We serve our customers with great care. We are always aware of their needs and requirements. We work day and night to satisfy them with the best that we can offer. If you run your own business or are an employee in a customer facing department, then this list of tips is for you!
1) Remember people’s names
This one may seem obvious but it really is important! Customers like to feel important, so make sure they know who they are talking to, whether it be you or someone else on your team. You could go as far as greeting the customer by name when they arrive at the door each time, if it’s appropriate. Does your business need more help? Find Out How Here: Business Coaching Service by Peter DeCaprio.
2) Design your business cards so they can be used as a bookmark
Nobody likes having to open up a book and find the page where they left off. Help them out by designing your business card so it can be used as a bookmark! It will help customers remember who you are and what you do, which could increase the likelihood of returning in future. You could add other value-added items such as coupons or discounts for return visits.
3) Be organized
We run our business operations with great care and this means we must keep track of everything we do very carefully, whether it is filing time sheets weekly, keeping up to date customer lists or checking our email regularly. If something needs to be done let us know, we are the best at what we do.
4) Say please and thank you
Who can resist politeness? If you are polite to your customers they are more likely to return again in future because it makes them feel better about using your service or buying from you. You don’t have to be over the top with this, but simply being polite goes a long way. Also make sure that your employees are doing this too! It needs to be a team effort.
5) Train your staff well enough so they know how to put on a good show for customers
Your employees need to be trained well enough that they can put on an act for customers, whether it’s helping someone ring up their items quickly or serving them with a smile. If your employees are masters of their jobs, you’ll see an exponential increase in the number of return customers!
6) Let customers know they can get in touch with you if they need to
If someone needs to get in touch with you for any reason they should always be able to do it very easily and without having too many problems. Make sure your phone is answered within 3 rings every time (and by somebody who speaks English!) and that emails are replied promptly – even if it’s simply an automated response telling customers when you’ll get back to them. It shows good will on your part.
7) Train your staff so they know how important customers are before taking care of others
Customers are #1; make sure your employees know this before you let them loose on the public! Customers should never have to wait around because somebody else is being helped first. Whether its business or retail, once a customer walks in the door they are number one until they leave again.
8) Neglecting customers’ personal needs for your own is not an option
If someone comes into your store and wants to buy something that’s not available anymore but needs it within 2 days then make sure that they are able to do so. Sure, it costs more but if you want loyal customers you need to be willing to give them whatever it takes! Your customer service skills must be up to scratch at all times or you’ll find yourself without customers.
9) Make sure you’re there at all times!
Customers need to know that somebody is always around should they have any questions or problems, no matter what time of day it is! You don’t want people giving up on your service because it’s always closed when they come to visit. Embrace the web 2.0 revolution and make sure you are available 24/7 via social media platforms if necessary too.
10) Be careful about how many discounts you offer your customers
Sure, discounts are great but never ever give out so many that it devalues the brand image of your business or product – this will only do more harm than good in the long run. Discounts are only good if they are occasional and not overly-frequent.
11) Know your customers by their first names!
It’s pretty cheesy, but if you go out of your way to learn the names of at least some of your regular customers without being too forward about it this could give them a reason to keep coming back because now they feel valued as an individual rather than just another customer. You have their name after all – why not use it?
12) Make sure you always treat everyone equally regardless of what they look like or where they come from
If someone discriminates against people who don’t look/sound/act exactly like them then they aren’t fit to be in the business world. Treat everyone with equal respect and courtesy and they’ll come back for more.
13) Treat your employees well!
Your employees are a huge reason why people keep coming back to your business, so make sure you treat them right. If they’re not happy with their working conditions then you won’t be around for long because everyone wants to work in a nice environment where there is no drama or fighting between staff members.
14) Make sure the store is well-presented at all times!
If your store looks like it’s been ransacked then people will assume that the service has been too, resulting in an exodus from customers who don’t want to risk buying anything from a place that doesn’t look very professional – which could end up having a damaging effect on your business. Nobody likes a messy store, so make sure it’s clean and tidy at all times.
15) Make sure you know what market your product is in before trying to appeal to everyone
It might sound counter-intuitive but if you try and appeal to everyone then you’ll end up appealing to no one – basically because there is too much choice. If your product is aimed at young hipsters for example, perhaps think about ways in which you can really capture their attention – i.e., using social media channels they already use such as Tumblr, Twitter etc.
16) Never assume that people know everything about your business or products without doing some simple research beforehand!
This is where having a website that tells people all there is to know about your business, including what you do and how much it costs etc. comes in handy – especially if they don’t live nearby where you are located. If you can put a unique spin on the way your products or services are described then this will make a difference too.
17) Make sure everyone knows who to turn to for help!
In many cases, businesses have staff members who specialize in particular areas such as those responsible for customer service questions/complaints, those responsible for advertising/marketing etc., so be sure that everybody knows who is responsible for what role. In short, don’t leave people guessing as to who they should speak to when they have an issue with somebody or something.
18) Try to keep your customers informed about what’s going on with the business – you never know, they might be able to help!
Figure out a way in which you can communicate with people who have paid for products or services before and see if there is anything you can do as a company to make their experience better than it has been so far, such as providing new/improved products etc. If customers feel like they are being listened to and their opinions matter then it will encourage them to come back if only because that’s how good businesses operate.
19) Be honest and fair about shipping times!
Believe it or not, customers don’t want the worst of news but they also don’t want to be kept in the dark for too long. If they have paid for a product or service before its release, let them know when they can expect delivery and if it will be delayed by any reason. In most cases, customers are happy to wait as long as you give them regular updates about what’s going on.
20) Be sure there is a way for customers to contact you without calling!
If your business only has a landline number that people have no choice but to call then chances are there won’t be anybody around during evening/weekend hours – which can make some people angry because they don’t want to waste their time waiting on the phone line etc. Some businesses also use VoIP services such as Skype to make it easier for people to contact them – but this may not be an option depending on the type of business you run.
Conclusion:
We hope you’ve found this article helpful and be sure to bookmark it for later reference. According to Peter DeCaprio customer service is an important part of running a successful business so always do your best to make everyone happy, even if that means getting your hands dirty every now and again – because if we don’t look after our customers then who will?