5 Ways to Have a Love Affair with your
Customers!
Rosemary Rein reveals how to re-ignite the romance with your customers..
As I have been finalizing my chapter on "WOW!
Customer Service" in the upcoming book "Blueprint for Success and Survival"
with Dr. Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard, (Look for in Bookstores in 2008) I
have been reviewing my field notes from working with business clients who
have successfully propelled their business from Now to WOW! They are
Businesses, large and small who have transformed their organizations and
dramatically increased their revenues by having a renewed love affair with
their customers!
Okay, let's start with the ingredients of a love affair -- Yes that
infatuation and head spinning awe, personal love letters and flowers that
leave you catching your breath. Where did this incredible creature come from
who seems to adore you? Now switch for a moment and think about that couple
you see, who seems to have lost the magic they surely must have had at one
time-- limiting their appreciation of each other to a once a year Hallmark
Greeting.
When I look at businesses, with poor customer service, apathetic employees
and usually a resulting flat or declining bottom line, I see organizations
that need to re-ignite their love affair with the customer. Over the years,
they have gotten comfortable with the way they do things and accordingly
have fallen into that "got to make the donuts" rut. They have ceased to look
at the customer experience with "brand new eyes".
So if you're looking at your sales, your service quality and your employees
grumbling around the water cooler about everything they have to do today --
Consider these 5 ways to "Spice up your Customer Love Life"
1. Ten Positive Customer Touch Points: Hello! if the only time a
customer hears from you is when you send your monthly bill or there's a
problem-- you've got that Hallmark Greeting problem. Your customers are
going to find someone (your competitor) who "shows them the love" in a much
more personal way on a regular basis. A key to providing WOW customer
service is to examine your points of customer contact and seek 10 positive
communications with customers to every 1 negative touch point and yes your
invoice is considered a negative.
2. Show the Love to Your Employees: Case studies demonstrate that the
way you "show the love" and treat your employees is passed on to customers!
Note: the principle of 10 positive touch points applies to coaching and
motivating front line customer service employees. One good practice is for
every negative you provide to an employee be sure you give them 10 positives
as well. Nothing worse, than the boss who is always pointing out what you do
wrong versus expressing appreciation for what you do right. Has your team
gone out of it's way recently to beat a deadline or retain an account? Why
not Surprise and Romance them with 10 minute chair massages? Note: Keep in
mind that in romance, surprises are always the best, which is why I hate
those ordinary "employee of the month programs" that become expected,
non-special and just plain boring.
3. Examine all of Your Love Letters and Communications to Customers:
The first thing I do in working with business clients is to look at
everything their customers sees, feels , hears and touches with my brand new
eyes. Do your client bills just say Thank YOU! or do you include inspired
and heartfelt appreciation of the customer's value? Does your web-site grab
them in 7 seconds? That's all the time you have! Are your marketing
materials written to appeal to all 4 personality and 3 learning styles. If
not, maybe you need to hire a "Cyrano Word Smith" to romance your customers.
4. Save them Time and Money: There are two things that are sure-fire
Cupid's arrows with customers. Save them Time and Money and communicate how
you're doing that on a regular basis. In business and in life, time and
money are the two forms of energy we never have enough of.
5. You know -- It's not about You! Think of that blind date where the
person sitting across from you is droning on and on about themselves. You
want to scream "Did you think it's not always about you? Sometimes It's
about me?". As I review web-sites, listen to "telephone hold messages" and
review marketing materials, I am amazed how businesses focus on their own
features verses the customers needs. I was hooting and hollering in
reviewing one web-site: The home page was a photo album titled "This is
where it all began" followed by baby pictures and a history of the
principles. Who cares? This is why in sales and customer service training,
the skill of "listening" and "adapting to individual customer needs and
communication styles" are critical. No Bob, it's not about you! It's about
the Customer!
So perhaps it's time to evaluate your Customer Love Life before your
competitor does it for you!
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