Kevin Stirtz
Kevin has spoken to thousands of people across the USA and in Europe about how to improve customer service. He has been quoted in major media such as BusinessWeek, the Boston Globe, the StarTribune, Smart Money, Chicago Sun Times and others.
Get a free copy of Kevin's Amazing Service Toolkit here.
Articles by Kevin Stirtz
January 29, 2009
Sometimes when our world changes dramatically, we find ourselves grasping wildly for new solutions and ideas. But if we change too much too fast, we risk getting rid of tools that can be useful to us. Or we get paralyzed with fear and wind up doing not much of anything except worrying about how bad ...
January 28, 2009
When it seems all we hear is bad news, it can be easy for us to join in the chorus. It can seem natural to spend time worrying about how we´ll survive in these challenging times.
But it doesn´t have to be that way.
Every second of every day, we have a choice to behave and to think ...
January 27, 2009
Today my company published a new report on customer service. It´s called: "The State of Customer Service" and it offers a glimpse of what real people think about customer service these days. Surprisingly, the news is not all gloom and doom.
But it does suggest that, in general, organization...
January 27, 2009
Recently while surfing the web I noticed it was very slow. So I did a little research and discovered the problem was with my service provider, Comcast.
The first thing I did was try to let Comcast know using their online services. I hate making phone calls to customer service of big companies bec...
January 27, 2009
Last week I got a call from a hotel employee confirming the headcount for an event I was responsible for. In her voice mail, she asked me to call her back to confirm our final headcount, even though I had sent in the final number earlier that day.
On the surface this seems like a customer-focused...
January 27, 2009
I surf the Internet a lot. As a writer and speaker it comes with the territory. And I don´t mind, except when I have to deal with insanely slow websites. There are a few websites I use on a regular basis that are horribly slow. I call them "coffee cup" websites because you can go get a cup of ...
January 23, 2009
A while ago I heard an interview with Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at MIT. During the interview, Dan talked about an experiment which caught my attention:
"...they created tests that made it easy to cheat, then looked at what happened if they reminded people right before the test of a moral...
December 29, 2008
By now we all know President-elect Barack Obama has stormed the American political scene like a hurricane, a tornado, a typhoon and a tsunami all rolled into one. In a few short years, he has gone from "Obama who?" to the President-elect of the USA and a hugely popular man both in the US and abroad....
November 29, 2008
It´s something most of us have felt at one time or another. And it´s the worst thing a company can do to a customer: Make them feel INVISIBLE.
As a customer you are invisible when you feel you´re being ignored. You´re needs are not being met. You are there trying to BE a c...
December 22, 2008
Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Service Rule #25
Remember your customer's name.
Years ago I heard a quote that goes something like: "Nothing is sweeter than the sound of a person's own name." I don't know who first said this but I agree with them. When we hear someone say our name, it brings us closer ...
December 23, 2008
Yesterday a massive fire engulfed a large apartment complex in my city. While fire fighters from 6 communities fought the blaze, residents shivered in sub-zero temperatures. It was three days before Christmas and everything they owned was going up in smoke.
It was a miracle nobody was injured. Bu...
November 28, 2008
Kevin Stirtz´s Amazing Service Rule #4:
Make Your Customers Smile
To some people this might seem a little too mushy, too "warm and fuzzy". After all, isn´t it more important to give our customers what they want? (There is research that says customers will be more loyal if they get what they wa...
November 28, 2008
I read a recent report by Accenture that I found downright exciting. It´s the results of their 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Much of the report was old news to me simply because I live and breathe this stuff. But I think every business owner, executive, manager, employee, consultant and pro...
November 28, 2008
Kevin Stirtz´s Amazing Service Rule #42
"Assure your customers."
Customers come to us for one of two reasons. They want our help to accomplish something or to avoid something. They know they outcome they want. They engage our expertise and resources to get there.
And when customers choose u...
December 11, 2008
New years are wonderful because they give us the ability to improve, to learn from our experience and then start over and do better. It's like shaking the Etch A Sketch and being rewarded with a blank canvas to create another work of art. But in this case, the work of art is our business. Use this o...
