Define Customer Service.
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Do you know where your customers come from?
And, as important, do you know why they stay with you, or why they leave?
Understanding how to gain, and maintain, customers is one of the primary goals for all businesses.
Define Customer Service: What is Good Customer Service?
Do your research first. Talk to your customers. Do surveys. Ask your employees to assess the services, and the road blocks that you put up that impedes good service.
Use online or hard copy (in-the-mail) surveys. Or ask your customers for input and feedback as they place orders, or even as you deliver orders (with the invoice, or with the shipment, or via a follow up call).
Why is Customer Service Important?
One of the key differentiations between you and your competition can be in the service you provide. If your customer service is outstanding, it can be hard for your competitors to match it (or to do better).
Focus your business on clearly understanding your customers and why they do business with you.
- Where do your customers come from?
- Ask your customers how they found you. Was it by referral? Word of mouth or through social media? The advertisement you placed in the local paper, online, or on the radio?
- If they didn’t find you, but you found them, ask them why they gave you the order. Was it your product or service? Was it your unique differentiation? Was it you personally?
- Once you better understand how you connected with customers, find out how they view your business. Do this from both the perspective of longer term customers as well as new customers.
Find out how the longer term customers feel about the business relationship over the long term: do they believe you to be reliable, knowledgeable, on time, price competitive, do you deliver what you promise – each and every time? With new customers, find out how the buying experience went: do they feel that you over delivered on your promises? Would they buy from you again? What do they feel was weak in the process; what was strong?
Before you can improve customer service, or grow sales with new and existing customers, you need to have a good understanding of why you keep customers, and why they come back for more. Learn how to effectively define customer service in your business; once you've defined it clearly, then consistently deliver the best value over and over again.
Customers don't keep buying from you automatically, it is a conscious decision. If they are buying because you are the 'only game in town', you will be at risk when a new competitor opens up or takes a run at your customers.
Knowing what your customers need and want, and how you meet those needs and wants, will give you an advantage in building a stronger marketing and sales approach for your business.
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Additional Reading:
Visit Customer Service Tips for more on improving service.
How to deliver Good Customer Service?
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