Caring for Your Customers

April 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

We live in a strange time. One in which much is said about customer service and yet as customers we seem to wait longer in lines, are on hold longer on the phones, and we talk to a much grouchier group of people when we do get through. It seems that customer service has less to do with service as it does with just surviving till the end of the day!

And yet, as I said, we live in strange times. In what often seems to be a customer service wasteland, there are more and more businesses that have made a “beyond reasonable measure” effort to meet the needs of their customers and to provide customer service that sets the bar higher than ever before! These companies know from experience that the cost of making new customers is much higher than the cost of keeping customers happy, repeat buying, and referring.

The key to happy customers is how they are cared for after the sale. So, what can entrepreneurs and start-ups learn from these “customer-centric” companies? Here are just a few thoughts:

  1. Great customer service comes from a service oriented business culture. When the overall culture of the company is service oriented from the front office to the care of vendors, to meeting the needs of both employees and customers; great customer service is a natural by product.
  2. Great customer service comes from people empowered to care for the customer. If someone handling a customer’s concerns does not have the authority to take action “right now” the customer may well do business elsewhere the next time. Quick action and empowered employees make great customer service.
  3. Great customer service comes from a genuine belief in the value of your product/service. When something that you believe is best for the customer (your product/service) doesn’t live up to its value, your belief in the product/service should motivate you to make the customer’s experience right!

There are certainly other things that can/do make customer service work well. These are at least a starting point. What do you think? What have you done in your business to make the customer’s experience right? What great service have you been given from other companies that brought you back a second time?

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Real Customer Care

May 18, 2011 by 2 Comments
Reading glasses

Image via Wikipedia

I had a bad experience yesterday. I was planting some trees at church. I took off my glasses and set them on the ground (I know, not too smart). Needless too say they soon ended up in several pieces and very badly bent. After finishing what I was doing I headed off to the store (Lens Crafters) where I had purchased the glasses about 18 months ago.

When I walked in I didn’t know whether or not my glasses could be salvaged or not. The gentleman who took them from me didn’t either. However, after about twenty minutes of work, twisting, bending and reshaping, I walked out of the store with my glasses intact and no money lost from my wallet! All the while I was treated as if my glasses (and their restoration) was the most important task that the salesperson had on his plate.

Where do you suppose that I am going to buy my next pair of glasses from, and if possible who do you think I will request as my salesperson? You guessed it, the guy who straightened out my old glasses while maintaining my integrity and not laughing at me for stepping on them in the first place.

In this short span of time this salesperson expressed created an atmosphere of trust that not only made me appreciate him and his company, but also to tell his story by writing this post today. I what he did I saw three key ingredients that someone building a business that counts should understand and put to practice in developing real customer care:

1. Building an atmosphere of trust is essential to great customer service. People become loyal customers to companies that they grow to trust. While Lens Crafters is not the cheapest store for eye glasses, it is MY store because of how they treated my personal crisis!

2. Treating customers/clients with integrity will always work to your benefit. They way customers/clients feel while in your business and after they leave is critical to their willingness to both buy again and give you referrals. Treating each customer as if THEY will make or break your business is very important to your long-term success.

3. It takes a quiet confidence in your ability to build such trust. While I sat and watched, this salesperson went to his drawer of tools over and over finding just the right tool to bend and twist my glasses back into shape and even when things looked bad, he didn’t quit. In the end his skills won out and I am wearing those, no longer damaged, glasses as I type this morning.

The old adage in business is that it is cheaper to keep an existing customer than it is to develop a new one. (Something the media companies should learn …. but that’s another article all together!) So, with that thought in mind you and I need to learn the principles of real customer care!

What do you think? What kinds of unique things do you do to let your customers know you care?

 

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Real-Time Customer Care

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In this very technical internet world where people can comment on the taste of a cup of coffee BEFORE they leave the parking lot of their favorite coffeehouse, it is important for even the smallest business to stay aware of what might be said about them both online and offline.

Offline customer surveys and in-store suggestion boxes have worked well for many years. These comments and suggestions can be dealt with as trends begin to emerge. They can help in future planning and strategies for your company that will be seen in changes that occur over time.

Online, however, you need to act quickly. If a client leaves your shop unhappy with you, your product, or your customer care, they can immediately let everyone in their circle of influence know how disappointed they are and why you are to blame. If you are not monitoring these online channels, this message could spread like wildfire and your business could be damaged. And the worst part is, because you are not aware a problem exists, you are not in a position to fix/repair things.

The solution is simple: You need to be able to set up a series of searches online that will “monitor” you, your business, and your brand. Then you have to pay reasonable attention to these searches and respond to anything that is said (both positive and negative comments). This real-time customer care will help you gain more trust and will make you stand out among your business peers.

Most major companies are putting these practices into play and, even on a very limited budget, you can to!

Don’t forget that we live in a real-time world and to succeed you need real-time customer care.

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