The philosophy of great customer service
I was honestly surprised that my company, CD Baby, was such a runaway success. But I was even more surprised to find out why.
CD Baby had lots of powerful well-funded competitors, but after a few years they were all but gone, and we dominated our niche of selling independent music. 150,000 musicians, 2 million music-buying customers, $139 million in revenue, $83 million paid directly to musicians.
What was the secret to CD Baby’s success? I never did any marketing. Everyone came by word-of-mouth. But why? I honestly didn’t know.
So whenever I was out talking with my musician clients, I’d ask them. For years, I asked hundreds of clients why they chose CD Baby instead of the alternatives. Or I’d just listen as they’d rave to others nearby about why they loved it.
Was it the pricing? The features? Nope. The #1 answer, by far, almost every time someone raved about the company, was this:
“You pick up the phone! I can reach a real person.”
They called and got a real person on the 2nd ring, instead of an automated call-routing system. Or they emailed and got a surprisingly helpful personal reply, instead of an impersonal scripted FAQ response.
And that was it. Who could have guessed? That despite all efforts put into features, pricing, design, partnerships, and more, clients would choose one company over another mainly because they liked their customer service.
I structured the business to match this priority. Out of 85 employees, 28 people were full-time customer service.
Since then, many entrepreneurs and interviewers have asked for my customer service tips and tricks, but I recently realized it’s not something you can add on top, it’s really a philosophy — a mindset that has to come from the core.
I’m no expert on the subject, but I’ve learned a few things from 16 years of experience, so here are the 6 key mindsets that I think guide great customer service:
(Actually, I prefer the term “client care”, since “client” implies a relationship, instead of “customer”, which is transactional. But I’ll use the normal term instead of confusing things by using mine.)
#1: You can afford to be generous
The #1 most important mindset to start with, underlying everything, before engaging in communication with a customer or client, is that your business is secure.
Even if it’s not, you have to feel that it is. Money is coming your way. You are doing well. You are one of the lucky ones. Most are not so fortunate. You can afford to be generous.
All great service comes from this feeling of generosity and abundance.
Think of all the examples of great service you’ve encountered. Free refills of coffee. Letting you use the toilets even if you’re not a customer. Extra milk and sugar if you need it. A employee that spends a whole hour with you to help answer all your naive questions.
Contrast it with all of the bad experiences you’ve had. Not letting you use the toilets without making a purchase. Charging an additional 50 cents for extra sauce. Salespeople who don’t give you a minute of their time because you don’t look like big money yet.
All bad service comes from a mindset of scarcity, feeling like they’ll go out of business if they don’t fiercely guard their bottom line.
They say the reason those in poverty so often stay in poverty is that short-term thinking of desperate survival doesn’t leave room to think of long-term solutions.
If you really feel secure, abundant, that you have plenty to share, then this feeling of generosity will flow down into all of your interactions with customers. Share. Be nice. Give refunds. Take a little loss. You can afford it.
Of course it’s also just smart business. Losing 10 cents on extra sauce can mean winning the loyalty of a customer who will spend $1000 with you over the next 10 years, and tell 20 friends that you’re awesome.
#2: The customer is more important than the company
Think of a time where you had to make a big decision. For example, the choice between a job that pays more money versus another that pays less but gives more freedom.
Do you remember how it felt when you were conflicted between these two choices? Weighing pros and cons, going back and forth?
The way you resolved this was to finally decide which value was more important to you. For example: more money or more freedom.
Most of us don’t decide which value is most important to us until we’re forced to make this decision.
But if you want great customer service, you need to make this value choice up-front, and decide that your customer’s happiness is your top priority, above company profitability, then make sure that everyone in the company knows this and acts upon it.
You can’t micro-manage the details of every possible scenario, so make sure everyone in the company knows that whenever they have to make decision about what is the right thing to do,always do what’s best for the customer, what would make them the happiest, and don’t worry about the company. The customer is more important than the company.
#3: Customer service is a profit center
Companies put so much energy into sales — getting people to buy — but they don’t put as much effort into the customer experience after people buy.
Anyone can see the reason to focus on getting customers to buy. It’s obvious profit. But it takes some wisdom, experience, and long-term thinking to understand that keeping your existing customers thrilled is even more profitable .
Customer service is not an expense to be lessened. It’s a core profit center, like sales. It’s something you put the best people on, not the cheapest.
You’ve heard the old business truism that it’s 5 times harder to get a new client than it is to get repeat business from an existing client, so this is where you put it into practice.
Hire the sweetest most charming people and make sure they have all the time in the world to spend with your clients, making sure they’re so heard, and so happy with your service, that they’ll tell everyone they know.
Hire enough people so that they have the time to pick up the phone, instead of routing people into an automated system. If they’re so busy that their communications are getting too succinct, it’s time to hire another. It’s worth it.
#4: Every interaction is your moment to shine
Probably only 1% of your customers or clients ever bother to make a customer service interaction.
So when they do, this is your time to shine. Three minutes spent talking with them is going to shape their impression of your company more than your name, price, design, website, or features all combined. This is your shining moment to be the best you can be, to blow them away with how cool it was to contact you.
If your customer service is taught to be efficient, it sends the message, “I don’t really want to talk with you. Let’s get this over with quick.”
Since that’s what everyone else does, do the opposite. Take a few inefficient minutes to get to know anyone who contacts you.
For example, at CD Baby, if someone would call, saying, “I’d like to talk with someone about selling my music through you,” we’d say, “Sure. I can help. What’s your name? Cool. Got a website? Can I see it? Is that you on the home page there? Very cool. Is that a real Les Paul? Awesome. Here, let me listen to a bit of the music. Nice, I like what you’re doing. Very syncopated. Great groove. Anyway... so... what would you like to know?”
From my own experience of being a self-promoting musician for 15 years, I can tell you that it’s very hard to get anyone to listen to your music. So when someone takes even a couple minutes to listen to you, it’s so touching that you remember it for life.
This isn’t some sales technique, it’s just good human behavior. It makes life better. It makes work more fun. It’s the right thing to do. And it pays off.
When people would call to buy music, we’d ask them where they heard of the artist, not in some monotonous scripted way, but as part of engaging the customer in a little conversation, sincerely interested in the details, maybe asking if they often discover new music that way, or whatever. Then we’d include these details in the order on the backend, so the musician could see it, too. It helped the musician be more connected to their fans, and helped both them and us understand why people were buying music.
Imagine what you’d do if Paul McCartney called . You’d drop everything, gush some praise, be thrilled that he’d contact you at all, and give him all the time in the world for whatever he wants. So that’s how we should treat everyone that contacts us. Why not? You don’t have time? Make time. It’s how everyone deserves to be treated.
You know there’s research that says that we don’t smile because we’re happy. We smile first, and the physical act of smiling makes us happy. So I think the act of acting your best, being sincerely interested in others, taking the time to make each person happy, even if you weren’t in the mood at first, is a great way of actually being your best.
#5: Lose every fight
Customer service often starts when someone has a problem, and is upset.
But kind of like you need to feel secure for your business to be generous, you need to feel secure enough to lose every fight.
Whenever they’re upset, let them know that they were right, and the company was wrong. They win. You lose. And you’re prepared to do whatever it takes to make them happy again.
I’m saying this, but let’s admit that it’s so hard to turn off our human nature to feel things are directed at us — to lash back, and show them they’re wrong, to not lose this fight. Occasionally, still, I start typing a response that’s not so nice, but after years of getting burned for doing that, I catch myself, and replace it with something angelic instead.
But you know that scene in the movies, where someone is saying something nasty or secret, and then realizes their microphone is on, so they immediately straighten up, correct themselves, and say the publicly-acceptable thing instead?
Well, your microphone is on. There is no private communication in customer service. Anything you say is likely to be put onto someone’s blog or Facebook, retweeted, and seen by everyone.
So you must be the best version of yourself. You must let them win every fight. You must humbly bow to your superior, and make them happy. And kinda like I said about how smiling makes you happy, I think the act of doing this every day is very peaceful. It feels like daily empathy practice.
Over the years, my company had some huge evangelists: people who loudly told everyone they met that they absolutely must use CD Baby to sell or buy their music. Funny thing is, when I’d look back through that person’s history of communication, I’d often find out that the first time they contacted us, they were loudly upset about some problem. I think the lesson learned is that loud people are loud people, whether complaining or praising, so when you get some loud complaint, take it as an opportunity to do whatever it takes to make them so happy that they become a loud evangelist.
#6: Rebelliously right the wrongs of the world
You know there’s this little passive-aggressive move we all do, when we don’t like how someone is behaving, we instinctively “take the high road” to show them how to behave?
Like if someone is talking too loudly in a quiet place, you speak extra-quiet to them. If someone is being a complete slob, you clean up your zone before confronting them.
It’s a kind of defiant act that says, “No. You’re doing it wrong. Here. Watch me. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
Well, I think your business is your little part of the world where you can right all the wrongs of the world, and show them all how it’s done.
To do this, you need to be rebellious. Don’t follow norms. Don’t do what the other businesses are doing. Instead, think of the worst you’ve experienced, and do the opposite. Show them how wrong they were. It’s very cathartic.
What do you think? Did I miss any important ones? I’d love to hear any suggestions.
Wow. Affluent-consciousness as a customer service value. Such a brilliant and resonant observation. Thank you for writing this. I just emailed it to my two (other) favorite entrepreneurs.
