Customer service is so valuable, here’s why. Today, we get constant reminders with news of the difficulties faced by a business. Is it all bad news?  Certainly not.  Is there anything a business person can do to overcome these pressures?  Absolutely, but success in these challenging times is never easy.  As always, it demands commitment, hard work and an obsession with excellent customer service.

In trying economic times, many businesses focus on cutting costs – a distinct and prudent thing to do.  But some try to reduce costs by cutting corners on customer service. This act is precisely the wrong thing to do.

Right now, customer service matters more than ever.

• When people buy during an economic downturn, they are incredibly conscious of the “hard-earned” money that they spend.  Customers want more attention, appreciation and recognition for their purchases. Not less.
• Customers want to be sure they get maximum value for the money they choose to spend.  They want assistance, education, training, installation, modifications and support.  The original product may remain the same, but they want more customer service.
• Customers want more reliable guarantees that their purchase was “the right thing to do.” In good times, a single lousy investment may be quickly overlooked or forgotten. But in tough times, every expenditure is scrutinised.  Provide the assurance your customers seek with compelling service guarantees, regular follow-up and speedy follow-through on any queries or complaints.
• In tough times, people spend less time travelling, wining and dining, and more time carefully shopping for every purchase.  Giving excellent service enhances the customer’s shopping experience and boosts your own business’ image.
• When times are good, people make decisions quickly and sometimes don’t notice your efforts.  In tighter times, people move more cautiously and see every extra effort that you make.
• When money is tight, many people experience a sense of lower self-esteem.  But, when they get excellent service from your business, it boosts their self-image.  Furthermore, when they feel good about themselves, they feel right about you.  And when they feel right about you, they buy.
• In tough times, people talk more with each other about saving money and getting a good value. “Positive word of mouth” is a dominant force at any time.  In challenging times, even more, ears will be listening.  Be sure words spoken about your business are good ones.

So giving excellent customer service in tough times makes good business sense.  But how do you achieve it?

Here are eight proven principles you can use to upgrade your customer service levels:

1. Understand how your customers’ expectations are rising and changing over time.  What was good enough last year may not be good enough now.  Use customer surveys, interviews, and focus groups on understanding what your customers want, what they value really, and think about what customer service they are getting, (or not getting) from your business.
2. Use quality customer service to differentiate your business from your competition.  Your products must be reliable, and up to date but your competitors’ are likely to be, too. Your delivery systems must be fast and user-friendly, but so are your competitors’! Make a real difference by providing personalised, responsive and “extra-mile customer service” that stands out in a unique way which customers will appreciate and remember.
3. Set and achieve high customer service standards.  Go beyond necessary and expected levels of customer service to provide your customers with desired and even surprising interactions.  Determine the “norm” for customer service in your industry, and then find a way to go beyond it.  Give more choice than “usual,” be more flexible than “normal,” be “faster” than the average and extend a “better” warranty than all the others.  Your customers will notice your higher standards.  But eventually, even the highest standards can be copied by your competitors.  So don’t slow down.  Keep on improving.
4. Learn to manage your customer’s customer service expectations.  You can’t always give customers everything their hearts desire.  Sometimes you need to bring their expectations into line with what you know you can deliver.  The best way to do this is by first building a reputation for making and keeping open promises.  Once you have established a base of trust and good standing, you only need to ask your customers for their patience in the rare circumstances when you cannot meet their first requests.  Nine times out of 10, they will extend the understanding and the leeway that you need.     The second way to manage customer’s expectations (indeed, to exceed them) is the tactic called “Under Promise and Over Deliver.”  It works like this: your customer wants something done fast.  You know it will take one hour to complete.  Don’t tell your customer.  Let them know you will rush the project but then promise 90 minutes.  Then, when you are done in just an hour (as you, knew would happen all along), your customer will be delighted that you finished the job “so quickly.”
5. Bounce back with efficient customer service recovery.  Sometimes things do go wrong. When it happens to your customers, do everything you can to make things right again, as soon as possible.  Fix the problem.  Show a sincere concern for any discomfort, frustration or inconvenience.  Then “do a little bit more” by giving your customers something positive to remember – a token of goodwill, a small gift of appreciation, a discount on future orders, or an upgrade to a higher class of product.  This moment is not the time to lay blame for what went wrong or to calculate the costs of repair.  Restoring customer goodwill is worth the price in future orders and new business.
6. Appreciate your complaining customers.  Customers with complaints can be your best allies in building and improving your business.  They point out where your system is faulty and where procedures are weak or problematic.  Also, they show you where your products are below expectations, or your service doesn’t measure up.  And, they point out areas where your competitors are getting ahead, or where your team is falling behind.  These are the same insights and conclusions that people pay consultants to provide, but a “complainer” gives them to you for free.  And remember, for every one person who complains, there are much more that won’t even bother to tell you.  The others take their business elsewhere.  At least the complainer gives you a chance to reply and set things right.
7. Take personal responsibility.  In many organisations, people are quick to blame others for problems or difficulties at work: managers blame the staff, staff blame administrators, engineering blames sales, sales blames marketing, and everyone blames finance.  This behaviour doesn’t help.  In fact, with all the finger-pointing going on, it tends to make things worse.  Blaming yourself doesn’t work either.  No matter how many mistakes you may have made, tomorrow is another chance to do better.  You need high self-esteem to give excellent service.  Feeling “ashamed” doesn’t help.  It doesn’t make sense to blame the computers, the system or the budget, either. This kind of justification only prolongs the pain before the necessary changes take place.  The most reliable way to bring about constructive change in your organisation is to take personal responsibility and help make good things happen.  Make recommendations, propose new ideas, give your suggestions, volunteer to assist with problem-solving teams and projects.   See the world from your customers’ point of view.  We often get so caught up in our point of view that we lose sight of what our clients experience.
8. Make time to stand on the other side of the counter, or listen on the other end of the phone.  Be a “mystery shopper” at your place of business.  Or be a customer of your competition.  What you notice is what customer service your clients experience every day!

Customer Service is a Currency

Finally, remember that customer service is the currency that keeps our economy moving.  “I serve you in one business; you serve me in another.”  When either of us improves, the economy gets a little better.  But, when both of us develop, people are sure to take notice.  When everyone progresses, the whole economy grows stronger – therefore, there is no longer any reason for the depressing headlines to which we’ve become so accustomed.

So, let’s all start looking after our customers and make the economy look after itself.

And that’s worth thinking about.

Read this post and follow a strategic approach to your Sales & Marketing.