Who is Your Customer?

I’m hired to help clients with improving their customer service experience.  I want to know if this organization has instilled extraordinary customer service focused philosophies and cultures within all levels of their teams.  I want to make sure that the organization treats their employees just as good as their customers. It is difficult to create appropriate and effective customer service programs for your business teams if you really don’t know who is your customer.  Once you know your customer and it’s communicated to your entire organization then your training programs and corporate communication can reflect your customer service policies and values.

Reminders for you and your teams:

  • Your customer is the reason the business exists and the most important part of the business. Plain and simple, without customers paying for your products and services, you do not have revenue/sales.
  • Your customer is the reason you receive a paycheck and/or get paid. Some of your employees are so far removed from the actual customer experience that they may forget that the customer is the reason for receiving a paycheck.
  • Your customer is not an interruption in your day or disturbing you. Customers have questions and may want to interact before making a purchase. Some customers spend time doing research before they spend money. As an employee, we are on the job to be of service to our customers. Being nice, courteous and helpful creates trust and loyalty.
  • Your customer may not always be right, yet you should try to make it right. Making it right can be done in various ways that don’t always mean comping or giving things away for free. A customer complaint is your opportunity to win the customer over while you make things right. Sometimes making it right, can be a simple “I’m sorry we did not meet your expectations today.”  Having procedures set for your front-line employees to resolve simple issues will instill confidence in your employees and save time. This also helps management see front-line talent which translates into retention and development.
  • Your customer is entitled to your attention whether on the phone, internet, in your establishment or via a correspondence. Exceptional customer service begins with acknowledging your customer with a smile and a sincere  “Hospitality Mentality“, attitude. Customers want to feel that they are being heard and someone is going to take care of things.
  • Your customer is providing an opportunity for your organization to shine when they have a complaint/or a problem. Resolve the issue in a respectful, timely and appropriate manner keeping the trust and loyalty of the customer. This result in repeat business and referrals.
  • Your customer is not someone to whom you argue or incite.  Exceptional Customer Service policies should provide opportunities for winning the customer over in most situations.
  • Your customer is a human being so use the Golden Rule which is also referred to as the Law of Reciprocity. Be nice to customers because it’s nice to be nice and it builds customer loyalty.
  •  Your customer is an integral part of your organization, not an outsider. Treat your customers as the welcomed interaction in your workday.
  •  Your customer is not reliant on your organization. Your business is reliant on your customers and their referrals.

Most business owners think about providing exceptional customer service when they start their venture. I know that as they grow their business, many owners forget about the absolute importance of establishing and maintaining Exceptional Customer Service Culture throughout their entire organization. When owners don’t maintain exceptional levels of customer service their management teams will follow suit. How can you expect your front-line employees to demonstrate your corporate culture of providing extraordinary customer service if the owners and managers treat their employees and teams poorly?  You have to have a Corporate Culture that takes care of your employees and your customers.

Lastly,

You know the feeling you get when you receive extraordinary customer service and if the product/service is great, you’ll go back to the same organizations, restaurants, stores and hair salons et al.  People want to spend their money where they feel good doing it.

 

#CustomerService    #CustomerEngagement    #EmployeeRelations     #WhoisYourCustomer?

 

Updated & Revised/Edited: 12/19/2017