Excellent, after losing a business due partly to poor customer service I hardily agree.
The only thing that sets most similar businesses apart is the way they treat each and every single customer. That's why I still answer my own emails when it comes to customers or people joining my communities because I get to personally delight them and they remember every single contact point and go on to tell others about me just through that small, simple act of caring and treating them like they matter -which they do.
spot on. thanks.
All good points Derek....., and you're absolutely correct about the live client service....., but on the other hand, you were on top of the market, almost from the start of the CD craze with a GREAT company name. The other very important fact is that you catered to independents while they began to surge and manufacture their own CD product......!!!
Keep up the great work.....!!!
Rgards, Trade.
Cdbaby helped me realize my dream as a children's song artist by creating a platform that I could plug into and the distribution channels that went global. Thank You Derek. I donated my "Puppy Song Party" Cd royalties to a global group that builds schools for children.
Great piece, Derek. Can you write some advice for self-promoting musicians that incorporates this kind of thinking? Social media has made it very easy to communicate with fans and give that kind of 'great customer service'. I always feel like I've created a bond when I write back to someone who contacts me. What's harder is knowing how to approach people that you need help from, how to get their interest and let them know you need their help, without seeming needy. Labels, music supervisors, etc...
And also how to reach out to people with updates, shows, new work, even if they're already your fan (or 'like' you on fb) without being just another musician making noise, look at me, listen to me, click on this.
How to present one's artistic work with a feeling of abundance.
"I can tell you from my own experience of being a self-promoting musician for 15 years that it’s SO hard to get anyone to listen to your music. So when someone takes even a couple minutes to listen to you, it’s so touching that you remember it for life."
Great question. I wrote about that a bit in my free little ebook called “How">sive.rs/pdf">How to Call Attention to Your Music”. Check it out. It's a quick read. — Derek
Finding, hiring and retaining personnel who embrace these principles could make or break a business very easily. I was a client of a small business whose owner only brought in help when he was overwhelmed. He tried to be the guy who answered the phone himself while still doing the legwork required for his services. I suggested, politely at first and eventually bluntly, he needed to hire someone answer his phone and do his parts ordering. Then I took my business elsewhere. Less than a year later, I heard through the grapevine that he closed up shop.
great piece. Reminds me of the book by Chris Zane 'The science of creating lifetime customers'. I wrote a short summary of the key points in this post last year medium.com/spook-studio/the-secret-science-of-creating-lifetime-customers-2b4614f8c9c6
Great article. Thanks for including that link. — Derek
FYI, in Indonesia. We love to sacrifice our time to call or chat the online seller, then do the manual transfer. Rather than couple of clicks in e-payment system. Now, you can tell me that it might be a human thing.
Someone told me long ago that one way to get good customer service was to ask the representative what THEY would do if they had my issue or problem. To really get them to see it from my perspective...be in MY shoes. It works. Seems to me if the customer service person started out that way, without any request, it would make a huge difference...and have wonderful results as well.
Pity CD Baby does not follow your philosophy now. After a week of silly argument: "link does not work- yes it does- no it does not -....." I gave up and sell my records myself. I am a polite and understanding customer and person btw, it makes life so much more pleasant! And somehow one ends dealing with nice people only. :=)
Great tip Derek. Great customer service and keeping exsitng customers is a must!! Same goes for artists and bands. Been long time Derek. Hope you're doing well. Peace!
Victor S
In a former job I had to work with foreign scholars with unusal requests and complex visa issues. I once overheard an assistant handle a troublesome call really well and complimented her. She said, "I once overheard you say, 'That's a tough issue, but if there is a way to make it work, we will make it work.' " I realized she had just codified my customer service philosophy.
Good one
This is right on the money. I've been operating in a similar fashion with my tiny tabletop/pen&paper games company over the past 8 years. It's super rewarding, and it doesn't just have to stop with your customers/clients. It's a great way to think about interacting with your employees, licensors, business partners, and more. I wrote a little bit about that here: http://www.deadlyfredly.com/2014/06/customer-service-everywhere/
I do not sell MUSIC any more, just stream it for free at the sites.
All Digital BLUES www.reverbnation.com/tommycarl
Ambient Jazz Electronica www.reverbnation.com/ambientjazzelectronica
DJ Tech Developer www.reverbnation.com/djtechdeveloper
Love it! Thank you so much
Derek I must say this is really interesting,I always believe in true customer services.You are truly an eye opener with such an article .thanks for sharing
Jah Bless
You are absolutely correct. I own a few apartments and believe me, it is far easier to keep a current tenant happy than to clean, re carpet and find a new tenant. Nice job.
Thanks
Good article to be put in practice
Wonderful post Derek. You seemed to have built great customer service into all aspects of CDBaby and your recent projects like Asia 2014, which is available in all the major eFormats, DRM free. Another example, I remember you writing that even after CDBaby was a "success," you took the time to rewrite the back end code from scratch to make it a better experience. You seem to always have the intent to create things that surprise and delight people. Thanks for taking the time to write this piece!
U seem to be an expert to me. I especially like no. 6.
Yes! customer service is the chance to make somebody happy . . by giving them what they need/want . .with a smile in the voice and attitude . . . treat others how we want to be treated . :)
I'm off now to do some . . and my reward ( as well as the paycheck :) ) is hearing/seeing the change in somebody when they are treated with the same care I treat my loved ones. Cool!
Wonderful posting, Derek. I'm reminded of Tony Hsieh's book "Delivering Happiness" about Zappos customer service (shoes not music in that case). Also I had an experience today with Omega watches. I bought a secondhand Speedmaster on eBay then had a twinge of buyer remorse: "Wonder if it's a fake?" I nervously crept into the fancy Omega store in my local mall and confessed my concern. The well dressed sales person couldn't have been nicer "Yes, it's genuine" and went on to describe it's history and how to care for it.
Derek, these really, really speak to me. Both as a consumer and as a social media novice consultant for nonprofits. I would like to share this on social media - is there a way you can add social buttons to this post? Thanks again for this piece!
Excellent post Derek. This is a good reference for how musicians should treat their audiences too.
Derek, I couldn't agree more. I've been self employed most of my life, and The Only Job is definitely helping people get what they want, and what they think they need. I love customer service, both giving it and receiving it. I LOVE being helped, and you totally nailed it. Good job! It SO needs to be heard, and affirmed, to all of us who live it every day. I sent it to all my friends who help people every day. Thanks again! Keep 'em comin'.
Anybody that says business happens out of luck only, has obviously never had to talk to a customer. Lol great piece!
Eight years ago I delivered some thoughts on customer service, specifically with regard to email. I think they complement your rules even if there's less humanity involved. One of my least favorite (and often one of the least necessary) aspects of customer service is waiting for the ^%*&% company to issue a useful response. By the time I get an answer I'm so cranky the situation may be irredeemable or I may have even replaced the product. Your notion - having a human pick up the phone - and my email equivalent, is spot on. My thoughts are at http://www.priups.com/riklblog/mar06/060323-triage.htm
Nice one! Thanks for posting this. — Derek
Perfect timing for this spot-on article, Derek. The first point especially really hit home for me, as just two days ago a client came to me in need of help that one of my referral sources is perfectly poised to provide. I told my boss I was planning to refer the work out and he encouraged me to refer it to him instead. I declined to refer it internally and pointed out that (a) I need to refer my colleague clients or her (frequent) referrals to me are going to dry up and (2) Not every client that walks in the door is a good fit, even when it's another social enterprise. I know that by letting this client go we made room for another bigger client to come in, and hopefully I helped my boss recognize that too.
#1 is a great eye and heart opener. Thank you Derek for your generosity
I've been struggling with your first principle above. In my freelance business (which isn't music, but supports my musical endeavors), I'm happy to give free advice, stay on the phone with potential clients for a long time, and so on.
I've recently entered into an ongoing relationship with a client/company that has a tiny budget. I agreed to do a job for them at about one-third of what I would normally charge, and I'm giving them what they actually need, which is a lot more than they thought they needed. They've told me that they can't pay my usual rate, and they understand that I won't be able to do this for them more than once. My hope is that someday their budget will grow, and then they'll be able to hire me for this particular thing at the rate I usually charge.
There's a good chance they'll never hire me at the fair rate. But if I take principle #1 to its logical extreme, I should do the job for what they can afford every time. And unfortunately, I can't afford to be that generous. If I spend all my time on projects that don't earn me enough money to survive -- which necessitates turning down other projects -- I go out of business. Where do you draw the line?
#RESPECT#
Derek you always are flooding with awesome insights!
Grateful for all the stuff you so generously share with us all.
Best Wishes from India.
Fucking brilliant! The antithesis of one of the big reasons (outside of politics and big business being in bed together) why the economy sucks in the U.S. Simple and concise common sense.
Thanks for this enlightening article, Derek. I needed that today. Started my own company over a year ago and know all too well the value, both spiritually and financially, of great client service, but it can be challenging at times. I appreciate the inspiration more than words can express. xo
I'm non-religious, but my gramma wasn't. Each year to start the school year she gave all her grandchildren 12 red pencils (1 for each disciple ? or that's the way they came?) with gold lettering that said "remember the golden rule". I'm 54 and have always tried to live by that one simple rule, especially @ work. It's just good business all way around for my employer, but most importantly, for myself and those I interact with - no matter what the situation.
