Devoted to customer service and the principles of exceptional customer services

This week at Know More Media authors get to be "King For a Week" - in recognition of Larry King, the "King" of interviews. I had the honor of interviewing Tom Vander Well, a speaker on the topic of customer service as well as a partner and Vice-President of C Wenger Group, a consulting firm in Des Moines, Iowa.  His clients include big name companies like Principal Financial Group, John Deere Credit, Target, ShopNBC, and Cabela's.

What I enjoy about Tom's blog, QAQNA, is that he provides valuable content, great customer service tips, and introduces me to other great bloggers through his "Coffee Time Links".

This is the first in a two-part interview....So, without further ado...

What was your first job in the customer service field and did you like it?

Growing up in Iowa , we have the privilege (or curse, depending on how you look at it) of being the focus of the nation’s political attention every four years during the presidential caucuses. I was thirteen when I volunteered at a Presidential campaign office during the Iowa caucuses. Within two days I was offered a paid position. In a week I went from stuffing envelopes to manning the phones. Was it customer service? Yeah, in a very warped, twilight-zone kind of way it was. It gave me an early experience in polling and research that would serve me well, since our group does a lot of Customer Satisfaction and market research.

After that, I worked for a bookstore chain doing retail customer service throughout high school and college. I quit several times, but like the Godfather “every time I thought I was out, they pulled me back in!” (being a broke and starving student had a lot to do with giving in every time they asked me back). I liked the books, and liked helping customers. I didn’t like the pay and I didn’t like being on my feet that many hours.

What is your definition of customer service?

It would have to be a variation on the Golden Rule: doing the best you can, with what you have, to care for your customers the way you’d want to be taken care of if you were in their shoes.

When did you realize that you wanted to make customer service/quality assessment consulting your career?

I think it was when the deep-fryer position at McDonalds didn’t pan out. [rim-shot]. Actually, it didn’t take long working for the group before I realized that this job was tailor-made for me. I love the people I work with, I get to work with amazing clients that I respect and who teach me as much as I could ever teach them, and I get to see our work make a tangible difference for the client companies, their CSRs and their customers. My job also plays to my strengths, gifts and abilities.

Tomorrow Tom will share with us his #1 customer service tip and give us his thoughts on blogging in the business world.  Stay tuned!