Better Customer Service

How does your customer service rank on a scale 1 to 10? Okay, maybe the better question is, how do you think your customer service ranks? And more importantly, what do your customers think of it? Have you ever asked them?

Customer service is oh so important! Yes, we have to deliver excellent products and services to our clients and customers, but just because they hire us or buy from us, doesn’t mean they will come back! It’s not a guarantee for loyalty. So it’s our duty to ensure that our customers willingly come back to us and, even better, tell others about us, too!

Here are a few examples of customer service that will show your clients that you appreciate them and consider them far more than just a number.

Be easy to do business with. If you own a storefront, publically accessible office or work virtually, be sure to post your hours of operation in a prominent place (as well as in any applicable advertising)… and be open and available during those hours.

Stay in touch. Whether you’re a service- or product-based business, do you make a concentrated effort to keep in touch with your clients above and beyond normal business communications? Do you send a newsletter or promotional postcards? Do you telephone once in a while just to check in? Do you send handwritten notes of appreciation?

Offer a loyalty or incentive program. Do you have a way to keep track and reward customers who spend more with you? If you sell products, you could offer discounts or rewards for those who do business with you more often. In the service industry, you could offer discounts for clients who purchase retainer hours… the more hours purchased, the higher the discount.

Reward the biggest spenders. Do you pay attention to who spends the most with you? You should know who your top clients are and give them gifts for their loyalty. Depending on the type of business you are in, offer free products relating to your business. If you sell books, give away a free book. If you offer coaching services, give a free coaching session.

Under promise and over deliver. This should be the overall motto for customer service everywhere! No matter what business you are in or products you sell, you should always do and provide more than what you say you will. By getting the job done quicker, or delivering a product sooner, or tossing a coupon into the bag, you’re giving your clients a reason to say, “Bonus!”

Hopefully you realize how easy it is to provide better customer service than perhaps you are right now. It really doesn’t take much to do and the payoffs can be tremendous!

If you happen to need help implementing any of the above ideas or want to brainstorm something totally different, I’d be glad to help!