I agree completely with this. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, what timing... I was playing a gig at a beach bar in Key West this afternoon & a guy (named Adonnis!) came by and was chatting with me about the music biz-- he saw my CDs and said, "You should sell those on CD Baby..." (as if there were no other option) and I of course proudly announced that I already do, and have for over a decade--but it was cool, so far away from home to hear this praise and think of you, Derek... Cheers, Amandah
☺ That's cool to hear that still happens. Thanks! — Derek
Heya D!
I will totally champion a business with GREAT customer service over pretty much everything else 99% of the time. I'll also avoid businesses with poor customer service like the plague. And you're right, I always appreciate reps who make that little extra effort to accommodate my noobness and such as I'll usually come away from the interaction in good spirits and optimistic :)
Great articele Derek.
The key point of decent human behaviour rather than scripted agenda based approach highlights something that was a turning point for me and my thinking.
I was a graduate at one of the (then) big 4 accounting firms and we got wheeled out at functions for existing and potential clients and told to network. For me it became a dirty word as this was such a forced human transaction - ultimately pimping to make money for the partners. Things changed when I got into the music industry and I was really interested in everyone I met: how they got into the industry, what music they are into, and the stories behind the people. I listened intently and found that people loved talking about themselves, reflecting on their career and personal development. It was not conscious but upon reflection realised this is what I was doing and the results were great including spending anything from 1 hour to 3 hours with major players where the "norm" was lucky to get 15 minutes.
Being brough up in regional Australia I was taught to be polite and listen respectfully. I believe this has been the foundation - treating people as you'd like to be treated.
I have now almost come full circle and set up my own business services practice (including accounting) dedicating myself to music and the arts - combining passion and skillsets. Now I just have to ensure I include your pearls of wisdom around customer service :)
Thanks again for the article Derek.
Brilliant again Derek. This is the best advice any entrepreneur or firm could ever receive. The world would be a better place if every business behaved in these ways. The only logic that might prevent businesses from doing this is a fear of being exploited by free riders. In the case of CD Baby, this would be a client that purchased, burned, and returned every CD for a full refund. How did you handle this situation?
I was in banking customer service for a little while years and years ago. And one thing they taught us was to always smile on the phone. Even though the other person on the other end can't see the smile, they feel it. Smile when you answer and smile when you speak, it makes you sound happy. not fake happy, just happy and YOU FEEL happy because you are smiling. I still smile when I answer my phone. :) GREAT points. Maybe slightly obvious to some, but certainly not obvious to enough.
Derek! You never cease to amaze me. All the best!
Great points on how to execute on delivering on a great customer experience. Only point I would make is the reasoning as to why. I posted a piece on why those big competitors you mentioned above melted away at the weight of a disruptive force like what you offered. Take a look at http://wp.me/p42ax1-D.
Brilliant. Always give more than than the client expects. And always have a live voice to help with questions. Thank you!
A really great article thanks for sharing information!
Hello Derek,
As we say in OZ, "Thanks Mate!", you are sorely missed. May DD returns were 8 cents! June = 80cents from Itunes OZ. I never worked in a winery, but I sure know what the "Bottom Of The Barrel" is, and when I have reached it.
Miss you bad, dear genius.
I played for a lady called Orit at her Tilba NSW restaurant, "My Heaven On Earth".
A lovely lady from Israel.
An old mate, John Crouch told me, " Take my tip Mark, beware if the dutch"
Hell Yeah Derek! That's been my philosophy for all my 35 years in business. And you know what, it didn't matter one jot whether my businesses were successful or not. The value was in the satisfaction and joy I got from being this way - and it still is! What a great shout out this post is for all the people who care. Thank you.
Thank you for a really great look at what should be obvious but often is forgotten. This post is right on target. Tanks for making me look at my own behavior and see what was cool and what wasn't.
Excellent philosophy. Customer service is extremely important to a company's success -- and yet everyone overlooks it. You explained that perfectly though. Thanks for writing this, Derek. Hope all is well!
Hi Derek!
Great to hear from you again!
All great points...I think it just FEELS better...it sleeps better...the back pack is lighter...the world is better...the view is...and if motives are true..it lasts.
Have a great evening Derek!
Rachel
Thank you for #3! You couldn't be more right, not just for musicians, small business owners but large corporations as well need to remember this.
Awesome post Derek!!!!! Especially love the generosity part ;)
So so awesome! Simple truths.
Just brilliant.
At first, I wasn't interested in the topic, but you caught me again!
I have worked in companies where there was no client care (great name) at all, in others where each call generated a number to keep to "re-open the ticket"...
And I also did it the other way around. I was working as a furniture maker for years, I was my own boss, and even though machines can be deafening, I always picked up the phone, even when doing what requires the most of me.
I didn't have any voice mail.
What about today? Same. If people want to contact me, they can do it by phone or email... And they always get someone immediately.
I'm a loud guy, you know that. Yet when it comes to clients, it's like I have an "automatic switch flip"!
Thank you so much for pointing all of that out.
JB
Loved reading the comments on the start of CD Baby! I was among the earliest of your clients and literally brought musicians there by the hundreds. but I rarely do this anymore. Many of the success points you've mentioned are no longer in place, rather an atmosphere of cold opinionated contenders replacing the original enthusiastic five in New York whose cheerful welcome first garnered my interest. I have more than 60 albums & singles registered with CD Baby and am sincerely grateful for your contribution to my recording career. And while I miss those early years, I've also made my peace with the changes and happily moving on with a career change back to my years as music columnist. Thanks for your continued support for the local musician.
Bravo!!!
Love every word.
So absolutely correct.
Great article! I'd only slightly challenge your #5...Lose Every Fight.
While I agree with your intent, there are times that customers take an opposing position do to a lack of understanding or incomplete/inaccurate information. By automatically losing the fight, you risk sending a customer forward with an incorrect belief.
I would suggest that in the case of a disagreement, it's important to first develop an understanding of the customers position, then assure they have complete information. Once they have the full picture, the effort should move towards doing whatever it takes to make them happy and for them to "feel" like a winner!
We must all keep in mind that customer "satisfaction" is only one step away from customer "dissatisfaction". We should always be striving for customer "loyalty", which is based upon everything you've stated here. Great job putting it in words for everyone to understand.
Agreed. ☺ — Derek
I remember one time when I was with Hostbaby and I wasn't happy with the service or wasn't using it. You went out of your way to refund me the money lost. You also made a point of connecting with me as you remembered me from Berklee days. Thanks Derick. I agree with everything you have said here and use it all the time...cheers
This is actually the biggest advantage that "enterprise" or "b2b" (whatever the buzzword of the day is) company has: amazing support build superfans for life.
To go beyond: if it's practical or possible to build in alerts into your application for user problems, you can proactively assist your customers. That's even better than waiting for them to come to you. For example, if you're building a product that provides an API for your customers, set an alert for a rapid succession in incorrect or bad requests. Then, when an alert is fired, email to see if things are all right. We do this at my company, and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread for support -- we can spot the problem before they can and come in to help ASAP.
Every business is different, so it may not be practical for everyone. But I highly recommend it if possible.
What did it for me is when you remembered who I was when you emailed me back. Thanks!!
Customer service is the definitive foundation for my music business too, and always has been. After all, we're trading feelings, right? Music is packaged feelings, written by feeling musicians, and listened to by feeling fans. When the purchase is also about feelings, it creates the wholistic experience. And the best thing about it is that we really mean it. When we send a handwritten smile on a sticky note with a little message on it in our customer's package, it's an honest "thank you" and a shared sense of being valued. After all, without those to listen to music, there is only the player in a vacuum.
“trading feelings”: brilliant! — Derek
This is wonderful! Thanks for sharing...
Bob
Derek, often your philosophical thoughts about the meaning of life seem like sophistry to me, but when you talk about business and how you achieved your astonishing success you're totally on point and credible. You're an amazing human being, thank you for helping musicians like myself achieve things that were formerly inaccessible to the average artist!
Thanks Terry! I actually had to look up “sophistry”. It's a wonderful insult! Thanks for mixing it with a wonderful compliment. ☺ — Derek
I never got to talk to you; what did it for me was how you began your response to my order with "CD Baby loves Sara!"
Wonderful sharing after working for a company 25 years the sucess they had was customer service . This was great
Terrific article! I started with CDBaby in 1999 and am still there. You built a great organization and fortunately the new owners figured out your successful strategies and continued them. I read every word you send out and find your writing enjoyable and the content filled with fun, humor, and a good deal of common sense. Thank you. --Anne, fellow traveller through the conditional realm
☺ Thanks Anne! — Derek
Brilliant as always!
... And difficult. So much of this flies in the face of everything one is usually told about business. I guess that makes it extra valuable advice. But it also makes it extra work to switch the default beliefs. My very first major work experience was in a company where everyone's full time job seemed to be playing corporate jujutsu to shift blame onto others as soon as something went wrong. Still haven't recovered from that. And your writing is always like the antidote to that culture.
Love it!
Well duh huh, that was a no brainer for me to pick through and choose CD Baby! Derek always answered the phone and answered any questions we {Generation Gap? band} had. I was and am the song writer, female vocalist and secretary of the band. Thank you Derek Sivers for being you! Love you!