November 28, 2008
Even though Black Friday has begun, there is still time for retailers to increase their chances of having a good holiday shopping season. We all know customer service is important, but it's critical during stressful times like the holidays. And when the economy is sour and people want the most for t...
October 21, 2008
Kevin Stirtz´s Amazing Service Rule# 40:
It´s okay to say no. (But be nice about it and offer an alternative.)
Many of us have been taught to avoid the word "no" when dealing with customers. And it´s a good lesson because there are better ways to tell a customer you´re ...
October 10, 2008
Kevin Stirtz´s Amazing Service Rule# 15:
Don´t interrupt your customer when they´re talking to you.
We all know listening skills are fundamental to working with and getting along with others. They´re so basic it should be a given that we´re all excellent listeners...
October 03, 2008
Next week is Customer Service Week in the USA. Since 1992, this week has been a time to honor and celebrate the spirit of customer service in our organizations.
Being a practical sort, I look at something like this and ask myself, how can we get the most from this? What can people do to create so...
September 24, 2008
Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Service Rule #48:
Thank your customers for complaining
One of the situations people hate most is dealing with customer complaints.
This is too bad because customer complaints offer a goldmine of information to companies, if they deal with them effectively.
The firs...
September 19, 2008
Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Customer Service Rule #46:
To thrill your customers, do something positive and unexpected
We often hear that we need to "thrill" or "wow" our customers. And, intuitively we know this is a good thing because it increases the chances our customers will come back and tell o...
September 10, 2008
Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Service Rule #10
Respect their time.
"Tick tock said the clock."
It seems the almighty clock rules our lives. With each generation, our society gets busier and busier.
Even though we all have the same amount of time, we use it differently. And we use it the way we ...
September 04, 2008
Kevin Stirtz's Amazing Customer Service Rule #23
Never leave them wondering.
I call my insurance company with a question. The customer service representative is unable to answer it so she says she'll need to research the answer and call me back. Within seconds the line goes dead and she's gone...
August 27, 2008
Kevin Stirtz´s Amazing Customer Service Rule #47
Don´t multi-task when you´re helping a customer
I know I´ll get some feedback on this.
"I have to multi-task" people will say. "Otherwise I can´t get all my work done."
Another common response: "I can do other...
August 19, 2008
In customer service, as with most things there is no one right answer. There is almost always more than one way to accomplish something. But we don´t always admit it. Too often we focus on one way to do something. Maybe it´s the only way we know. Maybe it´s the fastest, cheapest or...
August 14, 2008
This morning I read a surprising story in my hometown newspaper, the Minneapolis StarTribune. A Target store manager threatens to call the police on a 79 year old customer, has her hauled away to a hospital for a mental evaluation and then files a trespass order barring her from returning to the sto...
August 13, 2008
We all get busy in our jobs. It seems there are always more things to do than any one person could possibly get done. From meetings to special projects to covering for co-workers. The list never ends.
It´s a wonder we get anything done at all!
This is why we need to remember our prioriti...
August 07, 2008
At some level we´re all grateful for our customers. Because we know without them we would not have a business.
And, with busy schedules and hectic lives, it´s easy to forget how important our customers are. It´s even easier to forget to show it. And it´s easy to discount o...
July 31, 2008
Kevin Stirtz´s Amazing Customer Service Rule #44
Do something extra.
One of the easiest and fastest ways to make a customer smile is to do something extra. Because it´s unexpected, it´s a pleasant surprise. It´s something they´ll remember and talk about.
When y...
July 29, 2008
We all know it´s important to have loyal customers. But do you know how important it is? A study by Bain & Company suggests that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can improve profitability by anywhere from 25% to 95%. It shows us there are big opportunities available for owners and managers wh...
July 28, 2008
Challenging economic times can be scary. Every day we hear news about lay-offs, company closings, mortgage foreclosures and more.
But no matter what´s going on around us, we all have the ability to make our lives less stressful and more secure. An excellent way to do this is to increase our...
