I have often been asked about the effectiveness of "buying" customer service in a small solo business. Solo owners want to know if putting forth the extra effort to become stellar at giving outstanding customer service will really increase their business bottom line proportionate to the cost of taking the time to rise above mediocre or "standard" and expected service.
There is no doubt that excelling at customer service carries a cost and every business owner must absolutely be keenly aware of all the costs associated with her business. But my feeling has always been that an owner can't afford to decide whether she will choose excellent customer service or not . . . that decision was already made when the owner decided to go into business!
You see, customer service is a mindset, a style of doing business, a method of operating that shouldn't be thought of as an added component to a business that can be turned on or off at the owner's whim.
I believe if you decide to go into any business arrangement, you automatically commit to giving your customers the very best you have. If you can't provide a valuable service to those who give you money, what else can you do for them that will keep them engaged with your business?
The great thing about customer service is that we are all experts at recognizing what it is. Who among us can't tell the difference between mediocre or even lousy service and fantastic customer care? Just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, great customer service is a function of the perception of your business execution by your clients. Further, because client expectations can vary widely, and you don't always know who is going to be hard to please, it is essential that you stretch the limits, go the extra mile, exceed expectations with everyone.
Of course you will always encounter the "customer from hell" - the one guy that can't be pleased no matter how hard you try. But if you make a habit of extending your very best service to every customer, the 99.9 percent of rational people you encounter will recognize your effort as going beyond their expectation.
Nothing you can do in your business will make a difference like proving to your customer that you are there to take care of his wants and desires - not a low price, not a vast product selection, not even an unquestionable money back guarantee.
Paying customers want to be treated right. They want to deal with people who care - businesses that recognize them as more than a dollar sign. Who doesn't want to be treated like a VIP before, during, and after the sale?
When you really think about it, most businesses provide products that can be found for purchase at a number of venues. Even if you sell one-of-a-kind items, there are always buying alternatives available to the customer. So what differentiates one business from its competitors? Yes, it's customer service and it can be a real competitive advantage.
If you can find a way to WOW your customers every time they deal with your business, you will become their automatic choice, their "only logical solution" when they seek what your are selling. I can't tell you what that kind of allegiance will do for your business.
There is a business principle called reciprocity that manifests itself in most every aspect of our lives. Reciprocity is this: you get back what you put in.
You exercise, you get stronger. You eat healthier, you get healthier. You get sleep, you get rested. You become a friend, you get friends. You treat others well, they reciprocate and treat you well.
Reciprocity in business always begins with the vendor. Don't expect prospects to be loyal to your business on first contact. You must take the initiative and prove yourself.
I don't care if you spend ridiculous amounts on marketing your business - if you don't make an effort to elevate your level of service above the competition, you will never rise to become a market power in your niche. Why?
It has been said that 80 percent of your business will come from 20 percent of your customers. If you don't capture that critical 20 percent as loyal customers, you won't ever see the benefit of the 80 percent of ongoing sales. Repeat customers are a virtual goldmine.
So what can you do to instill awesome customer service in your business? Here are seven suggestions that might help you get started:
1. Don't view customer service as optional. View it as being central to how you execute your business model. Make a commitment to yourself as the solo business owner that as long as you are in business you will over-deliver on the care you give and every customer with each request and transaction.
2. Look for areas to apply little acts of service in every aspect of your business. In order to do that, you must view the customer as your object of effort. What can you do to increase contact points with your customers and then excel in giving that customer your very best service.
3. As much as anything, extraordinary customer service is about persistence. Can the customer count on you to make him feel good about every transaction you consummate? Soon your customers will be shopping with you because you have gained their trust and they know that you will treat them like royalty. In a sense, you will have earned their business not so much for the products you sell but for the way you make them feel and for reducing the risk they might otherwise have with a purchase.
4. You must somehow rise above the competition. You do that by providing an outstanding shopping experience where the customer walks away feeling like he has taken advantage of you, the vendor. He has gotten way more value out of the deal than he has paid for. In essence, you have over-delivered on what the customer was expecting and you have reinforced your brand in his mind so that you now become the only logical solution to his shopping need in your niche.
5. You must maintain your service level at all times. Excellence means you are unrelenting and you are passionate about your business and your customers. Quality flows through every aspect of your business including the products themselves. At no point do you want your customer to feel as though he is being forgotten or neglected.
6. Look for opportunities to make contact other than when it is initiated by the customer. Keep a mailing list and an email list and set yourself up so that you are there to assist the customer even when he isn't actively shopping. Hold special sales or VIP events for your customers to make them feel like they are special - for that is really what they are!
7. Be on guard so that you will be quick to correct any mistakes or problems that will inevitably come up. Solicit feedback and welcome suggestions from those that pay your salary - find out what they want by sincere effort to understand why they are shopping with you. Take every opportunity to listen to what the customer is saying.
Remember that excellent customer service is a journey rather than a destination. You walk down the road with your customers every day and try to make them as comfortable and happy as you can. For that you will be rewarded handsomely.
