Whatever your business’s wares, whether cuisine, cars, groceries, or something else, your first and most important product is your customer service. How your customers are treated and the impression they’re left with when they leave are the most important factors for both repeat patronage and evangelism. Your impressive selection of appetizers, SUVs, produce, or anything else won’t matter if your customers feel neglected and unimportant.
Your business’s reputation is on the line, so here are three areas to focus your customer service development on to offer the best experience possible:
1. Greet
What’s that saying? “First impressions are lasting impressions?” If your customers are faced with complete indifference, no one should be surprised if they feel indifferent about your business in return. And because “you never get a second chance to make a great first impression,” it’s critical that your employees get this part right every time, with every person who walks through the door. No exceptions.
One of the simplest policies you can put into place is the requirement that every customer should be greeted within 30 seconds of entering your business. In larger retail where you might not have door greeters, your staff should be trained to acknowledge customers as they encounter them on the sales floor, so no one will be ignored.
2. Personalize
As President Theodore Roosevelt one said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” To that end, staff should dedicate themselves to being as personable as possible. This means they should always engage customers with positivity and an upbeat attitude. Genuine smile. Good eye contact. Listening and asking questions. And general empathy with a sense of ownership for the customers’ concerns.
That sense of ownership is an important one: when customers need assistance selecting services, guidance in finding product locations, help with correcting problems, etc., employees should make it their personal mission to ensure customers are taken care of. If the employees can resolve matters themselves, they should do it. If not, they should connect customers with the people who can and check back in to make sure everything was done right.
3. Invite
A common valediction in the South (and The Beverly Hillbillies, for that matter) is, “Ya’ll come back now, ya here?” While your employees needn’t invoke that particular brand of quaint charm, the sentiment is important. Employees should always express appreciation and a desire for the customer to visit again. This is how they can help make sure customers come back and tell their friends and family about your business.
Doing so caps off the customer’s experience with a memorable and personal touch. Just as a first impression is hard to shake, so too is a last one. No one should ever leave your business with a bad taste in his or her mouth. Mastering this step is crucial to guaranteeing referrals, too.
Make It Happen
While these concepts aren’t complicated in theory, implementing them can be a challenge. You need to provide proper training and constant evaluation to safeguard your business’s reputation for having a caring environment. This is vital to long-term survival and profitability. Let us help you with that—The Brandt Group can empower you with the right customer service and sales processes to promote success, and, just as importantly, provide you with tools like mystery, competitive, and phone shopping to keep your employees on their toes. Learn more about our who are here, and don’t hesitate to contact us when you’re ready for your free consultation.
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