One of the most effective ways to differentiate your business is by consistently providing an unparalleled level of service that keeps your clients coming back. This was the topic for our March SBM @Lunch with guest speaker and customer experience expert, Theo Gilbert-Jamison.
For those of you who missed it, Theo explained the importance of elevating the customer in order to grow your business. Recent customer experience trends show that seven out of 10 customers will pay a premium to do business with companies that deliver exceptional service. Certainly, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and Disney are familiar examples, but this level of customer loyalty is possible for small businesses as well. You don’t need a complex, strategic plan to make this happen. In fact, keeping things simple helps develop consistency. With that in mind, Theo introduced these proven tips to improve your customer service level.
Five Tips for Elevating Customer Service
1). Define your brand promise. What do you want to be known for? Identify the three or four words that describe what a customer can expect when they do business with you, i.e. Accurate, Anticipatory, Excellent, Fast.
2.) Create a strategy for consistently achieving your promise. Institute processes and internal training to help reinforce your three or four brand identifiers with your employees.
3). Repeat, repeat, repeat. It’s incumbent on you as a leader to make certain your team knows and understands your brand promise and the supporting strategy. Reinforce the message through daily or weekly team huddles.
4). Show appreciation to your customers. The number one reason most customers switch from a company or product is feeling unappreciated. Eliminate this risk by communicating regularly with your customer base. Act as a referral base for them when/if possible. Over-deliver on your promises to them and when/if they have an issue, act on it immediately.
5). Make it easy to resolve customer issues. Put a process for service recovery in place. Empower your staff with authority levels for resolving issues on their own when appropriate. Listen to your customers with interest and empathy. Remember, a customer complaint is a gift. Resolve it properly and you have a customer for life.
Implementing these basic tips can help your business achieve and sustain 90% (or higher) customer satisfaction. Be sure to visit Theo’s YouTube channel for more information on leadership and the customer experience. For a Quick Gap Analysis to identify any potential customer service issues you may have within your organization, contact Theo by email at tjamison@psbydesign.com.
About Our Speaker
Theo Gilbert-Jamison is an author, keynote speaker, and executive coach. She is also CEO of Performance Solutions by Design, an elite performance consulting firm that caters to luxury and premium brands with an emphasis on creating the ultimate customer experience. Theo specializes in helping senior executives set a higher standard within their organization by creating and sustaining a culture of excellence.
Prior to launching Performance Solutions by Design in 2003, Theo was Vice President of Training & Organizational Effectiveness for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC.