When it comes to essential topics like customer service, businesses across America are looking for relevant, cutting-edge, "real world" solutions to help them succeed. Real World Customer Service Strategies That Work presents insights and inspiration from 12 experts whose client list reads like a "who's who" in American business.

As one of the authors invited to participate in this work, Jeannie writes about the dichotomy of the customer and the service provider in her chapter entitled, Now Hear This: The Key to Great Customer Relations is Excellent Phone Service. Only take the following steps outlined in this chapter if you want to be considered a provider of excellent telephone customer service—and if you want your customers to come back for more:

Steps to Excellent Phone Service

• Be ethical in customer relationships
• Promote emotional intelligence (EQ) in the workplace
• Revive your telephone etiquette skills
• Demonstrate a "your-problem-is-my-problem" mentality
• Own every customer interaction
• Be consistent in service quality and delivery
• Educate your customers
• Be positive and inclusive
• Practice good cellular phone etiquette
• Ten practical steps toward better phone skills

As customers, we're quick to judge how others manage telephone communication, and we often don't evaluate our own or our employees' communication skills. Let your memory of how others treat you on the phone serve as a framework for creating a positive image your customers will remember with pleasure.

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