Business success is dependent on a variety of factors – a realistic business idea, a well thought-out business plan, an appropriate marketing strategy and great customer service are amongst the top ones. While customer service is a part of marketing, it can be segregated as a separate field on its own. It’s important to define the term customer service before we proceed. Customer service includes all aspects of interaction with a customer and speaks to the organization’s image in the mind of a customer.
A customer provides an organization with that most organic of all advertising tools – word of mouth advertising. A happy and satisfied customer is much more likely to send more customers your way. Further, there is the potential for repeat business, which is the backbone of many businesses. It is obvious that a customer who has been provided with a product or service that he or she desired in the ideal way, would build a relationship with the seller.
Further customer relationship management teaches the business where there are flaws in the system and provides valuable customer feedback. When a business receives feedback, it is able to see the customer’s image of the organization and the impression of its services. This tool is invaluable in correcting systems as well as image management for the business. It is also an outsider’s perspective, which provides the business owner or management a unique insight.
Additionally, a satisfied customer would be more likely to participate in activities that help to generate customer preference data. This data goes back to the marketing function in assisting the organization to better target and attract it potential customers.
In fact, it would not be a stretch to say that without good customer service, a business would not survive. The old adage ‘The customer is always right’ has been the foundation of many an organization and what it really means is that keeping customers happy is the foremost principle of any business. The reason for the survival of many small businesses in a tough and competitive market is their ability to provide personalized customer service. It is the human touch that warms and enlivens an organization in the customer’s mind and goes towards building a relationship. This relationship is the basis of future growth for a business.
Regular and sustained interaction with a customer ensures that the customer feels connected with the business. For instance, a small pub owner who chats with his customers and knows them by name builds a relationship with them. Further, when he makes sure that their regular bartender makes their drinks and the food is fresh and hot, he is providing customer service. The customers have a good experience and feel that the establishment treated them well. Once an organization grows or goes online, there is less potential for this face-to-face interaction and then the business must find creative ways to ensure customer satisfaction.
The role of customer service to a business, online or offline, is essential to its growth and survival.
Remember the 80:20 rule? You may not get everything perfectly right, but getting most right will be much, much better than the majority of your competition. These Top Ten Tips for Customer Service will get you well on the way.
1) Be Your Customer
Live the life of your customer and experience what they do. Stand in line, call your call-centre, soak up feedback.
2) Give Memorable Service
Make the life’s mission of everyone (yes, everyone!) to be customer focused – even those seemingly out of direct line of fire.
3) Have Product Available
Generally, you can’t sell it if you haven’t got it. Work your systems hard and focused to get product there on time.
4) Listen Hard to Complaints
Complaints are a wonderful gift – it is feedback of the highest order. Enjoy them and learn fast.
5) Enable Your People
Enable and encourage your people to give an immediate and generous customer response.
6) React Fast
Make sure that you and your people work with pace and immediacy with customer issues.
7) Be Systems Focused
Ask, ‘What would my customer think of this – would it give brilliant service?’ If not, reshape the system fast.
Be Curious
Encourage everyone in your team to overhear, be nosy, ask questions and feed back information from your customers.
9) Research the Marketplace
Do more in your own business from what you experience as a customer elsewhere. Encourage your people to do this too.
10) Have Fun
Have fun with your customers. It builds relationships. Relationships are business.
Ten Tips to success, in an easy to use framework. Will you take up the challenge?
(C) 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.
Did you know that an online business forum could pay significant dividends in customer service?
Customer service is a very important aspect of your online business. Some businesses err on the side of too little interest shown to customers while others can be extremely overbearing and smother a new client until they consider a restraining order.
There is a middle ground that can show your customers you care without pushing them to make an additional purchase. The struggle we all face in customer service is being able to adequately meet the needs of valued customers.
Certainly one of the best things we can do is respond swiftly and in the consumers best interest if they have a complaint. Future sales rest on the success of your ability to manage consumer complaints.