July 25, 2008
The big buzz in the world of coffee these days is not being produced by caffeine intake. It's generated by the swirl of news reports and comments about Starbucks plans to close 600 stores.For me this begs the question: Did Starbucks stumble on their vaunted customer service?
As Starbucks has bec...
July 22, 2008
Kevin´s Amazing Customer Service Rule# 16:
"Discover what your customers want."
I admit, this seems overly simple. To run any successful business it´s a given we need to know what our customers want. But do we always know?
My answer is: "No we don´t."
We think we do. We...
July 15, 2008
Kevin´s Amazing Customer Service Rule #30:
"Thank your customers"
This is one of those customer service "rules" that shouldn´t be. It shouldn´t even have to be a reminder. To thank someone for being a customer should be automatic, not because we´re trained or measured t...
July 10, 2008
Kevin´s Amazing Customer Service rule# 31:
Respect your customer´s opinion.
Our customers come to us for our knowledge. They want our help in accomplishing something.
But some employees take this to mean the customer´s opinion does not matter. They go directly into "arroga...
July 02, 2008
The economic impact an event like the Republican National Convention has on a host city is tremendous. But if the event is done extremely well, the benefits can go on for years.
Here are ten customer service tips to the people hosting the 2008 RNC to help the event be spectacular in the eyes of t...
July 03, 2008
Kevin´s Amazing Customer Service rule# 22:
Help your customers get the outcomes they want.
Our customers come to us for something. They want to prevent something bad from happening. Or they want to make something good happen. Either way they've come to us for help. So we need to help the...
July 03, 2008
Improving customer service does not always require massive changes. More often small, incremental changes will produce the outcomes we want.
June 29, 2008
Too often I hear people give bad advice to others about how to talk with new potential clients. Rather than focus on what the customer is trying to accomplish now, they try to get their foot in the door for a long-term relationship with the company.
It's like talking about marriage, kids and and ...
June 18, 2008
Kevin´s Amazing Customer Service rule# 27:
Remember What You Control (And What You Don´t)
This has been said a thousand ways by a thousand people but it´s still true. And it´s important. Time and energy spent worrying about (or trying to change) something beyond our con...
May 28, 2008
by Kevin Stirtz
Amazing Customer Service Rule# 13:
"Ask open-ended questions."
One of the most important ways we serve our customers is to help them get what they want, even if they don't know exactly what that is. They rely on us for knowledge about our product or service. They come to us ...
May 20, 2008
Amazing Customer Service Rule# 38:
Always give them something.
One of the biggest challenges when serving our customers is when they want (or need) something we can´t do. It´s frustrating for us because we want to help them. It´s frustrating for them because they´re not...
May 19, 2008
I was at a meeting last week where a man I respect used the term "all in". He used it in a relevant, powerful and eloquent way. In doing so, he caught my attention. And he compelled me to myself two questions.
This first question was, what does it really mean to be "all in"?
"All in" is a poke...
May 13, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #17
Be easy to work with.
We have policies and procedures. We have rules and regulations. Usually they exist because of good intentions. But they often become obstacles to our customers. They develop to solve problems we face as we serve our customers but somet...
May 08, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #39:
Make a great first impression every time.
We've all heard it said first impressions are lasting and it's true. Though we can improve a customer's perception of us over time, we're always better positioned if we show them our best stuff right up front.
O...
May 07, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #18
Every customer contact is critical
What your customer perceives about your company is what determines whether they will stay with you. And their perception is built one contact at a time. Even one bad experience can taint their perception of your company an...
May 02, 2008
I have recently published a new book you might be interested in. It's called: "More Loyal Customers: 21 Real World Lessons to Keep Your Customers Coming Back."
The purpose of this book is to help organization (of all kinds) do the things needed to keep customers coming back. It focuses on how you...
March 29, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #41
"Always follow up and follow through".
One of the biggest complaints people have is that they never hear back from sales or service employees. And we´ve all experienced it. Someone promises to do something and it never happens. So as a customer we&acu...
March 23, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #34:
See your customer only as someone who needs your help.
It´s easy for us to judge people harshly especially if they´re different than we are or if they are upset or angry. When a customer raises their voice or is impatient or otherwise not so pleasant, it´s...
