Rolling Out the Red Carpet
Image courtesy of Pixabay and LoboStudioHamburg
If customer service is what makes or breaks an experience for all of us and average customer service is forgettable at best, we’d venture to say the only way you stand out is either with bad service or outstanding service.
We know we have a few tales of excellent customer service experiences we will never forget, but statistics say that a dissatisfied customer will tell between 9 and 20 people about their experience, whereas a satisfied customer will only tell about 6!
So, how do we give people the kind of customer service experience that’s so good they want to tell people about it?
- Be aware of the little things that affect perception. What is your tone when you answer your phone? How to you word your emails? Do you sound professional? Cryptic? Ambiguous? When you meet someone in person, how is your demeanor? Body language? Attire?
Customer service is first about client perception. Some of that you can’t control no matter how hard you try. But some of it, you can. Whether they do it consciously or not, people are paying close attention to the details of their interactions with you and those little details play a large part in influencing how they see your customer service overall. - Under-promise and over-deliver. It’s an overused and cliché’ term, we know, but keeping your reputation strong and good has a lot to do with how you deliver on promises. And how your customers remember you, has everything to do with your reputation! Promising a 7-day turnaround is only a good idea if you can deliver before or on that 7th day. Relationships are built on trust and a business-owners’ time is worthy of respect. Remember too, they have many options to choose from. Make sure you are the one they keep calling by coming through on your word and earning their trust… preferably with a smile.
- Ask for and listen to feedback. You might be surprised at what they have to say. Unless you ask for it, people likely will not give you feedback. Give your customers the opportunity to tell you how you did. It may not always sound the way you want it to and they may not tell you what you wanted to hear, but your customers’ honest response is a great way for you to see things you really might want to adjust in how you do business.
Outstanding customer service will set you and your business apart from others in your field. It’s a little thing that has huge impact on your business. And really, it’s all about polishing the details.
Take pride in learning how to be the person and business that gives such great customer service that people want to talk about it.
-Jamie
© 2011 Propel Businessworks (SET). All rights reserved.
