The Abc Of Superior Customer Service

Writen by Eric Garner

If you want your front-line staff to remember the essentials of customer care, there's no better way to teach them than with the ABC of Superior Customer Service.

A is for Attention to Detail. Because when customers know you care passionately about the little things, they'll know you care a great deal more about the big things.

B is for Benefits which is all your customer wants you to tell them.

C is for Complaints, your free marketing service.

D is for Dedicated staff, because when the team is fully engaged, customer loyalty goes up by two-thirds.

E is for Empowerment which means trusting and training your staff to do whatever it takes to thrill the customer.

F is for Feelings. As the Scottish Life advert says: "Make each customer feel like you've held the door open whilst laying your jacket across a puddle and then rescued their kitten from a tree."

G is for Going Out Of Your Way, just like the engineer who took a 50-mile detour on his way home from work just to deliver a phone to a customer who had been waiting all day for it.

H is for Hi-Tech, Hi-Touch, because when things get complicated, that's when people want the personal touch.

I is for Ichiban, the Japanese word for "wanting to be the best".

J is for the customer Journey, which you must know every inch of.

K is for Kaizen, another Japanese word which means "continuous improvement".

L is for Loyalty, which you buy by engaging their minds and piercing their hearts.

M is for Moments of Truth, those hundreds of opportunities every day to turn their heads.

N is for Now For Something Extra, that ends every customer interaction on a high.

O is for Observing your customers' needs before they know them themselves.

P is for the Pride that staff feel when they know they're in a valued profession.

Q is for Quality: of product, of service, of manners, of courteousness.

R is for the golden Rule: the customer is always right, even when they're wrong.

S is for Sincere Smiles, that aren't false but melt the coldest hearts.

T is for Tact, the one thing your customers will notice but you must pretend not to.

U is for Underpromise and Overdeliver, the simplest way to make someone's day.

V is for adding Value because there's nothing so precious as your time, your care and your attention.

W is for the Wow Factor, when you stop them in their tracks.

X is for Xtraordinary service that is out of this world.

Y is for Your Mum Was Right, because it's all about respect.

Z is for a good night's Zzzzz's after a great day's work.

Practise these attitudes and skills, and you'll love your job and your customers will love you.

© 2005, Eric Garner, ManageTrainLearn.com For instant solutions to all your management training needs, visit http://www.managetrainlearn.com and download amazing FREE training software. And while you're there, make sure you try out our prize quiz, get your surprise bonus gift, and subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter. Go and get the ManageTrainLearn experience now!