If you want to be number one in customer service, you need to do a number of things that make you stand out from the crowd. Here are 7 ways to put you on top. 1. If there's one thing people hate about bad services, it's being treated differently than others. It makes them feel inferior and second class. Gary Richter says you should roll out the red carpet for everyone, but especially for those who aren't expecting it. I tell my staff that if we roll out the red carpet for billionaires, they won't even notice. If we start it for millionaires, they expect it. If we get it going for millennials, they'll appreciate it. And when we roll out the red carpet for moaners, they'll tell everyone they know. 2. Take the time to get to know your customers. The fast pace of modern living coupled with advances in technology have combined to put an inhuman face on most of our customer services. If you can find a way to reconnect with your customers one-on-one, you will strike a chord with your customers that will be like a streak of gold. Kathy Burns remembers a time when people took the time to care and listen. Some of you may remember, and others may have heard stories, of a time in your life when a doctor came to your house to check on you if you were sick. Or you may have heard of visiting your local pharmacy, where the owner greets you by name and asks how you are. Not only did they ask, but they really wanted to know the answer and took the time to listen to what you had to say. That's what customer service is - taking the time to get to know your customers, really caring about how they feel and wanting to go the extra mile to make sure they're happy." 3. Be easily marketable. One of the problems with modern businesses is that the systems we use to save time and money are often designed to benefit the company, not the customer. As a result, the customer experience is frustrating and difficult. Tracey Lawrence says this needs to be reversed. “Customers expect service from a single source. Customers don't want to be transferred to every unit of your business to solve their problems. They want to do business with you with the slightest inconvenience. Doing business with you must be easy.” 4. Go out of your way to make sure they are happy. One of the most important things your customers want from you is a guarantee that your product or service will work. So move heaven and earth to make sure it happens. Bob Educ suggests that you don't make people pay until they're completely happy. “Instead of offering a money-back guarantee, the service provider may offer a guarantee to resolve the customer's problem. For example, the plumber may guarantee to return at no charge as often as necessary to stop the leak. The landscaper can replace any plants that do not survive at least 6 months free of charge. A sales consultant can continue to work for free until the promised sales results are achieved.” 5. Notice what customers see. Much of what customers think of comes from what they see and believe. Personal Selling Power noticed the following difference in two pastry shops. Even though the two competing candy stores had the same prices, the neighborhood kids preferred one store over the other. When asked why, they replied, Because the person in the good store always gives us more candy. The girl from the other store is taking candy away." Real? Probably not. In a good store, the owner would always make sure to put a small amount of candy on the scale, and then keep adding to it. In a bad store, the owner would pile a bunch of candy on the scale, and then he took them off until he hit the right weight. The same amount of candy was sold, but perception is everything. 6. Work on everything the customer experiences. Customer experience is not just about receiving a service or buying a product. It's about all the other bits and pieces in between. Such as the manner of the receptionist, the condition of the floors and tables, the attitude of other staff, the ease of parking, the tone of the notice, the smile or lack of it on the face of the cashier team. Be like the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, which has a slogan that says, “We spend 600 hours a week pampering plants. Imagine what we will do for our guests.” 7. Believe in customer service from the bottom of your soul To become a great service organization, you must believe in customer service from the bottom of your soul. It has to be part of your way of working. Anita Rod dick, founder of the retail cosmetics franchise group Body Shop, puts it this way: “I'm still looking for the modern equivalent of those Quakers who ran successful businesses, made money because they offered honest products and treated people decently, worked hard, spent honestly. They saved honestly, valued money honestly, returned more than they took out, and didn't lie. Unfortunately, this business credo seems to have been long forgotten.” There are many examples of great customer service around you if you take the time to look. Follow these 7 Laws of Unsurpassed Customer Service, and you'll join them.
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