Â
Everyone knows that it is very hard to stay in business without customers. Most of the time, we bend over backwards offering customers incentives so they will choose us over our competitors – discounts, free gifts, sales, new models or features, etc. Isn’t it strange, given all this effort to attract customers, that we too often over look the simple fact that great customer service brings people back more often than any other single thing your company can do?
For this reason, keep these tips in mind if you want to see your customers again and again and again.
1. Customer service is only as good as the people who deliver it. Your customers don’t think of your company as a company; they think of your company in terms of the way your employees treat them. Don’t skimp on poorly trained, poorly paid help. Invest in the best employees and your customers will believe you are the best company.
2. Your employees will treat customers the way the company treats employees. This is like a strange twist on the Golden Rule– do unto others as you would have others do unto you – except it is, "treat your employees the way you would like them to treat customers." When it comes to customer service, it is all about paying it forward, starting with the attitude of management.
3. Get to know your customers. Many companies depend on repeat business, which means you should have the opportunity to work with the same customers over and over again. Do you hold them at arms length and treat them like commodities, or do you welcome them like friends and call them by name? You know you are doing this right if the customer calls to discuss business and before the call is up they are telling you about their grandkids or their vacation. Taking the time to turn customers into friends really pays off.
4. Do your customers know you? Yes, the knife cuts both ways. With regular customers, don’t keep up a barrier that says you are the CSR or the manager or even the president of the firm. First and foremost, you are simply a friend trying to provide them with a service. One well-known national investment firm requires that all C-level executives spend one week out of the year working the phones, just to make sure that no one forgets that everyone is here to serve customers. Become a real person to your customers, and they will reward you by being a faithful customer.
5. Let’s repeat this together: exceptional customer service always means going the extra mile. We have all heard this. How often do your employees do it? Do you ever take the time to send the customer a thank you card (not an email) at the end of a long project? Have you ever considered calling up your best customers and offering them special opportunities or pricing, as a way of saying thanks? Do you think they would appreciate it if you just sat down with them and asked if there was anything else your company could do to make their life better? People respond very well to this kind of sincere, unsolicited attention.
6. Don’t stick people on hold and don’t ignore them when they come into the front door. People don’t like to be ignored or shoved to the side. Make sure that every customer contact is quickly noticed and rewarded. Your first job when you answer the phone is to greet the customer, make sure they know you are glad they called, and THEN find out how to help them. Face to face contacts should be just the same. Helping the customer is not just a job, it is your only job. Remember, no one has a job without customers.
7. The customer may not always be right, but NEVER treat him like he is wrong. Arguing with a customer is not only a waste of time, it may lead to a loss of income for your company. Make sure you are the first one to apologize for any inconvenience (even if it was caused by the customer), and then concentrate on fixing the problem, no matter who caused it.
8. Treat a special request as if it were an honor, because that’s what it is. In one of their first national ad campaigns, Burger King came up with a jingle that said, "Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us." Is it that way at your company? Never give the customer the impression that they have done something wrong by making a special request. You may not always be able to grant it, but you can always try, and you can always let them know you will do your best to honor their request.
9. Stay cool under pressure. Have you ever had a bad day and said some things you regretted later? Customers are no different, and sometimes part of their bad day is related to your company or your product. Learn how to be calm, patient and understanding. Be sympathetic; tell them you understand how they feel (because you do– similar things have happened to you). Let them vent and don’t cut them off. When they have calmed down, tell them you are here to help. Then help them.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask the customer how you are doing. This is one of the best ways to improve your service and boost customer retention. The best way to learn to how to serve your customers better is ask them. You will both be glad you did.
Â
Re-Print Permission
This article may be reprinted in it's entirety if the following
conditions are met:
August Customer Service Quick Tip of the Month – Don’t Forget D.A.V.E.
To provide customer service that will grow loyal customers year after year, just remember DAVE.
D – Dependability. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver; always deliver what you promise.
A – Assurance. Keep all your customer dealings at the highest level of integrity. This builds trust and puts the customer at ease with you and your company.
V. – Value. Of course, the bottom line is that the customer wants a product or service that meets his needs and performs at level that meets or exceeds his expectations. You can’t keep good customers by selling bad products.
E – Empathy. In all his dealings with you, the customer wants to see ample evidence that you care about his situation, understand his problem, and respect his right to be heard and well-served.
Follow DAVE’s lead and your customers will follow you, too.
