Creating Memories, Part 2

Now is the time to start separating yourself from your competition.

"How do I do that?" you ask.

You do it by providing great customer service. Customer service so great it's memorable.

Great customer service entails creating memories for your customer so they would never even think about purchasing from your competition. Every time you service a customer, you are personally responsible for creating a memory.

Today I am going to give you four ways to build great customer service in your company.

1) Learn to be genuinely friendly. It sounds simple, but just smiling and interacting with the customer in a friendly manner is the most important aspect of providing great customer service. Always greet the customer when they enter your store in a friendly and upbeat manner. Thank the customer for their business when they leave. Be nice and sincere. Smile!! Smiling is contagious and your customer will respond positively to your enthusiasm.

2) Benchmark real answers to common interactions. Have a meeting with all of your employees and list all the different encounters they have with their customers. Take the most common interactions and create normal responses that are customer oriented. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and make your responses about the customer, not about your company. Address their problem, and treat them the way you would like to be treated.

3) Tell the customer why it CAN be done. Don't tell the customer why you can't do something. Instead, start every response to customers with how it can be done, not why it can't. Use phrases like, "The best way to do that is," or "You're in luck, we can accomplish that in the following manner." Starting you interactions with phrases that contain a positive can do attitude, will make the customer understand you are doing everything you can to take care of them.

4) Make the customer's problem your own. When a customer presents you with a problem, take ownership of the problem yourself. Confirm to them they have a valid problem or complaint, and do everything in your power to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. If a customer comes to you with a problem, try a response similar to this. "I hate it when that happens! Let's see what we can do about getting that fixed for you." Then immediately start working on the problem like it was your own. Teaming up with the customer on a problem shows them that you value them as a customer.

Don't just read these and say, "Those are good ideas!" Take action. Pick one of the areas listed above and implement it into your daily interactions with your customers. Have a benchmarking party and list the responses for common interactions with your customers.

Just take action, and next week I'll give you four more customer service building ideas that will give you another boost over your competition.

John

Got Questions?

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If you have a question in the above categories, let us help. Email me a johnreinert@benmarksupply.com with your question.

John