One of the ways to minimize consumer complaints is to allow customers to take an issue directly to other customers through a forum. At first blush this may seem like a good idea. However, it seems that when a consumer has the opportunity to ask questions from a third party they have a better chance at resolving many issues prior to a visit to your customer service department.
An example would be if a consumer were to purchase an electronic device from your online store and after working with the item, consider the purchase to be ill advised because they can’t make it perform correctly.
A customer forum would allow that consumer to visit with others who have used this product and may be able to provide guidance on how best to make the product function properly. In this case the consumer is happy, you minimized a complaint, and other customers are made useful allies in your online business success.
Certainly you will discover negative feedback in these forums from time to time, but this is simply an opportunity for your customer service department to shine. Take decisive action to remedy the problem and provide a post in the business forum with the steps you have taken to correct the issue.
This allows all customers to see the effectiveness of your ‘service after the sale’.
We’ve all been to stores where the clerk uses Point of Sale (POS) software to point out a variety of items that would go well with our original purchase. Sometimes this can be of help, but sometimes it’s just annoying. A business forum allows you to gauge a more appropriate response to customer problems and then demonstrate just how responsive you are. The good news is more than one customer will be impressed by your excellent response.
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: http://www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com
Did you know that an online business forum could pay significant dividends in customer service?
Customer service is a very important aspect of your online business. Some businesses err on the side of too little interest shown to customers while others can be extremely overbearing and smother a new client until they consider a restraining order.
There is a middle ground that can show your customers you care without pushing them to make an additional purchase. The struggle we all face in customer service is being able to adequately meet the needs of valued customers.
Certainly one of the best things we can do is respond swiftly and in the consumers best interest if they have a complaint. Future sales rest on the success of your ability to manage consumer complaints.
One of the ways to minimize consumer complaints is to allow customers to take an issue directly to other customers through a forum. At first blush this may seem like a good idea. However, it seems that when a consumer has the opportunity to ask questions from a third party they have a better chance at resolving many issues prior to a visit to your customer service department.
An example would be if a consumer were to purchase an electronic device from your online store and after working with the item, consider the purchase to be ill advised because they can’t make it perform correctly.
A customer forum would allow that consumer to visit with others who have used this product and may be able to provide guidance on how best to make the product function properly. In this case the consumer is happy, you minimized a complaint, and other customers are made useful allies in your online business success.
Certainly you will discover negative feedback in these forums from time to time, but this is simply an opportunity for your customer service department to shine. Take decisive action to remedy the problem and provide a post in the business forum with the steps you have taken to correct the issue.
This allows all customers to see the effectiveness of your ‘service after the sale’.
We’ve all been to stores where the clerk uses Point of Sale (POS) software to point out a variety of items that would go well with our original purchase. Sometimes this can be of help, but sometimes it’s just annoying. A business forum allows you to gauge a more appropriate response to customer problems and then demonstrate just how responsive you are. The good news is more than one customer will be impressed by your excellent response.
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: http://www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com
Watch this video for a demonstration of “How To Outsmart Customer Service”. Tocomplete the task, you will need: A pen and paper Information for the call A speaker phone or headset Get started with the first step: Prepare for the call by gathering all the information you need, like account numbers, receipts, and statements. Write out a list of issues so you can explain them concisely, and keep a pen and pad handy. Consider using a headset or speakerphone to reduce neck strain during the call. For the complete guide, go to www.howcast.com Also check out Howcast for other do it yourself videos from BajillionairesClub and more videos in the Communication category. How can you contribute? Create your own DIY guide at www.howcast.com or apply to the Howcast Emerging Filmmakers Program at www.howcast.com Video Rating: 4 / 5
The customer is always right, right? You’d better believe it if you want to survive in today’s competitive marketplace.
When you follow the money trail back to its source, you understand that taking good care of your customers is not just important, it’s imperative. More than any other factor, the service you give your customers affects your business success or failure.
