The ten most important customer service factors

 1.        Delivering service quickly

• Speed – is a key of competitive advantage
• Remember everything is time based
• Time is the most scarce commodity in the world
• Fast service adds value
• Speedy follow up shows you care
• The more time sensitive your product greater the opportunity for competitive advantage
• Speed costs nothing but has to be designed into the processes

2.        Positive communication

• Cut out the jargon and explain things well
• Aim to understand and then to be understood
• Take responsibility for your communication – the purpose of the communication is the response you get
• Make written communications short specific and simple
• If there are any doubts – then simplify
• Talk benefits and not just features
• Treat others as you would like to be treated
• Always say what you can do, or will do, not what you can’t do or won’t do

3.        The personal touch

• People like to buy from other people
• You build a business one purchase at a time and a customer at a time
• Use the customer’s name in all written communications
• Courtesy, politeness and manners are keys to building trust, respect and loyalty
• Use names regularly in conversations
• Accommodate the clients special requests whenever possible
• The first sale that you make is yourself
• Rapport is a skill that can be learnt
• Non-verbal communication is the quickest way to reach people
• Get to know all your customers
• Give your customers full attention
• Make customers feel that they are your most important customer

4.        Keeping customers

Here are some statistics about customers

• 1 per cent die
• 3 per cent move away
• 4 per cent just naturally float
• 5 per cent change of a friend’s advice
• 9 per cent buy cheaper else where
• 10 per cent are chronic complainers
• 68 per cent go elsewhere since those serving them are indifferent to their needs
• Every year businesses lose 10%-50% of their customers and the business does not know who they are.

5.        Turning complaints into opportunities

• Complaints are great opportunities to improve service.
• Problems are ways of improving creativity and commitment.
• The people who complain are the people who want to stay customers and are looking for reasons to do so.
• Be proactive on customer service issues – not reactive
• Only 4% of dissatisfied customers tell the business the remaining 96% tell others.

6.        Creating “moments of truth”

• Manage the customer’s experiences – pay attention to small details they are the most important
• Pay attention to peripheral functions they are the most important – reception areas, phones, staff manners, parking, presentations etc
• Each time you meet or contact a customer your status is improving or diminishing – everything counts when it comes to customer interaction.
• When you are talking to a customer they are the most important customer.
• You only have one customer – the one your dealing with right now.
• Know the value of a ten year customer

7.        Exceed expectations

• The world is full of mediocrity – this is your opportunity to be special
• Anyone can make things cheaper but it takes vision and commitment to make things better
• Don’t do something if you can’t do it excellently.
• Set or establish clear expectations then seek to exceed them
• Explain terms and prices clearly, early and honestly
• Build a 10 per cent cushion into the promises you make that that this gives you the opportunity to over-deliver
• Whatever the customer asks for the answer should be –‘yes’
• Do something special for the customer as a standard.

8.        Good systems are as important as smiles

• Quality is the number one priority.
• Customer service and quality is part of everybody’s job
• Lead by example.
• Define specifics for quality and service.
• Set quality and customer service goals.
• Review progress to quality goals regularly.
• Make quality and customer service the most important thing by rewarding those that meet and beat the standard.

9.        Follow up and follow through

• Follow up with your customer just for the sake of it
• Show that you are interested
• The product isn’t sold until it is providing value
• Regularly ask customers how you are doing
• Listen, listen and listen and learn
• Know your strengths and weaknesses
• Know why some people are satisfied and some people aren’t
• Telephone surveys
• Follow up after transactions to find out how things went
• Market research
• Review sales statistics

10.     Deliver

• Training isn’t a cost its an investment
• Define what competent behaviour really means
• Establish customer focused standards of performance
• Simplify procedure to reduce errors
• Standardize systems to ensure consistency
• Think through methods and processes to pre-empt all problems.