Customer “Serve Us” 101

Imagine if your customers handed you a list of their service expectations before an interaction with a frontline employee began.  What specifically would that list contain?  Our Customer Serve US 101 list gives you a few basics to consider:

1. I want to feel important
2. Pay attention to me
3. Don’t sell me, listen to what I want to buy and provide me information
4. Offer me creature comforts like something to drink, a comfortable place to sit
5. Greet me with a smile and a servant mentality
6. Ask me for my name and use it
7. Be creative – solve my problems quickly
8. Go the extra mile for me – be thoughtful and creative
9. Create added value for me and rewards for my continued business
10. Give me what I want, not what you want
11. Ask me if I’m completely satisfied – if not, ask me how you can satisfy me even more now
12. Do what you say you’re going to do – follow through every time
13. Represent yourself honestly and apologize if things go wrong
14. Don’t pressure me or act pushy
15. Be an information resource for me around your area of expertise

The results of a recent Coldwell Banker customer service survey indicated “a strong correlation between the quality of a company’s customer service and its long-term success.”  The survey also revealed that the typical consumer switched businesses they worked with twice in the past three years because of “bad service.”  A few years ago, Ken Thompson, chairman, president and CEO of the former Wachovia Corporation said “we must rededicate ourselves to solving customer problems. That means we must do what our customers ask of us unless it’s illegal, immoral, or unethical. Just do it. Execution is the key.”