Companies that don??™t value customer service don??™t last that long. Everybody in business has to value the opinions and the satisfaction of their paying client??le. Any company that you can think of, no matter how iconoclastic they strive to be (from Howard Stern to the NFL to exiled writer James Frey) all of these people are in the business to make their target audience happy.
You must take proactive steps to satisfy your customers. Here are five suggestions often overlooked.
5. Minimize Conflict, Offer a Solution
If a customer is complaining about your company, on the phone or in business, strive to settle the conflict and offer a solution instead of a firm rejection. Make sure call center representatives or hired help understands this basic concept before you let them run your company into the ground with rude customer service.
4. Give Personal Attention
Don??™t become too high and mighty that you can??™t personally introduce yourself to your customers. Go up to your store customers, introduce yourself and ask some friendly questions. This is an old technique from restaurants that should continue to apply. Once you start hiring little guys to give all the TLC while you walk around scaring people, then you have crossed over into Lex Luthor territory. And don??™t you know that Lex always loses?
3. Keep Your Customers Updated
Successful businesses always have something going on. Whether you run an online website, a blog, a restaurant or a nuclear arms factory, then make sure to keep your customer base updated as to new happenings, new services and new products. You may do this via a newsletter, an email message, or simply by adding new material to your existing product line.
2. Send Personal Thank Yous
Some may think that customer retention programs are a waste of time or money. However, the reverse is definitely true. If you ham it up and show your customers that you care, they will remember you. This is vital in building your name identification. Never send anything (from a card, to a news letter, or coupon sheet) and your customers will gradually forget you. Any relationship, even a business relationship, must be maintained.
1. Give Away Freebies!
Everyone loves freebies and if your customers have spent so much money on your products, why not give some free gifts to show appreciation? Freebies can include anything from free software, to free music, free months of service, or even free food.
1 thought on “Rules Of Exemplary Customer Service”
Wow, Srini! I almost posted something on my blog on this very subject. It was triggered by my experience at an Applebee’s Restaurant the other day. Now, I’ll admit that my friend and I can be a bit high maintenance with our special orders, but we are nice about it and we tip well (we both have food service experience). Toward the end of my meal I got an urgent phone call from my foster son at school. He was having a melt-down and needed me to come get him. I told the server that I needed to pay because I had an emergency. It took her a good 10 minutes to get me the bill then at least another 10 to process my credit card! At first my friend was going to leave when I did, but then decided she didn’t have to and would stay to have another bowl of soup. When she asked for it the server actually ROLLED HER EYES at us! Had I not been in a hurry to leave, I would have talked with a manager. I am not a big complainer, but that behavior needed to be noted. I am appalled at the lack of customer service these days, more importantly, the lack of concern or even knowledge of what good customer service is! So… thank you for opening this discussion on how we can better serve our readers.