Rethink the customer service department
Everybody in the company should be concerned about customers. Without customers there would be no jobs and no money.
Be careful about having a customer service department. If you have a customer service department, staff may think that customer service is that department’s sole responsibility.
Instead, every one of your staff should be responsible for customer service. They must be allowed to make decisions, take products back and refund money.
You need to replace policies and rules with judgement. Empower your people to say or do whatever it takes to make your customers raving fans.
Maintain customer contact
It has been estimated that you should contact each customer at least eight times a year to retain them as active customers.
This means the customer must see your advertising, visit your business, get a phone call, receive a mailing, or have some other form of contact from you.
You can find dozens of reasons to contact your customers during the year. If you hire a new member of staff or have some other newsworthy change in your business, you have a solid reason to make contact. If you don’t have a reason, invent one.
Economy equals customer service
With so much to see and do online, time is one of the most precious commodities. Show your customers you respect their time by keeping your messages as short and clear as possible.
Whether you’re planning your storefront or crafting an electronic brochure or simply responding to a question in a discussion group, keep your messages short and sweet.
Economical messages show your professionalism and save customers time, which makes doing business with you a little easier.
