Tweet

10 Ways to Differentiate Your Customer Service & Make Your Clients Actually Feel Valued

Guest post by: Tony Kubica & Sara LaForest

Article Overview: Provide high-quality customer service to ensure loyalty of your current customers and also capture the attention of your future customers.

10 Ways to Differentiate Your Customer Service & Make Your Clients Actually Feel Valued

Every business owner and organization knows if they want to attract and retain more loyal customers, they need to provide high-quality customer service. That's why organizations today focus heavily on communicating how valuable their customers are to the organization. Now, the question is... How much do they truly value their customers?

Most of you probably had the experience of being a "valued" customer, yet you didn't feel valued at all! For example, you call a company for either customer service or to order one of their products and you enter into the electronic triage system only to be put on hold. You're told: please stay on the line, your call is important to us. Sometimes we dutifully follow the electronic request, and we wait, and even wait longer. Other times we hang up in pure frustration.

Or, have you been asked to complete a customer satisfaction questionnaire? Again, you are told that your comments are "very important to us". Really?

How maddening it is when you have taken the time to complete such surveys after receiving poor service, spelling out in detail what the issue was and why you were dissatisfied, only to receive no acknowledgement of your issue or concern?

Perception, as we have heard endless times, is reality. The reality here is that you won't go back or use them in the future. And likely, you will tell your friends!

We believe that providing excellent customer service should be an obsession.

Here Are Our Growth without Sabotage™ Tips That Will Help Your Organization Differentiate Your Customer Service

* Have a real, live person answer all of your calls. If you cannot have someone answer all your calls, subscribe to a voice message service and include a message that you will return all calls within one business day – and do it If it is late in the day, it can acceptable to wait till the next business morning. Remember, the message and perception in timing/promptness is, "you count"-- you are important and a priority to me.

* Return emails within one business day (two days maximum)

* Learn to be comfortable introducing yourself by your full name. When meeting in person, look at people directly in the eye, especially when you first meet them and insure you know how to give and reciprocate a firm handshake.

* Insure you clearly understand the customer or prospects need and priorities. Do this by listening sincerely and asking clarifying questions. Listen FIRST and actively listen more than you talk. Ask questions to clarify your understanding of your prospect's motivation to buy – but do so respectfully and carefully.

* Keep agreements you make to the prospect or the customer. When you say you will do something, do it when you said you would do it. Emergencies should be the only exception.

* Eliminate negative surprises for the customer. If there is a problem, acknowledge it quickly, apologize if appropriate and do your best to fix the problem to the customer's satisfaction.

* Always have your clients' and prospects' best interest in mind. Think of ways you can help them improve their needs to be in the forefront.

* Think of the long term sale. That means go slow, don't push now to sell or attempt to up-sell. Think of the longer-term relationship and resulting opportunities forthcoming.

* Warming- Flirting and fawning are forms of overselling (as well as demeaning) yourself. Realize how unprofessional and damaging these behaviors are with your customers and prospects.

* Warning - Don't expect the customer to understand that you are busy or short staffed. They won't and they shouldn't have to.

You may be thinking that this is obvious. Yes, indeed, it is not rocket science. While it may be obvious, the truth is that it is also frequently not practiced. And because it is not done well or consistently, it represents a key differentiator.

You need to capture the attention of your future customers and keep your current customers. Without consistent excellent customer care, customer loyalty is improbable, especially in this economy where buyers are more cautious. Now more than ever in business, we need to find ways to differentiate ourselves. We find that customer service is a simple yet powerful differentiating strategy.

Related Articles
  How To Differentiate Anything - Including Your Products
  Branding Concepts
  World Class Customer Service - Creating & Delivering It To Differentiate Your Company
  Are You Customer Centric?
  How Bad Is Your Service?
  How to Choose the Best Web-based Project Management Service for Your Business
  Lesson #2: Connect with Your Customers
  Research Findings on the Importance of Creating a CustomerFocused Culture It will shock you
  Are You Relationship Marketing
  How Tech Firms Miss Marketing Opportunities
  Three Powerful Reasons to Create a Unique Personal Brand
  Tips for Improving Customer Service
  Customer Relationship Management
  Just How Different Are You
  Customer Satisfaction is One Key to Success
  Marketing is about Differentiation
  Differentiation is the Key
  How To Profit From Customer Complaints
  Before You Jump Ship: Four Responsibilities to Consider Before Starting Your Own Business
  Enhancing Customer Relationships

Article Tags: business, customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, Customer Service, Listen, motivation, strategy



Related Forum Posts
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: Who Did You Learn Most From and Why? - Hi Martin, You missed out on the most essential community that helps you grow - Your Clients. Well, I believe that my Initial Clients have been the ones who have given me the moments of 'aha' in my business. They have stood by me even when I was a starter and that has helped me shape and build my stand. They have helped me grow as an entrepreneur, learn to have loads of patience and make the most of what comes across. They have also helped me to strengthen me as a person. btw, personally speaking, my Grandfather always kept me on track and lent me emotional support when I was down in any matter - be it business or otherwise.
20% increase - One of my businesses uses a system to help business owners manage customer relationships and encourage more referrals. I'm finding that this economy is making business owners take a second look at their business and it's assets (aka customers) to see how they can leverage them. Make those Customers (one-time sale) into Clients (repeat sales). I'm finding them more open to having this discussion with me and the results are speaking for itself. Everyone I've worked with so far has seen at least a 20% increase in sales or referrals within 4-6 months all done by managing an existing relationship.


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

Emotional Energy is Our Engine

Executives and Elevators Perfecting That Pitch

When Living the Dream isn't enough!

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.