There are customers and clients who have given you their
loyalty forever. They come back again and again without concern for price. They believe in you and what you do.
What have you done for me lately
It’s an old cliché but more true today than ever. As businesses focus entirely on growth to
survive, they often fail to recognize the value of those customers who are the
basis of their very existence. They take
us for granted. They do little or
nothing to keep us happy while they do everything to delight a prospective
customer or client. What gives?
Apparently nothing or am I in a fog
While so many businesses don’t get it and may never get it,
there are signs that the world of customer service is actually changing. These businesses are finding ways to
demonstrate that loyalty matters. The
relationship with the customer is the most important mission each and every
day, and there is a method to their madness.
Clues to greatness
- A major department store at the brink of bankruptcy, hires a new CEO. Suddenly there are new products. Centralized cashiers disappear. The checkout process returns to individual departments. Long lines get shorter. There are sales clerks everywhere. They smile and greet you. They appear to be genuinely happy. There is rarely an issue getting served. Questions are answered. Your shopping pains have solutions.
- Your favourite restaurant becomes more popular. You don’t have a reservation. The parking lot is full but you try anyway because you love the place, the food and its people. The manager sees you at the door. He calls you by name and says “we’re full but we always have room for you. Give me a minute.”
- You’re at a branch of your bank in a different city. You rarely visit a teller but this time you need a service only a teller can supply. While your transaction is completed, the teller observes that you are paying a considerable service charge on your account monthly, a service charge that is no longer necessary. Not only are the options explained on the spot but the fix is made with a smile and a “have a great day”.
- You need a new computer so you visit several retailers to explore the options. At one major outlet you meet a sales clerk who is barely 20 years old. He not only calls you sir not dude, but introduces himself and shakes your hand. Several questions later, he has an understanding of your needs and takes you to see the options. He makes sure that you have the best price for hardware and software. Time spent – over an hour. Return on investment – happy customer who will come back for other goods and services.
- Shopping for a major Christmas gift for one of your children. A clerk at a major retailer quickly understands that none of their products do the trick. So, just like a scene from the movie Miracle on 34th Street, the clerk recommends that you try a competitor. Not only does the competitor have what you want but it’s on sale. The clerk at the major retailer had researched all the flyers.
- You break two teeth while on vacation. There’s no emergency, you just need them repaired. Your dentist fixes two but only charges for one. And then, the next day, you get a personal phone call from your dentist asking if everything is okay and are you happy with the work.
Amazing things happen when customer service takes on a human face and those employees are trained and empowered to win not only your business but your future loyalty. In
each of these examples, the employee or the business owner went that extra mile
to ensure benefit for your business.
Is it still called value added or is there a new way of
looking at customer service
All your competitors pride themselves in their customer
service so what makes you so special?
Roy H. Williams recently wrote an article about marketing tactics for
2012. Here is what he said.
“Added value” is the popular name for what’s included at no
extra charge. But we are entering a time when it will no longer be sufficient
to tell the world what you include and what you stand for. To hold the
attention of the public in 2012 and beyond, you must identify what you leave
out and what you stand against.
Huh!!!!
- If you stand against grumpy uncaring employees, then fix yours. Find out why they are grumpy and don’t care by making it worth their while to change
- If you stand against the impression that it’s all about you and your profits then find ways to reward the loyalty of your customers. Talk to them. Follow up on your sale. Make sure your customer is happy. Give them reasons to tell their friends and family about you
- If you stand against the phenomena of “retail bureaucracy” then train your employees and empower them to find solutions for your customers. Not everything requires your permission if you trust the people who work for you and give them the tools to delight and succeed
- If you stand against businesses that seem to ignore emails or phone calls from their customers, both the compliments and the complaints, answer them on the same business day, even if it means completing the task after business hours. If not you then a senior member of your staff empowered to graciously accept pats on the back but also empowered to fix a problem
- If you own a plumbing business and you stand against the greatest fear of your prospective customers, butt crack, then have a dress code for your external employee that includes a uniform and a tucked in shirt. After all, who needs to see butt crack? And, from a marketing perspective how about this? “Al’s Plumbing and Heating – Home Service with No Butt Crack”
The bottom line
Understand your customers.
They have expectations but they also have fears. Know what they want and how they want to be
treated and do more of that. Talk to
them, listen, communicate with your employees and set the standards. Make promises to both customers and employees
and then, keep them. Your business will
thrive once you demonstrate you truly care.
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