Little Things Do Count
How do you start your morning? Do you go to the gym and get in your workout, take time to make a good breakfast, read the newspaper, read a chapter of a book with a warm cup of coffee, take a walk and watch the sun rise? I start my morning every day by stopping into the coffee shop next to my office for a cup of coffee. Yes, my coffee pot at home works just fine, but I don’t get the service at home that I do there. On any given morning I can pull up and the line is out the door. The end result for everyone is the same….we will all have something waiting for us under the “pic-cup” sign, but will we all appreciate the effort of the team behind the counter? I am in customer service myself so I pay very close attention to the service that I receive and I share these experiences with my team.
What makes a customer loyal? Some experts say that it is based on trust and others may say that it is the relationships that you build. In my opinion, it is both. Everyone has satisfied customers, but do we all have loyal customers? Do you have customers that keep coming back to you for products that they could easily get from someone else?
The little things do count. For instance, by smiling and addressing your customers by name you make them feel as if you are paying attention and that they are your only customer. If you talk to customers on the phone, they can hear that you have a smile on in your voice. With all of the technology that we have today, some of us may have fallen out of the habit of sending a hand written thank you note. Start at the top of the list and take a few minutes each day to thank someone for their business. Pay attention to what your customers tell you. This is key. Once you have built the relationship and your customer trusts you and your products, they will start to tell you things about themselves. Things they like, dislike, experiences with previous vendors, their family…you name it. By taking the time to make note of this, you have something to reference on your next call.
I could certainly keep the list going. What small item could you incorporate in your day today that would make a big difference in the service that you deliver?
