Hello From Char

Hi! My name is Char. I was recently hired at MMS as a Customer Service Lead for an awesome project that I’m very excited to be a part of. This is only my second week at MMS so I’m still learning the ropes. Since I was asked to write a blog, I thought it would be a good idea to write about Customer Service.

How I ended up in Customer Service was not intentional at all. I had just graduated from college and was just looking for a temporary job until I found something more relevant to my major (psychology) or my minor (music). I ended up as a CS rep then eventually moved on to something I really loved – a mix of Customer Service blended with a little bit of Tech Support. I decided to change careers but the CS + Tech Support thing seemed to follow me, even into the world of banking. Then when this exciting opportunity opened up here at MMS, I jumped on it. So here I am today!

Customer Service is a huge passion of mine. I love helping people and I have been blessed to be in an industry that has allowed me to do just that for the past 9 years, and hopefully many more years to come. Here are some of my random thoughts and tips about providing excellent Customer Service:

• The most obvious reason great Customer Service is so important is because it’s a reflection of the company that you represent. You are the face or voice of that company. A bad customer service experience leads the customer to believe that the company is “bad”; that they don’t care about their customers well enough to treat them right. On the other hand, excellent customer service is a very positive reflection of the company. In either case, when people start telling their friends about the good or bad customer service experience they had, word of mouth is an extremely powerful marketing tool that can have very positive or negative consequences.

• When problems arise, the first step should always be to take ownership of the situation and express empathy. Let the customer know that you understand why they are feeling upset. Then if necessary, briefly let the customer know the source of the problem. If you dive-in right away by telling them why and how things went wrong, all they will hear is “This is not my fault, and this is why I’m not at fault”. Most of the time, they don’t care about the details – all they really want is an apology and to know that you sincerely understand; and of course, a good solution to fix the problem.

• It is absolutely okay to tell a customer “I don’t know” as long as it’s followed with “…but if I may follow up with you on that later, I can get you an answer”. I get really uncomfortable when a CS rep I’m speaking with is sounding uncertain about his answer. It is never a good idea to risk giving wrong information to a customer just to sound like a know-it-all.

• I know you’ve probably heard this a thousand times before but I’m going to mention it anyways because it is so crucial. Always think about how you can go above and beyond their expectations. Go the extra mile. What can you do to “wow” them? This truly makes them feel valued as a customer and not just another number.

• We all have bad days every once in a while. Just make sure it doesn’t come across through your correspondence or conversation with your customers. It’s easy to get blunt or short, and this comes across as insensitive from the customer’s perspective. Keep your attitude in check. Take a break. Force yourself to smile for at least one minute – see if that doesn’t change your attitude.

I look forward to applying these principles in my new position here. Let me know if there is anything that I may help YOU with. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

~Char Ferrara