Customers are the very reason companies are able to exist; they are the most vital assets and, therefore, they must be satisfied. As a result, About Marketing and Money recently completed an article to provide the Ten Commandments of Customer Service. First, the entrepreneur must know who is boss. Certainly, they may run the organization, but there would be no organization to run without customers.
Customers are responsible for paying the entrepreneur’s salary, as well as the wages for every single employee; therefore, it is vital that they remain satisfied. The first step to satisfying a customer is simply listening to them. Take the time to understand the customer’s needs and ask questions. There’s also more than one form of listening; tone and body language must be read as well.
From there, the employee or entrepreneur can identify and anticipate the customer’s needs. The more the employee knows the customer, the easier it will be for this process to happen. The natural next step is to help customers feel important and appreciated. If business runners listen to customers and treat them as individuals, appreciation will be a natural byproduct. To insure this happens, make sure sincerity is key; customers can always sniff out a fake. To insure sincerity, always look for an opportunity to say yes. Reasonable requests should be promised fulfillment immediately; work on solutions afterward. In the case that things don’t go according to plan, apologies must be offered. The customer may not always be right, but they must always win. Entrepreneurs and employees must know how to apologize, and must not hesitate to do so. This will help build trust, particularly if the employee communicates regularly on steps taken to rectify a perceived mistake. Allow for easy paths of complaint; encourage suggestions and feedback and provide a method and portal for constructive criticism.
Give the customers more than they expected; this is a means to standing out from competition. Ask what the company can give the customer that they cannot get elsewhere. What method should the company employ to follow up and thank people, even those who chose not to purchase? What can the company give its customers that could be unexpected? At the very least, the company should certainly explain the systems employed by the employees. If the customers do not understand the systems used, they may become confused, impatient and angry. If, however, they understand the concept behind the operations, they will feel welcomed and accommodated; they will feel as though they are part of the unit. Finally, treat the employees well; employees will struggle to be kind to customers, if they aren’t treated kindly to start with.