Best Practices for Customer Interactions 1.0
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Best Practices for Customer Interactions Facilitator: Shantanu Paknikar @spaknikar [email protected] + 91 98864 13463
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22-Oct-2014 -
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A collection of 21 best practices for customer interactions during onsite consulting assignments; compiled over fifteen years of observation and learning. Intended to be a reference for first time consultants moving into their initial assignments onsite at client locations.
Transcript of Best Practices for Customer Interactions 1.0
Best Practices for Customer
InteractionsFacilitator: Shantanu Paknikar
@spaknikar
+ 91 98864 13463
Agenda
Session Objectives
What makes me happy?
The importance of client interaction skills
21 Best Practices observed over the last fifteen years
Q & A
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Consultants who are (or will be) in
their initial assignments at the client location.
Session Objectives
Understand finer nuances of customer interaction skills
Learn from each others’ experiences
Practice some of the best practices
Plan for your own career
Spot Survey: What makes me happy?
Don’t switch off your phone, but do keep it in
silent mode
Text your answer to my cell, OR
Tweet your answer to @spaknikar
Client Interaction Skills:21 Best Practices when you are on an onsite assignment at
a client location
1. Communicate!
Avoid isolation
Build rapport
Develop professional relationships
Enhance your visibility
Reach out to people around you
2. You are not an employee.
You play a temporary role
Keep low expectations
E.g. You might not get nominated
for training sessions being
conducted for regular employees
3. You are a consultant.
Have an opinion
Express it
Build up your credibility
Your ultimate aim – to get the
customer to trust you and ask for
your opinion
4. Implement and Deliver.
Avoid becoming only gas and
gyan.
Translate words into action.
Produce concrete deliverables.
Close open loops.
Focus on building and creating.
5. You are the expert.
Avoid things that annoy
customers, such as:
Asking customers what to do
Pointing out problems that they
already know exist, without
recommending a solution
Providing multiple solutions,
without recommending one
6. Keep them informed!
NEVER have a situation where the
customer has to follow up with
you for an update
Share weekly status reports
Provide informal updates when
possible e.g. over a cup of coffee
7. Don’t be afraid to differ.
Your SOLE objective: create value
for the customer.
It’s ok to differ, provided the
intention is that the customer
should benefit.
Often, customers want to hear a
different opinion.
8. Be proactive.
Don’t be passive
Don’t wait for work to be
assigned
Generate work for yourself (and
for the customer too)
Make suggestions and
recommendations
9. Build up the brand name.
You represent your organization
You represent your country
Use “At my company” instead of
“I” – except if expressing your
opinion
NEVER show a colleague in a bad
light
NEVER show your organization in
a bad light
10. Be particular about work hours.
Be flexible with work hours during
times of urgency / emergency –
e.g. Go Live
However don’t work late as a
habit
Overtime is chargeable!
11. Don’t get personal.
Your personal preferences don’t
matter in a professional scenario
If you dislike somebody, don’t
show it or let it affect your
professional equation.
Avoid opinions on politics, culture,
race, religion
NEVER discuss the above on
12. Don’t use a non-business language.
All verbal / written communication should strictly be in the common business language being used at the customer location
This is even if you and the other person can communicate in a different language
Don’t exclude customer personnel from your conversation
Ensure that people understand what you are saying even if you are not directly addressing them
Helps build trust
13. Don’t whine. Be positive.
Don’t complain about problems /
things not working
Customers are usually aware of
problems, and that’s why they’ve
hired you
Your image should be that of a
troubleshooter / somebody who
has the solutions
Tone of voice and choice of
words should avoid negativity
14. Documentation is important.
Documentation is about
transparency
It’s about trust
NEVER let the customer feel you
are withholding information
Quote: “Better to be rendered
useless than to be considered so”.
15. Publish minutes of meetings.
This is a standard professional best
practice.
Gives the customer the comfort
feel that follow up actions will be
tracked and executed.
Ensures that meetings have some
tangible, constructive output and
are not a waste of time.
16. Ask for feedback.
Monitor yourself continuously
Set up 1-1 discussions with the
customer to ask for feedback on
yourself and your team
Act on feedback!
Keep getting feedback, keep
improving
17. Use facilities judiciously.
Email, Telephone, Internet, Print,
Other facilities need to be used
responsibly
Keep the customer informed (e.g.
International calls from your desk)
Avoid using facilities for personal
reasons
18. Follow Email Etiquette. Beware!
Language, Style, Tone of
communication is critical
Be professional and neutral
Watch your manners!
NEVER use abusive terms
Emails once sent cannot be
recalled!
19. Develop Listening skills.
Important to listen more than you speak
Concentrate and be mindful of the other person
Paraphrase
When listening, don’t plan your answer. Trust your own instincts to know what to say, when it is your turn
If you cannot think of something to say, don’t.
Don’t interrupt the other person.
20. Focus on the benefits.
Don’t focus only on solution
features
Client’s perspective: “What’s in it
for me?”
If you cannot articulate the
benefits to the client, don’t
articulate at all.
21. The innovation value add
NEVER deliver only what you have
been asked to
Innovation value addition is
critical
Innovation: Doing things differently, and doing different
things, with the intention to
benefit the customer.
THANK YOU!
REFERENCE / FURTHER READING:
http://shantanupaknikar.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/best-
practices-for-customer-interactions/
Questions / Feedback:
@spaknikar
