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This section of our web site is under construction. Previously we provided an extensive library of customer focus and service excellence articles. Google changed its policies regarding site content and as our articles are also listed on our corporate web site at TheTrainingBank.com, the site ranking for That’s Customer Focus was penalized.
Accordingly we have removed the articles that were previously on this site. We have however provided a listing below and a link to our articles section at the other web site.
If you would like to review any of our previously published articles, we have provided links below to our corporate web site.
Article Title and Link to Article at TheTrainingbank.com
Why Customer-Focused Leadership and What Are the Benefits?
Why Customer-Focused Leadership and What Are the Benefits? is by Ray Miller A while ago I published an article called What is Customer Focused Leadership. This article has become a popular landing page for many of my web site visitors. After reading the article many of these guests would contact me with questions regarding [...] Read More...
Learning From the Customer: Critical Customer Incidents
Learning From the Customer: Critical Customer Incidents is by Ray Miller The following are based on real events in two small businesses: Scenario 1 It’s 5:30 pm. John, a customer support specialist at a small computer networking firm receives an urgent call from the president of a nearby brokerage firm. Their client server network has crashed [...] Read More...
Customer Service Training versus Customer Focus Training
Customer Service Training versus Customer Focus Training is by Ray Miller When most people think of customer service training, they usually target the training needs of their customer-contact employees. After all these are the people who are interacting directly with customers. Makes sense right? They invest time and money developing the capabilities of these folks [...] Read More...
Customer Expectations vs. Customer Needs
Customer Expectations versus Customer Needs is by Ray Miller The first rule of stellar service delivery is: Service is all about expectations. You buy a product; you expect it to work the first time. You go to a discount supplier, you expect the quality to be less than the high end dealer, but you still [...] Read More...
Would You Do Business With You?
Would You Do Business With You is by Eric Fraterman. (Eric is a friend and strategic partner. This article was recently published in Customer Service Management) If more company presidents and their senior managers asked themselves this question with the customers’ view in mind, many would answer “probably not.” The reason? Customer service. Much has [...] Read More...
No Theory, No Learning: A Requisite for Real Change!
By Rick Tate To quote an unheralded Deming phrase… “No Theory, No Learning.” Explained, it warns us that unless we fully understand the theory, set of assumptions or thinking that we held true when we created practices and procedures that we use presently, we will be forever condemned to create different versions of what we [...] Read More...
Using Information to Create Value for Your Customers
Using Information to Create Value for Your Customers is by Rick Tate and Michele Richards (Rick is a highly regarded expert in the world of customer service. He is an extraordinary speaker, trainer, author and human being) Ask most any employee at work today in American business the same question: “What’s our biggest problem?” and [...] Read More...
Improving the Customer Experience through Customer Journey Mapping
Improving the Customer Experience through Customer Journey Mapping is by Eric Fraterman Check out the free Moments of Truth learning module offer which is provided at the end of this article. Moving from pipe dream to reality The dream: How good would it feel if all your dealings with your suppliers were consistently satisfying and [...] Read More...
Shocking Recovery: Service Recovery from Bad Customer Service
Shocking Recovery: Service Recovery from Bad Customer Service is by Rick Tate “Submitted for your judgment, a business plan. This plan is mapped out to the nth degree. It describes the particulars of how to do business. But what can’t be anticipated is the tension that washes over a customer like a dense fog. This is the tension [...] Read More...
FAST GUIDE: 10 Success Factors of Customer Focus
Fast Guide: 10 Success Factors of Customer Focus is by Eric Fraterman What is Customer Focus? Customer Focus is more than Customer Service. It is an aligned whole-organization approach to customer satisfaction and service, leading to customer loyalty and advocacy. The result is sustainable profitability. In a Customer Focused organization, Leadership, Processes and People are [...] Read More...
Why Customer Focus Differentiates
Why Customer Focus Differentiates is by Ray Miller Has this ever happened to you? You’re in a hurry. You want to complete your business and the person serving you is preoccupied with something other than serving you. Then when you are served, you might get an insincere apology for the delay followed by the completion [...] Read More...
To be (Customer Focused) or not to be? What a Question!
To be (Customer Focused) or not to be? is by Ray Miller This is the first in a series of short articles about understanding why customer focus is strategically important, what it means to be truly customer-focused and how to create or improve customer focus in your organization. This article presents a simple business case [...] Read More...
What is Customer-Focused Leadership?
What is Customer-Focused Leadership is by Ray Miller Customer Focus is an aligned organization-wide approach to customer satisfaction and service, leading to customer loyalty and advocacy. The result is sustainable profitability. In a Customer Focused organization, Leadership, Processes and People are customer-aligned. This requires that: Every action is shaped by a relentless commitment to meeting [...] Read More...
