The BridgeBlog

While there are numerous keys to success in the fast-paced world of customer support – it seems to me that multitasking should most certainly be at the top of that list. So, here’s an example of why.

After a recent visit to my local Verizon Wireless store, the chance of me ever switching to another carrier is now slim to none. This is not because of the product or coverage or advertising, but because of the level of service I received and observed.

Last week, it was time for a new phone for my son and I, so off to the Verizon store we went.  I had been emailing Kerry, the store manager, so when we arrived I asked for him personally.  He greeted us and listened intently to our needs, then made several recommendations in phones.  He reviewed the features, and then left us alone for a time to consider the options.

His timing was perfect, seemingly always there when we had questions, but never pushy.  He was attending to other customers, but we always felt we had his attention.  However, after we chose our phones … this is where the real magic happened.

During the check-out and activation time, Kerry was multitasking like nothing I’ve ever seen before. He was …

• Instructing us on phone features.
• Activating our phones.
• Ringing up the sale.
• Completing rebate paperwork.
• Answering questions from his employees.
• Giving approvals for discounts.
• He even recognized a client as being USA Military and offered a generous discount.

Kerry handled this situation like a true professional.  He made us feel like we were number one on is priority list, while taking care of 10-15 other issues at the same time.  He was multi-tasking between clients, employees and other duties, but at no time did he make us feel like we were number #2.

We left the store with two new phones, a renewed contract and a very, very good opinion of Verizon Wireless.

In today’s fast paced customer support environments, multi-tasking is most certainly the key to success!

Is your organization armed and ready with the right skills to offer the support your clients deserve?  BridgeFront’s new library of Customer Communication Skills courses will guide your staff – whether they are new to customer support or a veteran – in successfully communicating with customers, patients and even co-workers.

Click here for details on BridgeFront’s customer service and communication skills online course library. Or contact us directly by sending an email to info@bridgefront.com or call 866-447-2211.

On my past few posts, I’ve pointed out some good customer service…now let’s look at the impact of a negative case.

The Story

I took my car in for repair at a Jeep dealership in Wilsonville, Oregon. Not having been at that dealership before, I stumbled my way toward the service area. With no signs to lead the way, I asked someone where the car check-in was, he pointed to a lady behind a sliding glass door. Knocking on the door, the lady pointed at another door for me to enter through, which I did. I stood at the desk for 3 minutes while she was busy typing on her computer. Not looking up she mumbled something about finishing what she was doing. I waited.

Finally, she looked up and asked for my name and problem. I explained that my Bluetooth radio was not working. She immediately asked for my phone’s model number (now, how in the heck would I know that?). I handed her the phone and she tore off the back of the phone (without asking me) to get the model number. Looking at a list, she told me it was not supported. I was armed with the list myself and pointed out that it was supported. She mumbled again.

Next, after filling out two forms and not uttering a word to me, she walked out of the room. Not sure if I should follow…so I did. She got in my car, hung a sign on the mirror and started to walk away. I asked if that was all and she indignantly said, “You have to sign the work order,” and walked away. I followed, signed the document and then left.

Now, I am just waiting for the news…guessing the dealer will call and say either the phone is not supported, not working or that they couldn’t find anything wrong.

The Financial Aftermath

So what are the side effects of this encounter? Well, if you are thinking about a new car, you will certainly not go to Wilsonville to buy a Jeep. If you are thinking about a Jeep, you will certainly think twice about it. If you have 10 friends, you will tell them … and if they have 10 friends … and so on.

Me?  Personally will call another dealer for the service to be performed, and when in the market for a new car, I will certainly avoid the Jeep dealership in Wilsonville, Oregon.

If you add all of that up, it could count for hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost business. The dealership will not even know it, but if they cared they would have taken care of their clients in the first place.

By the Way

There was also a puddle of water on the floor of the car when I took it in for service … after 10 days the car was taken apart and re-assembled with the promise that it is fixed.  So my new car stinks now, might or might not leak anymore and still does not have a phone that works.  Customer service is dead in Wilsonville, Oregon.

There’s More – This Posted by the Dealership

This comment was posted by someone at the dealership (reverse IP addresses tell us that).  It is hard to believe that a dealership employs people with this type of attitude toward clients.  Oh, if you look at www.jeep.com there is a listing of phones that ‘work’ with their Blue Tooth … the phone in question is on the list, so the author of the comment is wrong, again.

