1. Ensure all frontline staff (including receptionists) are fully trained to take inbound calls and handle enquiries (including setting up regular gifts and handling donations)
2. Ensure that frontline staff know about programs in advance – they must know what to expect and they have information for frequently asked questions (faq) sheets.
3. Set service level agreements (SLAs) for response handling and ensure all staff are aware of these i.e. All mail received must be responded to within five working days
4. Set up an automatically generated email for general/donation enquires indicating to supporter how long it may take to get a specific answer
5. If offering regular giving (automatic debits from credit card or bank account – hereafter referred to as RG), ensure all staff are aware of the focus on RG and promote this consistently to all potential supporters – but not at the same time as single donations- see point 6…
6. When sending communication pieces to potential supporters, don’t confuse them with mixed messages, actively promote one way to support (i.e. RG) – not multiple methods to support.
7. Ensure all staff handling supporter calls/queries confirm supporter details, including email and date of birth before ending call (reduce error and supporter dissatisfaction).
8. Ensure all communications (mail, phone, email, Facebook etc) with supporters/potential supporters include the words ‘thank you’ at least once regardless of the nature of the communication, even if it is just acknowledging someone’s interest in the charity
9. If you are experiencing delays with processing, be honest and tell supporters to expect a delay with their receipt/confirmation letter – an example can be found here http://seantriner.blogspot.com/2009/07/fantastic-donor-care.html
10. Where possible, respond to supporter queries in the same way. For example, if a supporter emails your organisation, try and respond by email (unless this is not possible). But when writing proactively (e.g. an appeal) don’t feel restricted with your comms method.
11. Avoid multiple transfers on the phone. Ensure you get the transfer right the first time, not the fourth time.
12. Make sure your staff are aware of current charitable projects. It’s great to have some real life success stories to share with potential donors. Casual anecdotes over the phone mean a warm and memorable experience for the donor.
13. Make the beneficiaries, not your organization, the focus on all communications. Tell supporters how their donation, no matter how small, is going to change the life of your beneficiaries, improve the environment etc.
14. When dealing with bequest enquiries, make sure you promote residuary bequests (percentage of estate, not specified amounts) above all else.
15. Don’t tiptoe around the subject of bequests – tell people why you need the money for your cause, how the funds will be used, and make that ask Emotive case studies always work well for bequests, be it by phone, mail or email.
16. Never ignore an enquiry, no matter how busy you are and how unimportant it seems at the time. Every communication is an opportunity to acquire a new donor for life (and beyond).
17. Be flexible in your approach. Just because your hours are 9 to 5, don’t fob someone off at 5.03pm. They will remember that more than any appeal you ever send them.
18. If things go wrong, make sure you take steps to rectify the situation and then make doubly sure such things can never happen again. Humans make mistakes once, but shoddy customer service means the same mistakes happen again.
19. Get the right staff. If you have a miserable volunteer, make sure they are stuffing envelopes and not answering the phone. Each person who speaks to your donors is an ambassador for not only your charity, but for your beneficiaries. Don’t miss out on additional funds just because you are short-staffed.
20. Find out about your donors. When you get them on the phone, talk to them like a friend. What do they like about your charity? What’s their motivation for leaving a bequest? You’d be amazed at the loyalty you get just from being interested.
21. If you send out a standard letter, handwrite a note or pop a post-it on top. “You’re doing an amazing thing”, “People like you mean the world to us” – something out of the ordinary. Be warm and memorable in all your communications.
22. Follow up, follow up, follow up! If someone asks about leaving you money in their will, call them in a month and ask if they’ve done so. It might mean the difference between a large bequest and a supporter just never getting round to it.
23. Give one senior person ultimate responsibility of the Customer Service function. Make it a top priority. Measure it, report on it, improve it.
24. Ask for what you need, politely but clearly.
25. Say thank you even more.
© Pareto Fundraising
