Trying to Stay Close to Customers

Since taking over as President at Shout Out Loud, I’ve really been concentrating on making sure the staff is staying close to the customer. I know that many of you have the same issue.

I had an afternoon away and thought about writing up the 30 best tips that I have seen work when it comes to staying close to the customer.

Here are my 30 favorite tips to stay close to the customer:

1. Establish a customer service vision.

2. Walk your talk.

3. Hire the right people.

4. Orient and train employees to serve well.

5. State your customer service expectations.

6. Put the customer second. Customer relations mirror employee relations.

7. Serve through teams.  No one person serves an individual customer.

8. Provide feedback to the team.

9. Encourage ideas for improvement. 

10. Be paranoid.  Approach every day like someone is trying to take your customers.

11. Be honest with customers.

12. Keep customers informed.

13. Under-promise, over-deliver.

14. Never permit a customer to ask for something more than once.

15. Stop providing products and services, start providing solutions. 

16. Listen to customers.

17. Make it right.

18. Give superb customer service to insiders as well.

19. Never say “No”, respond “Yes, but…”

20. Learn your customers’ names, the ones they want you to use.

21. Treat all customers equally well.

22. Treat every customer as they are the first of the day.

23. Anticipate the needs of your customers.

24. Never allow customers to ask more than one employee for what they need.

25. Listen to what customers are saying about you and your business.

26. Resolve customer complaints quickly, happily, generously and appreciatively.

27. Pitch in willingly when co workers need your help with their customers.

28. Make post sale calls and emails.

29. Become a customer yourself.

30. Interview a lost customer.

What do you think? What’s your favorite tip? Let me know!

Signing off,

Mick Pennington

mick@shoutoutloudprints.com