Research Findings on the Importance of Creating a Customer-Focused Culture
Research Findings on the Importance of Creating a Customer-Focused Culture was first published by Ray Miller in Nov 2009. Every month we scan as much of the Customer Focus, Service Excellence and Customer Experience Research as we can to make sure we have our fingers on the pulse of what customers and business leaders are [...] Read More...
Customer Focus in a Slow Economy
Customer Focus in a Slow Economy is by Ray Miller I wanted to call this article “Sharpen Your Customer Focus or You Will Lose Customers!” but a few of my colleagues thought this was a bit too blunt. Absolutely true mind you, but blunt. Then I thought why not make the headline a question; “How [...] Read More...
How Can You Drive A Customer Crazy?
How Can You Drive a Customer Crazy? is by Rebecca Keenan and Published in Canadian Retailer |September/October 2008 (Hint: It’s A Lot Easier Than You Think.) True story. A local supermarket finishes a massive expansion and renovation. The store adds more inventory, replaces all the cash registers and makes its space bigger, brighter, and more [...] Read More...
Why Customer Focus Training is a Strategic Investment and NOT an Expense
Why Customer Focus Training is a Strategic Investment and Not an Expense is by Ray Miller It’s time to set the record straight. Customer Focus Training is NOT an Expense. It is a strategic investment and here’s the proof. Look, I know you have a lot to think about these days. I run a business [...] Read More...
Is The Customer Always Right?
By Ray Miller. You have no doubt heard the expression “The customer is always right!” and I suspect many of you have contemplated this when dealing with an uncooperative service provider. But, is this really true? The answer to this question is absolutely critical! Critical, that is, if you are interested in customer retention and [...] Read More...
Do Companies Really Care About and Value Their Customers?
Do Companies Really Care About and Value Their Customers is by Ray Miller as was originally published in 2011 Apparently not enough! Last week American Express released the findings of its Global Customer Service Barometer, a survey conducted in the U.S. and eleven other countries exploring attitudes and preferences toward customer service. Following the release [...] Read More...
Silent But Deadly: The Impact of Poor Customer Service
Silent But Deadly: The Impact of Poor Customer Service is by Ray Miller When your customers encounter a mediocre or poor service experience the vast majority will not complain but rather, they will simply take their business elsewhere. Here is what research from several reliable sources tells us: If you receive one complaint about poor service [...] Read More...
Customer Focus Training Top Forty
The Customer Focus Training Top Forty is by Ray Miller Lately we have been getting an unusually large number of inquiries from people globally asking the following question: “What should customer focus training accomplish?” Since this training is a significant investment, it is essential that you maximize your return on investment from this training. In [...] Read More...
American Express Global Service Barometer – 2011
Good Service is Good Business: American Consumers Willing to Spend More With Companies That Get Service Right, According to American Express Survey U.S. Consumers Tell Twice as Many People about Bad Service Compared to Good Service New York, May 3, 2011 – Americans are placing an even greater premium on quality customer service this year. [...] Read More...
I Got an Email: Getting Service Training to Stick
Getting Service Training to Stick is by Ray Miller and was Originally Published On: May 19, 2011 In the 20 years that I have been conducting service excellence training for thousands of participants, there is one thing that has remained constant. At the beginning of most sessions I ask the participants to introduce themselves and [...] Read More...
Customer Service Training vs. Customer Focus Training
Customer Service Training vs. Customer Focus Training is by Ray Miller and was originally published on May 19, 2011 When most people think of customer service training, they usually target the training needs of their customer-contact employees. After all these are the people who are interacting directly with customers. Makes sense right? They invest time [...] Read More...
American Express Global Service Barometer 2012 Survey
Social Media Raises the Stakes for Customer Service Social Media Savvy Consumers Have High Expectations: They’ll Spend More When They Get Good Service and Ditch Companies When They Don’t More Than Eight in Ten of These Consumers Have Bailed on a Purchase Because of a Poor Service Experience Compared to 55% Overall New York, May [...] Read More...
Consequences of Poor Service In The New Economy
Consequences of Poor Service in the New Economy is by Ray Miller and was originally published on June 28, 2011 Economists are talking about a new economy which has evolved as a result of the financial turmoil of the past couple of years. Evidence of this new economy may not be blatantly obvious to everyone, but [...] Read More...
American Express Global Service Barometer – 2010
Americans Will Spend 9% More With Companies That Provide Excellent Service – But Two-Thirds Feel Companies Aren’t Doing Enough to Earn Their Business – – Service Is Even More Important in Tough Economic Times – New York, July 7, 2010 – A majority of Americans report that quality customer service is more important to them [...] Read More...
