Customer Service

Some reasons to provide awesome customer service to your customers are:

It doesn't cost you anything, so it's a great way to grow your business for free!

Increase customer and employee satisfaction. If you treat people well they will treat you well in return.

Increase customer loyalty, and therefore referrals.

Just listening to your customers may reduce your costs, do it right the first time.

Increase competitiveness, market share and profits.

Word of mouth advertising.

Meeting expectations so customers will want to come back to YOU.

The Art of Satisfying Customers and Clients can be broken into two categories:

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

If you have the know how and equipment to do your job you will immediately be able to draw respect from you customer and they will feel comfortable and confident about your abilities and your business.

If you know how to use the tools available in your business you will be able to fulfill customers requests in a more timely manner and have a much more efficient business with less wait times. For example, if you use a computer make sure you know the program you are working with or customers may have to stand on the other side of the counter watching your frustration, in turn becoming frustrated themselves for you wasting their time. This does not create loyalty.

Knowing your business allows you to answer questions based on full knowledge, creating trust between your customer and you. When you hire someone make sure they are able to do this as well because your staff is a direct reflection of you.

CONSIDERATION OF CUSTOMER NEEDS:

When a customer comes to you he/she is looking for a solution to a problem they have. For example if you have a store that sells camping supplies, I come in looking for a sleeping bag. The reason I am looking for a sleeping bag is so I can be warm while I am camping in my tent. If you look at whatever it is that you offer in your business as a solution for your customer you will create much more of a relationship than if you just see your business as selling "stuff".

Always treat customers time as very valuable. Realize that everyone is busy in their lives, no matter what they do or who they are. If you cannot help someone right away, make sure to acknowledge their presence with at least eye contact or a smile.

Listen, listen and then listen some more. When you ask a customer what they are looking for make sure you listen to what they say and ask questions to make sure that you understand what problem you are going to solve for them. Back to the sleeping bag example, when you ask me if you can help me when I walk into your store and I say "I'm just looking for a sleeping bag", your response would NOT be: "They are down isle 3". You would ask me questions like "Where do you plan on using it? What time of year are you typically going to be using it? Is it for you or someone else? Will you be packing it for hikes or just unloading it from your vehicle?" With these questions you will be able to understand what problems I need solved, so you don't sell me a sleeping bag that is only good to -5 degrees when I need one for the mountains where temperatures can dip to -15 degrees during the night. Solve my problem.

Give your customer your full attention. If you give a customer the impression that they are interrupting something more important, it devalues their importance. If they feel important in your business they will be back. We all want to feel important, like we matter. Another way to accomplish this is to use their names. Ask them what their name is, remember it, and use it.

Say Thank-You. Always remember to thank each of your customers for their business. It not only lets them know that you value their business but it validates their time and effort for coming to you, and not your competition.

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."
Lou Holtz