At this point in time I am up for adoption. Would you and your new bride consider adopting me? "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes." At this point in time I am only almost 71. If this is to be my last song, please send it OUT THERE! Our Mother needs HELP! Her name is Mother Earth! http://youtu.be/nihFiI2Ns58
Just went and lost an email "fight" after reading this and never felt better! Thanks for the impeccable timing Derek!
Such a great article. I agree with almost everything.
#5 Don't engage in fights if it's a win/lose situation. Your job is to make peoples' lives' better.
Spot on Derek! Also, the employee would never be able to render great service to the clients unless he is treated well within the organisation. Someone I know who is a senior manager at Emirates was telling me of how they try to render good service to their employees so that they in turn can render the same to the clients. Will be great to see an article from you about that Derek! (unless you've already written one)
Hey Great article :) thanks for sharing the wisdom.
Just a quick, friendly reply to Lou Forte's cynicism.
Lou, I think there's a very good chance you may be right. The actual chain of causality (if some scientist were to study it) may very well be different from the way Derek perceives it. I am an engineer and highly analytical so I get where you're coming from. But it doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter because starting businesses and running businesses is hard work. Actually being able to do it is much different than "studying" how to do it. Just like studying physics can help you understand the mechanical forces on a ball, but it doesn't make you a basketball player. There's an art involved.
Derek put his focus on things that he found rewarding and valuable... Such as customer service. That was his art. He built a multimillion dollar business that kept everyone involved in it happy. What's more rewarding than that? As an entrepreneur, if I can cultivate this mindset and it makes everyone I deal with - everyone I'm surrounded with - happier, who cares about anything else? I can tell you that if I got up everyday thinking about how I'm "exploiting" the market, my motivation wouldn't last very long... Even though I technically may be doing just that.
He's also not the only one who has built a great business on customer service. There are real business benefits to it, as he mentions in the article. So whether or not you think this really is the only reason behind his success, you can definitely take away something useful from this article.
Totally agree with your philosophy, Derek. I don't advertise my service too.
yes, I was out yesterday and as it got more difficult I git as well lazy. I did not get into what the customer said and wanted. Ignored her and did my thing. Means I got the payment but no further appointment with her or her friends. This was for hairdressing, my job as next to my music.
Thanks a lot Derek. The way you reply to all emails, gives an idea of the way your customer service department would have worked. And I am sure, lot of those 28 people would have carried on that trait and doing better in their next work now.
Just want to share, a good act I did recently, with a customer. We are a search engine and don't take any money directly. For one product, one piece of information we were showing was incorrect. The customer had a good chance of catching that error when he actually bought it at vendor site. But he didn't review it there and bought the product, which was not suitable for him. He wrote us a angry/concerned mail.
I am glad to report that I sort of did, what you advise here. I helped him get the refund first, and on top of that paid him a small amount extra apart from the cancellation charges, for helping report a bug and also as a compensation for his time. He was happy.
And, BTW, I forwarded this to my customer feedback department (which is just one person as of now, but so what!)
Thank you Derek, as usual such great practical wisdom, a game changer!
You nailed it Derek ! Again customer service I want to talk to a live person and all the above actions mention hear ! Thanks Derek ! food for thought and action
I was an unknown nobody but CD Baby made me feel like somebody. I felt like the ghost baseball player in Field of Dreams who said, "Thanks for giving us a place to play."
I'm still a nobody, but the new owners of CD Baby make me feel like a nobody.
Hi Derek,
I've been reading your writing for a while now and I always enjoy them. I think this is the first time I'm commenting because this topic really resonates with me.
In fact, you've echoed exactly some of my sentiments and ideas I've been mulling over for a while now and telling anyone who'd give me an ear. It's great to hear that I'm not crazy for thinking these. It's great to hear somebody with more success (measured by your visible achievements) and experience say the same, especially with the evidence to back it up.
I've since come to the conclusion that companies do not know what great customer service is and even had a business idea from this (one I still intend to try out): A client care startup that handles client care for other companies (who clearly don't know how to do it). The idea would be doing exactly what you've outlined here (and more where possible).
Now, I know there'll be lots of naysayers, and some of them may have (seemingly) valid points. An example criticism could be "it won't scale for really huge multinational companies" and my response to that is, "You know what, you could be right and there's only way to find out: I'll do it anyway". And that's something I'm planning currently. Got any thoughts/advice you could share on this?
For me this was born out of anger over bad service. In fact, I personally feel that some of it should be backed up legally and the consumer protection act (or it's equivalent in other places - I'm in South Africa) should handle such issues. Let me explain a little:
You purchase a device from company X. You get home and the device is faulty. You call them to complain, and go through lots of automated systems (and sometimes annoying music) to get to someone, and when you finally get someone, you sometimes get referred around till you're out of call credit, or just have your phone bills run up severely. If you can, you drive to them and try to get help. After all your trouble, perhaps the device gets replaced or fixed (sometimes after weeks). But guess what? You've lost out. The money spent on calls (they're not always toll-free) and gas driving to and from them does not get refunded to you. So it's a net loss to you. And of course there's the time you've wasted. I could factor in a bit more, and I'm not trying to be unreasonable about it. For e.g. I don't expect the law to require vendors to compensate you for the time (though in cases of grossly bad service, perhaps they should) but for the the financial losses perhaps they should. These companies already make multi-millions as it is and yet the little guys still has to spend money and time to fix a bad product that they sell him/her.
I also realise that some people could try to abuse the system, but that applies to everything else. Safeguards would need to be put in place. I feel having companies pay for gross service is way overdue.
My philosophy is that the customer is always right (even when everyone would agree they are wrong) and the buck should stop with me. For e.g. if a customer buys an accessory for a device and my website clearly states that the accessory will not work for that device, I'll take the blame: The directions on my website obviously need re-working. I'll let them return the accessory and take the correct one (even refunding the difference if the replacement is cheaper. Of course they would have to pay the difference if the replacement is more expensive) This is the right thing to do, rather than emphasize how the customer neglected to read the advice on the website, then require him/her to purchase the correct accessory in addition to having already spent money on the wrong one, which they won't use.
So... that's how I feel about it all and thanks for yet another great bulls-eye article. It was right on point.
Thanks for this Derek. Yes I think the losing the fight thing is the hardest. When you have a customer that is being rude and unpleasant, keeping your emotions calm and responding rather then reacting is difficult. Especially if a customer crosses a boundary....Any thoughts of the best way to do this?
Thank you Derek. I really like the #1 rule. Learn and remind me lot.
I bought a cd off of CDBaby when you still had it, Derek. After the purchase, I received the funniest thank you/shipping note. I laughed out loud even! Humour is important to me and rarely seen in business so that is my experience and my tickled appreciation for what made your company different. :-)
I concur with every point you made ~ thank you for making them!! I have a few ideas on how to show appreciation to customers but it is dependent upon bursting #1 - re-framing it to "we cannot afford to be scarce-minded." I want people to feel appreciated and acknowledged! Challenging clients are our teachers - they show us where our own softspots are (personal and business)... and how to own/grown through them. How can we dig deeper for understanding and greater service? How can we best serve them through our own products/services but also (perhaps) through complimentary services from other providers? We all are community members. What we do for each other creates a ripple in the pond. We, too, are clients somewhere ~ how do we want to be treated? How can we make reasonably-satisfied customers into very happy customers (laughing buddhas!) :-) Great article ~ Thank you very much!
Excellent!
Another brilliant post here. Lot's to think about for companies and businesses of all sizes. Cheers Derek!
thanks Derek, that your "microphone " is on ::))
Thanks, Derek!
I haven't been in direct IT customer service for years, but I wish I'd read this when I was. I'd have been a better representative of my company and myself.
An example of great client care that I've experienced: When we moved to Portland, Maine, we were on the tail end of an auto lease, and went to the local dealer who handled the make we were currently driving. Before making a decision, we thought we should check out a few other dealers, to make sure we got the best offer for our next lease. But as we approached decision time, we reflected on how we'd been treated at each of the dealerships. And while they'd all been professional, and pleasant enough, we realized that only the sales rep at the first dealership had exemplified the best in client care--and we weren't yet a client! There was no pressuring us for a decision. The salesman--and I hesitate to call him that, because it didn't feel like that's what he was doing--had one goal: Help us find the car that best suited our needs, and offer us a deal everyone in the transaction could be happy with.
Since that first lease, we never go anywhere else. We call Ben, have a friendly chat, discuss our current needs, and close the deal. And it's clearly a culture at that dealership, because whether we are getting a new lease, or going to the service department, we are treated like friends stopping by for a visit and a cup of coffee, not like a profit center.
Bless you Mr Sivers, and yes, those were indeed all the reasons I loved CD Baby. :-)
I have been running my own business for the last 2 years, and have been getting traction in the last 6 months. I have been trying many things, products, prices, features etc, and I have been trying to observe what is making the difference, and besides the main product offering that draws the customer to the website, the main feedback we receive is that they love the customer service, being responded to, even if there are flaws seeing positive minded real customer support people. I will print this, read it myself repeatedly, and will make sure every employee reads it as well...
Great summary of what really makes the difference (for business and for yourself)...
I still have a rough time with #5. My classic example is working with Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith producer) we're sitting on a curb in Florida and he says "You know Mark, you're a brilliant songwriter and an amazing musician, but your people skills leave something to be desired" and I said "and who the f%#k are you?"
You have covered all bases, those you appear not to have covered are covered by these!
