This document provides 10 tips for improving customer service and business success. The tips include knowing your brand and delivering a consistent customer experience, staying aware of trends and customer wants, maintaining positive employee morale, creating a marketing plan to convey commitment to customers, listening closely to customers, having a clear process for addressing customer issues, anticipating customer needs, treating customers with respect, explaining your business operations, and soliciting feedback to improve services. The overall message is that focusing on customer service best practices can help businesses succeed.
2. 1. Know Your Brand & Own It
Delivering customers a consistent image is crucial to
your overall reputation. Be sure everything your
company does - from answering the phone to
resolving disputes - is consistent with your overall
brand.
3. 2. Stay On Top of Trends
Whether it’s getting your business on Facebook or
offering online sales, it’s crucial that you don’t ignore
what your customers want and what the competition
is doing to meet those needs.
4. 3. Pay Attention to Employee Morale
A depressed team, whether it’s over the phone or in
person, doesn’t instill much confidence in your
customers.
5. 4. Create A Marketing Plan
Whether you’re a plumber or a retail store,
marketing matters. Your consistent marketing
message conveys your commitment to customer
service.
6. 5. Listen To Your Customers
Sometimes customer requests or dilemmas can be
vague, so be sure to listen as closely as possible to
what your customer is trying to convey - take notes
if needed.
7. 6. Have A Clear Chain Of Command
Know to whom you should refer customers when
certain scenarios pop up!
8. 7. Anticipate Your Customer’s Needs
Take time to identify your customer’s unique needs
and find ways to meet them before your customer
even needs to ask. It’s a great way to step up your
‘wow’ factor.
9. 8. Treat Your Customers Like V.I.P.’s
Why? Because they are. Treat your customers with
dignity, respect and enthusiasm.
10. 9. Explain How Your Business Works
By taking time to clearly explain your business’s
unique way of operating you can both craft loyalty
and increase sales.
11. 10. Ask For Feedback
Be sure to regularly ask your customers for feedback
on how you can improve your services.