Tough times require a renewed focus on customer service. You will not survive without loyal customers. It may be tempting to lower your price or fees to get a customer but you most likely will attract a customer who is unlikely to be loyal for long. Talking about a renewed focus on customer service may seem like it is easier said than done given many of you have fewer employees as well as hiring freezes that may be resulting in lower morale. Put those thoughts and potential excuses aside for a moment and consider what you must do now. In this economy, customer service is more important than ever.
The best companies are surviving by safeguarding their service. This is not a new strategy. When studying the best, I see one common thread – they are different and constantly work at cultivating their difference. Your difference may be your product or service offering. As an organization, you must know what your difference is and communicate it to the customer. For years I have said in my presentations, your product or service alone will not attract a customer, however being “decidedly different” will. The difference must show up in the service experience.
Answer these questions –
- Are you doing enough to deserve your customer’s loyalty?
- Does your service experience catch their attention and is it memorable?
- Can they tell the difference between you and the competition?
- Are you decidedly different?
Consider these strategies to make survival and success happen.
Talk to your customer. The rule of thumb is communicate early and often. Customers do not want to be surprised. A large transportation client says, “Our customers can handle the trains running late, what they can’t handle is when we don’t call them to tell them we are running late!” You may not have a solution or an answer, just keep them updated. Silence is not golden. How long does it take to respond to your best customers via email or voicemail? Simply continue the conversation, It is not a good time to hunker down and hide out.. Start writing thank you notes – handwritten not via email. Get out and visit them. Face to face time may be crucial in these times when everyone is a bit nervous about costs, quality, bottom lines and service.
Add value. Take on your customer’s problems and solve them by creating a partnership. Remember, not all customers are created equal so use your best strategies on your most profitable customers. When people are nervous about what the future holds, trust erodes. Now is the time to show you care. Use your data to show you know them by anticipating their needs. Find out what matters to them and create a customer experience that builds the relationship.
Make use of social media. Many companies are using social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, to enhance the customer service experience. Have you embraced the new era of social media? Word of mouth is still the most powerful advertising ever. Followers and friends can be easily influenced by a single person. Make certain your message is getting out there, not just the voice of one customer. Social media adds value by connecting and building long- term relationships. You can share experiences and information on the customer’s terms.
Spoil your customers. This strategy proved to be a win-win for BMW. The rolled out free Wi-Fi to the dealerships as a way to please customers while cars were being serviced. This was a low cost idea as broadband was already in place to run the dealership. The surprise was customers requested fewer loaner cars. Instead they worked on their laptops and waited for their car. BMW cut monthly loaner car expenses by 10 to 15%.
Zappos is full stories of how to spoil customers. A customer called after discovering she had not packed her shoes upon her arrival in Las Vegas. She had purchased them from Zappos so she gave them a call looking for another pair. Unfortunately they did not have her size in stock. However Zappos does not like to disappoint a customer so the company found a pair at a local Las Vegas mall and had them delivered to her for free. Can you say “customer for life”?
Create a service champion. Your people are the key to creating the service difference and service experience. Nothing happens by just reading and thinking about customer service. Someone has to be the point person and make execution a reality. The champion must keep service and loyalty on every meeting agenda. Their responsibilities should be to look at the processes that support service, such as hiring and training. Make certain you hire smart to start. Revamp your training efforts so customer service is being taught and empowerment is a part of the company’s culture. Create service standards as a part of the process. I have a bias that without standards everything is left to chance. The champion creates a service focus for all departments, not just the traditional customer service department. In the face of lower employee morale, give your surviving employees the chance to shine on behalf of the customer. Make them feel important, spoil and engage them – yes, I am talking about the team members. A service champion is necessary or your good intentions will be just good intentions. Action is required.
Customer loyalty is subjective and fleeting. It is earned one experience at a time. And in this fragile marketplace, customer service is more important than ever. To attract and keep your customer, you must be “decidedly different”. And for the customer, that difference must be evident every time and at every touchpoint.
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Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service – Going Beyond Good Service to Exceed the Customer’s Expectations.
