What does good customer service look like these days?

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Customer service seems to me to be a lost art.

Take a moment and reflect on your past few days. Do you have more examples of stellar customer service or service you will never forget because of how bad it was, just a complete #fail!

It doesn’t matter if it is a restaurant, grocery store, online store or the plumber who shows up late, smells funny and says you have to replace everything under your sink. We seem to agree that customer service, “Just ain’t what it used to be.”

So, what does that mean for the average business owner? How can you stay connected to your clients? Ready for some huge insight that is filled with years of wisdom and hours of reading?

Don’t give bad customer service. Duh!

Yea, I know. It’s obvious. Is it really though? I guess more importantly we should consider this. What does good customer service look like these days?

In my consulting practice and private coaching with growth-oriented business owners we often tackle this topic and develop action-oriented, strategic plans to achieve the best customer service in their entire industry.

Here are 4 simple and powerful steps to EXCELLENT customer service

  1. Do what you say you are going to do. When I owned By Design Marketing we had 1 simple rule with customer service, “if you tell a client that you will do something, be specific and then be 100% certain that you do it.” There is really nothing worse from a customer’s perspective than sit around waiting for a company to do what they claimed. If you say you are going to call by the end of the day, then call by the end of the day. Even if you don’t have an answer yet, call and tell them. That is easy. It is respectful. It makes a huge difference.
  2. Own it. Another easy one. If you make a mistake, fix it. Some of my best clients over the years are people who became more impressed with our businesses because we owned a mistake, made it right and went above and beyond to ensure they were satisfied. And, they became long-term clients because we earned their confidence.
  3. Care. This seems to be lacking a lot lately. It doesn’t take much. Just genuinely care about your clients outcomes and experiences. If you truly believe (and you better!) that your clients are the life blood of your business then you better care about them. The job market stinks right now. Don’t get in that line!
  4. Be Grateful. Show Gratitude. See #3 above. If you genuinely care about your prospects, clients, past clients, heck just care about people in general, then take the time to show it. Write a note. Drop a call without trying to sell something. Introduce people to each other for mutual benefit. Promote others. Be generous.

Providing EXCELLENT customer service goes beyond connectedness. It’s a mindset. It’s a way of life. It’s the way to a successful business and successful life. Adopt the lifestyle today. You will benefit. I promise.

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Guest bloggers for the TDS Business Blog.

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3 Responses to What does good customer service look like these days?

  1. Brad Miller November 27, 2013 at 3:04 pm #

    Awesome article Brandon! Number 4 is the big one for me. As a business owner, I want my customers to know that I extremely grateful for being part of their businesses. I’m made to feel more like an inconvenience by many owners/managers for just expecting what I paid for, let along being appreciated…

  2. Brandon Lee (@Brandon1ee) November 27, 2013 at 6:28 pm #

    I agree Brad. Thanks for commenting. Too many businesses take their clients for granted. I catch myself saying thank you to the cashier at the store realizing that they should be thanking me too! But, rarely doo.

  3. Charlene Kingston (@SocialMediaDIY) December 16, 2013 at 4:23 pm #

    I love that you say thank you when checking out, Brandon. It tells me that you are looking for the good in your experience, and you lead your life with gratitude. I do the same thing. I even thanked the lady at the IRS when I talked with them recently. No one thinks to thank them! I was truly grateful for my dealings with them and thanked her.

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