Three Tips for Providing Great Customer Service

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In leafing through my personal mail last week, I was pleased to come across a small, hand-addressed piece. This clearly was not a bill, a lame 10% off coupon or a credit card offer…what I was about to open was going to be something fun to read from an actual human being, and probably one that I cared about! I tore it open, excited.

As I flipped open the card, designed with a lovely picture of a mountain landscape, I began to read the note.

“Thank you so much for shopping with us. We appreciate your business and do hope you are enjoying your new sofa. Sincerely, Marge”

Now I WOULD have been pleased at such personal follow up to what was quite a significant purchase in my life. I WOULD have thought, “Yes, this company does care about me, and when I’m ready to buy a new table and chairs or bedroom set, I will be sure to go see them first!”

However, as you may have guessed by the way I am capping each “would” … my living room was (and is still) filled with lawn furniture. I am not enjoying my new sofa. I am still awaiting the delivery of my new sofa. In fact, my new sofa is two weeks overdue. I was already annoyed, had a backache and had called the store on the issue multiple times. I didn’t need this hand-written reminder from my salesperson of her and the store’s crappy customer service!

Your customers don’t want crappy service either. Below are a few tips for providing great customer service.

• Be reliable, be responsive and be credible: Your customer’s perception is everything. People pay for peace of mind. They want security, integrity, and the assurance that if there is a problem, it will be promptly handled.
• Establish Rapport: Customers will do business with people they like. Salespeople gain this approval by establishing a positive connection with a customer. Rapport can be established by simple gestures such as calling a customer by their name, recognizing mutual interests, asking questions, and making eye contact. The customer instantly recognizes the salesperson as someone who cares about their well-being, and is more likely to do business with the company.
• Appropriate Follow-up: Be sure to check your customer’s file and confirm the status of the order prior to following up with a personal thank you call or letter. If Marge would have done so, she could have helped to facilitate my order and established the ever-important rapport, rather than reminding me that I wouldn’t be shopping at her store ever again.

By providing exceptional customer service, you’re more likely to get repeat customers that want to come back and do business with you.

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Tags: ASK, Business Principles, customer service
Posted in Business Principles