Would you like to have customers that stay with you and don't buy from your competitors? Customers that say nice things about your business to other people; pay you on time and accept the fact that you might be a bit more expensive then other suppliers? Of course you do but how do we perform this miracle? It's dead easy really; you only have to consider two factors: be Reliable and be Likeable.
It almost goes without saying that it's vital to have a reliable product or service. Most businesses spend a great deal of time and money ensuring that their product does what they say it'll do and striving for exceptional customer service.
However, if you do this consistently, don't expect any "brownie points" and it won't ensure stay, say and pay. Providing reliable products and service is vitally important however after a while customers start to take it for granted.
I can remember the days when a motor car was difficult to start on a winters morning. When a telephone engineer took a week to fix your phone and a retail store wouldn't take back an item you'd purchased. Nowadays, cars start first time, engineers come the same day and retail stores give you your money back immediately. We now take this kind of reliability and service for granted.
To give your business the competitive edge and ensure stay, say and pay you, your business and your people need to be likeable. Too many organisations forget that their customers are humans and the thing about humans is - they don't always make decisions logically. Customers are driven by their emotions and they make decisions about organisations based on their interaction with the people in the business. They'll even forgive your mistakes if they like your business.
So what do we need to do to ensure the likeability factor? Run your eye down the following list and see how many you can tick off:
* We always have a genuine smile for every customer.
* We are warm and friendly to all customers.
* We listen carefully and make it obvious that we're listening.
* We use the customer's name and our name appropriately.
* We give the impression that we care and are interested in the customer.
* We empathise with problems and complaints and respond quickly.
* We occasionally do something to pleasantly surprise the customer.
* We always keep our promises.
* We give the impression that we're fun to deal with.
* We treat the customer the way they want to be treated, not the way we want to be treated.
(The * We means everyone in the business be they sales people, delivery drivers, accountants, engineers, managers or directors.)
How well did you do? If you've got lots of ticks then you probably have lots of customers who like you. Just a word to the managers and employers amongst you; run your eyes down the list again and replace the word customer with the words employee or staff colleague.
How many ticks did you get this time? Lots of ticks mean your staff like you and it probably follows that your customers do as well.
Have you noticed how being likeable cost so little? A lot less than advertising or other promotional activity required to replace lost customers.
Working a little bit harder on the emotional connection with your customers will increase your likeability factor and ensure they - stay, say and pay.
Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales without Selling" This book is packed with practical things that you can do to ? get customers to come to you.
Click here now:
http://www.howtogetmoresales.com
http://www.alanfairweather.com
Good service is easy to spot and hard-to-find. Mediocre service... Read More
Every business owner should have a picture of his or... Read More
We all know the old adage, "The Customer is Always... Read More
"I am writing to complain about the widget I bought... Read More
Would you like to have customers that stay with you... Read More
Are you concerned about customer loyalty? Are your customers so... Read More
Different people call their Customers by different names. If they... Read More
Regardless of what business you are in - you are... Read More
Those of us in home based and small businesses are... Read More
*********************************************Know Thyself - Socrates*********************************************I'd like to start this article with... Read More
How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More
'A 5 percent increase in customer retention increases profits by... Read More
When all else fails in your company to meet the... Read More
Public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not... Read More
You Never Know Who You're Serving when customers turn irate.I... Read More
The salesman's job is to be well informed; extremely well... Read More
The call center represents your first line of communication with... Read More
Have you ever walked into a store and things looked... Read More
Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More
From Ebay to the smallest home-operated start-up, e-businesses of all... Read More
What do your customers experience when they interact with your... Read More
According to a Forum Corporation survey of commercial customers lost... Read More
Millions of people, just like you, end up with a... Read More
Jay instructed a customer of his to offer a rare... Read More
Corporations in every sector are spending more than ever before... Read More
Whether in a restaurant, a retail establishment, or the local... Read More
We'll be examining what makes follow up to prospects/customers so... Read More
Good service is easy to spot and hard-to-find. Mediocre service... Read More
Listening to complaints, whether they're reasonable or not, is a... Read More
Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth... Read More
How often have you left a meeting with a customer... Read More
Customer satisfaction is valuable, but customer loyalty is priceless. In... Read More
If you're still dreaming about raising outside capital for your... Read More
Over the last month, I have come to hate emails... Read More
Public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not... Read More
A growing number of individuals are finding themselves called to... Read More
Would you like to have customers that stay with you... Read More
No matter how hard you try, in business you simply... Read More
Is your restaurant, bar or hotel clean? I mean really... Read More
Our most powerful instinct is to avoid customer complaints, but... Read More
1. It's all about the customer. Some companies focus too... Read More
The following are common mistakes that Sales Managers and Owners... Read More
Do you need greeters or should you avoid them? That... Read More
You've heard it all before when it comes to stats... Read More
Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More
Reality is not always pretty. But here is a tad... Read More
Looking for hi-fi computer peripherals? Finding it tough to decide... Read More
Those of us doing business over the internet have to... Read More
I returned a rental car at an airport yesterday. As... Read More
Have you ever been in a department store and known... Read More
Customer Service Customer Service |