Tweet

Customer Service Starts with a Can Do Attitude: Five Secrets to Winning, Creating Repeat Customers

Guest post by: Ed Sykes

Article Overview: Whether you work in a restaurant or office environment, serve internal or external customers, or work in an environment that expects results, the following are five essential secrets to developing a "can do" customer service attitude and creating repeat customers.

Customer Service Starts with a Can Do Attitude: Five Secrets to Winning, Creating Repeat Customers

Let me share with you the following customer service story on how you can outperform your competition and win customers every day.

On our road trips to New Jersey to facilitate a motivation program for a client, Joy and I make it a habit to order food from a particular fast food restaurant. Although the food is not nutritious, it tastes good and is so famous that there was a movie made about the adventures of two people searching for this restaurant (Hint: Harold and Kumar are the two main characters).

During a recent road trip, as we approached the restaurant, we noticed that the lights were out in several of the businesses leading up to it. Nearing the front door of the restaurant, we noticed a sign that read "Restaurant Closed Due to Power Outage. Sorry for the Inconvenience." Well, we were not to be denied. We hopped back into the car and drove up to the drive through window and tapped on it. We asked what happened, and the restaurant employee apologized for the inconvenience and explained that a storm had come through the area and knocked out power in their business and they were in the process of bringing power back up.

We explained that we drove many miles and make it a habit to frequent their restaurant when in the area and asked if they could do anything for us. With a smile, she turned to her co-workers to get agreement on what they could do as a team and then explained, without hesitation, shared the following:

• "We have one burner up and running so we can make any type of hamburger for you. What would you like?"
• "Our shake machine is still frosty so we can give you free milk shakes, on the house, for your inconvenience"
• "Our fryer is up so we can make fries or onion rings for you, which would you like?"

We were delighted with the service as the employees quickly and cheerfully put together our order. She could have taken a "can't do" attitude and not answered our knocks on the window or told us they were closed. She could have used the storm damage as an excuse not to serve us. But instead, she displayed a "can do" attitude for creating and winning customers no matter what the situation

Whether you work in a restaurant or office environment, serve internal or external customers, or work in an environment that expects results, the following are five essential secrets to developing a "can do" customer service attitude and creating repeat customers:

1. Take Ownership for the Customer Service Challenge

When you are presented with the opportunity to give customer service, take ownership for creating the best solution for that situation. Instead of saying, "It's not my job," say "Lets see how we can help you" or "Let me connect you with the person who can help you." Your responsibility for providing outstanding customer service doesn't stop until you provide the service or the person you directed the customer to provides the service. Take ownership for great customer service.

Note: If you hand the customer off to another person to service the, go the extra step and follow up with the customer to make sure they received an outstanding customer service experience.

2. Communicate That You Want to Help

Tell the customer that you want to help create the best customer service solution possible. Say "Lets find the best solution..." or "Let me personally take care of that for you." This conveys that you care about the customer and their needs. Eliminate words and phrases that might communicate to the customer that you don't want to help such as "I can't" or "I won't." Instead say "With the resources we have today, we can do..." or simply "What we can do for you today is..."

3. Maintain a Positive Customer Service Attitude

Great customer service starts with a great attitude for service. Maintain an attitude that says you want to help the customer and show it. This means maintaining a positive body language, eye contact, and smile that says you want to help.

4. Enlist The Help of Others to Create Solutions

When providing quality service, no person is an island. Take the time to seek others in your organization that can help you meet the needs of your customers. Ask your associates for their opinions and how they would handle the situation. Also, find out what other departments or organizations can offer resources to help the customer.

Note: Remember, your team members are not mind readers, if you don't ask for help, they won't know how to help you.

5. Focus on Solutions

Focus on what you can do for the customer. Many times the customer service situation starts with the negative: what the person cannot do or doesn't have the resources to do for the customer. Instead, start with the positive: what you can do to provide an outstanding customer service experience. Make sure you take time to communicate to the customer the "can do" solution.

Whether you are helping your internal customers or external customers, approach the opportunity with a "can do" attitude to create a winning solution. By starting with a "can do" attitude you will gather the resources necessary to creating satisfied, repeat customers every time.

Related Articles
  Customer Service Secrets: Six Secrets of Outstanding Customer Satisfaction
  Motivate Your Customer Service Team for Outstanding Customer Service: Six Secrets of Customer Service Motivation
  Customer Service, the First Step to Satisfaction.
  Would you get A Tattoo of the General Motors’ Logo?
  They all buy. Only some return time and again
  What's Your Story - Part II
  Eight Customer Service Secrets to “Jumpstarting” Your Customer Service During Challenging Times!
  Risky Business - How repeat customers may jeopardize your future
  Set your business apart with little expense and effort
  Heck of a Nice Guy
  Sales Success Tip-You MUST Know the Answer to This Question
  Are You Customer Centric?
  Strategic is "Pounding on the Basics"
  Sizing Up Success: How Hsieh Found The Shoe That Fit
  The secret to determining if your advertising is profitable
  Thought dedication. You decide what to think, and how to react.
  The Role of Customer Service in Business Success
  Satisfactory Customer Service is No Longer Acceptable
  The Key to Internet Marketing Success: Create Value!
  Are your people providing STAR service?

Article Tags: business growth, can do attitude, challenging times, Customer, Customer Care, customer retention, Customer Retention, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service



Related Forum Posts
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT - Hi David, To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience". Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Re: Service Or Product? - I agree with starting a Service-based Business in the economy. Here is what I think is critical: 1. Researching that your Service business has a market. 2. Marketing the Service with as much leverage as possible. 3. Product-izing the Service (aka Package Expert Knowledge). This will only help elevate you as "the" expert in your niche and make you accessible to people in different price points.
Marketers, Learn What You Can, Cannot Control Online - I am a Customer Service Representative in my company so naturally every once and a while I get angry customers fed up with my companies policies. Oh! I remember one day on my way home from school I was walking by a gas station and there was a man with a huge cardboard sign outside a small car mechanic business telling people not to go there because they are crooks. I am pretty sure they lost tons of business. I know my mama kept away from there after I told her about it. I found it pretty funny. I wonder if the guy got arrested or fined though....
Wearing different hats in Business - I have a business that produces beautiful custom rugs for home and business environments. Different hats that I'm wearing... Rug Fabrication - 10 [i:21cr28m8](partially outsourced to an outfit here in the US)[/i:21cr28m8] Customer Service / Sales - 8-10 Bookkeeping - 1 Marketing - 6 Website development - 5 [i:21cr28m8](mainly outsourced)[/i:21cr28m8] SEO, SEM - 6-8 Accounting - [i:21cr28m8](outsourced)[/i:21cr28m8]
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Yes, you are right Mal. Attitude plays a big role in it. Robert


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Email Marketing Made Easy #11 - Avoiding Spam

Web Design in 30 Minutes - Can this be Right?

10 Golden rules to survive the Global Crisis

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.