One of the difficult things when a company is new, seemingly needing every cent of revenue that comes in, is not to allow that corrosive emotion of scarcity to cloud the generous provision of what you make or whatever service you offer and to realize that the more you give each customer and the more you are trying to make each one ecstatically happy, the more the revenue will flow inward.
Brilliantly right on point! Businesses are nothing without their clients and embodying the values of good customer service can make all the difference. We're in it for the clients - it's about giving, serving, and helping others succeed. It would be a mistake not to provide above and beyond "client care."
Derek,
All good stuff. Seems more like rules for living?
B
Right on. CD Baby was way better before you left.
Derek, we first met at a presentation you made in Nashville in 2002 at Folk Alliance. We had just released our Cumberland Trio 1964 RCA Nashville recordings on CD and had zero distribution. You were very generous with your time and without hesitation told me you'd be honored to sell it on CD Baby. THAT embodied your customer service mantra outlined in your column.
When I was a young bank CEO in the early 1980's I attended a bank CEO seminar in Chicago. A speaker there asked all attendees to rank these in order of priority- profits, liquidity, customer service & employees relations. 90% of them ranked them in the order above. Of course the speaker explained that it was in reverse- great employee relations leads to great customer service which leads to liquidity (a banking term) and finally profits. That has stayed in my mindset since that time.
My Best,
Jerre Haskew
Chattanooga, TN, USA
Thanks Derek,
(june 25th 2014 the United States holocaust memorial museum USHMM in Washington) ordered a Compact disc Hitler's Inferno for education in the museums library.(very special).Audio-Rarities donate the money back to the museum,so the CD is for free.
absolutely right…..simply sensible…….listening and empathising……not rocket science but remembering experiences on the other side of the counter…."do as you would be done by"
Derek,
You are so inspiring in this article. I completely agree and work very hard to apply this to my customers. Customer service is basically non existent these days so it is very refreshing to have personal relationships with your customers. I always try to put myself in their shoes as if it were me being upset about something not working. Thanks for your input always!
Derek,
This was spot-on, and I really appreciate that you wrote it. I will be sharing it with many of my business associates and friends.
In this world where 'personal' no longer exists, or worse, 'faux-personal' has replaced it, getting back to the purity of genuine human caring is utterly refreshing and rejuvenating!
Thanks for all that you do,
Laura
laura@lauradaymusic.com
Good stuff, but also give credit to what the sages had to say thousands of years ago, " timing and destiny is what it's all about". Looking back at my life and all that's happened and especially what we now know with so much scientific certainty, it is so true. The timing is kind of obvious, but the discovery of every ones DNA, and every one is different, it really makes sense.
Island Frank
You are spot on! Besides being a musician, I started a small business, rented a lunch counter inside a flea market where previously the others who tried had failed to keep it open for more than two months. My mind-set, from the beginning is as you described above. It has been six months and we are still going strong! Thank you for affirming my beliefs. I love that you put this into writing and I will share this with my grandson who, someday, may be a business owner himself.
Really well said and well thought out. I hope to remember it all
Best Regards
Woody
Excellent article! Extraordinary customer service is one of our core values and this really resonated with our idea of guiding our daily decision-making by thinking, "What's the right thing to do?"
As an example, we had a potential customer that received a little bag of M&Ms with every order. So we sent them a giant bag of M&Ms from a big box store and I think that more than anything won them over.
And just today, I had a user who called in and reported a problem with their equipment. Even though the evidence suggests that the user physically broke part of the equipment, I offered to send a replacement at no charge and overnight it so he can finish an urgent project.
Thank you derek
I think you are dead on right. Its very difficult to be nice all the time, especially when you know someone is just plain dishonest. But reading this ,and know all you have experienced, i know being kind in almost all situations in life is the best road to take.
I joined CD baby with my first and second CD Bernadette YOU GO GIRL!and Bernadette Getting It Right! It has beena great experience ,and i have sold some records.
Thank you for your wisdom Derek.
Irish Blessings to you
Bernadette
WWW. Bernadettesings.net
Great piece, Derek! In several places you mentioned that great customer service is "just good human behavior." To that end, I think you could retitle this piece "The Philosophy of Good Human Behavior" and every element would apply with equal importance.
Great article Derek! These are just all around great people skills. Some of the article reminded me of some lessons learned in Dale Carnegie books.
I imagine you treat your employees well as well, so that the love goes out from there. Affluent-consciousness as an employer and sales value!
Hi Derek! Great article as always. As someone who works in an industry where customer service plays a huge part, I couldn't agree more with what you have to say!
Hi Derek,
Great post. I was one of many musicians that have my music being sold through CDBaby. As many others, I also got disappointed by the new policy and way of treating artists that CDBaby turned to have after you sold it. My point is that CDBaby mirrored your personality (great customer service, answering each and every question we had, etc.), the same way that Apple mirrored Steve Jobs's personality (obsession for perfection, impeccable design, control freak, etc.). This way, it's useless to have feature in your business that you don't already have in your personality. That's why it is so hard to keep the same successful business model that the previous owner had. I don't know how CDBaby is now doing but I would't be surprised to know that it is less profitable than before. The same thing happened to Apple when Jobs was outcasted. In my opinion, CDBaby should bring you back.
Hi Derek - especially loved the part about "Loud" people...I had never thought about them being equally loud with their praise! Awesome article - Thanks!
I love this post, Derek. Made me feel great. Thank you.
You are right on with this, and you always were, you don't have CD Baby any more so I'm not your customer... But you keep in touch with your clients / friends, we are all important to each .
Beautifully put, Derek. And perfectly titled: it is a *philosophy* . Businesses are being commoditized faster than ever and amazing customer service becomes the ultimate differentiator...and most effective form of marketing!
I totally agree with your outlook. Thanks for wording it so well!
The CD Baby you created unfortunately passed away when it was handed off to a corporate entity. The emails, the personal interaction, and the general level of customer service that CD Baby had - left the building.
I used to strongly suggest people use CD Baby no matter what. Now I encourage them to shop around and find the best fit for them. What changed? The customer service. It's shifted into automated replies that don't feel human. Telephone people who are less than willing to help (unless you're lucky to get on the of few original employees left), and an overall feeling that each artist is now just a number. Blah.
Yes, customer service is key to creating more business.
Derek, I loved all reflections and the customer service is awesome.By now I know a great deal of people that work in cdbaby and we all love cdbaby, they support the artists in all aspects. And "All great service comes from this feeling of generosity and abundance", that is a secret, it is very true. And the best thing also is that with all you have done for the artist with manual and tips, we became friends and you still doing a lot, you are a modern philosoper. Thanks God that çreated you Derek! Musically Anaya
I do think a business can make right the wrongs of the world, one day at a time, also in just an instant things can change. Thanks for the thoughts on customer service, it can make all the difference.
It's about being human, thoughtfulness and kindness goes a long way...it's been twelve years with CDBABY and the journey has been great!...miss the Derek man though!
Yes, treat your co-workers the same way that you treat the customer/client.
Client care begins with each of us within the company. IF we are happy inner company, then it is much easier to share all the goodness!
CD Baby was the greatest. I enjoyed driving out there and dropping off CDs because everyone was friendly and fun to boot. Sadly, it's a different story today. It was the best customer service a person could ask for and deserved it's out standing success.
Great article Derek, Thanks for again sharing your wisdom. After spending 27 years in our family's wholesale supply business there is only one point that I may have to disagree with. Instead of 5 times harder to get new customers instead of more business from repeat customers I would be inclined to believe it's more than 20 times harder. Take care of what you have and they will buy again and also help you find more business like you mentioned.
I would add that If a customer receives great service from a company they will tell a few people or potential clients, If they experience poor service they will tell at least 20, those 20 may also pass it on.
Incredible article, Derek! They always are. Whenever I see one in my email inbox, I can't wait to read it because I know I will learn so much from you.
Client care is critical! Thank you for making the point so well.
I have been extremely impressed with the customer service at CD Baby in the 10 years or so that I have put my CD's for sale on the site. The way they are run could certainly be an inspiration to other companies. Excellent article Derek. Thanks for all your great work with CD Baby, and beyond.
Wow, another wake up call for myself and my company.
Thanks Derek (again:)
As always, many thanks good Sir! -M
Man I loved this. Sending to my team now. Thank you!
Inspired observations, and I completely agree. I imagine you had the same philosophy about how you treated your employees, Derek?
I enjoyed what you had to share. These points can also apply to other situations beyond just business. I posted your article on my Facebook to help others JUST THINK...DO BETTER...Improve...Step Up...Move Forward. Thanks Derek..Have a great day, Week and most important...LIFE !
I'm 15 and have owned a company for a little over a year. The biggest thing that my customers notice is my customer service. It honestly is the biggest thing you can do for your company. You'll catch more customers (new ones and returning ones) by showing them that they matter. Thanks a ton for this article!
absolutely true, customer service brings in the punters.
the garage i'm using right now to fix my vehicle is not my
usual one. i went to them because of the positive and
encouraging attitude of the guy answering the phone, and
the assurances made to me.
unfortunately, this was just the front, as was the welcome
when i took my vehicle there: they could do the work at
short notice.
my next checkup call wasn't so encouraging: the boss
was short with me, bullying attitude, he knew he had me.
over ten days later, my clutch is not changed, they still
hadn't ordered parts they could have known about if they
had even looked at it before a week had passed, and the bill
has gone through the roof. in short, zero service, this is
pathetic, i don't even know how i can pay, yet he has entrapped
me.
all that glitters is not gold. the other side of the coin.