In response to your lack of knowledge concerning your vehicle, the Chrysler site for looking up your compatability will tell you whether or not your phone will work with the system based on PHONE COMPANY and PHONE MODEL, and if you don’t know what type of phone you have, well shame on you maybe you shouldn’t have one. Relying on the cell phone company specifically the sales person WHO SOLD YOU THE PHONE to say that the phone will work is just plain ignorant on your part. It is always easier to place blame on something not functioning correctly on the manufacturer rather than the consumer not reading and understanding the systems on your vehicle. I have been at the dealership many times and had no problem finding my way around, all you have to do is lift your head up and read the signs that direct you both inside and out.

BridgeFront’s ‘Communicating with Customers’ Education

BridgeFront offers an extensive library of courses on communicating with customers. Customer-facing staff members have seen an entirely new set of challenges in dealing with clients and patients – including cell phones, texting, email and instant messaging. In today’s fast-paced environment it’s critical to arm customer-facing staff members with the necessary skills to respond and resolve issues quickly and professionally.

For more information visit, www.BridgeFront.com, call 866-447-2211 or send an email to info@bridgefront.com.

Close to 450,000 individuals each year experience some form of medical identity theft.

According to a survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), close to 450,000 individuals each year experience some form of medical identity theft.

Victims may find their benefits exhausted or face potentially life-threatening consequences due to inaccuracies in their medical records. The cost to health care providers, unpaid bills racked up by scam artists.

What are we doing to resolve this?

In response to the rising number of cases of ID Theft, the FTC passed the Red Flag Rules.

This rule requires “creditors” and “financial institutions” to implement an Identity Theft Prevention Program—of which a major component is staff training. The compliance deadline is June 1, 2010. Is your organization ready?

Does my organization have to comply with the rules?

Under the FTC’s rule definition, all “creditors” and “financial institutions” must address the risk of identity theft.

A healthcare provider must comply with the Red Flag Rules if the provider meets the definition of “creditor” under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a(r)(5)).

A creditor as defined under the Fair Credit Reporting Act includes:

• Any organization that regularly extends, renews, or continues credit.
• Any organization that regularly arranges for the extension, renewal, or continuation of credit.
• Or any assignee of an original creditor who participates in the decision to extend, renew, or continue credit.

Additionally – a healthcare provider must comply with the Address Discrepancy Rule if the provider uses consumer credit reports.

What does this mean in English? If you bill for your services after the service is provided (versus a 100% cash-based service), then you fall under the FTC’s definition of a “creditor.”

Where can I get help in complying with these rules?

There are many resources available from FTC that offer general guidance. However, implementation of this rule is a detailed task.

BridgeFront offers specific guidance for healthcare providers through a quick step-by-step manual and easy online training.

Our manual contains nine steps you need to complete to become compliant. And, our online staff training program meets the ruling’s mandate to train each staff member on the regulation (including physicians). You can even add your organization’s ID Theft Prevention Policy to our online course.

Additional Resources

Download BridgeFront’s free Red Flags Rule white paper by clicking here.

Read an article by the FTC on how healthcare providers must comply by clicking here.

Visit the BridgeFront web site, or contact us directly by phone at 866-447-2211 or send an email to info@bridgefront.com.

Recently I was watching the evening news and was surprised to hear some statistics on cell phone texting.

The average adult sends just 10 text messages per day, but teenagers aged 14-17 send about 3,000 per month. One sixteen-year-old sent about 4,000 per month.

Child Psychologist David Swanson says, “The problem here is they’re missing the verbal training we need later in life, such as a job interview, talking with a friend and consoling friends.”

So, we have a problem…our entire pool of entry-level employees for the next 5 years can’t communicate verbally. And you think customer service is bad now? Just wait. Yet another burden on our companies…that is, teaching entry-level employees how to communicate.

The technologist says that’s easy. Simply put a Teleprompter in front of them and have them read from the screen.

Have you ever talked to someone that’s doing that? Here’s one that I ran into the other day, “Hello, I would be most happy to make your service call a satisfying experience, may I initiate a trouble ticket on your behalf?”

Hey, can I explain my problem before you start reading your screen? Teleprompters do not work.

We need real plans for training our entry-level employees with real education.  It will take time, energy and money.

Best prepare now, there’s an entire generation waiting for you.

For information about Customer Service training, visit www.BridgeFront.com. Or contact us directly by sending an email to info@bridgefront.com or call 866-447-2211.

What makes a customer interaction successful … the first 17 seconds.