March 16, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #3
When talking with a new customer give them your name and get theirs right away.
This makes your conversation more personal and enables you to better connect with your customer.
Think of how much better it feels to talking with someone when you know their ...
March 16, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #6:
Give customers your complete attention.
Customers consistently tell us they hate dealing with employees who don´t listen or pay attention. It´s a common and yet preventable complaint.
When you begin talking with a customer, stop whatever else...
March 11, 2008
I was surprised to learn recently that the USA has thousands of people defending us who are not even American citizens. This news came by way of an article in my hometown paper, the StarTribune. The article features two National Guard soldiers who recently became U.S. citizens, even though they&acut...
March 06, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #19
Offer your customers solutions, not dead-ends.
We all know not every customer request is easy or possible to fulfill. But rather than tell them "no" try to find other ways to help them get what they want.
Always focus on finding a solution. No matter wha...
March 04, 2008
Complaining customers can be a weakness or a strength for your business. Here are some tips to convert complaints into opportunities and keep your customers coming back.
March 04, 2008
Remarkable Customer Service Rule #35:
Never let your customer repeat themselves.
A common complaint customers have is they have to repeat their story over and over again as they get handed off to different people.
Customers understand that often you have to hand them over to other people to...
February 03, 2008
Poor customer service from airlines is legendary. It's cliche. It's so common that when we do get great service we feel like we've won the lottery, if only for a moment.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Here are four ideas to help airlines improve the quality of service they deliver to their customers.
January 15, 2008
Kevin Stirtz helps companies increase customer loyalty by improving customer service. Get a free copy of his book at http://www.StirtzGroup.com You can call Kevin directly at 952-212-4681.
January 15, 2008
Kevin Stirtz helps companies increase customer loyalty by improving customer service. Get a free copy of his book at http://www.StirtzGroup.com You can call Kevin directly at 952-212-4681.
January 05, 2008
Several news items today talk about how chip giant Intel has parted company with the innovative group, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). OLPC is a nonprofit educational computing group. Their mission is to help children have more access to information and opportunities by providing them with low-cost com...
November 23, 2007
Some years ago (I can't even remember how long ago) one of the biggest and most influential fast food chains in the USA did something that changed how the fast food (or QSR) industry does business. They did something so simple yet so brilliant that before long, 99% of their competitors had copies th...
November 23, 2007
I've noticed a trend in billboard ads. The model is to have a clever or cute phrase on the left side of a billboard and the company's logo on the right side, so small that it's hard to see.
Here's why I think this is ineffective advertising.
First, the sentence is often hard to read. Fancy fon...
November 21, 2007
Some time ago, I had a conversation with a guy who runs an auto service business. Their company has a good name in town and I believe they do a pretty good business. He hit the nail squarely on the head as we were discussing advertising.
His observation was that he really wasn't sure which of the...
November 18, 2007
Far too many small business owners buy their advertising with the idea that they'll try it for a few weeks, just to see if it works. If it works, they'll commit to a longer schedule.
This is a symptom of why so many small businesses fail. Not that this is the sole cause but this type of thinking ...
November 18, 2007
Not too many years ago, people began using ribbons to promote their causes.
We see various ribbons on cars and trucks to support our troops. There are pink ribbons to support breast cancer awareness and blue ribbons to support free speech on the Internet. Often you'll see the same colors used by ...
November 16, 2007
This time of year business owners, executives and consultants are (or should be) spending time looking ahead. We should be thinking what we want for our businesses in 2008.
But we all know many people fail to plan. There are as many reasons for this as there are (or used to be) hairs on my head....
October 17, 2007
A while ago I was talking with a good friend about fundraising for nonprofits. In the course of our conversation he said something memorable. He said his experience with person to person fundraising can be summed up in this phrase:
“Ask for money, you get advice. Ask for advice, you get money.”
...
October 13, 2007
Two days from now, over 12,000 bloggers will write about the environment. Each will write about it from their unique perspective, regardless of what they usually write about.
