There are a lot of businesses that do what we do — offline marketing. But one of the ways we’re able to remain competitive in an industry dominated by price cutting is through service. Our customers are some of the most loyal out there because they know we want to do right by them.
When you offer excellent customer service, you stand out from others. You get talked about. You get complimented and appreciated. But best of all you cultivate a loyal following that isn’t going to chase the cheapest product out there because it’s not worth the risk of going with an unproven entity.
Easy Ways to Improve Customer Service
Get online and listen. Who’s talking about you? Are they reviewing your business? If so, insert yourself into the conversation. If they compliment you, thank them. If they pan you, help get to the bottom of the problem they experienced and do it publicly. Here’s some advice on dealing with bad reviews.
Give something away. Give valuable content or a promotional product away for a nice surprise and to communicate your appreciation. Think about getting flowers for your birthday. It’s nice, right? Now think about receiving flowers for no reason at all. That thoughtful gesture brightens your entire week. A small, unexpected token of your appreciation can do the same.
Get your employees on board. Disgruntled employees are unable to provide great customer service in the same way a person submerged in freezing water isn’t a good synchronized swimmer. They just can’t delight in either situation. Make sure your employees are engaged, and then work with them on ways to delight the customer. Ensure they understand they have the freedom to help and do right by the customer. Don’t ever let your employees think they are limited by some rule or protocol.
If they need to escalate something to management for a solution, allow them to do so quickly and without your customers demanding it.
If you can satisfy your customers, you are light years ahead of the competition. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to improve customer service because so few companies are focused on anything more than lip service.
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