July 2008
8 Rules to Good Customer Service FACT:
• It is 6-10 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing one. • A satisfied customer tells at least five other people. • An unhappy customer tells around 20 people. • It only takes 30 seconds for a customer to form an opinion.
Nowadays, customers have come to expect fast, courteous treatment from whomever they’re dealing with. The goal of customer service is no longer merely to ensure customer satisfaction, but to go beyond the customer’s expectation and provide the kind of exceptional service that will guarantee customer loyalty for years to come. Be honest. Do you and your co-workers make your customers feel the way you like to feel when you are a customer? If the answer is “maybe,” “sometimes,” or even “most of the time,” then there is room for improvement and the future of the company may depend on it. By following these eight simple rules consistently, you will build strong relationships with your clients. 1. Answer the phone in a friendly, professional manner. From the very first phone call, you set a company standard- make it a good one! 2. Don’t make promises unless you WILL keep them. If you say you will call someone back at 1:00, make sure you call that person back at 1:00. Otherwise, don’t say it! 3. Listen to your customers. - Don’t interrupt or talk over your customer, wait until their finished speaking and then respond with the appropriate answer.
4. Deal with complaints. - No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug saying,”You can’t please all the people all the time.” Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you may be able to please this one person this one time. 5. Be helpful.-even if there is no immediate profit in it. The other day I walked into a watch shop because I had lost the clip that holds my watch together. The proprietor said that he thought he had one lying around. He found it, attached it to my watch and charged me nothing! Where do you think I’ll go when I need a new watch or watch band? And how many people do you think I’ve told this story to? 6. Train your staff to ALWAYS be helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. You may not have all the answers but help them know who to go to and find the answers. 7. Take the extra step.-Make every effort to help a customer but in the cases where you can’t meet their needs, offer suggestions on whom and where they might find the help they need. 8. Throw in something extra.-Even if it’s just a smile. People love to get more than they thought they were getting.
“If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will.”