Tips to delivering excellent service

Oxford dictionary defines service as the action of helping or doing work for someone, but that is not all what it is about, the focus of every service ought to be hinged on satisfaction, when service is rendered without a target of satisfaction in mind, it will be equal to poor service delivery as a result of incompetence or ignorance.

It costs you five times as much to win a new customer than to keep a current one. But, customers are not loyal by nature and research shows that emotion influences purchase decision six times more than rationale. Connecting to your customers on an emotional level is the key to establishing a lasting relationship with your brand. You must go beyond simply delivering your product, and develop strong bonds with your customers. It is essential that you provide a unique customer experience by proactively anticipating your customers’ needs and expectations and exceeding them, every time.

Service excellence is an attitude engrained in every department and it begins and ends with your people, from cashier to CEO. It requires more than a streamlined customer service department or a slogan on the lunch room wall. Excellence is a consistent, premium service at every pass set by a service oriented tone that drives your company strategy at every level. The following list are top tips that wil help you to focus on the most important elements of customer service excellence:

·                     Always Focus on Service before anything else

·                     Give the Best experience possible

·                     Create a unique customer experience

·                     Use the Customer as a marketing vehicle

·                     Always remember that you are Selling “WOW”

·                     Always improve on your service

·                     Always respect your customer (time and opinion)

·                     Measure their satisfaction and engagement

·                     Educate, encourage and use incentives on employees to deliver service

·                     Differentiate your Brand from competition

·                     Know your customer base (segmentation)

·                     Integrate your operations processes into your customer marketing strategies

·                     Understand that Customer Satisfaction is based on loyalty, identity, values, and relationships

·                     Special Interactions keep customers coming back

·                     Solve problems quickly and turn complainers into advocates

·                     Customer Service agents must have the authority to make decisions

·                     Listen to your customers; Change their attitudes, and fix their problems

·                     Measure your relationships, and refine your processes, and proactively solve and prevent the same mistakes from happening again. (Continuous improvement)

·                     Improve your supplier relationships, and hold them to the same standard as your customers do

·                     Exceed expectations and treat customers as if you would treat a guest in your own home.

·                     Spread the word – promote your brand promise by empowering your employees to act as ambassadors

·                     Hire good employees from the start; study your culture, and find the right fit

·                     Always remember what your corporate values and purpose are, and set mission to that goal.

·                     Tell the customer the truth, and love what you do

·                     Personalize your service to meet your customers’ needs

·                     Listen to Customers; Take appropriate action; keep it simple

·                     “The most common thing about common sense is so uncommon”

·                     Leaderships should stay involved in the business, and respect employees and customers

·                     5 P’s of Customer Service Excellence – Process; Product; Presentation; Price and most importantly People!