Customer Service Series Part 2: How to Keep Them Coming Back
How many of you have heard your organization defined as a “sales organization”, or a “marketing company”, or maybe a “medical practice”…?
A quick search revealed countless posts, articles, and entire websites devoted to the importance of customer service. Never mind all the books written on the subject! And they all expressed the same conviction even if relayed in different ways:
- Research shows that it costs six times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing one.
- Most surveys across industries show that keeping one existing customer is five to seven times more profitable than attracting one new one.
- Current customers are usually less expensive …
- Studies have shown …
Customer Service is a 2-way street
So, what IS the secret behind loyal customers who keep coming back? Good old customer service. What is the secret to good customer service? It’s not a secret at all; we all know about it. Here’s a reminder:
- Be a customer-centric organization. Focus on your customer and it will reflect on your bottom line.
- Listen to your customer. Listen to their needs, wishes and issues. Take the time to identify what your customer is really saying.
- There’s a reason why front desk staff is trained to answer the phones by asking: “What can I do for you?” Don’t begin your conversations by telling your customers what you can’t do for them.
- Establish rapport. Don’t let your customer be a PO, a credit card number. Customers who feel anonymous also feel no loyalty to you or your company.
- Treat them as individuals, call them by their name. Think of ways to make their experience a better one. People buy from people, be sincere.
- SMILE! Whether in person or on the phone smile at your customer. People can tell your smiling even if your only contact with them is over the phone. Install a small mirror in front of you so you remind yourself to smile while you’re on a call. Works wonders!
- Deal with complaints. Understand your customer’s complaint from their perspective. Don’t interrupt; don’t try to prove they’re the ones who are wrong.
- Show them through your words and actions that you are serious about correcting the problem.
- Apologize. Not only does it diffuse anger it will send your customer the message that your company takes responsibility for their actions.
- Follow your apology with a solution. Find a solution to their complaint that is acceptable to them as well as your company.
- Re-connect with them afterwards to make sure they are satisfied with the manner in which it was handled and happy with the outcome.
- Learn these two little words; they make a world of difference: “Thank You”. Telling your customer you appreciate their business goes a long way towards building customer loyalty.
- Walk the walk. Make sure your tone, body language, facial expressions all jive with your words.
- Value their opinions and suggestions. It will always offer you an opportunity to improve.
- Go the extra mile. Sometimes it’s as simple as connecting with people even if they don’t buy from you. Or sending birthday and holiday cards. Or referring them to another business that can meet a certain need yours can’t. Or even walking them to the aisle where they can find the product they’re looking for.
- Throw in something extra. A coupon, a free download, a BOGO deal, a free sample. Give a little more than you’re taking.
Make it easy to be your customer.
- Never promise more than you can deliver.
- Customer service is not specific to those who hold the words in their title; it needs to be an important part of everyone’s job description, from the head honcho to the summer intern.
- You know the saying “A man is only as good as his word”? Well, in business your company is only as good as the people you employ. Hire wisely. Willingness to Help 101 is harder to teach than technical skills.
- Practice what you preach: treat your employees with the same respect you expect them to treat your customers. Customer loyalty often starts with employee loyalty.
- Invest in your people. Minimum wage + few benefits = disgruntled employees who will be perfectly happy seeing you lose a customer.
- Educate your staff as well as yourself. You offer sales training regularly, don’t you? Make ongoing customer service training part of the program too.
- Empower your staff. With knowledge as well as the ability to make decisions and devise solutions that affect your customers. Don’t pay your staff to sit around saying “I don’t know; I’ll have to wait for Mr. X to come back from vacation to see what we can do for you”.
- Teach by example.
- And another thing: when a customer calls your company have a real, live person answering the phone!
Monica F
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