Customer Service Factors

The ten most important customer service factors

 1.        Delivering service quickly

·         Speed – is a key of competitive advantage

·         Remember everything is time based

·         Time is the most scarce commodity in the world

·         Fast service adds value

·         Speedy follow up shows you care

·         The more time sensitive your product greater the opportunity for competitive advantage

·         Speed costs nothing but has to be designed into the processes

2.        Positive communication

·         Cut out the jargon and explain things well

·         Aim to understand and then to be understood

·         Take responsibility for your communication – the purpose of the communication is the response you get

·         Make written communications short specific and simple

·         If there are any doubts – then simplify

·         Talk benefits and not just features

·         Treat others as you would like to be treated

·         Always say what you can do, or will do, not what you can’t do or won’t do

3.        The personal touch

·         People like to buy from other people

·         You build a business one purchase at a time and a customer at a time

·         Use the customer’s name in all written communications

·         Courtesy, politeness and manners are keys to building trust, respect and loyalty

·         Use names regularly in conversations

·         Accommodate the clients special requests whenever possible

·         The first sale that you make is yourself

·         Rapport is a skill that can be learnt

·         Non-verbal communication is the quickest way to reach people

·         Get to know all your customers

·         Give your customers full attention

·         Make customers feel that they are your most important customer

4.        Keeping customers

Here are some statistics about customers

·         1 per cent die

·         3 per cent move away

·         4 per cent just naturally float

·         5 per cent change of a friend’s advice

·         9 per cent buy cheaper else where

·         10 per cent are chronic complainers

·         68 per cent go elsewhere since those serving them are indifferent to their needs

·         Every year businesses lose 10%-50% of their customers and the business does not know who they are.

5.        Turning complaints into opportunities

·         Complaints are great opportunities to improve service.

·         Problems are ways of improving creativity and commitment.

·         The people who complain are the people who want to stay customers and are looking for reasons to do so.

·         Be proactive on customer service issues – not reactive

·         Only 4% of dissatisfied customers tell the business the remaining 96% tell others.

6.        Creating “moments of truth”

·         Manage the customer’s experiences – pay attention to small details they are the most important

·         Pay attention to peripheral functions they are the most important – reception areas, phones, staff manners, parking, presentations etc

·         Each time you meet or contact a customer your status is improving or diminishing – everything counts when it comes to customer interaction.

·         When you are talking to a customer they are the most important customer.

·         You only have one customer – the one your dealing with right now.

·         Know the value of a ten year customer

7.        Exceed expectations

·         The world is full of mediocrity – this is your opportunity to be special

·         Anyone can make things cheaper but it takes vision and commitment to make things better

·         Don’t do something if you can’t do it excellently.

·         Set or establish clear expectations then seek to exceed them

·         Explain terms and prices clearly, early and honestly

·         Build a 10 per cent cushion into the promises you make that that this gives you the opportunity to over-deliver

·         Whatever the customer asks for the answer should be –‘yes’

·         Do something special for the customer as a standard.

8.        Good systems are as important as smiles

·         Quality is the number one priority.

·         Customer service and quality is part of everybody’s job

·         Lead by example.

·         Define specifics for quality and service.

·         Set quality and customer service goals.

·         Review progress to quality goals regularly.

·         Make quality and customer service the most important thing by rewarding those that meet and beat the standard.

9.        Follow up and follow through

·         Follow up with your customer just for the sake of it

·         Show that you are interested

·         The product isn’t sold until it is providing value

·         Regularly ask customers how you are doing

·         Listen, listen and listen and learn

·         Know your strengths and weaknesses

·         Know why some people are satisfied and some people aren’t

·         Telephone surveys

·         Follow up after transactions to find out how things went

·         Market research

·         Review sales statistics

10.     Deliver

·         Training isn’t a cost its an investment

·         Define what competent behaviour really means

·         Establish customer focused standards of performance

·         Simplify procedure to reduce errors

·         Standardize systems to ensure consistency

·         Think through methods and processes to pre-empt all problems.