Successful Businesses are Built Around Good Customer Service

Good customer service can turn a startup retail into a booming business with a client base that grows exponentially. Contrarily, bad customer service can harm a business to the point of bankruptcy. A government funded study revealed two important facts about customer service:

• 1– The average customer with a complaint tells 9–10 people about it.
2– Customers whose complaints were addressed and resolved told at least five people about the positive experience.

It doesn’t take a mathematician to see the enormous impact customer service has on a business. Consider if five customers have a positive experience in a retail store in one day. They each tell five friends about their experience who also come into the store, are greeted with a smile and helped above their expectations and then tell five friends about the store. From five customers, this store now has 125 loyal customers and continues to grow.

Having first-class customer service is a relatively inexpensive investment in your business. Here are some tricks of the trade of some of the most successful businesses:

Practice the Simple Rules of Courtesy

A “please,” “thank–you,” and a smile can turn an average, everyday visit into a pleasant experience where the customer leaves the store happy, will be back and will tell friends and family about the store.

Answer Phone and Respond Quickly to Messages

As a general rule, there is no phone message or email that is too insignificant to receive a quick response. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that there is a customer on the other end of an email address. Use the same courtesy in an email as you would use when talking to a customer face–to–face.

Keep Promises

Don’t make promises you are unable to keep. If you tell a customer a product will be delivered at 2:30 on Monday, make sure it’s done.

Know Your Products and Policies

Make sure that everyone helping customers are educated on the products or services you sell and store policies. The only thing worse than not knowing the answer is misguiding your customers on their purchases.

Be Helpful Even if There is no Immediate Profit

I once went into a ski shop to purchase a replacement part for a binding. The shop didn’t sell the replacement but happened to have one in a bin of mismatched parts. When I asked how much I owed, the clerk said, “Don’t worry about it.” The shop didn’t make any money that day, but do think I’ll go back in the future?—you bet.

Keep Accurate Records Readily Available

Good records are critical when accessing return policies, warranties and customer’s past transactions. They also come in handy when trying to remember names and past interactions. A good point of sale system can store all of this information and you can access it at the click of a mouse.

Give More Than is Expected

A customer should always feels like they received more than they expected. Even if all they received was a smile and a “have a nice day,” a note thanking them for their business or a phone call to ensure the car was fixed properly.

Build a Relationship With Your Customers

A well–known jeweler uses the slogan, “Now you have a friend in the diamond business.” Wouldn’t it be nice if your customers felt like they were buying from a trusted friend versus just another store?

Address Complaints

Address complaints quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction. Keep in mind that arguing with a customer over $5 may cost $100s of dollars worth of future sales.

Listen to Your Customers

Listen to your customers so they don’t have to explain their problem more than once. Additionally, read emails thoroughly before sending a generic response that doesn’t fully address the issue.

Start Sooner Rather Than Later

It’s much easier to start good customer service practices while your business is still small rather than trying to change years of bad habits. Integrate the small details that make a big difference into your business’ customer service plan. Walt Disney, the founder of one the world’s most successful businesses known for its customer service, kept this in mind when he said, ”I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.”

References

About, Inc., A part of. (2006). Customer Service – 8 Rules For Good Customer Service. from http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/customerservice/a/custservrules.htm

About, Inc., A part of. (2006). Providing Customer Service That Outshines Your Competitors Customer Service. from http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/a/shinycustserv.htm

(n.d.). Customer service tips for small business. from http://customerservicezone.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=5893