Great stuff, Derek.
I'd like to share something from my own experience. My business is my name. I chose to automate as many things as possible for the sake of efficiency; except for one thing: my communications.
I reply to every email personally and use social media without a 'strategy'. Every time I follow up with a reader of mine and ask them 'did you get any value out of my whitepaper you downloaded a week ago?', the most common response is: "This is the most incredible thing I've seen, you got back to me personally! I feel valued."
And they are. Because we're all humans, and I simply acknowledge it. It takes a lot of my time and hundreds of emails to respond, indeed. But the foundation of my brand is being as conversational as possible. Being human and having a human voice.
You gave me a lot of great lessons, Derek. You inspired big part of my human behaviour online and I'd like to give you the credit you deserve.
THANKS.
Positive energy and love,
// Tommy
www.TommyDarker.com
This is so great to read this, thank you very much!
It's in the tough times that you want to remember all this, when you have to cut costs and sometimes let people go. Often marketing budget goes first and then customer service follows, which makes no business sense to me but is what is happening in my company right now. How do you convince a business owner that he needs to keep spending, and keep looking after his customer service team in these times? I have been trying for a few weeks, without much success. His answer is that I am not the one paying the wages, which is true... (I am the sales & Marketing Dir.) Any tip?
Hi Derek,
Long time...
Hope all is well ?
Great article.
Strange coincidence, we are very much like minded - I got fired from Amex Centurion Travel Customer Service ( I worked for them 2005 - 2010 to supplement insufficient income from music gigs after leaving NYC )
I followed almost the same set of rules you layed out here, they came naturally to me, because they ( Amex ) where intimidated by the fact that I have put the clients interest before the Organization.
I feel disgusted, and sick in my stomach just remembering this for a brief moment now.
Love your article, couldn't agree more.
Still a client, and at this point more a family member with cdbaby.com then a client, after more then 15 years of being a customer...and all you've mentioned is true - cdbaby rocks !!!
Thank you,
Lale Nenadovic
You've made some great points, Derek, and I will put them to use. Your philosophy of making the other person right, and treating them with respect, is the one that I've learned also from my husband who has great success with it. He calls it the "Dale Carnegie" way to communicate with others. Gratefully, Lisa Monet
I've worked for several companies that didn't really put customer service first (despite what their advertising claimed). There was always a push to be more efficient. Take more calls. Close more tickets. I always felt this was an inhuman and ineffective approach. But I guess that's 'cause I look at people as more than things to be objectified for the purpose of wealth extraction.
I'm starting my own business now and even tho it's mostly a solo enterprise, I'll always put the people before the money. I just can't see any other way to do it.
Way to sum up what some people don't find themselves capable of learning for many, many years, or ever! Also, thank you for pointing out things that we so obviously miss. I especially loved that point "All great service comes from this feeling of generosity and abundance." I've met so many people who have started business with big promises and a tight budget, who when adversity strikes end up dishing out poor customer service because they have no time or the means to focus on this. If they keep at it, they eventually work it out in some cases, but more often than not, I know too many people who have blamed their target audience for not walking through the door. Hope they read this post when I send them the link...
We always need to turn our customers (clients) into fans, because customers have a choice and will replace you. You create fans for life by being true to your core beliefs, and this is called integrity. I am constantly baffled that so many companies seemingly succeed without applying the CRM concepts you describe, which are actually rooted in some very basic common sense.
Flawless. Every point you made was "RIGHT ON"!!! Good customer service is one of the most important points in the Golden Rules of Business. The customer is always right!!. Thanks for the reminder. =)
Yep. I stayed with cd baby because I actually offerred you a deal where I'd put a banner up instead of the fee because I couldn't afford the fee and you accepted. That release is still on cdbaby. Any other company wouldn't even have responded to that suggestion. :)
Hi Derek,
You did it again: you let out one of the secrets to building a great business.
Thanks Derek. I shared this with everyone in our firm the first time you published it and I just did so again. Remember the squid story? http://www.ideasforleaders.org/2011/08/a-squid-story/
Immediately I read that, I bought a giant squid plush hat and put it in pride of place in our office. It's still there :)
I like you Derek.
☺ — Derek
Nailed it!
So true, Derek.
absolutely to the point and true. one thing, though. behave like this not just in commerce/business. do so in everyday life. smile and be polite and interested and be true and authentic...although that last word is getting to be a bit over- and misused. thanks for all your writings from the arctic ocean (at the moment.)
You've put that extremely well. That's excellent.
This is one of the best posts you've ever done, Derek. I wish you could bring this information to the attention of the folks who bought CDBaby from you so THEY might learn a lesson from your successful strategies and start re-implementing them!
A really useful summary of customer service - thanks Derek. I especially appreciated #3 Customer service is a profit centre. In my little business I have a poster with the six Cs of communication:
* Clear
*Complete
*Concise
*Concrete
*Current
*Courteous
but in fact Client Care is the basis of all those so maybe it should be the eight Cs of communication!
Dope view! Would love to hear a round up of the best indie artist promotion moves in your opinion and research.
D.S
Thanks
Ha, just today, i went to the nursery to get plants for my pond. I asked the sales guy, "will my ducks eat them?" He assured me they would not. Immediately after placing the lily pad in the pond, my ducks started eating the leaves. I called the sales guy, and he said "they must be hungry". No returns. I didn't think that was very nice, and now i'm sure. Thanks.
Thanks
Derek, I joined CDbaby and Hostbaby long ago as a musician. I've read a lot of what you've written. I haven't done well selling CDs, but I don't lost hope.
I will say that I am almost astonished at the insight you have in the things you write. You have one of the most perspicacious and wisest views of life that I have ever seen. I've thanked you a number of times for that in past years, and here I am doing it again. :)
Brian Butler
Yes CD baby was cool with customer service, lots of humour and really smart with language that made you feel good. I had a friend of mine that tried evrywhere to look for a certain album and finally found it in CD baby. He ordered it from England and he showed me the message that came with it. it was great fun and unlike the usual business deliveries that contain only an receipt, this had a written description about how the CD was packaged and delivered. It was like the customer was so special but in a fun kind of way and we laughed about it.
Great insights. Thanks.
Hi, another great and thought provoking article. I have been fortunate enough to have visited several outstanding hotels and restaurants, and my memories of the best have all been about interactions with some fantastic staff. The setting, decor, food/room etc are what you go for, and whilst you won't forget a world-class 3 Michelin star meal, when you reminisce its the about the welcome you received from the maitre d', the special touch from a waiter or a word from the chef.
The ability the best staff have to make you feel (as a customer) that in that instant you are the most important person in the room through focused attention can make a great experience a truly wonderful one. At a particular birthday for my partner, the maitre d' surprised us with a beautiful (and free) slice of birthday cake. The value of the cake against an expensive meal was negligible, but the gesture in itself was a lovely touch. Great service doesn't have to cost a lot, in fact it could be argued that the best customer service is monetarily free, but should reap huge rewards in customer satisfaction and retention. This is usually a top down cultural agenda of great service, though it doesn't need to be and its up to us all (whatever our level) to offer the best service we are able, regardless of the overall culture. After all, it takes more muscles to frown than smile...
I love it. Your posts are interesting, relevant and fun.
No one wants to wade through 17 levels of phone menus. Many times, I've hung up in the middle of all that quagmire.
These are definitely words to live by, Derek. I'll always go with a company that is upbeat and seemingly sincere and that will HAVE A REAL HUMAN ANSWER THE PHONE!
Thanks for sending this to me, Derek.
Wow Derek. Thank you. This is a game changer. Just beautiful and a perfect reminder. You are awesome! Leah :)
Insightful post.
Wow, Derek you're a gentleman and a scholar. I say this because you walk the talk. I met you because I personally emailed you one time and you replied. We had a back and forth email chain and you personally contacted me to read this article. I wasn't yet on your email list (like I am now), but you took the time to share this article with me anyway. Many thanks.
RE the article. It's extremely helpful. It's also intuitive as the right thing. But like most things that are obviously the right thing to do and simple, it's hard to do. Being simply good is hard, and takes practice. Any encouragement and words of wisdom to remind us to be this way are extremely helpful. Esp. coming from a person who has done it, and succeeded at it.
So thank you. I will look out for future blogs.
Sincerely,
Brian brianchrisrogers@gmail.com
http://brianrogersmusic.com
Great post, Derek. Keep up, I am hungry for your insights.
It works if you can do it. Lack of money may force you to do less than you wish you could.
I lost my home because it was a mobile home, and the property was sold to a corporation which bled it dry, filled it with drug addicts, and then ran everyone off of it to build a gated condo on the site.
Money that I wished I could use to build the business had to go to my rent instead, which was almost 3 times as high when I was forced to move, and it did my business a lot of damage. The real estate crash finished it.
On the other hand, the new owners of CD Baby don't impress me the way you did, and they don't have high rent as an excuse.
I know you needed to move on, but I wish you hadn't sold it, just like I wish the honest owners of that mobile home park had not sold it. It seems that all of America is being bought up by greedy, short sighted people who don't do business at all like you do.
