'customizing' Customer Service

Many people have been pleasantly surprised that they are being directed to another

human instead of an automated tele-traffic director when calling businesses for help or information. This is a nice change of pace compared to the never-ending "press 1, press 2, press 3..." that almost all self-sufficient adults have become accustomed to. While booking a flight this past week with Unite Airlines, not only did I reach an articulate receptionist, I was floored when I heard, "And thank you for being in our Premier Program, Ms. Schaefer, we appreciate your business." Did my ears deceive me? The company that I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles on without so much as a bag of peanuts being tossed in my direction has suddenly provided excellent and appreciative service? You could have knocked me over with a drink cart!

This trend however seems to be continuing. As I entered a store recently, the girl behind the counter stopped her text conversation and said "Hi, let me know if I can help you." Seriously? I rate higher than a text? This must be a new trend.

Actually, for those companies that want to survive, it is even more than that. It is "Customer Service in 2010." Even the housekeeper left a small gift the first time she cleaned my home. It was not big, a few candies and a package of instant coffee. It probably cost her less than twenty five cents...but what it gave her was far more profitable. A weekly client (that is slightly over paying without complaint), a referral from this beautiful and kind weekly client to another weekly client, and so on and so on and so on.

This is great customer service. So, if you really want to thrive in this world, today and tomorrow, what can you do that provides extraordinary service for your clients?

1) Tell them how much you appreciate them, and mean it. How often do you look a customer or client in the eye and tell them how much you appreciate their business? You should be doing this every single time you see them. My bookkeeper does this with me and it always makes me feel valued.

2) Have your assistant place outgoing calls once a quarter to say thank you for being our customer or client. You should not be trying to sell anything during these calls, they are literally meant to make your customer feel extraordinarily special.

3) Send a Thank You card each time you do business with a client. Recently I had a Hand Analysis from a close friend. Within a few days a card came in the mail thanking me for experiencing this service with her and it included a $5 gift card to Starbucks. What a nice touch!

4) Drop off Donuts and Coffee one morning, unannounced, for everyone in the office. Don't expect anything in return, just tell the entire office you appreciate them and they were on your mind. Not only will you continue to get your clients business but if any of those employees move on in the future, you will get their business too.

The bottom line is that there are a million ways to offer great customer service and make your clients feel incredibly appreciated. With so many companies going out of business and so many others struggling to make it, others are having their best years ever, by offering extraordinary customer service. What can you change today, to make sure that you are the #1 "Customer Appreciator" in your industry? One of the best things you can do is attract more and more clients and customers and then treat them wonderfully.

by: Karen Schaefer

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