- Answer your phone.
~Make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business. Notice this says 'someone' - people want to talk with a real person, not a fake recorded robot and especially not have to go through seventeen steps only to get to that recording.
- Don't make promises unless you will keep them.
~ Don't plan on keeping them. Keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship. Think before you give any promise - because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.
- Listen to your customers.
~ Is there anything more exasperating than telling someone what you want and then discovering that the person hasn't been paying attention and needs to have it explained again?
~ Can the sales pitches and product babble.
~ Let your customer talk and show him you are listening by making the appropriate response, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.
- Deal with complaints.
~ Do not adopt the attitude 'you can't please all the people all the time'.
~ Give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time.
- Be helpful ... even if there is no immediate profit in it.
~ If you can't help the customer with their need, suggest someone who can. Where do you think they'll go when they need help again? And how many people will they tell the story to?
- Train your staff to be always helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable.
~ Give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so he never has to say, 'I don't know, but so-and-so will be back at ...'.
- Take the extra step.
~ Don't just say 'It's over there.' Lead the customer to the item and ask if they need further help or an explanation. People notice when an extra effort is made and will tell others.
- Throw in something extra.
~ Whether it's a coupon, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile; people love to get more than they thought they were getting. Small things are greatly appreciated.
Customers all have basic expectations for how they should be treated. At every opportunity offer personal recognition, courteous treatment, respect, empathy, understanding, patience and professionalism.
