Customer Service That Astonishes

We all know that providing exceptional customer service is the stated goal of every business leader, regardless of how large or small the company.

It’s common knowledge that customers are more loyal to companies who treat them as more than just a number.
Sadly, the personal touch customers want -- and deserve -- is often lost in the daily grind of doing business... especially in larger companies. Too often the leaders do not model the very behaviours they expect from their teams.

Developing loyal customers begins with developing a team who understand the importance of customer-focused service and care about the total customer experience.A key building block of developing high performance employees is recognizing the behaviours that you want repeated -- those that ultimately create loyalty with your customer.Employees who receive regular recognition are happier in their jobs, they stay with the company longer, and they are more productive.

No one likes to receive a complaint — but complaints are worth their weight in gold if an organization learns from them and then uses the information to improve the customer experience. Customer complaints can be used to build a better customer experience and turn a dissatisfied customer into a raving fan.

A good response to a customer complaint also ensures you’ll receive that particular complaint only once. The company will know how to handle that issue in advance in the future.

I read a post by Dumb Little Man that encourages people to focus on their strengths versus their weaknesses. This advice seems counter-intuitive, since we all should be striving for improvement in our lives — and our businesses.

Their point is “you’ve got the potential to go further with your natural strengths than you do with your weaknesses.”