By Lydia Ramsey
Do you find yourself on a constant search for innovative and
creative ways to thank your customers for their business? What
is the perfect gift and when is the ideal time to give it?
During the holidays, everyone is flooded with food, flowers,
cards and calendars from vendors of all sorts in an effort to
show appreciation and keep good customers coming back. Do you
think that if you start earlier in the year pondering this issue
that you’ll come up with just the right thing that will wow your
customers?
You don’t need to. The perfect customer appreciation gift is
right under your nose. It is simple, easy and costs you
nothing. You can give it every day without any extra time or
effort, and everyone will love it. People will tell their friends;
and since they will want it, too, they will become your new
customers.
Have you figured it out yet? The perfect gift you can give
every day to any one who walks in your door is great customer
service.
So what do you actually have to do to offer stand-out-from-the-
crowd customer service? Here are a few simple, but winning tips:
Smile. This will take a few folks by surprise, but they will
most likely return the smile.
Make eye contact. Looking at customers when you greet them
has a remarkably positive effect.
Call people by name. It makes them feel valued.
Be respectful. Don’t use first names until the customer asks
you to.
Remember to say, “Please,” “Thank you,” and “You are welcome.”
Pay attention to what people say and watch their body language
to see how they are feeling and reacting to you.
Show an interest in people. If your customer mentions he needs
that item before taking the family to Disney World, make a note,
real or mental. The next time he comes in, ask about the family
vacation.
None of these suggestions is unique. It is not as if no one
ever tried them before. Its just that so few people are doing
these simple things that if you do them, people will notice.
The next thing you know, you’ll have to hire more employees
and get a larger space to accommodate all of your loyal
customers and your increased business.
Related Articles:
Customer Service Means Actions, not Slogans
Every single contact your organization has with its customers either
cultivates or corrodes your relationship. That includes every letter you send,
every ad you run, and every phone call you make. This includes every employee
contact, from the CEO to technicians, sales force, support staff, and
maintenance crews.
In other words, your business is only as good as your worst employee!
Develop an "Unfair Advantage" Over Your Competition
An unfair advantage is doing everything just a little bit
better than your competition. And even if you've been in
business for many years and you're at the top of your profession,
in today's competitive world you also need to do everything just
a little bit better today than you did it yesterday. That's your
unfair advantage.
7 Ways to Get Your Customers Saying "Wow!"
Getting a "Wow!" from a customer is not only motivating for you but brings them back to buy. Read how to can get customers saying "Wow!".