Good customer service starts at the moment a prospective client comes in contact with you. Let’s say you own an electronics store. A man walks in looking for a plasma TV. The first part of good customer service involves pleasant, helpful workers who respond to the customer’s needs with a helping hand guiding him through his experience. With correct customer service, he is able to see his options, find what he needs, and leave satisfied with a purchase that pleases him. But good customer service doesn’t stop there.
Suppose the customer gets home and begins to watch his new TV. Within minutes the TV starts to smell funny and make weird sounds. The man calls the store very upset with his new product.
Assume he reaches an unhelpful salesperson who, in so many words, tells him “tough luck.” Not only will the customer never shop at your store again, he will tell an average of seven people about his poor experience with you. However, if the person on the phone apologizes, takes responsibility and offers him an acceptable solution, he is likely to calm down. By allowing him to easily return the product and get a replacement, this store guarantees his loyalty, future business and positive referrals.
Thus, good customer service starts at the initial point of contact and ends when the consumer is completely satisfied with the product or service, which may be long after the sale takes place.
While this may seem like a lengthy process, great customer care is the single most controllable difference between you and your competition. With so many choices available, consumers have little or no reason to remain loyal to a company if they are not 110% pleased with the experience. This brings us to the next important aspect of customer service, the FUBB Factor.
Follow Up Beyond Belief – FUBB. This is the biggest factor between good and great customer service. FUBB refers to the practice of going above and beyond the call of duty to please the client. In today’s highly competitive economy, it is crucial to follow up in any and every way possible. Follow up to the point that your customers cannot resist telling other people about you.
If a customer makes a suggestion, follow up on it. If a customer experiences a problem, follow up and make sure it has been resolved to their satisfaction. If a mistake was made, take responsibility for it whether or not you are the one who made it. Then ask your clients for feedback in order to gauge how they truly feel about your service.
When the customer is happy, business is good. They tell others about you. Life is good. But if the customer is unhappy, you are likely to face bad reviews, negative word-of-mouth advertising, and a lost customer forever. Be sure to make excellent customer service a top priority in your long list of things to do. It’s just smart business. A single customer, well cared for – someone whose concerns you have followed up on beyond belief – can pay you rich dividends well into the future.
http://www.Free-Insurance-Leads.com Gary Le Mon is a wholesale distributor of fixed indexed annuities for Allianz, American Equity, Sun Life Financial, and ING. Author, speaker, radio and TV host, Gary pioneers media-based marketing systems including newspaper articles, dinner seminars, radio talk shows, and TV interviews. He is coach, mentor and motivator to over 850 general agents in his insurance marketing organization, InsuranStar Marketing. See also Insurance-Lead-Programs.com.
Providing better customer service is an obvious competitive strategy that creates the platform to achieve success in your market. For that reason, is is almost unbelievable that customer service is so poor from so many businesses. Most business owners I talk to want to provide better customer service. However, their attempts to develop customer service policies and behaviours throughout their business are often frustrated. In this article, we highlight why providing better customer service is not optional if you want to achieve business success and some ways to achieve better customer service, by approaching the topic somewhat differently than you might anticipate.
Provide Better Customer Service by Identifying Unmet Needs
One reason many businesses fail at providing better customer service is that they try to compete head-to-head with their competitors. They take them on at their own game. This strategy is difficult to make work, because of competitor reactions. Both you and your competitor either get stronger at customer service, or someone tries to take a shortcut and ends up undermining the reputation of everyone in the industry. A better approach is to try to identify unmet needs within your market that no competitor is paying attention to. This is a strategy that can propel your success to market domination like no other.
One company that used this strategy and grew from a neighborhood outlet to a world-wide phenomenon was Domino’s Pizza. In a commodity market such as pizza restaurants, where they were getting killed, Tom Monaghan identified a need that no one was paying much attention to – home delivery. At the time, home deliveries were seen as a way to top up the down times when the eat-in restaurant was a bit quiet. As a result, home deliveries were given low priority and often the customer received their pizza order after a long wait, by which time it arrived cold and unappetising.
