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3 Steps To Keeping A Customer For Life
The relationship between a customer and your company is more complicated than it appears. It's not a simple matter of the customer handing over some money in return for a product or service. Certain conditions have to be met before the customer...
A Business Without An Online Presence Is Missing Out On A Goldmine Of Potential Customers
Marketing on the Internet is not really a choice anymore, but has almost become a necessity in today's marketplace. No company can afford to ignore the fact that online marketing is now a multi-billion-dollar business. Those businesses without...
Customer Service Skills Training and ROI
Statistics consistently reinforce that the biggest challenge in today’s contact center environment is agent training. Turnover continues to be high; new hire costs are on the rise—I’ve seen anywhere from $6500 to $10,000 quoted per agent! At the...
Customer Service Tips
Promoters and Marketers can give these tips to their Customer service people in the hope that they will help to keep the customer satisfied. After all the hard work of selling the product or performing the service, the last thing you need happen is...
Does Your Customer Service Suck?
As a customer, I know what it's like to be on the customers side
of the counter. You want to turn over your hard earned money for
goods or services. You are then confronted with attitude,
rudeness and utter disregard for just how hard you have...
Get Paid to Shop And Keep Everything You Buy - Without Having to Pay!
Can You Tell Good Service From Bad; Recognise Value For Money; Compare Prices, Staff Efficiency, Product Range, Customer Service Between Rival Firms? If so you might easily find work as a ‘Mystery Shopper’ and be paid to comment...
Get PR Off the Bench
Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 895 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly ©...
How to Build Trust and Overcome Skepticism With Prospective Customers!
Would you agree that people are skeptical of any salesperson or business owner? And that this skepticism is part of the marketing problems we all face?
The reality of America in the new millennium is that no one believes in anything the way they...
Ten Ways To Improve Your Customer Service
Here's some simple yet POWERFUL ideas on how to improve your customer service. Nothing can do more for a business than having "happy customers".
1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer them a free e-zine subscription. Ask...
The Death of the Loyal Customer
One of my classes in management focused on the repeat customer. The course stressed the importance of the repeat customer to the financial welfare of the business. We spent hours discussing ways to turn “first time” buyers into...
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At Your Service: The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service!
Customer service is an integral part of our job and should not be seen as an extension of it. A company’s most vital asset is its customers. Without them, we would not and could not exist in business. When you satisfy our customers, they not only help us grow by continuing to do business with you, but recommend you to friends and associates.
The practice of customer service should be as present on the show floor as it is in any other sales environment.
The Ten Commandments of Customer Service
1. Know who is boss. You are in business to service customer needs, and you can only do that if you know what it is your customers want. When you truly listen to your customers, they let you know what they want and how you can provide good service. Never forget that the customer pays our salary and makes your job possible.
2. Be a good listener. Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions and concentrating on what the customer is really saying. Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they feel. Beware of making assumptions - thinking you intuitively know what the customer wants. Do you know what three things are most important to your customer?
Effective listening and undivided attention are particularly important on the show floor where there is a great danger of preoccupation - looking around to see to whom else we could be selling to.
3. Identify and anticipate needs. Customers don't buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical. The more you know your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs. Communicate regularly so that you are aware of problems or upcoming needs.
4. Make customers feel important and appreciated. Treat them as individuals. Always use their name and find ways to compliment them, but be sincere. People value sincerity. It creates good feeling and trust. Think about ways to generate good feelings about doing business with you. Customers are very sensitive and know whether or not you really care about them. Thank them every time you get a chance.
On the show floor be sure that your body language conveys sincerity. Your words and actions should be congruent.
5. Help customers understand your systems. Your organization may have the world's best systems for getting things done, but if customers don't understand
them, they can get confused, impatient and angry. Take time to explain how your systems work and how they simplify transactions. Be careful that your systems don't reduce the human element of your organization.
6. Appreciate the power of "Yes". Always look for ways to help your customers. When they have a request (as long as it is reasonable) tell them that you can do it. Figure out how afterwards. Look for ways to make doing business with you easy. Always do what you say you are going to do.
7. Know how to apologize. When something goes wrong, apologize. It's easy and customers like it. The customer may not always be right, but the customer must always win. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done. Make it simple for customers to complain. Value their complaints. As much as we dislike it, it gives us an opportunity to improve. Even if customers are having a bad day, go out of your way to make them feel comfortable.
8. Give more than expected. Since the future of all companies lies in keeping customers happy, think of ways to elevate yourself above the competition. Consider the following:
- What can you give customers that they cannot get elsewhere?
- What can you do to follow-up and thank people even when they don't buy?
- What can you give customers that is totally unexpected?
9. Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve. There are several ways in which you can find out what customers think and feel about your services.
- Listen carefully to what they say.
- Check back regularly to see how things are going.
- Provide a method that invites constructive criticism, comments and suggestions.
10. Treat employees well. Employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. Treat your employees with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for customers. Appreciation stems from the top. Treating customers and employees well is equally important.
About the Author
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.
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