Ask: Anything Else?

I love over-the-top Customer Service, don’t you? I had a great experience with technical support yesterday and it’s a great reminder for each of us.

I use Vonage as my phone provider. It runs through my Comcast Internet service provider.  I didn’t have any phone or computer connection, which is rare. I’m generally very happy with both providers and downtime is almost non-existent.

After I went through the automated phone bank (yes I still loathe that part of calling technical support) I was connected to a very astute and polite gentleman.  Granted he was probably just doing his job and reading from a script, but he did it exceptionally well.

He asked with whom he was speaking, and then asked “May I call you by your first name?”  Now days I’m lucky to hear anyone call me Mrs. Ayers. For this gent to ask permission to use my first name signified that he was concerned about me.  He scored points there.

Then after the problem was solved he asked, “Is there anything else I could have done to serve you better?”

That bears repeating: “Is there anything else I could have done to serve you better?”

Don’t confuse that question with the often heard, standard: “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”  That one I hear and it’s not unique. But rather, this particular question “Is there anything else I could have done to serve you better?” focuses on continuous improvement and small incremental changes.  This particular company is constantly looking for ways to better serve the customer.

As direct sellers we can all stand to take a good look inward and see if there is anything else we can do to better serve our customers.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Try asking this question of your customers. You’ll leave a great impression and perhaps even learn how to take the good job that you’re currently doing, and do it better!