Daniel C. Felsted
In your opinion what is your most valuable business asset? In your personal life, the list may vary from mine. But in your professional lives, it will not. It is our customers. Without them how many bills can you pay? Not many. With that said why isn’t customer satisfaction your number one business priority?
By changing your businesses focus to a customer-centric focus, you will be able to see how this affects your business and truly is, and should have always been your business’ strength. When you give your all to your customers, they in return will reward you with loyalty and increased sales. Following are some simple tips to help you get there.
• Always greet your customers with a welcoming smile and greeting.
• Always address your customers by their formal name, use Mr., Mrs., Ms. Only use their first name if a personal friend or asked to. Act like the professional that you are.
• Always assume ownership of your customers’ problems—even if you are not responsible for them.
• Always apologize if you cause your customers to wait. Edited out.
• Always attend to the customers in your store. If the phone rings put the caller on hold or get someone else to answer the line.
• Always invite customers to join your loyalty program and inform them of its benefits.
• Always thank your customers for their patronage and invite them back.
• Always resolve your customer’s problems. Mistakes don’t make customers leave. It is, however, the way problems are addressed or dismissed.
• Always follow-up with customers who had problems or were upset by contact with your business.
• Always let your customers know how important they are to you and your business, and ask for their comments and suggestions by inviting them to fill out your customer suggestion form.
Take time to implement these tools, and over time you will see how customers will reward you with increased patronage, life-long loyalty, and will happily refer their friends to you.
Remember, each of your customers wished to be thought highly of by their friends and colleagues. They will happily recommend you and your product/service if they have been respected, cared for, and genuinely satisfied. Conversely, if you ignore these simple tips and treat customers as a burden or a pain, they will treat you the same, and your business will suffer.