Insightful as always. But #5 grates. When I get a customer that is completely unreasonable (which is very rare) I find it very hard to think 'you're right and I'm wrong'. See also:
http://positivesharing.com/2008/03/top-5-reasons-why-the-customer-is-always-right-is-wrong/
But perhaps you're right and I'm wrong. ;0)
I have a slightly different perspective in that I do all the support and don't want to take on employees. So I have to try to keep a lid on how much time I spend on support. Otherwise I wouldn't have any time left to improve my product. I wrote about that a bit here:
http://successfulsoftware.net/2012/08/21/tips-for-great-software-technical-support/
While traveling recently to Orlando, American Airlines cancelled a days worth of flights due to weather. Understandable. When trying to figure out how to get home, I (a 3.5 million mile loyalty customer) have been placed on a flight scheduled 30 hours later through Miami to Dallas, while my traveling companion (20,000 miler) had been placed on a direct flight during the same time period. We stood in line at the Orlando airport for 2 plus hours to resolve the issue to get both on the same flight. A call to the platinum desk revealed that flight status is never taken into account, they just randomly star filling seats, which I found hard to believe. So we head back to the ticket agents. It's a mob scene. No signs for lines. So like good sheep we pick a line and wait. And wait. The couple behind us had rendezvous in Orlando from his home in Chile and her school in Lubbock. The cancellations in Texas were a problem for her because she had finals -- senior finals the next day a 1pm. American wouldn't assign her a flight for 30 hours--causing her to miss her finals, and possibly not graduate. The loyal boyfriend missed his flight home to be with his lady--chivalrous I thought. After the two hour wait in line, I have them my spot to get ahead and resolve their problems. Her dad was an executive platinum member and had purchases their tickets. They therefore were in the Priority line. When they got to the stern, blonde, self righteous ticket agent, I could see they were not making any progress. In tears, the young lady turned to me and begged me to help. I explained to the ticket agent that we were traveling together and that she should assist these young travelers and send them on their way. After 5 plus minutes of haggling, she looked at me at said she would not help these two because they were not in the correct line. I told her she should dig deep and do what her heart told her to do. I will never forget her response, or the company that would hire such a person: "My heart tells me (and looking directly at them) to tell them to get in back of the line and wait like every one else." That line had at least 100 people in it. The time she spent arguing with them could have sent them on their way, two happy life long customers. Instead she looked like an ass in front of everyone, and lost any respect she might have had. And it made American Airlines look small and petty. A perfect example of how NOT to run an airline. When I left the scene, these two sad travelers were sobbing in each other's arms at the rear of another 2-3 hour line.
I couldn't agree more - these are the principles we follow at the nonprofit where I work, yet you articulate them in a much more complete way. I always recommend Hug Your Customer to everyone - great customer service book.
These points Rock!!! Thank You Derek!!!
100% agreed with everything in your article.
I should admit that my experience with CD baby customer service was not my best experience as the lady was quite rude to me, but it really has nothing to do with your article :-)
Thank you, Derek, for the great customer service tips. I first became aware of your philosophy when I purchased some no-cal pasta from Miracle Noodles, after which they sent me a thank you email that was utterly unique,ie, they treated me as if I were…Paul McCartney. And at the end of that thank you email, just below their Miracle Noodle signature, they noted that the email was "Inspired by Derek Sivers." Well, I had never seen "an inspired by" credit, so I wanted to learn more about this incredible customer service note and the person who inspired it. And that's when you became sort of a guru for us, guiding Redtwist Theatre's customer service philosophy. Thanks again for the timely tips. It's always great to self-evaluate your business to make sure you're doing all the right things for your valued clients, patrons, and customers.
Fantastic article thanks for sharing and educating us
You appear to have interesting discussions from time to time.
Has anyone ever asked you questions about politics and different offshoots of game theory?
Not too log ago someone asked me if White People and Jewish People by design set up academic, career and business circumstances so that 95% of African Americans and other people of color can fail, so then White People and Jewish People can sit around talk bad about them as if it is the fault of the person that they failed?
I did not know how to reply to this person; not because I had no opinion it's just that the persons question was so heavy and included additional details about the role of mother nature and weather patterns that I typically use a bit of discretion when talking about certain topics especially with people I haven't known long.
The person also claims that he lambasted a White Person about trying to talk to people of color about morals and ethics; or talk about morals and ethics in general, because he strongly believes that White People are unqualified to talk about morality and ethics based on their track record.
It was hard to tell if the person was serious or if they were having a bad day.
Derek,
How do you correct those wrongs, but avoid being passive-agressive at the same time? And what wrongs do you have in mind? Can you give an example?
Thank you!
M
More than just useful tips. Living your passion makes all your guidelines natural. We will strive to make our business easier for our customers following your real live experiences. Thanks a lot.
This article was amazing - and I think it applies to every human relationship, not just client care.
Great article, Derek! I love how you highlight the difference between the expense of a small sacrifice such as giving up an extra sauce vs. the lifetime profit of a positive customer relationship. Those small sacrifices pay off big time! The other highlight was the notion that loud people who come at you with frustration at first are the type of people who will actually be loud with joy for your company -- great way to look at a negative situation. It's always a pleasure to read your thoughts!
Great article and perspective Derek, thanks for sharing. I particularly like the "relationship" approach of spending time with and building a relationship / friendship with each and every customer that calls in. To me, that goes such a long way and pays dividends forever.
so. good. on. point. yes!
when you get some loud complaint, seize the opportunity - make a loud evangelist outta them.
This is the one I'd add - Under promise and Over deliver. I know, it's been said before. But in this world of broken promises and scarcity thinking, where so many are out only for themselves, this foundation principle is about not only keeping your promises - but outdoing yourself.
When a client calls me - I answer the phone. If it's humanly possible, I take the time to give them the support they need. In fact, when they DON'T call and they needed support - I chastise them for NOT calling.
I want them to call me. I want to support them. It upsets me that they suffer alone, needlessly, because they don't want to impose, they don't want to bother me.
To me, under promise and over deliver, means that I am there for my clients, no matter what.
Very informative
I would work for you. I love these principles of great customer service. My experience of being on the front line of sales for years has taught me this rings true. I look forward to putting it in practice again now that I have taken the time to read your article. Once again, thank you for sharing your insight generously.
This is awesome Derek! It actually aligns quite well with an infographic my company released last year called "If Your Don't Take Care Of Your Customers, Someone Else Will".
This has been saved in my inbox for future reading, I'm glad I decided to make that click. This came at the right time. Thanks Derek.
Great stuff Derek. Thanks for sharing!
I don't think I've bought a CD from CDbaby since you sold the company.
If memory serves, the first CD I bought from you was a bit of a hassle. I know I sent you an email asking what I had to do to give you my money. We were close to an hour exchanging emails as you worked out a software bug that kept me from making a purchase.
I've run into ONE other online business that spent as much time trying to make a sale. That company actually called me on the phone as I tried for the 5th time to place an order! (My credit card bank also called me asking if I was the one trying to use the card.)
I don't even bother to count the sites that failed to make taking my money easy. ;-)
You are, and always will be, my definition of an entrepreneur.
I think we should call them "warm businesses". Its such a warm feeling to receive that genuine note of thanks from a customer when you've gone out of your way for him or her. Forget the money, just the warmth is worth it :) Thanks Derek for the advice, you make me believe in what we do.
Its the golden rule they taught us in grade school, "Treat others the way you would like to be treated."
I found your post because I am looking for the courage to change everything, essentially start the company over. A complete reboot. And this is the culture I want to install, this time. Some how it all got away from me and now I need to claw it back. Thanks, Derek.
I have been in the restaurant/bar business for more than 15 years and this is some of the best customer service advice I've seen. I will be sharing! Thank you Derek!
Thank you for sharing this Derek! I was feeling this need in me for perfect customer service and I was praised by customers to never change my attitude, in spite of being nagged by my superiors and laughed at because of my different approach then theirs. There was the time I started to think: why do I do this? why do I bother?
You just helped me realized why and I will not stop great customer service and will be even better at it!
Thank you again.
Rafal
Greetings from LA to Singapore. Loved your story about itunes and Apple.
Agree with all the principals you mentioned in Customer Service. Common sense needs to be more common. SK
Lots of good thoughts here, Derek. On the issue of losing every fight with customers, I'd shift that to turning every fight into a conversation about what the customer wants and needs, then doing everything possible to make that happen. Not losing, just listening and building relationship.
Nice article. In every great customer service interaction I have been on the receiving end of, they all stemmed from one thing...They made me feel like I mattered. That the person at the other end genuinely cared about my issue. That me and my issue mattered to them. I do business with CD Baby because you made me feel that you understood our needs and that you genuinely cared about what mattered to me as a musician. That I mattered.
☺ Great point. Thank you! — Derek
Great examples of proper human conduct, prioritization, and legacy-based thinking.
Derek! Great post! We own a coffee roasting company and we always take care of our fans. I personally answer each email about product issues. We always send out a care package to each customer who contacts us with concerns. They can't believe that we actually get back with them immediately. To us, it's just how we stand behind our coffee and tea. It's paid off. We roasted 1,800 lbs of coffee in 2003. We will roast 250,000 lbs this year. Thanks for the email. I still follow Davis Elias. Bought his stuff on CD Baby in 2002!
So well thought out and important Derek. I also, and forgive me if you mentioned this- find it a time to say a heartfelt 'I am so sorry" to another human being for as we know- their upset is seldom just the point at hand or the ones we see/hear. This small gesture can catapult an entire conversation into a place of mutual understanding and connection. I have been both giver and recipient of this level of kindness.
