4 Fast Ways to Wow the Customer
The quality of customer service at your business will either make or break your success – because your customers are the only ones that determine whether your business makes or breaks the bank.
The bottom-line: Your customers determine your bottom-line.
Even though some of the best leaders know this, they still focus on so many other factors before attending to the quality of service their organization delivers. Why do so many think it’s so hard to serve a customer superbly? Not only have we all been customers, but we all know what it takes to treat someone well. We have learned the essentials – they are very similar to the lessons we’ve applied in our personal lives: listen, empathize, help, understand, care, etc. We do these things daily – so, why leave these strategies at home when they apply so perfectly to our professional lives?
If you’re a manager, a leader or an employee – you can’t (and shouldn’t want to) avoid working with customers, so why not do your best to impress during your interactions? I want to highlight four fast ways you can wow your customer:
#1. Approach in Advance. If we work somewhere where we come face to face with customers – we all know that you can spot a dissatisfied customer from a distance. Instead of waiting for them to find you, approach them proactively. Let them know that you are there to help. If they aren’t looking for something or someone, they will still appreciate the gesture.
#2. Maintain a Curious Concern. Once you approach the customer, do your best to maintain a curious sort of concern. Doing this will ensure you don’t jump to conclusions, make unhelpful assumptions or arise at decisions without asking the appropriate questions.
#3. Get Serious About Specifics. Hopefully your curiosity will lead you to ask good questions, but once you start doing this, it’s essential you identify the specifics of your customer’s situation. Knowing the details of why he/she is upset, frustrated or dissatisfied will help you go above and beyond the average customer experience. If you just get a vague grasp of the customer’s struggle, you won’t be able to solve the specifics that might be aggravating your customer the most. Customers remember when an employee goes above and beyond because it’s rare. Your amount of attention to detail determines your dedication to the customer.
#4. Don’t Track Time. If you have tasks and responsibilities that are weighing you down when you encounter a concerned customer, throw everything else aside until your customer is satisfied. I have watched too many customer service reps worry about the amount of time they are spending on each customer. It makes no business sense to worry about wasting time on a customer because when it comes to the customer, you can never waste time! They are worth every second. So, forget your watch and get down to business.
Now, these four strategies are not meant to be the only tactics used – they are meant to be key areas of focus that will WOW your customers! Proactive curiosity that’s specific and selfless – is really the way to win a customer.
