Do unto others as you would have other do unto you

Another TWO QuickTips (QT) on the Customer Service month October 2010!

First TREAT your Customers well and more.  Make the 'A' Customers your lifelong clients because they are the Lifetime Value to your bottom line.

Think about it.

Experience 1: There are numerous companies out there (credit card companies are notorious for this), they will give away all the goodies to attract you to become their customer.  Meanwhile, you who has been a long time customer keep watching all these amazing offers that you are NOT entitled to because you are already a customer!

That is no retention strategy!


Experience 2 :  You have a client that has spent hundreds dollars at your Spa, for a wedding shower.  Al you so is reward the host with a $10-off your next spa treatment gift certificate.  Are you seriously trying to insult your customer?

QT (Quick Tip) 1:
-So, remember the customers and clients who have been loyal to you.  Don't just give them a loyalty card, knowing how hard it is for them to use those points,etc.  make it special!

-Remember their special days, treat them to a "The Day You Became Our Customer" Anniversary and gift them with something special and useful.

Next, what do you do when somebody does not buy from you?  Do you totally forget about them?

QT (Quick Tip) 2: 

Make sure you treat your prospects well. You'll never know when the timing is right for them to come back and buy from you.

Do something simple and kind. Create a WOW factor, so they can talk about their experience with you. Keep them in your newsletter, ask them if they'd like to hear about your future specials.  Give them something to walk away with.  A little sampling of your delicious cupcakes or eclairs if you own a bakery,  a calendar, a book, etc depending on the nature of your business.

Think outside the box (as long as you know what's in it first!)

Most of all, HAVE FUN implementing FUN strategies to keep and make clients!

Let me know how it goes!

What is Going On With Your Customer Service? A Quick Two Step System

Looks like the THEME for October is CUSTOMER SERVICE... so here we go

Did you know that 68% of your customers leave you because of perceived indifference?  They believe that you don't care about them, what they want or what they need. They believe that the only reasons you communicate with them is because you want their money.

So, let me ask you this - what's going on with Customer Service that people are leaving you? 

How many times do you send out a THANK YOU card, an email or a note when someone buys from you?  How well do you know your customers? 

An example of a guilty party - Hairdresser/Salon.  Why?

Well,  how many time when you walk into a new salon - they'll ask you for your contact details - so they can keep notes as to what they did with you hair, cut, color,etc.  How many of your personal hairdressers have even called you or emailed you or better yet, wish you a Happy Birthday while you're sitting in the chair getting your hair done on you birthday!

As a Customer,  how would you feel?  

So, as a Business Owner, make sure you have systems in place not only to collect data but also utilize that data. Remember the saying- People don't care how much you know, they want to know that you care!  Apply it!

YOUR QUICK TWO-STEP
1. Send out a birthday card/email/note on their birthday. Make a note on your Calendar, especially if they are your A-listers customer!
2.  Make sure you remember to THANK them for their business. with a call, with flowers, with emails or any other form of communication!

Measure the proportion of ongoing rapport you build versus the number of times they'll come and buy form you again and again!  Let's start SIMPLE! 

PS:  Let me know how that goes!

Dear Business Owner, Do You Truly Know How Your Product or Service Is Delivered

Dear Other Business Owners,
Do you know what goes on in your business?  Do you know how well your product or service is delivered in your business? Do you know how feedback is handled in your organization?

As a Business Coach, these are some of the questions I ask you to consider as you grow your business and add team members to leverage the delivery of your product or service.

TIP #1 - Customer Service - Feedback
Here's what you can do to teach and educate your team about handling feedback:
1.  THANK the customer/client for taking the time to send in the feedback - good or bad.

2.  Take in GREAT feedback and document it - LEARN from it - what you and your team need to do again and again to provide that same great exceptional service.

3.  Take in BAD feedback or COMPLAINS as an opportunity to improve your product or service delivery.  Don't LAY THE BLAME for the incorrect delivery on somewhere else in the chain of command in your organization, TAKE CHARGE, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY - that's why an APOLOGY is a great start in handling complains.

Note: Document what was done that left the customer dissatisfied and what steps you can take to -
a) Satisfy the customer who complained and fix it. WOW them so they'll be back and RAVE to their friends about how well your company took care of the situation and

b) Re-educate and empower your team how they can be better at satisfying customers.  Provide them with "Rules Of The Game" of what to do when.

Being in the service industry for many,many years I agree that the customer is NOT always right! I also agree that 80% of business comes from 20% of your customers - who do come back regularly and buy from you.  It does not however mean that YOU CAN TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS like they owe it to you to do business with you.

Remember, as long as there is demand for your product or service, there's a lot of competition out there. People buy from people they like - and that's the truth about buying! If you don't help FIX a customer-communicated problem - you have every opportunity to lose their business.  In today's day and age, you don't want the 'ugly truths' about doing business with your company surfacing through Social Media.

To quote: "What happens in Vegas, stays on Facebook."

Be aware. Grow your business consciously.  Treat your customer feedback with respect and FIX what you can respectfully.  The cost of losing a $150 business may not be a lot to your team, but multiply that by the number of people who will hear about it from social media- that's a whole lot more zeroes that can be added!