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Customer Alchemy

Guest post by: Drew Stevens Ph.D.

Article Overview: While conducting a recent workshop one of the participants asked me about trends that I see. I informed the audience that we are in an age where customer-to-customer influences mean everything. With the use of the Internet with its spontaneous method of instant communication, customers quickly inform others about the good bad or indifference about products and services.

Customer Alchemy

While conducting a recent workshop one of the participants asked me about trends that I see. I informed the audience that we are in an age where customer-to-customer influences mean everything. With the use of the Internet with its spontaneous method of instant communication, customers quickly inform others about the good bad or indifference about products and services. To that end, it is vital for all organizations (profit and non-profit) to engage more frequently in customer service. Service is as much a part of the marketing and branding process as sales, in fact it might be even more important. The reason is that we are in a service-based economy. What that means to organizations is a need to constantly engage clients so their equity speaks well of your business to promote your brand. In an age of connectivity brand helps visibility as well as revenue vitality.

Organizations then need to ensure the following:

1. Hire the right people that are concerned with servicing the customer. There is a major difference in the manner an enthusiastic employee handles clients. Tom had a computer issue as was told by the representative they would remain on the line until the issue was repaired. Tom since purchased 8 computers from the firm.

2. The pen is still mightier than the posting. While the amount of email and texting messages get lost or forgotten. Clients' love receiving gratuity cards in the mail thanking them for business or congratulating them on a special event. The closer you become with clients they more they trust you and conduct business with you.

3. Constantly engage in conversation. As clients become more familiar with you the relationship grows. Similar to any other relationship the more they know you they want to tell others. The qualitative feedback helps grow the brand as others learn about the organization. Even Facebook and Linkedin grew their brand by sustaining client relationships and community.

4. Make life easy. Simply return calls as promised or follow up when needed. Bill has called his service provider four times and still has not received a return call. Clients have too many choices today; don't allow your clients to become a casualty of stupidity.

5. Do something nice. Everyone likes a surprise. I frequent a wonderful Chinese restaurant every week. A few weeks ago I asked Kelly the owner for Dim Sum. The restaurant does not make it they buy it. Three days later she arrived at my front door with plates full- at no charge! Customer appreciation is the best provider of brand value.

6. Service must be consistent. Customer service must exist in paper, your website, your marketing materials- everything. Customer equity is built with relentless consistency.

7. Learn how to handle the truth. Never trust anything to instinct or fate. If you truly desire customer centric relationships then you must mystery shop the business. Tools used for mystery shopping assessments range from simple questionnaires to complete audio and video recordings. Mystery shopping can be used in any industry, with the most common venues being retail stores, hotels, movie theaters, restaurants, fast food chains, and banks.

Improving customer loyalty helps costs. Loyal customers generate more revenue. Loyal customers with more experience with your brand typically will be more efficient to service. For customers returning again and again there will be a history of working together and understanding expectations and procedures that simply makes doing business together easier.

Yet loyalty cannot occur unless there is proper customer service. Service must be culturally embedded in the organization. It must be the walk and talk of your company and it must be the reasons why it exists. See it from your customer's eyes so that you can create enough chemistry using the organizations best ingredients.

What are some ingredients in your customer service formula? Place your comments in the area below.

© 2011. Drew Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.

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Article Tags: Customer Loyalty, 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: Paypal process $315 million in payments per day. - I agree with you David, their Customer relations suck. This mean other payment systems like 2CO and WORLDPAY should work on their customers relations to take more slice of the market.
Re: Welcome to Entrepreneur University! - Hi Evan and GT, Can you clarify? If you join the "Preferred Customer" you are not entitled to commission? Why? This is the the $79.95/month account, I don't understand why you are not getting commission from it?
Re: Email Marketing Benefits - Robert, Many lists consist of more prospects than customers. Customer lists are the best, but they are created because prospects successfully transform into customers.
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....


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