World-Class Customer Service
Great customer service is vital to your financial health and can actually be thought of as an asset. How much can it add to your bottom line? According to a survey by American Express, seven out of ten Americans say they are willing to spend 13% more with companies that deliver excellent customer service.
What do your clients or customers want in terms of customer service? The Marketing Science Institute of Cambridge isolated five factors that customers of a wide range of services consider most important.
1. Reliability. Topping the list was reliability. Customers expect businesses to deliver what they promise. They cited un-kept promises as a major source of dissatisfaction.
2. Responsiveness. Second in rank was responsiveness. Employees should be helpful and provide prompt service.
3. Knowledgeable, Courteous and Confident. Customers said they feel assured when employees are knowledgeable, courteous and confident but they don't like being talked to in terms they can't understand, such as a lot of industry jargon.
4. Individualized attention. Customers want individualized attention and they want to be listened to.
5. Attractive and Clean Facilities. They like attractive and clean physical facilities and equipment and think that employees should be well dressed and well groomed.
Although these points are important to any business, you still need to know exactly what your customers and clients want. After all, that can vary by location, industry and time. Multiple body piercings and droopy pants may be just the thing in a tattoo parlor but they will probably frighten customers away from a valet parking service.
The best way to stay in tune with your public is by survey. Don't just ask them for a rating; find out specifically what they liked or disliked and take note of any suggestions they have. Put your findings into effect so your business moves closer to the ideal scene.
There is also a simple action we call a viewpoint drill that you can do with your employees to help boost customer service into an entirely new range. Tell your employees to assume the viewpoint of your customers and then have them walk through your place of business and talk to your salespeople, customer service reps, etc. so they can experience it as your clients or customers do. We based this drill on actions that L. Ron Hubbard developed to help copywriters assume the viewpoint of their audience or public.
It will help your employees understand and service your customers or clients. Try it yourself. As Mr. Hubbard said, "It gives one a brand-new world. In fact, one can have a lot of new worlds -- one for every public he assumes the viewpoint of. You would be utterly amazed. The ability to do this is quite valuable. In fact, it is the difference between success and failure in marketing." You will find it's true in customer service as well.
© 2011 International Executive Technology. All Rights Reserved. Quoted materials by L. Ron Hubbard. © 1988 L. Ron Hubbard Library. All Rights Reserved. Grateful acknowledgement is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce a selection from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. WISE I/A # 111107 WUS.