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Want to know the best way to get an edge on your competition?  By making your customers happy.Think about it.  How do you beat your competitors?  By being more successful.  And how are you more successful?  By making more profits. And to make more profits, you need happy, satisfied customers.This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many small businesses forget one of the first rules of business:  A happy customer is a repeat customer.  Not only that, a happy customer will tell create additional customers through referral.1.  Treat your customers with respect.I’m constantly amazed at how rudely many businesses treat their customers. Granted, this occurs more often in big, faceless corporations than in small businesses, but it happens.  Customers are kept waiting, given the runaround, or are spoken to with disrespect.  It happens all the time.But hopefully it doesn’t happen in your company.  Treat your customers in a friendly, helpful manner and they will keep coming back…and tell their friends.2.  Tell the truth.When you were a kid, did you ever watch old westerns?  Remember the old snake oil salesmen who peddled products with names like Dr. Hoover’s Miracle Elixir? For some reason, whenever I think of dishonest business dealings, I always think of that example.  Of course, those old charlatans didn’t have to worry about things like customer service, or truth in advertising, because come sundown, they’d be off to the next town and a fresh group of suckers.Today’s customers are a lot savvier, thanks to consumer advocacy groups, the media, and the Internet. No one likes to be fooled – even a little bit.  If customers find out they have been, they will not only take their business elsewhere, they will do their best to spread the word.On the other hand, if you have a reputation for honesty, your client base will grow through word-of-mouth referrals.Regardless how tempting it is to pad the truth or take a few liberties, honesty is  always the best policy.  3.  Overdeliver.Think about one of your best business experiences.  What made it better than the others?  For me, it’s my car dealership.  No, seriously.  First of all, I bought a really good car…that helps.  And when I have to take it in for regular oil changes, my salesman meets me at the door with a “Good morning, Mrs. Williams!  We have your loaner car all ready for you!”  I exchange keys with him and off I go.  When I come back a few hours later, my car is not only ready, but has been cleaned and vacuumed!  The next day, I receive a thank-you note in the mail along with a customer satisfaction survey.  How could I NOT know they value my business! And guess where I’ll go when it’s time to buy another car?When you go the extra mile to show your client they’re more than a sale, you build customer loyalty that results in repeat business.Here are few things you might consider:•  Send birthday cards and thank you letters. •  Establish a “Frequent Buyer” club that gives rewards or discounts to loyal customers.•  Encourage customers to tell others about you by creating a referral program•  Communicate consistently with your customers through things newsletters, postcards, sales flyers, etc.  •  Guarantee your work or product.•  Send out periodic customer satisfaction surveys.4.  Always give quality.Regardless how great your customer service is, if you want repeat business and customer referrals, you need to give consistently high quality.  First of all, do your homework.  Find out what is considered best-in-class in your industry, and then deliberately set out to meet and exceed it.Second, decide what “quality” means to you and your company, based on best-in-class, and your own value system.  Write down your quality statements.Next, make sure everyone from the receptionist to the salespeople to management know what your quality statements are.  Post them prominently, and make sure everyone understands them.  Consider having a company meeting to “kick them off.”Lastly, put a quality management program into place so you can monitor the quality of product and service to ensure consistent adherence.  5.  Only make promises you intend to keep.Nothing ruins a relationship (business and personal) quicker than not keeping promises.  If you’re not reliable, or don’t deliver what you say you’ll deliver when you say you’ll deliver it, your customers won’t remain your customers for very long.I have a friend who means well, but can never seem to hit a deadline.  She over promises and underestimates how long something is going to take her.  Now, she does good work and I would have liked to have sent business her way, but I sent it to other people I knew would keep their promises.  A promise made needs to be a promise kept.Don’t tell a customer or potential customer what they want to hear just because they want to hear it.  Be realistic. Better to lose the business than to lose your reputation.  Because once a reputation is lost, it’s hard to get it back.6.  Make it easy for your customers to contact you.You know what I hate?  Automated answering systems.  I realize they’re necessary in many instances, but to have to punch five or six buttons in order to get parceled into the right category, only to hang up with my question or problem unsatisfied is more than frustrating to me.  I would rather have toothpicks shoved up my fingernails.  Okay, maybe not…but you get the point.Consider having a customer service number staffed by a real person to handle customer complaints and problems.  Make sure this person is empowered to take care whatever problem the customer might have.  Also try to be accessible to your customers.  Being able to talk to the person in charge means a lot to most customers.One last thought:  It costs a lot more to acquire a new client than it does to keep the ones you have happy.  Chances are you’re on the right track already.(c) Copyright 2009, BusinessBurrito.com.  All rights reserved.