Experts believe it is 50% easier to sell products to existing customers than new ones.1

• Know the value of excellent customer service in acquiring and retaining customers, and it will inspire you and your staff to a new level of commitment.

• Customer Service often gives “lip service,” but sometimes that’s as far as it goes. Think of the times you’ve felt overlooked, neglected, or even insulted as a customer.

• The offending company probably had a great mission statement on record, but something got lost between that statement and you, the actual customer.

A survey showed that 59% of Americans would try a new brand or company to find a better service experience.2

• Small businesses often experience unexpected growth spurts. Suddenly, it’s all you can do to keep up.

• Use a few key principles to keep your customer base happy and your bottom line treading upward.

• Start by thinking through each communication point with consumers, and ensure that your systems and staff are prepared to handle every interaction.

• Even in the Internet age, phone contact is essential to most businesses. Customers often gather basic information online, then call for more detailed, in-depth interactions.

• The phone call is a prime opportunity to convert a prospect to a new customer, or to retain an existing one who needs a problem solved.

• Consider outsourcing your high volume answering services and other customer service needs to a call center with flexible staffing. Plus, you’ll gain training and monitoring capabilities with a cost-effective solution that allows you to expand core services while keeping your current base happy.

• When the seasonal flow of business brings a fluctuation on volume, you may be caught short-staffed. A lost or mishandled call is lost business, and potentially, a lost piece of your reputation.

• Check that your phone system is efficient. Limit the number of rings before a call must be answered and monitor the length of time calls are placed on hold.

• Are reservations part of your business model? Consider using an off-site call center to make sure each returning customer or potential new one can quickly book their time and get on with life.

Reduce the number of clicks needed to complete any action or find information.

• Your company’s online presence is as important as your brick and mortar location, your phone service, or even your employee training.

• A website needs tools to handle repetitive questions, reducing time required for employee interaction, and freeing up staff to cope with more complex issues.

• Provide concise FAQs; clearly direct customers to make an automated purchase—also how to make a return—and offer instructions for direct contact with customer service. Instant live chat is a great tool for personalizing the online experience.

“Customer service is the new marketing,” Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby.2

• Customer service is part of every function within your company. Create a company culture that is service-oriented throughout. Share a clear set of principles about how to serve the customer’s needs.

• Take a reading on how employees talk about customers. Is it generally negative? Do supervisors reflect back a feeling of empathy with customer problems, or is there an adversarial viewpoint?

• Make a point of reinforcing positive messages and actions. Acknowledge employees who solve a customer’s problem with special recognition.

• Train staff who interact with customers, reinforcing their need to empathize.

• Use a script to ensure that staff speak properly to customers, building in the messages you feel are most important. Re-train periodically so that employees don’t take verbal short cuts.

• Whether in-person at the store, on the phone, or online, employees should “say hello” and “goodbye,” with a personal greeting (using the individual’s name) and engaging in a bit of brief conversation.3

• Maintain employee enthusiasm for the standards. Set up daily informal, brief meetings to focus on one key customer service concept. Let a leading employee present the concept to reinforce the positive culture.3

• Be ready to acknowledge and correct any problems, and resist the temptation to deny it. Empower staff to take care of issues by offering a complementary service or item (set clear directions for how and what they can offer).

• A service company can go the extra mile and convert an unhappy customer to a loyal fan by sending a small gift or offering a free extra service.

Personalized Communications is a 24-hour inbound call center. They provide an in-depth training program to all agents and management prior to any customer contact.

They work with sophisticated, current computerized telephony equipment to offer flexibility and capacity in services that include call answering, order management, reservations, and customer service in a variety of languages.

Call 1-800-606-9898, or visit http://www.callcenteragency.com/ for more information.

Sources

1. http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexlawrence/2012/11/01/five-customer-retention-tips-for-entrepreneurs/

2. http://www.helpscout.net/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/

3. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110301/a-customer-service-makeover.html