Customer Service Counts

Are you going the extra mile?……..

The most successful companies and the highest paid salespeople place tremendous value on developing relationships with their customers and actively seek opportunities to provide service above and beyond their customers’ expectations. In today’s competitive marketplace, customers are aggressively prospected and their loyalty cannot be taken for granted. Customer-focused companies and individuals recognize that relationship building and customer service are critical components for promoting both customer retention and long-term revenue growth.

When it comes to superior customer service, a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work. Superior customer service has much more to do with the ability to listen than it does with anything else. Providing quality customer service is both a responsibility and an opportunity. Often salespeople view customer service as a burden that takes them away from making a sale. The truth is that delivering customer service provides a golden opportunity for cross-selling, up-selling, and generating quality referrals.

Customers describe quality customer service in terms of attention to detail and responsiveness. Customer satisfaction surveys consistently point to the fact that the little things make a big difference. The top two customer complaints with regards to customer service are un-returned phone calls and a failure to keep promises and commitments. Make an effort to see yourself through your customers’ eyes.

Customer Service Tips to Help You Go the Extra Mile:

• Pay attention to the small things. Get in the habit of returning phone calls, e-mails and other correspondence quickly. Follow up, follow up, and follow-up.

• Stay in contact and keep good records. Make notes from meetings and phone calls making certain to record all relevant information. Maintain a written record of everything. Set up a tickler system to track important contact dates such as client review calls and birthdays.

• Establish a system to monitor how your customers perceive the quality and quantity of the service you provide. Service is not defined by what you think it is, but rather how your customers perceive its value. When it comes to customer service, perception is a reality.