Are You Wearing Your Name Tag?
Using the Principles of Customer Service to Find and
Keep Your Volunteers
By Susan Moscareillo,
CVM
Editor, Managing Volunteers.com
June 6th, 2005
I am still amazed by some of the things that potential
volunteers tell me, but never more so than when they say they called another
agency first and no one called them back or followed through. They sigh and
shake their heads and lament that “they must not want volunteers.”
It’s frustrating to hear these stories because
it means that we in the nonprofit sector are developing the bad habits of
our profit-making counterparts of hiding behind anonymity -- not “wearing
a name tag” -- and doing our job with pride. How would you feel if you
called to get more information about volunteering at an agency whose mission
interested you and no one returned your call?
Delivering good “customer service” is a concept
for everyone who deals directly with a public who wants to buy a product --
in this case, your volunteer program. Effective and memorable customer service
takes many forms:
Good manners still make you
stand out in the crowd
The first executive director I worked for at the BRMH
was a good boss who led by example. One of her rules was to return phone calls
within twenty-four hours or less: no matter how busy we were, or how absurd
the request or question contained in the voice mail, each and every call was
to be returned promptly with politeness and respect. She knew our image was
all-important and good manners helped build and sustain that image.
It seems like a little thing, but we also learned to
give our name, as well as our department, when answering the phone. People
know when they call me, or anyone at our House, to
whom they are speaking immediately. It sends the message: we are proud
of who we are and what we’re doing and we are here to take care of your
needs and wants.
You only get one chance to make
a good first impression
A good friend early in my career was a phenomenal “salesman”
in a time when women were just being taken seriously in sales. She always looked and acted perfectly coordinated
and “together,” even at the end of a long tiring day of sales
calls. One evening over dinner I told
her how much I admired her consistent image and demeanor as she worked.
It is a very big thought when you ponder how many times
daily you interact with people who have never heard of your agency and want
to know more. You have the wonderful opportunity to make that first impression
-- face to face, in writing, or on the telephone -- as you deliver superb
customer service to them.
Make a Commitment to Excellence
Even On the Worst Days
In another job, years before, I had expressed envy for
the success of a co-worker who was another sales star. My then-boss looked at me very sternly and asked
me if I could go out and sell the company’s product even on a day when
I “was in a bad mood and just wanted to stay at home and pull the covers
over my head.”
Well, no thank you, I told him.
We all have bad days when the best we can do is to “show
up” and we don’t have a lot to offer other than our presence in
the chair behind our desk. But we still
have an obligation to give our potential and existing volunteers a reason
to smile after they talk to us or meet with us.
A manager I know had an important appointment to take
potential clients/customers out to lunch even though he was wobbly with a
virus and could barely stand up. He could have handed it off to a subordinate,
but it was his project and his responsibility. Your self-discipline, your
pride in your product can enable you to dig deep within yourself and rise
to the occasion even when you’re running a 104 degree temperature and
the room is spinning around.
The Customer is Still Always
Right
My first job after I graduated from college was in the
promotions department of WBAL-TV in
Although I have been described a few times as the “most
polite person who ever lived,” no one trained me for this job. What should I have been taught -- what should
we all practice -- that will serve our customers well and keep our blood pressure
under control when the call or visit comes that presents a problem situation
or angry volunteer or client?
Begin by being a good listener.
Take a
deep breath and assimilate each piece of information you are being given.
Be a facilitator. Reach an understanding of what
action the customer wants -- could there be mutual gain achieved from the
interaction?
Be conscientious. Know what accommodations/improvements
you can offer to the customer. Then follow through and take the actions promised.
This will help build trust.
Show concern. Acknowledge the customer’s
concerns. Apologize for any inconvenience when needed. Saying “I’m sorry” not only shows graciousness
but can often defuse someone’s anger.
Entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash, who created a company that
thrived because of its customer service, told her sales consultants that they
should “pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around
his or her neck that says make me feel important.” Not only will you succeed in sales, you will
succeed in life.” All those pink Cadillacs
out there prove she was right.
Show kindness. Placate, don’t debate.
You cannot win an argument with your potential customer. Do everything
you can to leave your customer with a positive feeling by the end of your
call or visit. Make a follow up call or send a note if appropriate.
Jeff Bezos, of Amazon.com fame,
wrote that when you build a great experience, “customers tell each other
about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.”
Make your customer service so outstanding that your potential
and existing volunteers can’t wait to tell their co-workers, friends
and family about you. Turn the potential volunteer into a member
of your volunteer family and you’ll have the best word of mouth
of all -- a satisfied customer!