The Buzz
Customers Driving You Crazy? You're Not Alone.
I was reading an article in USA Today by Rhonda Abrams who was talking about how hard it is for small businesses to maintain optimum customer service practices. She mentioned how, with big box stores looming down on profits and bad reviews just a click away, customer service is crucial to the survival of small business. She offered 9 traits of great customer service that I would like to share. I will be paraphrasing some of the list, so if you would like the complete list click here.
1. Integrity: The basis of all great customer service is delivering a great product or service with honesty and fairness. You MUST deliver the product or service as advertised. And your prices must be fair - even if not the least expensive.
2. Knowledge: You - or your employees - must understand what you're selling. Training your employees to understand your product and your business is a key to great customer service.
3. Set the tone: A company's culture gets transmitted from the top down. Employees only treat customers as well as they are treated by their employer and managers. If you deal with your employees with respect and decency, they are far more likely to treat your customers that way.
4. Training: Most entrepreneurs and small business owners are so busy they tend to take a "sink or swim" approach to their employees' training. How can you expect employees to know what to do - as well as to understand products and policies - unless they're trained?
5. Empower your employees: Empower your employees to make decisions. Employees who are empowered to make decisions provide better service and are more satisfied with their work.
6. Genuine good manners: Smile, be polite and say thank you. Always remember, your customers are more than just dollar signs - they are people.
7. Go the extra mile: Whenever you can, try to make the customer happy. Is the customer always right? Anyone in business can tell you no, but whatever you can do to exceed their expectations and solve their problems increases their loyalty to you.
8. Communication: Sooner or later, something is going to go wrong. Even in the worst situations, it's possible to provide great customer service. The key is to keep the customer informed. Never surprise them with bad news.
9. Say you're sorry: Finally, when things do go wrong or you are unable to accommodate a customer, apologize sincerely. You should be sorry when you fail to please your customers.
Rhonda closed her article with, "In today's business climate, the difference between a loyal customer - and bigger profits - is great customer service. When you're committed to your customers, they're more likely to be committed to you."
