Up-level Your Customer Service
How much thought have you put into establishing loyalty in your customers? Your level of customer service can really determine your rate of repeat business.
It’s not always easy to know what it’s like for our customers to work with us. They usually don’t tell us, but they most likely tell other people. The best way to decide what type of service you want to offer is to look at the service you receive as a customer.
I am a loyal customer at Sweetwater, a musical instrument and accessory company in Indiana. A few days after my first purchase, I received a call from Nick, asking me if I was happy with the product I purchased. He actually thought I was the drummer, but I confessed that it was my son. Then we chatted briefly about the wonderful music program in my town’s school district.
I thought, “How nice. They called me after my first purchase.”
Every day customer service
It didn’t stop there. Two or three days after each purchase I make, Nick calls me to check in and make sure my son likes the new item. Notice I said call, like on the phone. Not a text, not an email. As a bonus, they also put candy in the packages, which my son may or may not be privy to if I am the one who finds it…..
It didn’t occur to me at first, but I don’t even consider Amazon when I need music accessories for my son. I automatically go to the Sweetwater website. They have won my loyalty as a customer with a few quick phone calls and a couple of pieces of candy.
Size doesn’t matter
I figured with that level of service, they couldn’t be that large of a company. I was so wrong - I did some quick research and found out that they surpassed $1 BILLION in 2020. A billion dollars, and I get personal calls from the same person even when I make an $11 drumstick purchase.
Sadly, I could share way more customer horror stories. There are companies that I will never give my money to again, and I certainly won’t refer them to someone else. This list includes a national bank, a big communications company, and a regional restaurant chain.
In every case, the problem wasn't the initial issue. It was how they handled it and my stress and time that I’ll never get back again trying to get the problem fixed.
Improving customer service
Do you put any time in to thinking about how you want your customers to feel when you’re interacting with them?
I suggest you time block an hour or so to review the process your clients go through, or the lack of a process. Talk it through with someone unbiased whose opinion you respect.
What systems do you need to put in place to heighten your customer’s experience?
You can try any of these ideas. Send a new client gift or a gift when you’re done working together. Write a thank you note. Ask for feedback to find out if they were happy and if they weren’t, why not.
Enhance communication while you are working together such as:
• Sending an email to wrap up after meetings.
• Using an online system to track the project if there are lots of moving parts.
• Shorten response time when answering questions - while still respecting boundaries.
• Utilizing "soft" skills like being professional, being personable, and owning up to mistakes.
The key to consistent customer service is to always be tweaking and improving the customer service experience for your customers before, during, and after working with you.
If you think you need more help with this, schedule a call to see how I can help you up-level your customer experience.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
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