Customer Satisfaction Is Your Business
Regardless of what business you are in - you are really in the
business of satisfying customers. The degree of customer
satisfaction you deliver determines the level of long-term success
you will achieve in business.
Make Customer Satisfaction Your Top Priority
Don't just make sales. Create customers - satisfied customers. In
addition to the immediate profit they provide on the first sale,
satisfied customers help you build your business in 2 other
important ways:
1. They become a reservoir of repeat buyers. For some businesses
that means repeat buyers for more of the same product or service.
For every business, it means buyers for additional products and
services.
2. They automatically refer more business to you from their friends
and business contacts. This is highly profitable business for you
because it doesn't cost you any time or money to get it.
Never Promise More Than You Deliver
Never make any promises you can't (or won't) keep. Nothing alienates
customers faster than getting something less than they expect from a
business transaction. They won't do business with you again. And
they will tell everybody they know about their unhappy experience -
causing you to lose future customers.
Tip: Handle customer complaints quickly and with a positive
attitude. Strive to preserve your relationship with the complaining
customer instead of your immediate profit from them. They will
reward you later with more sales and referrals.
Always Give Customers More Than They Expect
"Over deliver" on quality and service. Always exceed your customers'
expectations. You will win their long term loyalty. It also makes it
difficult for competitors to steal customers from you - even if they
have lower prices. Customers will not risk an uncertain experience
with a competitor when they know they will get more than they expect
from you.
Tip: Surprise your customers with unexpected value. If you sell
products, include an "unadvertised bonus" with every order. If you
sell services, get into the habit of doing something extra for every
customer or client without charging for it.
Let customers know how much you value them.
Let your customers know you are always thinking about them.
Communicate with them regularly. For example, create some special
deals just for your existing customers. And announce new products or
services to them before you announce them to the general market.
Tip: Convert your customers into publicity agents. Develop an
incentive for them to tell associates and friends about the value of
your products or services. An endorsement from them is more
effective than any amount of advertising - and it is much cheaper.
For example, reward them each time they refer someone who becomes a
customer. Your reward can be as simple as a credit toward their next
order from you.
You are in the business of satisfying customers regardless of what
products or services you provide. The satisfied customers you create
will help you build your business by becoming repeat buyers and by
referring new business to you from their friends and associates.
Copyright 2004 Bob Leduc
Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new
customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his
manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards
...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small
businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing
methods at:
http://BobLeduc.com or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM
Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV
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