When I signed up to participate in Blog Action Day there were about 6,000 bloggers involved. In less than two weeks, anoth...
October 04, 2007
Today a trial in Duluth, MN (USA) continues. It's a trial that, IMHO, should never have started.
For years the Recording Industry Association of America has hammered people for downloading and sharing copyrighted music without paying. Thousands have settled (and paid fines) after getting the "na...
September 13, 2007
In the world of Web marketing, few things can steam people as fast as spam can. It’s universally reviled yet it’s used on a massive scale.
Spam is the Web’s version of annoying telemarketers. People hate being on the receiving end. Yet companies still do it even though it annoys their customers.
...
September 05, 2007
Rumors have run rampant lately about a product that might not even exist.
People all over the Web (or at least the blogosphere) are chattering about the so-called GPhone, a speculative mobile phone to be sold by Google possibly by mid-September.
Google has no comment, of course. Some say it’s ...
August 02, 2007
Watch TV, read popular magazines, newspapers, even the radio and you might get the idea that using sex in advertising is a great way to sell products. Many ad agencies and salespeople seem to think it is.
It's not.
Sex in advertising only works well when the product or service being promoted i...
August 02, 2007
This morning Minnesota is in shock. A major bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. No warning. Nothing unusual happened prior to the collapse. It just dropped 64 feet into the Mississippi River. At least 50 cars fell into the river. As many as 60 people were injured. Nine people have reportedly died.
O...
July 26, 2007
We hear a lot about "Web 2.0" these days. It sounds neat and it's trendy to talk about blogging and social media. But does it really affect our businesses? Is Web 2.0 just for kids and tech-hipsters or is it something we business owners should use to help promote our businesses?
I can't tell you ...
July 10, 2007
No matter how long you’ve been selling or what you sell, there are always benefits in returning to the basics once in awhile.
Blocking & Tackling
When I was in my twenties I had a sales manager who was fond of sports analogies. He was constantly going on about home runs and strike outs and mov...
July 10, 2007
One of the things I learned about selling services, is you keep more customers if you find ways to make your intangible service more tangible.
Remember every purchase is a two-way exchange. If I write you a check for insurance I expect something of equal or greater value in return.
When all I ...
July 10, 2007
When I was in college, one of the many jobs I had was as a security person in a department store. We were the “spies” who lurked about waiting for the local “Louie Light Fingers” to snatch something so we could arrest them.
One of the guys in our group, Steve, was always getting himself in troubl...
June 09, 2007
Most business owners I work with want to grow their businesses. I guess this probably applies to most businesses in general. But growth for the sake of growth alone is not always healthy for a business or its people.
I’ve always believed a business should strive to be healthy rather than focus ju...
June 04, 2007
Public speaking is one of the best ways to promote your business, your career or your organization. There is an endless number of groups looking for informative and entertaining speakers. You can be one of them! And when you wow an audience, they want more. It's a perfect way to build awareness, gai...
May 28, 2007
The good news and bad news about marketing is that price and results are not necessarily connected. You can pay the same price for poor results as you would for great results.
The difference is based on what you put into your marketing before you implement.
By planning your marketing well, you...
May 18, 2007
A survey released today shows what customers want from the companies they do business with. Topping the list is the simple request that they are listened to.
This seems like common sense doesn't it?
Apparently it's not. If it were, it wouldn't be newsworthy. If most people felt they were list...
May 08, 2007
“Great work is done by people who are not afraid to be great.” - Fernando Flores
I use to be envious of great people. By “great”, I mean people who have achieved things so noteworthy they become famous for it. Some do it early in life, like athletes. Tiger Woods is a great example.
Others t...
May 08, 2007
To get better results from your marketing, manage what you can control (your activities) and monitor what you cannot control (the results).
Once I began to understand and believe this concept (with the help of some smart friends) things got a lot easier. And, it has helped me manage my business b...
April 25, 2007
One of the best things you can do for your business is to ask new customers how they found out about you. But when you do this, don’t expect to get accurate information.
I know this sounds strange, but it makes sense, I promise.
If you make decisions about how to promote your business, then ob...