Exemplary customer service is hard to find. Few companies want to take the time to deliver the level of customer service about which I am writing. Instead, most default to the digital messaging format and what I call voicemail jail.Because it is so easy to default to the digital version, real customer service is almost extinct. If there is anything exciting about that, it is that, with just a little effort and commitment you can really make your organization stand out. But standing out is only the “tip of the iceberg.” You can actually add to your “bottom line” quickly and very efficiently.
Some recent research has shown that just a 5% change in customer retention can add as much as 65% to your profits. Now that should get your attention.Here are Ten Tips on how you can actually retain more clients and rapidly grow your profits:1. Know what an average customer is worth-that information will get most charged up2. Have a “real person” answer the phones and interact with the customer3. Learn to listen to the problem4. Find out what would satisfy the customer5. Ask for time to solve the problem6. Take ownership – don’t pass it off to someone else7. Be specific and tell them what will happen next
8. Do what you say you will do9. Ask for feedback10. Give them some lagniappePlease be aware that most (8 of 10) organizations believe that give great customer service but most (only 1 in 10) actually do. The big differentiator, today, is being able to talk to a real person.Remember that dissatisfied customers tell many about a bad experience and that it is much less expensive to keep a customer than it is to get one.