Astonish
Your Customers with these Customer Service Tips
by Catherine Franz
Customer
service today is getting worse. Win customers over and you build
your business for life. Proven by the leader in the industry --
Nordstrom's. Nordstrom's customer service keeps improving and
they continue to drive others out of business because of it. Here
are six ways you can thrill customers and snatch a larger market
share from your competitors.
Offer
to do an extraordinary favor
Here's
an example of what I mean: A customer of a moving firm wanted
to ship a kitchen table and chairs set to his son in a city 300
miles away. But the moving firm had a hefty weight requirement
and a high minimum fee. The firm's manager said he made regular
trips to that city. So he offered--at no cost--to load the set
in his station wagon and deliver it on his next trip.
Under
promise, over deliver
A well-known
air freight company promises to deliver a package by 10 am the
next morning--but often delivers by 9 or 9:30 am. A local printing
company always finishes the job before the due date. These are
companies customers can count on.
Give
them a benefit they don't know exists
If
your business offers coupons for certain items, discount those
items for those purchases even if customers don't have the coupons.
Put
concern above profit
Only
offer customers items they can use. Don't sell them higher-priced
products just to make a big sale. You'll win the loyalty of customers
if you look out for their best interest.
Follow
up after the sale
The
most successful salespeople follow up regularly at scheduled times--not
when they have a spare moment. Help yourself follow up by keeping
a log of commitments made and when you promised to keep them.
Comfort
customers in time of need
Let's
discuss this with an example. If a customer's air conditioning
unit blinked out on the hottest Saturday of the year. Have a backup
plan for these type of emergencies. People never forget it when
you ease their comfort and will become your biggest raving fan.
Return their call no matter how busy you are or have a plan on
how to handle these calls. Work later than normal or have someone
part-time and on-call. Talk with them on how you can ease their
comfort until you can make it there. Ask if they would like to
go to the mall or a movie where it is air conditioned and you
will call them when you arrive. It doesn't matter if you are in
the air conditioning and heating business or you're a consultant,
think of ways you
can ease customer's comfort. And don't forget to advertise that
as well.
© Catherine
Franz
Catherine
Franz is a Life and Business Coach and Master Practitioner
in the Laws of Attraction. Catherine guides others in finding
the light of their own existence and walking an attractive truth
in their own lives. www.abundancecenter.com
abundance.blogs.com