5 Ways to Have a Love Affair with your Customers!
Rosemary Rein reveals how to re-ignite the romance with your customers..
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.
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!
About the Author
