What is customer service? It is defines as: the degree of assistance and courtesy granted those who patronize the organization.
Good customer service is the root of all successful companies. It is, in fact, the root of your business and directly relates to your company’s sales. With out it, your business may be in jeopardy. The whole idea is to build loyalty with your customers.
According to “Keep Them Coming Back” by Joan A. Pajunen in Canadian Retailer, “Acumen Research Group surveyed more than 1,000 Canadian retail, banking and telco customers to determine what made them behave loyally and what made them leave long-term relationships; 43 percent of respondents abandoned a provider to which they declared themselves loyal because of a negative experience with a staff person, and 30 percent of respondents reported that having the feeling they are not treated as valued customers by the staff has been the main reason for taking their business elsewhere.
If a customer knows they will be greeted warmly and actually listened to they will come back to your company time and time again. “I used to go 20 minutes out of my way to go to a bank because everyone was so nice to me. They actually knew my name. I had a bank down the street from my home but would rather drive the extra distance for the better attention,” advised Shawn.
Some companies may not have the best product or even mediocre products but they will always have customers if they are nice. Therefore, stick to a few of the rules below and your company should be in safe hands.
The first rule: the customer is always right. No matter how insane or crazy the customer is make them feel as if they are right and give them a discount or some kind of credit for their disappointments if a problem should arise.
The second rule: always give something free to the customer. Make them feel special and wanted. For example, my mother used to frequent a coffee shop by her home and after awhile the owner of the shop began giving her free donuts. I think he did this because there were three other coffee shops surrounding his. He wanted to give her a reason to come back.
The third rule: try to remember names. This may be difficult depending on how big the business is, but try. Remembering a person’s name will make them feel super and special.
The fourth rule: give you staff incentive to be nice to customers. Have some kind of program that highlights the employee with the most satisfied customers. Or, take time out to thank them for being nice.
The fifth rule: never leave the customer feeling helpless. This happens a lot when people have to call major companies with their concerns. People are often sent from person to person. I can not count how many times I have been left on hold and sent from here to their with out an answer to my query.
Customer service is such an important tool in the growth of a company. It is a form of advertising because one disappointed customer really equates to two disappointed customers. People talk and really talk when they are upset. My suggestions would be to greet each customer with a smile and try to remember their name. Keep in mind that your customer service is a direct link to your business success.