Guarantee Better Customer Service to Achieve Market Domination
Monaghan saw a way he could provide better customer service by targeting this unmet need. He came up with a strategy to deliver to this market “fresh, hot pizza in 30 minutes, or it was free.” He saw a need and used a powerful guarantee of better customer service to gain a foothold in this market. His strategy was so successful, that the market for pizza grew phenomenally, as he created a whole new market of pizza lovers who preferred home delivery who would not eat at a pizza restaurant. He not only changed his business’s fate from a struggling also ran to a hugely successful multi-national operation, all on the strength of a uniquely audacious guarantee that no one else had the courage to copy.
Achieve Better Customer Service by Selling Them More
One of the disappointing aspects of customer service in many businesses, particularly obvious in retail stores, emanates from the lack of sales skill of most retail sales people. Many business owners and sales people seem to think that selling is the antipathy of providing service. People don’t want high pressure, you say. Absolutely correct. But neither do they want insipid sales people who cannot offer quality service because they can’t think proactively about what customers may need and are too weak to offer additional opportunities to buy when they have a willing customer giving them their attention. This poor service comes at a high cost to both the customer and the business owner, as well as the salesperson if they earn any type of remuneration based on performance.
Better customer service can be achieved by being aware of what else your customer might need if they buy a particular item, and ensuring that your sales people ask if they would like it. McDonald’s made this an art form with the question, “Would you like fries with that?” You need to think about what products or services, or combinations of products and services, go naturally together. Offering these extra items is not high pressure sales tactics. It is better customer service to help someone who needs your product to identify what they want and how they can get them. If you don’t offer these things to your customer you are negligent and uncaring. As long as you offer them without pressure and allow your customer to decide, you are providing better customer service.
Provide Better Customer Service by Building Intimate Relationships
Intimacy is about knowing more about another person than the norm. When you build intimate relationships with your customers, you are get to know them in a way that you can anticipate their needs and provide better customer service. When you are aware of what your customers want and find a way for them to get it, you are not being pushy, as long as you relate to your customer in a way that honors and respects them. These days there are many tools you can use to increase your ability to communicate with customers and get to know their needs and wants. You don’t enhance your ability to provide better customer service by being back-footed and waiting for customers to ask first. Your service levels increase greatly when you let your valued customers know how they can get their special favorites first, or how they can jump the queue to get the newest item that may take their fancy, before it is made known widely to the general public.
Be creative and find ways to develop intimacy with your customers.
Providing better customer service is not difficult if you use your imagination and creativity. Don’t go head-to-head with your competitors and try to out do them where can compete directly against you. Come up with innovative ways to provide better customer service by looking for unmet needs, or selling your customers more, or by getting to know them better. It’s not that hard and the results can be phenomenal.
Greg Roworth owner of http://www.autopilotbusinessplan.com is an author, mentor and specialist in small business strategies including better customer service. He helps business owners transform their average businesses into efficient systems so the owner can live a life of freedom, fulfilment and reward.
Professional speaker and author, Shep Hyken, tells his famous story about the cab driver. This story is an amazing example of great customer service. WHO IS SHEP HYKEN? Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. As a speaker and author, Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. His articles have been read in hundreds of publications, and he is the author of Moments of Magic®, The Loyal Customer and the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best seller The Cult of the Customer (www.CultOfTheCustomer.com). He is also the creator of The Customer Focus™ (http program, which helps clients develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset. In 1983 Shep founded Shepard Presentations and since then has worked with hundreds of clients ranging from Fortune 100 size organizations to companies with less than 50 employees. Some of his clients include American Airlines, AAA, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, AETNA, Abbott Laboratories, American Express – and thats just a few of the As! Shep Hyken’s most requested programs focus on customer service, customer loyalty, internal service, customer relations and the customer experience. He is known for his high-energy presentations, which combine important information with entertainment (humor and magic) to create exciting programs for his audiences. (CPAE, or the Council of Peers Award for Excellence, is the National Speakers Associations …
Be Curious
