A business idea can be motivated by a number of things – passion for something, need for more income, noticing a need to be filled, etc. Persons spend lots of time writing the perfect plan, coming up with the best strategies, tactics and measurement tools. Most important in their mind is “How do I get customers?” They do everything to woo them, seduce them, massage their desires, and then…that’s it!
That is the equivalent of an extremely great night out, that ends in one person falling asleep and snoring because they’ve consumed too much liquor. What happens after you have made it all so pretty and appealing? What keeps your customers coming back? What makes them want to stay? What stops them from firing you! Oh…you thought customers can’t fire you? Switching to a competitor, not having an investment account with your institution and only barely keeping a savings account there, shopping at your store less…are all some of the ways customers silently “fire” you.
It is not enough to set the expectations and meet them. Raise the bar. A good way to do this, is investing in some Customer Service. Customers really just need to know they are valued. That even if they spend $1,000 with you while someone else is spending $10,000…their “business” is appreciated and matters. They want to know their concerns are heard and addressed. Customer Service is not complicated either. It starts from the moment someone answers your phone. It starts from the moment a staff member greets someone who walks in. It starts from the words, the facial expression, the gestures, the body language.
Have you ever pretended to be your own customer to see exactly what service you give to others? Would you do business with your own company? Would you tell someone else about your own service? Customer Service training doesn’t have to cost you any budgetary allocation. All it takes is some interest in the success of your business, a look at your own company mission and vision, and setting some standards. If you have never gotten a customer complaint…kudos to you. But if you have and ignored it, eventually your