Right on.
I avoid the companies who you never reach on the phone.
You were so supportive of our recording "Yakshi". I mostly just do small concerts now--most attendees are people I am connected with, 20-70 people. I am thankful for that. Sure I would like to make more money, but I get the joy of
paying attention to the craft and my own excellence.
Your every word rang true. I worked for seven years at Strawbridge and Clothier in Philadelphia who at one point surpassed Norstrum's of California in customer service, ok, client care. Your philosophies are quite similar! Funny how I apply these sales principles in one area of life and not another. Appreciate CD Baby tremendously when I first started. Not many sales but it's given me perspective.
Love this: "client care" !
I would wholeheartedly agree with all your insights Mr. Silver-- especially your view that a successful business should (within its own domain) try to right the wrongs of the world.
Ultimately no one can, alone, right all the wrongs of the world-- but all of us can root for the avant garde.
I love most of the things Derek says and respect him tremendously. However, I do not agree with a few points he brings up here that can be sumed up with a phrase "The customer is always right..." Because often the customer IS WRONG! And then it's a good thing to let the customers know that they are in the wrong and you are holding your ground and not giving in to their unreasonable demands. I think you doing them, yourself and the world a favor if you are sticking with what you know is true and, in a way, "teaching them a lesson", which is another thing that Derek disapproved...
I think the best example on customer service is Zappos. Very similar ideas.
I'm already subscribed to your e-mail list, so, no need to add me. This is a great write. Then again, you really have an art for writing "how to do it" articles. I will share this one with the members of my 7-piece Latin band. Really, a great article!
Derek, you nailed what I've always known as the Hebrew mindset. It is diametrically opposed to what is taught in the world today in most sectors and known as the Greek mindset. When everybody feels they have a right to something, nobody wins. All excellent points and why I've been successful too. I love your thoughts, keep them coming.
I am with all those who miss you at CDBaby. But can understand and it was time to move on Not this philosophy over there anymore at all.
Trying to get rid of Rumblefish for months and months they lulled me into with false promises and they will not release my music and holding it hostage. Now youtube says Cdbaby owns it and I can't put ads on my own property any longer I was getting as much as 30 cents a click on adsense before I was dumb enough to sign onto that and now I got only 98 cents for hundreds of clicks and CDbaby and Rumblefish took the rest. So in essence they are nothing but thieves now. Sorry to derail the thread, but a warning to other CDbaby uses.
Anyway I miss your articles on the forums now too. They also heavily moderate them and most of the articles are not right anyway and you can't have an honest discussion any longer. It all points out though what a great company you created and without you they are just not the same .
Loved this! Just opened up a yoga studio and much of what you've written above truly applies - Thanks for sharing!
Have a great day!
Susan :)
You hit the nail on the head once again! I have a very close friend who I often sat with during brainstorming sessions. He always enjoyed interacting with musicians and one day he decided to put his cellphone number in his company ads. He had no expectations and had no idea if anyone would call. He always made a great product but now everyone knows Larry Hartke of Hartke Systems as a great guy! His personal attention to detail is truly who he is and his success and the success of his company stands as a testament to the values you've so eloquently stated.
Excellent as always.
Derek, Thanks for your thoughts always the clear thinker. After you left, I don't think CD Baby has been quite the same. At one point they decided that my 2 copies of 2 titles were taking up too much space. They told me I could pay to have these discs shipped back or they would "recycle" them. I paid the postage.
One title was returned but the other one was lost in the mail. I alerted them but was basically told "tough shit!" This was a small loss but nevertheless I never felt the same about the company. Up until then I was an enthusiastic cheerleader.
Another gem! Thank you so much for these recent pieces, Derek.
you are spot on. and i happen to work for a company that believes it, lives it, and demonstrates it, with every single client.
what REALLY struck me, though, is that your points are not isolated to client care... isn't that how we should be treating all our fellow humans, regardless of circumstances, regardless of what your relationship with them might be?
by the way, if you haven't figured it out already, i'm one of the loud ones. :)
- can u please clone yourself and put yourself as a plant in every consultant hired by every single corporation everywhere?!
:)
= poor customer service is a personal PET PEEVE and I find it incredibly rude that whenever I have any sort of problem with any organisation, I have to waste time sorting through their auto system - from which I'm sometimes mysteriously disconnected mid-way, so that I have to start over again - FIRST…it signals to me every single time, that I don't matter - my MONEY matters; period.
I'm with you on this one Derek. We also did everything we could to provide our customers with the best possible customer service. Hence we were called: "The friendly ISP". Underlying reason for our success: RMgo.to/STI
Thanks!!
This is just EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!
Have you read "Six Tires No Plan" by Bruce Halle? He founded Discount Tire. A great read. - Amazon
Thanks again for posting this.
Rob
Consider this scenario-while working at music retail level, a customer is noticed,
while listening to some vinyl on a provided turntable, turning the item with fingers
on both sides of the playing surface and then dropping the needle upon each
consecutive track when changing tracks. They are asked to refrain from such as
damage could be done to the stock. They reply (since the shop is known for its 2d
hand vinyl) it doesn't matter. The stock already has marks/fingerprints and they are
a DJ and know how to handle records.
The request to desist is courteous but firm. He remains unmoved.
What should the outcome be? How do the retail staff proceed?
Thoughts?
I love this article, and cannot agree more. I have a similar mindset but it was not as clear and conscious before. Especially not so "edgy" - I mean pick up the phone every time, lose every fight and so on. Thanks! I'll pay attention to these.
Derek ,
Your article on " client care " , and I do think that's a better phrase than customer service, is so important I think I'll have to print it out if that's OK. Boy, talk about a better world , you are 100% "ON " in saying that this is one great place to start.
here's a question that you need not answer to me , I'm sure you've pondered on this. WHY is COMMON SENSE so uncommon??
It is common sense to run a business based on a philosophy such as you describe. Yet so few people seem to do it. Yet I believe that more of us know this deep down in our gut but don't take the time and courage to put it into practice because we're all so " busy " or maybe even too lazy to take the time to slow down and do it right.
Reading about your 16 years of service to your company CD BABY makes me think that in fact you ARE an expert and we can all learn from such experience.
You remain an inspiration to me. Glad I kept your email in my inbox waiting for a chance to read it. Insomnia gave me an Opportunity tonight .
Please keep on doing your thing , you are contributing mightily !
Peace,
Alexander
The take 'lose every fight' sounds or seems cool but kindly remember that Jesus, my Lord and Saviour didn't lose the fight against money-changers in the temple. Check.
CD Baby has good customer service? Not from my experience. After CD Baby altered my album artwork and title, and proven this via screenshots and the files necessary to replicate the outcome, I've had three different customer service representatives call me a liar.
7. Listen and then apologize.
People want to feel heard. They call, enraged, expecting a fight. When you listen and you validate their feelings, it steals their thunder. When you follow that up with a sincere apology, you show humility and you show them that their feelings were right (they're just feelings--they're always right!!).
Listening with interest in understanding their point of view is the foundation upon which everything hinges in customer service.
I am dealing with such an issue right now. Small problem that customer would like to exploit for large windfall profit. I want to be generous, but some customers do not reciprocate good will (and perhaps therefore are not worth keeping). That is where decisions are difficult.
Wow Derek, such a great article, I don't know if it takes you a long time to write and edit a post like this, or if it just comes naturally to you, but we all benefit from this side of the screen. Keep the wisdom flowing, we love it.
P.S. Heard you speak at WDS2015, and heard you on other podcasts, and now am part of your tribe. Bought tickets to WDS2016, hope you can be a part of it in some way. maybe teach an academy?
Very right! especially in the tech world designed by engineers and bankers.
We need human connection - otherwise consumption is really boring.
It is so inspirational to me and all intrepreneurs. It is applicable to bosses and to the team of staff they mould to work with. Instead of carrying every responsibility to their own.especially wheb things go bad to their business, they may not do it better than hired qualified personnels. Thanks
Just finished, "Hug Your Haters"
book about turning complaints into opportunities. CS is changing and it's exciting. My company's first value is that they come first. It's time to find a company that puts clients first.
Reading your blog is really good for my mind at this point in my life.
Mahalo!
Really nice article. Thank you.
GENIAL! muy claro y sencillo. Verdades que solo los que entendemos y asumimos los cambios podemos lograr todo siempre mejor.
Fidelidad y Lealtad personalizada. Cuando el otro realmente importa!
Re valoriza la cadena de valores.
Saludos
Yes, we like to work among nice people who don't believe in nonsense. (BS)
I stayed one time zone away from the Pacific, in a poorer climate, simply because I knew I would never find as good of a for-profit agency to work for. I didn't leave until the government started treating us like non-professionals, making us do Vietnam era (micro-managing BS) paperwork.
GREAT!! Thank you. You have verbalized in one place much of what I have felt all these years. My small company survived the ups and downs of the Houston economy, competing against the big guys like IBM. How? Don't know for sure, but one thing we did was show up at the customer's office (the old days, no COVID) with great chocolate chip cookies from a little Greek grocery store. Nothing like "sharing a meal" to help bond with a customer.
Nowadays, I am a SCORE volunteer and will make all my clients read your article. Sometimes I fear customer service is on life support, but it truly IS a profit center.
Again, think you.