Customer Is the “King”- 10 Rules for Great Customer Service
This is a contribution post by Swati Mathur
There is only one boss, and whether a person shines shoes for a living or heads the biggest corporation in the world, the boss remains the same. Who is it? It is the customer!
Customer loyalty- the cutting edge of service in the new millennium.
Customers today are more demanding than yesterday. And more importantly they have a choice. So, we need to deliver service that is one step ahead of the customers’ expectations. A survey shows that out of 100 dissatisfied customers “97% don’t complain” they just shift to the competition”.
Literally everything we do, every concept perceived, every technology developed and associate employed, is directed with this one objective clearly in mind – pleasing the customer.
–Sam Walton, Owner & CEO, Wal-Mart
What does good customer service mean?
- Providing a quality product or service
- Satisfying the needs/wants of a customer
- Resulting in a repeat customer
- Good customer service results in: Continued success
- Increased profits
- Higher job satisfaction
- Improved company or organization morale
- Better teamwork
- Market expansion of services/products
Why customer service matters? Well, to be in the business and to stay in the job it is important that customers remain happy and satisfied. We should not forget that customers have expectations often set by the industries that are similar which are continually evolving and growing more demanding.
The importance of “how” has empowered the importance of “what” as the way you supply or deliver your product or service is more important than the product itself. Companies cannot relax because they are successful as change in market and technology advancement can reverse past success very quickly, leaders need to preserve and consolidate their position through innovative strategies and practices.
Above all no company can take customers for granted. You may have great product; you may be number one in the industry. However, if your competitors serve customers better than you, you will lose everything.
10 Rules for Great Customer Service
1.Commit to quality service:
- Create apositive experience for the customer.
- Go above and beyond customer expectations.
2 Know your products:
- Helps win a customer’s trust and confidence.
3. Know your customers:
- Tailor your service approach to their needs & buying habits.
- Get to the root of customer dissatisfaction by talking to people and understanding complaints.
4. Treat people with courtesy and respect:
- Every contact with a customer leaves an impression.
- Use phrases like “sorry to keep you waiting,” “thanks for your order,” “you’re welcome,” and “it’s been a pleasure helping you.”
5. Never argue with a customer:
- Be solution focused rather than problem focused.
- Research shows that 7 out of 10 customers will do business with you again if you resolve a complaint in their favor.
6. Don’t leave customers hanging:
- All communications with customers need to be handled with a sense of urgency.
- Research shows that 95% of dissatisfied customers will do business with a company again if their complaint is resolved on the spot.
7. Always provide what you promise:
- Failure to do this is a sure way to lose credibility with your customer.
- If you can’t make good on your promise, apologize and offer some type of compensation, such as a discount or free delivery.
8. Assume that customers are telling the truth:
- The majority of customers don’t like to complain; in fact, they’ll go out of their way to avoid it.
9. Focus on making customers, not making sales:
- Focus on the quality rather the volume of the sale.
- Research shows that it costs six times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing one.
10. Make it easy to buy:
- Make the process simple and user-friendly.
Final thoughts
If you don’t Take care of your customer, someone else will. Focus on making a customer, not a sale. Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning!
Swati Mathur is a certified Image consultant, a trainer, a coach and a mental health advocate. She believes in lifelong learning and empowering future generation with soft skills which are considered as most critical in improving the probability of their success. She feels unlearn-learn and relearn can help you to be abreast with today’s dynamic world. She owns two blogs, one where she reviews books and the second blog focuses on critical life skills and mental health. She has also authored an e-book, A2Z of Image Management.
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