it takes to satisfy your

customers.

In

the meantime, if you have to call a company, and you get a recorded message,

followed by what I call "option hell," try this: Immediately hit

"0". In some cases, this will allow you to skip through all the

options and be connected with a live body. (This didn’t work with Safeco.) Or,

dial up one digit. For example, if the company’s main number is 123-4567, dial

123-4568. Chances are that number belongs to someone inside the company, who

can then connect you to the person you are attempting to reach.

Happy

dialing.

style='font-family:Helvetica'>John Tschohl is an international management

consultant and speaker. He has written several books on customer service,

including "Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service,"

"Ca$hing In," and "The Customer is Boss." As president of

the Minneapolis-based Service Quality Institute, Tschohl has developed more than

26 customer service training programs that have been distributed and presented

throughout the world. style='text-decoration:none;text-underline:none'>www.customer-service.com