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If you can improve your customer service, you’ll increase client retention and create a more positive image for your brand. Simply put, excellent customer service is necessary for growing a successful business. And it’s not just enough to say “We care about our customers”…you need to actually show it.

Here are several simple things you can do to transform your customer service from average to extraordinary.

• Train your staff to be the best—Michael Jordan didn’t become the greatest basketball player of all time just by showing up for the games. He trained constantly so that he could improve his skills and be better than everyone else. The same concept applies to your customer service team. You can’t rely on them to be great just by throwing them on the phones every day. You need to spend time training them, helping them learn specific strategies they can use to better help customers and to keep clients happy.
• Reward great employees—If your employees aren’t happy with their jobs, how can you expect them to have that bright, friendly attitude they need to help keep customers happy? Your employees are your most valuable asset, so you need to make sure they’re happy. You can do this by rewarding employees who do great jobs. This shows them you appreciate their work, and it gives them an incentive to provide excellent customer service.
• Get to know your customers on a deeper level—Don’t just treat your customers like a number. You need to build relationships with your customers. Get to know who they are, what their likes and dislikes are, what their expectations are, and other important things about them. The more information you have, the more able you’ll be to satisfy them and target them in your marketing efforts.
• Show your customers how much you appreciate their business—I don’t know about you, but I’m much likelier to do business at a company that actually shows me how much they appreciate my business. From extending a simple thank you when a customer makes a purchase to offering exclusive discounts and freebies to loyal customers, there are several things you can do to show your appreciation to customers.
• Be willing to deviate from company policy—You can never forget the emotional and personal side of customer service. Don’t treat your company policy like it’s the law of the land. Sure, it’s an important guideline, but you need to be willing to bend the rules to keep customers happy. This will help you understand the customer’s pain better, and it will allow you to create a response that keeps them satisfied.

What are some other things companies can do to improve their customer service? Share your best tips by leaving a comment.

Here are a few statistics I want you to consider:

• It costs 5 times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one
• Almost 70% of customers stop doing business if they receive poor service
• A happy customer will tell 5 people (even more with social media)

I could go on and on with these statistics, but the point is this: Keeping your customers happy is crucial to the health of your business. Happy customers are loyal customers. Loyal customers also often generate referral business, helping you grow your customer base at a low cost.

So, what can you do to keep your customers happy? Here are 7 tips to get you started.

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Recently, I wrote a post offering tips for creating an effective customer retention plan. One of the most obvious things you can do to keep customers loyal to your brand is to provide them with excellent customer service. The first step to accomplishing that is to avoid these common customer service mistakes.

• Ignoring your customer after the sale—Way too many companies treat their customers like royalty leading up to the sale, then ditch them as soon as they hand over their money. Not only is this rude, but it’s just flat out stupid from a customer retention standpoint. After making the sale, you need to follow up with your customers to make sure they’re 100% satisfied. Get feedback from them asking what you can do to improve your service to them. If they ever call you with complaints or questions, be there for them.
• Not living up to your promises—My biggest pet peeve is when a company overpromises and under-delivers. Never make a promise you can’t keep. If you say you’re going to deliver the product on Friday, you better make sure it’s there on Friday. If not, your customers will see you as a liar, unprofessional, and unreliable. (more…)