{"id":614,"date":"2014-12-12T11:23:04","date_gmt":"2014-12-12T19:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smarttofinish.com\/Blog\/?p=614"},"modified":"2014-12-12T11:23:04","modified_gmt":"2014-12-12T19:23:04","slug":"customer-service-is-it-just-a-department-in-your-organization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smarttofinish.com\/Blog\/2014\/12\/12\/customer-service-is-it-just-a-department-in-your-organization\/","title":{"rendered":"Customer Service \u2013 Is it Just a Department in Your Organization?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have all heard the clich\u00e9 \u201cCustomers are always right.\u201d<\/em> While that is not always the case, they ARE always the customer \u2013 your most valuable business asset<\/strong>. Without customers, your business wouldn\u2019t exist \u2013 it would just be a hobby. So obviously, how you meet, greet, and keep customers is a vital part of your business success. Customer service IS more than a department in your organization<\/strong>. It should be a part of everyone\u2019s job \u2013 whether the owner, manager, or the janitor. (If it\u2019s not, then you might want to research and find some customer service training programs available, for you AND your staff )<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s market, you need every competitive edge possible to succeed. How you provide customer service is just as important as the actual product or service you provide. You could have the \u201cbest\u201d of whatever product or service you offer, but if you don\u2019t have a system in place when issues arise, then you are like a sail boat without a sail, going nowhere fast. (Notice I said WHEN issues arise, not if issues arise.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at some key components (and thought provoking quotes) to providing great customer service.<\/p>\n

Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement. \u2013 James Cash Penney<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Customers appreciate being treated with courtesy and respect. It gives them a sense that they are important to you, not just for the money they spend, but for the connection they have with you. When you value your customers more than their money, you will cultivate a long-lasting, mutually satisfying relationship that goes far beyond the cash register. They will become the best word-of-mouth advertising<\/strong> for you and what you offer. Customers who are well taken care of and satisfied will be sure to tell everyone they know, and that is far more valuable than the dollars allocated to any advertising budget.<\/p>\n

Customers don\u2019t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong. \u2013 Donald Porter, V.P British Airways<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. But how we handle those mistakes can make the difference between a happy customer and a lost customer. When a customer is dissatisfied with the product or service they have received, the process to communicate with you should be an easy one, and the customer should feel that you are actually LISTENING to them<\/strong>. If your response to customer complaints is \u201cSorry, you\u2019re wrong, that\u2019s not our policy,\u201d or \u201cThere\u2019s nothing I can do for you,\u201d then you can literally kiss those customers goodbye. A better response would be \u201cI could be wrong, let\u2019s take a look\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m not able to do that, but I can do this\u2026.\u201d The goal should always be to resolve the situation to your customer\u2019s satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. \u2013 Bill Gates<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you believe that fewer complaints mean more money, you are\u2026..WRONG. The majority of customers who are dissatisfied will never complain because they perceive it as too much of a hassle; they will just never come back. For those who DO actually take the time to complain, it is your BEST opportunity to learn, make adjustments, and correct the things that need to be fixed. Remember the old saying \u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it\u201d? Well, there\u2019s a flip side to that old clich\u00e9: \u201cIf you don\u2019t know it\u2019s broken, how will you fix it?\u201d<\/strong> If you don\u2019t welcome feedback from your customers, regardless of whether it is positive or negative, you are operating in the dark. And once you DO fix the problem, imagine the benefits of having a customer who has experienced you \u201cfixing\u201d it. You have turned a negative situation into a positive one for them, and they will long remember it the next time they need the type of product or service you offer.<\/p>\n

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile. \u2013 Roger Staubach<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Going \u201cthe extra mile\u201d is something that can pay huge dividends in the long run. Of course, it should always be your goal to meet your customers\u2019 expectations. Exceeding those expectations, however, is what can set you apart from your competition and be the deciding factor when a customer chooses to do business with you. Not everyone takes the time to fully \u201cserve\u201d their customers. They offer their product or service, receive the money, thank the customer on their way out the door, and that is all there is to it. The most successful business owners or managers strive to be the best at what they do and offer the most value for what the customer receives.<\/strong> A huge part of that \u201cvalue\u201d is conveyed to the customer in how they are treated when they receive your product or service. If the standard operating procedure is to just \u201cget the money and run\u201d without any regard for the customer relationship down the road, you may get a lot of customers, but you won\u2019t keep them. Sometimes the little things can mean the most. A simple follow up \u201cthank you for your purchase, please provide feedback\u201d card or email goes a long way to solidifying the connection with your customers. Customer loyalty programs or Bring-A-Friend offers<\/strong> are excellent ways to reward customers for their continued interactions with you and your business.<\/p>\n

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. \u2013 Warren Buffet<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Reputation. It can be, and very often is, the very thing that makes or breaks a business. If you have a bad reputation, then customers will hesitate to do business with you. Customers are not willing to associate themselves with a business that has a bad reputation for fear that it will \u201crub off on them\u201d or it will affect how they are perceived (You are doing business with THAT company??) If you have a good reputation<\/strong>, however, customers will flock to you<\/strong>, and they will bring their friends with them. Providing excellent customer service is one way to establish your reputation. When customers know you will \u201ctake care of them\u201d no matter what, they will be some of your most loyal advocates. It has been proven time and time again that when customers identify and connect with a business based on more than economics, they are staunch supporters of that business.<\/p>\n

Some of the \u201cingredients\u201d for a successful customer service experience are summed up in this acronym:<\/p>\n

S<\/strong>atisfaction
\nE<\/strong>nthusiasm
\nR<\/strong>espect
\nV<\/strong>alue
\nI<\/strong>ntegrity
\nC<\/strong>ourtesy
\nE<\/strong>xcellence<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The nutshell: In order to achieve customer satisfaction<\/strong>, you should greet customers with enthusiasm<\/strong> and respect<\/strong>, and convey their value<\/strong> to you, beyond the money they spend or any issue at hand. When they complain, you should welcome their feedback with integrity<\/strong> and courtesy<\/strong>, and the problem should be dealt with fairly and quickly. When these guidelines are followed, your customers will truly experience the excellence<\/strong> possible when customer service becomes more than a department in your organization – it is a part of everyone\u2019s job description!<\/p>\n

Written by – Janet Broer, Smart To Finish Diva<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have all heard the clich\u00e9 \u201cCustomers are always right.\u201d While that is not always the case, they ARE always the customer \u2013 your most valuable business asset. Without customers, your business wouldn\u2019t exist \u2013 it would just be a hobby. So obviously, how you meet, greet, and keep customers is a vital part of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,166,130,19],"tags":[16,165,167,112,18],"class_list":["post-614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-customer-service","category-featured","category-internet-marketing","tag-amber-miller","tag-customer-appreciation","tag-customer-service","tag-infusionsoft","tag-internet-marketing"],"yoast_head":"\nCustomer Service \u2013 Is it Just a Department in Your Organization?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smarttofinish.com\/Blog\/2014\/12\/12\/customer-service-is-it-just-a-department-in-your-organization\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Customer Service \u2013 Is it Just a Department in Your Organization?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We have all heard the clich\u00e9 \u201cCustomers are always right.\u201d While that is not always the case, they ARE always the customer \u2013 your most valuable business asset. 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