Customer Service is the Key to Customer Retention

Providing Quality Customer Service is the Key to Business Success

Every Savvy Business Owner knows that customers are their number one asset and focus.  After all, customers pay the bills and keep us in business.  No Customers, No Business. Set standards high. Be a World Class Company. It’s no news that it costs more to procure a new client than it does to retain them with superior service. An unhappy, dissatisfied customer tells everyone, a happy customer sends referrals. You must always represent your image as a world-class service organization. It is the value add that sets you apart from the competition.

I hear these comments a lot nowadays: There’s no customer service in organizations any longer, everything is outsourced, I can’t get to a decision maker, no one cares about my business, I’m just a number to them.

10 Tips for Providing Superior Service

• Treat every customer as if they were your best customer.
• Know your customer, acknowledge them by name, remember something specific about them. For example, if they have a dog greet them and ask about their dog, their boat, their golf game, their children, their trip.
• Greet every customer with a smile and a welcome. State your name and Ask, how may I be of service today? Provide value, go above and beyond.  Make 100% customer satisfaction your goal.
• Phone Calls – Have a smile on your face even if they can’t see you they can sense your attitude. Repeat the customer’s name, people like to hear their name. Be enthusiastic and energetic.
• Under promise and over deliver – Set accurate timelines and expectations.
• Be a problem solver. When things go wrong make them right, accept responsibility don’t blame others, own it. Always follow-up promptly, keep your promises. Empower your employees to make decisions.
• Every employee is the face of the business, at work or away from work. You must walk the walk and talk the talk in your everyday life in order to be credible. You never know when someone is watching.
• Be responsive, respond quickly to requests or inquiries, let them know when you will be providing the information or service they requested.
• Every member of the organization shall conduct themselves with professionalism, in attitude, dress, conversations and interactions with clients. Work with integrity and honesty.
• Have a written, vision, mission, motto and slogan. Make sure it is in alignment with your values. Share it with your employees and customers. Post it where customers can see it. And ensure every employee can repeat it.

Be an Active listener, ask questions and give them time to respond, use silence effectively, the customer will tell you everything you want to know.  NEVER INTERRUPT the customer.  The Customer is King.  You may have heard the adage, “The customer is right, even when they’re wrong”?

Speak in a calm and confident voice.  Be careful of pitch, whiney, nasal, and sing-song styles. Listening to you should not be painful, it should be calming and authoritative. Speak with confidence and clarity, enunciate and speak slowly.

Be careful with your emails.  Read and re-read your responses for typo’s, grammar, punctuation and professionalism. Always have the company logo and your contact information on every email sent.

10 GENERAL RULES TO ASK YOURSELF

1. Do I come to work with positive attitude every day?
2. Am I excited to come to my place of employment?
3. Does the way I speak portray me as a capable adult?
4. Do I use slang words in my conversations or laugh inappropriately?
5. Do I talk too much, too loud and use too many words to communicate?
6. Am I abrupt, rude or impatient with the callers, customers and difficult clients?
7. Do I take out my frustration out on teammates or the customer?
8. Do I ever trash talk about a customer?
9. Am I courteous and behave professionally at all times?
10. Is my appearance professional and appropriate for the workplace?