IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU, IT IS ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER. HOW CAN I BE OF SERVICE?

In an era plagued with technology and automation, people seem to lament not being able to be treated the good old-fashioned way. Back in the day, you always got what you paid for, a deal was sealed with a handshake and trust was implied.

Being trusted and trustworthy will never go out of style.

A company is the sum of all of its parts. The people, processes and technologies as well as the relationships it has with employees, customers, suppliers, and the public at large. Let's not kid ourselves, all companies have a desire to earn money because without earnings they will go bankrupt.

It is my experience however that most companies are initially created for a greater reason. Generally they want to help someone or make something better. They have an expectation that they will make money but their reason for being is often born of a desire to provide a service, create a good, or do both for reasonable compensation.

Competition drives companies to be better and as the world gets smaller due to technology and travel; companies need to change and adapt to meet these new challenges. If they don’t change or can’t change then they will be forced to change or go out of business. Companies must become leaner and faster or their customers will go away and their access to capital will disappear.

Unfortunately in the race to retain or gain the much desired market share and the need to reduce costs companies are compromising value for increased or sustained revenue (quantity vs. quality).

As a service provider I believe that we are obliged to provide superior service and to develop unique products that say we understand and we care. The focus should be on making your business better through the use of technology, processes and people. Success should only be measured by the customer's success not by the size of one’s company receivables.

Keys to drive a customer-obsessed company:

1. Go beyond 'lip service' customer service centric is not a nice catchy word, is a mantra that your company needs to adopt

2. Seek to provide the “WOW” factor. Make customers feel special

3. Understand that perception is reality. It is not what you do , it is what people say you do

4. Focus on customer satisfaction (retention) over customer acquisition

5. Encourage customers to provide negative feedback and once it is received implement measures to remediate the problem

6. Understand that no sale is ever final (unless you are in retail). It is much harder to maintain a happy customer than to recruit a new one

7. Do not lose sight of the core values of your organization. Nurture the passion that drove the initial desire to make a difference and to add value

8. Create a relationship of trust. Always exceed your customer’s expectations.

9. Provide seamless service experiences across multiple channels such as e-mail, portals, telephone, chat, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Leverage technology but do not remove the human factor. Do not discourage customers to want to “speak” with a real person (this frustrates me tremendously, most companies today force you to go thru 100 prompts before being able to choose to speak with an agent)

10. Understand that the customer has processes that evolve and change over time. Be flexible to your customers’ needs. One size does not fit all. Design systems that allow them to paint by numbers and set preferences that meet their unique needs.

11. Listen

As a customer, what are the things that WOW you and make you feel appreciated? Please share your thoughts and experiences by Contacting US

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark.”

― Jay Danzie