In business, go the extra mile. It's well worth it.
There's no denying it. One of the cornerstones of a successful business is the ability to retain customers. Considering the fact that bringing in new customers is a lot more expensive than keeping the ones you have, building customer loyalty should really be one of your top priorities. So, how can you effectively accomplish this goal? How can you keep your customers happy and satisfied? The secret lies in providing great customer service [3].
Let's face it. It's a jungle out there. Competition is so fierce you can literally cut it with a knife. Your competitors are aggressively finding ways to win over your customers. So what should you do? Aside from providing a great product, you should also provide great customer service to reinforce your customers' loyalty to your brand. You shouldn't give them any reason to be dissatisfied with your business or you'll be on the losing end. To keep that from happening, here are some tips that can help you deliver excellent customer service at all times.
Delivering great customer service
Know your customer. When it comes to customer service, there really is no "one size fits all" approach. You need to realize that each person is different. Each person has his or her individual style. As such, your customers may fall into either one of these categories – aggressive, passive, expressive or analytical. Learn how to read your customers' personalities and you can effectively give them the kind of treatment they want.
Be sensitive enough to perceive non-verbal clues. Research indicates that non-verbal communication can be more powerful and more reliable than the spoken word. So, whenever you are faced with conflicting verbal and non-verbal messages, go with the latter.
Take time to listen. Your ability to listen to what your customer is saying is definitely worth more than your gift of gab. Knowing this, you should learn how to improve your listening skills. Listen to understand. Your customers deserve that much.
Make sure you answer your phone. If you can't do it personally, then consider hiring someone to do the job or get a call forwarding or answering service. Your customers deserve to talk to a live person and not just a recorded robot.
Keep your promises. When you promise to do something, make sure you do it.
Go the extra mile. Doing something for your customers even if there is no immediate profit in doing it will surely go a long, long way. So, be genuinely pleasant and help out whenever you can. Your customers will definitely remember all the good things you do. And this is the best way to build a relationship with your customers [4].