WTF Happened to Please and Thank You?

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Photo By NatalieMaynor

Customer service in the world today is far different than it was many years ago.  While we used to count on getting knowledgeable, friendly, personalized service and support, nowadays we know that we are more likely to get a generic response when we need a specific answer, or a blank stare when we want a smile.

The state of customer service has definitely gone downhill in recent years.  I think we can all agree that on a fairly regular basis, we deal with businesspeople and employees who leave much to be desired in their communication skills or social graces.

Still, there is a definite upside to the shortage of good customer service skills in the world today.  It allows those of us who care about treating our clients and customers well, those of us who understand the true importance of good customer service, to differentiate ourselves from the crowd and build a loyal customer base who will stay with us indefinitely.

In this article, I am going to explain why rather than viewing good customer service as a necessary requirement of dealing with our customers and clients, we must begin to view our customer service as an integral part of our marketing plan for our business.

Great Customer Service as a Marketing Tactic

As marketers, we must view our customer service techniques and practices as an important part of our marketing campaign, and an asset that increases the value and worth of our product or services in the marketplace.

It is more important now than ever before to have excellent customer service skills.  Because of the stiff competition and oversaturation in most markets, customer service is one of the few areas that we can easily differentiate ourselves in a positive way from the rest of the crowd.  So few companies practice and focus on giving exceptional customer service that we can literally tap into the growing demand for better customer service by being extraordinary in this area of our businesses.

How do we take our customer service to that next level?  How can we be so good that it becomes noticeable and unique to our customers?  Besides the normal answers to that question such as to be friendlier, learn about the customers personal lives, or be more attentive, here are a few ways that we can really make ourselves stand out in our interactions with customers and clients:

• Anticipate questions, concerns, and desires:  Learn the standard concerns and questions that your client base has, and work to become better at making them feel comfortable with you and your business.  Figure out the best way to give them a greater understanding of what you are doing together, and try to remove natural objections that you know may come up before they even arise.
• Make yourself (or your company) more accessible:  Regardless of all of the communications devices and mediums that we have today, people seem to be less accessible than ever before.  We have grown accustomed to more generic responses and delayed contact from the businesses we communicate with.  Make it a point to make your company more accessible, from more individual attention to customers to quicker response time with emails or phone calls.
• Be the first in your field or market to offer new services: Develop a reputation for offering the newest services and extras to your clients.  Let people know that by working with you, they’ll be on the cutting edge of the industry.
• Examine the way that you speak to people in general:  Often, even if we feel that we have great people skills or communication skills, there are one or more areas that we lack in which would help us immensely.  Focus on singling out these areas of your people skills that need work, not just with your customer service but with people in general.  Continue educating yourself on the finer points of communicating and relating to others.
• Never stop increasing your knowledge and understanding of your industry: Differentiate yourself and your customer service by displaying an uncommon amount of knowledge in your field.
• Be exceptionally nice:  Use a pleasant and upbeat tone at all times, because people pick up on the tone of your voice and your demeanor even more than the actual words you are speaking.  Plus, let’s face it…..who doesn’t like to be treated nicely?  If you are good at treating people well, you will always stand out in their minds.  I was speaking with a customer the other day over the phone who even commented to me, “Wow, you’re really nice, where are you from?”.  She sounded so surprised when I told her New Jersey!

This all comes down to our basic social instincts as humans and how we interact with each other.  People like people who make them feel special and valued.  People like people who are knowledgeable about their business, and who are accessible and friendly.  If you can get your customers and clients to genuinely like you and feel valued by you, you will keep them as customers for a very long time, and you will be free from worrying about the competition.  The competition can never duplicate the relationship you have built with a customer through great customer service, and will never be able to make serious headway against you for that specific reason.

Also, we can never forget that practicing great customer service is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to create word-of-mouth buzz, referrals, and general goodwill in the marketplace for our businesses.  Give someone a great customer service story to tell their friends, and instead of one good customer, you may have just earned yourself five or ten of them. 

Customer service is as important to our marketing plan as our advertising or the quality of our products and services.  If we use it to our advantage, we can effectively differentiate ourselves in the market and create scores of loyal customers. 

Many people have average customer service skills, fewer have good service skills, and very few have excellent customer service skills.  Aim to be in the excellent category, and watch your business flourish.

Tags: customer service, entrepreneurs, Marketing, Relationships, Self-Marketing