USPS® is launching We Value Your Business — the fourth phase of the Customer Experience Essentials program.
It’s part of the Delivering a Positive Customer Experience initiative to improve customer service by building on the previous three phases: telephone contact, friendly and courteous behavior, and accurate mail delivery.
The fourth “Essential”, We Value Your Business, focuses on the customer’s “Sending” Experience and our small business customers. Small business customers need accurate information about our products, services, and regulations. We must be ready to provide accurate information whenever possible. If customers need additional help, refer them to the special small business toll-free help line where they can talk to professionals who are specially trained in our small business products and services. That number is 1-USPS-4-SMBIZ (1-877-747-6249).
“If we provide our customers with the correct information, they have confidence in our products and services, ensuring a positive customer experience and a repeat Postal Service customer,” said Consumer and Industry Affairs Vice President Maura Robinson.
We want to make every customer experience a positive one to enable a culture of responsiveness that will result in customer loyalty and retention.
Included in this Field Information Kit to support the We Value Your Business Essential is the following:
n A Stand-up Talk for All Employees.
n A Small Business Customer Tips Management Resource Guide (see page 60).
n A Small Business Customer Support Center handout (see page 47).
n A poster to be placed in Post Office employee zones (see page 49).
A video for all employees will also be available on USPS TV in the near future.
Stand-up Talk: Delivering a Positive Customer Experience — “We Value Your Business”
Today we are going to talk about our small business customers. Small businesses contribute every day to our bottom line, by providing us with approximately $9 billion in revenue each year.
In our first Delivering a Positive Customer Experience stand-up talk, we talked about telephone courtesy as an easy way to make a customer’s experience more positive. Next, we focused on conducting every customer interaction in a friendly and courteous manner. In the third talk, we discussed “Delivery Done Right” to make sure all mail is delivered to the correct address with proper service.
Each of us is responsible for providing good customer service to every customer — exceeding their expectations will show we value their business. When small business customers ask any one of us for information about products, services, or regulations, we must be ready to provide accurate information. Help customers when possible. If additional help is needed, please refer customers to the special small business toll-free help line where they can talk to agents who are specially trained in our small business products and services. That number is 1-USPS-4-SMBIZ (1-877-747-6249).
Customers will remember how easy or difficult we make it for them to interact with us — just as we all do when we use any company’s products or services.
If we put into practice each of the four Customer Service Essentials — Telephone Courtesy, It Begins With a Smile, Delivery Done Right, and We Value Your Business — our customers will know that we’re working hard to earn their business and they will be repeat customers.
Thank you for the work you do every day for each of our customers. And remember, when you give our small business customers the service that you would expect from any business, we will continue to be a world-class Postal Service™.
Small Business Customer Tips: Customer Experience Essential Management Resource Guide
“Delivering a Positive Customer Experience!” This guide is provided to assist managers with interactions with our small business customers. It supports our core strategy of improving our customers’ experience doing business with us.
Know Your Small Business Customer
Locate customers in your community by using the Opportunity Toolkit located on the Business Connect® resource page. To access the Business Connect Resource Center, click Connecting with Customers from the rotating carousel on the Blue page, or go to http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/businessconnect/welcome.htm. The Opportunity Toolkit section is located on the right-hand side of the resource page. Click Find opportunities in my 5-digit ZIP Code, and enter your 5-digit ZIP Code™ to find potential Every Door Direct Mail® customers, new businesses, potential package customers, and direct mail opportunities.
Use the Business Connect Data System to document all pertinent information about your customer meetings and successful sales. All documented activities count towards your office’s Business Connect goals.
Information to Document in the Business Connect Data Center
n Company name, address, and contact information.
n Phone number and email address.
n Any activity after each face-to-face contact.
n Highlights from customer meeting/sales opportunity.
n Next steps and date to meet with customer.
n All closed sales information (closed sales in which first mailing has occurred): revenue amount, payment method, date of mailing, etc.
Be Responsive and Take Ownership of Your Small Business Customers
n Get to know your customers and their business needs.
n Know your resources — use customer sales collateral from your Business Connect kits. For more information on selling tips for postmasters, visit http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/businessconnect/bc/bc11.htm.
n Contact your local sales/marketing representative if future support is needed to close a sale.
n Thank customers for their business.
n After a sale is made, follow up with the customer to ensure satisfaction.
n Save customers a future trip to the Post Office; give them the following options to get information:
n Speak to a live representative at 1-USPS-4-SMBIZ (1-877-747-6249).
n Visit USPS.com® to order supplies or to learn more about our products and services.
Connecting to the Business — Employee Revenue Engagement Programs
Employee Engagement Programs: Initiatives designed to identify and leverage customer relationships to retain and promote revenue growth.
Business Connect: Postmasters and station managers use Business Connect to build customer relationships. The Business Connect resource page provides details on how to get connected. See http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/businessconnect/welcome.htm.
Customer Connect: Letter carriers leverage their relationships with business customers to identify new revenue. Access the Customer Connect resource page for how to connect with customers. See http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/customerconnect/welcome.htm.
Rural Reach: Provides an umbrella of opportunities allowing rural carriers to better serve their communities. The Rural Reach information page explains why you should get involved. See http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/ruralreach.htm.
Submit a Lead: All employees not participating in Business Connect, Customer Connect, or Rural Reach can submit leads through this program. See http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/submitalead/welcome.htm for what is a lead and how to get started.
Products for the Small Business Customer
n Priority Mail® Flat Rate service.
n Click-N-Ship® service.
n Every Door Direct Mail service.
Local Contact Numbers to Fill in
n BMEU/Mailing Requirements:
n Business Solutions Specialist:
n Mailpiece Design Analyst:
n District Consumer and Industry Contact Office:
Add other contact numbers as necessary.
Useful Links
Internal link for postal employee use (Employee Engagement Programs/Lead Generation and Support): http://blue.usps.gov/salesprep/homepage/empeng1.htm
External link for customer use: https://www.usps.com/business/why-choose-usps.htm
— Consumer Advocate and Customer Relations, Consumer and Industry Affairs, 7-26-12
