Customer,Service,King,Customer business, insurance Customer Service Is King

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Customer Service Is King - by Michael AmbrosioDo you know the one thing that can make or break your businessfaster than anything else?If you said Customer Service - give yourself a prize.For the past 15 years, my job has been customer service oriented.Let me tell you that it's the number one thing on your customersmind.Customers know whether or not they can trust you simply by theway you service them, and usually on the small issues. Let'sface it, handling big problems for your customers will alwaysmake you try harder. After all, if it's a big problem you knowfull well that they'll be watching closely.But it's those tiny little every day service issues that can jumpup and bite you if you're not careful. Those are the ones we tendto pay less attention to, which subsequently fall through the cracks.Another tell-tale of the kind of service you provide is what you dowhen something DOES fall through the cracks. How do you handle it?Do you try to hide it? Are you up front with your customers?There are some basic "rules", if you will, when it comes tohandling mistakes or mis-steps. 1- Always be honest. Remember that if you are exposed as a liar, chances are you'll lose your customer along with your reputation. 2- Offer a concession of some kind right on the spot. This is important. It has been proven that customers are very likely to stay with your services if you compensate them satisfactorily for your mistakes. What it costs you to do this pales in comparison to losing their business altogether. 3- Follow up. After you have worked through your mistake with your customer, make sure you follow up to make sure they are happy. It's important you give them that "warm, fuzzy feeling" about your company.In my years as a customer service rep., I have built many relation-ships both on a business level AND a personal level. This isessential as well. Let's face it - if you had to choose between aservice rep that is all business and one who takes the time toget to know you, (assuming that they are equal in all otheraspects) who would you call?Your customers should know you by name. They should know somepersonal tidbits of information about you, like whether you'remarried, how many kids, etc. And you should know some about themas well.In my business, I know a little something about all of my customercontacts. - John and his wife just had their second child. - Val has just defeated cancer. - Raj is under allot of pressure from his bosses. - Jim and his wife are having serious problems.I lend them my ear when it's needed. I give them sympathy or apat on the back or encouragement - whatever they need. They knowthey can TRUST me.Does your business card have your home or cell number on it? Itshould. This tells your customer that you're always available.No need to worry about late night calls - I have found that anycalls that I have received on my private numbers were few and farbetween, and always valid emergencies. Just the fact that yougive it to your customers tells them that you care about their needs.On all of my websites, you will find my phone number and address.Good customer service applies to your on-line business just asmuch as any off-line business. In fact, I have heard time andagain customers say that they don't do business with someoneon line unless their contact information - preferably with aphone number - is posted on their site.Here's another axiom about customers that you should remember:It's easier to GET a customer than it is to KEEP one.Any customer that's in the market for your type of service is aslikely to hire your company as anyone's. After all, it's really amatter of having a better sales presentation, better prices - orwhatever strikes that customer on that day.So, wonderful - you're now in the door. You have your shot.This is when your new customer REALLY gets to know you - and yourquality of service. The stuff you can't "sales pitch" away.Never EVER take your current customer base for granted. Do thatand watch how fast the door slams in your face.You may remember some years back a television commercial that was(I believe) for an Airline. The boss was talking to his staff aboutcustomer relations because they had just lost one of their oldestclients. So he gave all of his staff plane tickest to pay personal,face-to-face visits to ALL of their customers.While that commercial provides a good lesson about customer serviceit should also be a reminder to you to keep the lines of communicationbetween you and your customers open.Personal visits to your clients should be on-going. Never stay awaylong enough to give them a chance to look elsewhere for the servicethey need. They need to feel that you're connected with them.In 15 years of servicing customers, I have never lost one. Not once.And - this is probably the biggest business benefit to all of this -they recommend my services before they recommend anyone else. I havegotten more new customers through recommendations from my satisfiedcustomers (friends) then from ANY for of paid advertisement.And in the end, isn't that what it's all about?<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>Copyright 2003 Michael Ambrosio - Webmaster/Ownerhttp://www.getprofitsnow.com Subscribe - mailto:[email protected] Profits Now. Newsletter and tools for your web success.<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Article Tags: Customer Service, Give Them, Should Know