Sunday, December 21, 2008

Customer Service Tips 4 Steps For Turning Customer Moments Into Customer Experiences

Writen by Richard Flint

It doesn't matter much if you think your customer care is good. What do your customers think? Do you know at the beginning of the selling process that your customer is going to be satisfied? The experience that your customer has with your company has more to do with your behavior towards them than anything else.

Too many people treat a customer like a moment, rather than an important EXPERIENCE. You see, people just want to know that they matter. Not just their money or their time, but they want to know that they matter as a human being. When you treat your customers like taking care of them is the absolute most important part of your day, you solidify in their minds good thoughts of you and your company. Your customer is the one who defines whether you're good at what you do, and they do that through their definition of their experience.

Here are 4 steps that you can take to make sure your customer NEVER is treated as a "moment" but as the focus of your business:

    Make sure you have plenty of time for them. Remember: more than anything, they want to know that they matter. If your customer feels pushed, interrupted, unwelcome, or put off, they will not really be satisfied.

    Organize yourself to take care of their needs. Two of the biggest destructive forces in business are inconsistencies and inefficiencies. If you are inconsistent or inefficient, your customers take the brunt of it; it's punishment to them.

    Manage the moments of touch. You know all the critical junctions where your customers connect emotionally with your business or product and those are the places where you should be constantly monitoring what's going on with them and with you. It is at these junctions that your customers will form their opinion of who you are.

    Empower your business associates to make decisions. Anytime a customer has to wait on permission from someone else in the company, their frustration level increases.

Your customers determine their own satisfaction. Don't wait until it's too late to know if they are satisfied. If you are wondering about it, then it's too late! It's your behavior that will make them feel like they are the focus of your business.

For the past 26 years, Richard Flint has been helping businesses understand the business of people. Whether it's managers, employees, or customers he has the knowledge, insight, and experience required to create an environment where everyone wins. To learn more about Richard and how to create positive customer 'experiences', visit http://www.customer-service-tips.com.

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