I called a wireless phone company yesterday about my cell phone. Seems the phone is eating up battery life in about 8 hours, when it initially took 3-4 days to deplete it. When the support person took the call, they listened briefly, then said … “with the credits I see on your account and a rebate we could get you into a new phone right now for only $19.95, which one would you like?”

Did I ask for a new phone? No. Do I want a new phone? No.

I had asked to get my old one fixed. His response made me mad at him, mad at the company, mad at the phone and certainly mad at the people who drive while talking on their cell phones. Heck, I’m even looking at changing phone companies now.

… a prime example of not connecting to a client in the first 17 seconds of the call.

When it works right

Contrast that with a call where someone immediately hears your issue, empathizes with your problem, and then begins to probe exactly where they should? It doesn’t happen often, but when it does the feeling of good customer service is there, in an instant.

The magic is in the first 17 seconds. During that brief period frontline personnel need to listen to all the clues and then respond. Is the client upset? Are they technical? Is the problem a usage related one? Is the product able to do what they are asking of it? If we can listen for some or all of those clues, then the response will be aimed at the right level.

But if the client is misunderstood, then trouble is about to start.

It is hard … call after call

After your 89th call of the day it is hard to listen to the client with the right perspective. Calls get smeared together, details get lost, and the emotion from one call bleeds into another … try this … put a post-it note on your computer that says … “No matter the call volume, this is THEIR ONLY CALL – make it a good one.”

BridgeFront offers customer service communications training online. Visit our web site for more information. Contact us by sending an email to info@bridgefront.com or call 866.447.2211.

By Lorraine Schnelle, CPA

We’ve talked about a number of learning tips over the past few weeks. Today, I want to share some information from an interesting book I have been reading this past year. I pick it up often and review sections and some of my side-bar notes. It’s the kind of book that keeps you coming back for more. There is so much great information to digest and retain!

The book is Brain Rules by John Medina. It covers 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home and school. It includes stories and research to support the concepts in an easy to understand format. If you don’t have time to pick it up and check it out, in the coming weeks I would like to share with you a few of the concepts that I have gleaned from the book.

Let’s talk about “Brain Rule #3,” every brain is wired differently.

Did you know that no two people’s brains store the same information in the same way in the same place?

Eric Kandel, earned a Nobel Prize in 2000 when he showed that as people learn things, the way their brains are wired changes. The brain acts like a muscle, as you are exposed to new learning experiences, the larger and more complex your brain can become.  In addition, George Ojemann, a neurosurgeon, an expert at the technique called electrical stimulation mapping found that no two brains are wired identically. External factors can and do impact performance.

So what does this mean to you? Two words – Blended Learning. As a leader or educator, you need to understand that one size does not fit all. Variety is not only the spice of life; it can also improve retention and learning. So, be creativity and supportive of the individuality of your team members. Our personalities and the way we think and learn are unique.

Next time, let’s talk about “Brain Rule #5: Repeat to Remember.”

Listen to the podcast version

By Lorraine Schnelle, CPA

Last week, we talked about my handy CCCQ scale and how to decide upon which educational activities to use in your organization. Now let’s talk about “the end game” – making sure you understand the learning objective of your educational activity and how to stay on target. The last thing we want to do is confuse your learners and complicate the learning process. Learning objectives are statements that define what your students will take away, as part of the skill-building experience.

I like to use Bloom’s Taxonomy as a reference tool for creating targeted learning objectives. In 1956, Benjamin Bloom, with a group of educational psychologists, developed a classification of six levels of intellectual behaviors important for learning. Its lowest level, Knowledge, focuses on the simple recognition or recalling of facts or knowledge . Each level increases in complexity, moving from Understanding to Application, Analysis, Synthesis and finally Evaluation – the highest level.  Bloom’s Taxonomy is easily understood and widely used today. Learn more about each level below.

• Knowledge: arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, state

• Understanding: classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select, translate

• Application: apply, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write

• Analysis: analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test

• Synthesis: arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write

• Evaluation: appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, defend, estimate, judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate

Start each learning objective with a term from one of the six levels listed above. I recently created a seminar with learning objectives, using Bloom’s Taxonomy, for a group of Patient Access Associates. Here are the learning objectives I created for that activity -

• Define critical key performance indicators (KPIs) and their relationship to Patient Access work processes.

• Discuss advancing computer resources in Patient Access.

• Recognize the key skills required of Patient Access Associates.

So, take the time to create your learning objectives, using Bloom’s Taxonomy, and refer to them throughout the educational activity creation process. These learning objectives will help ensure your activity stays on target and you reach the “end game” – skilled and competent team members.