Your Key to Leadership in Business - Great Customer Service!

Your customers don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!
Damon Richards

by Skip Cohen

This will be a rant, but I'm letting off steam with a purpose - If you want to build your brand and strengthen your business, pay attention to your customers. Answer their questions quickly; give them equitable solutions when there's a problem, and be accessible. You've got two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk...or write.

There's no single issue that got me going today. I'm just tired of being abused!

• We're dealing with La-Z-Boy on a sectional sofa we ordered back in November. At first, it was a February delivery, then March, then late June, and now it's the end of July. They're waiting for one piece - it's packed up and ready to go, but they're currently limited on delivery staff. I get the supply challenges, but nobody cared in trying to resolve this at corporate. I wrote to their CEO on LinkedIn. She handed it off to one of her staff, who called me and said she would get back to me last March. She still hasn't.
• I had a problem with Open Table. It would have been easy to resolve with a live body in their online chat. I was second in line, so I worked on some things while I waited. After half an hour, I moved to number 1...twenty minutes later, a message popped up telling me there was nobody available and to try back later.
• On Kickstarter's website earlier in the week, I needed help on a question...there's nobody to contact. They send you to their Q&A, and if the answer isn't there, you can fill out a contact form...except there is no form!
• Then there's Facebook - I get that they've grown to be one of the largest companies in the world, but shouldn't their customer service staff have grown proportionately? We've spent two years dealing with the "Concierge" group on the business side, and nobody reads what the issue is. Every contact is like the script from the movie "Fifty First Dates."
• FedEx SmartPost is a colossal mistake. They hired independent drivers who get paid by the delivery, so they stretch things out. Our daughter-in-law tracked a package for days, each day coming close to her house, but never a delivery! 

And these are just the tip of the iceberg!

Ironically, the best service I've ever had was from Comcast! Who knew? We switched from Frontier's death grip, and the Comcast tech showed up on time and finished in ninety minutes. When I asked how he did the new installation so fast, he mentioned he was independent and simply wants to work. He got the job done and went on to the next customer. It was the best installment we've ever had from any carrier over the years.

Here's my point:

If you want to stand out today, exceed expectations. I know the pandemic started this fiasco, and everyone is short on staff, but there's still a point where we've earned the right as consumers to feel the love! It's about respect and feeling like our business matters.

• Call people back as quickly as possible.
• Check your email several times each day and respond quickly. Don't forget to keep tabs on your spam folder.
• Give people solutions, not stall tactics.
• Smile when you're on the phone - you'll be surprised how it comes through on the other end of the line.
• Make your customers feel important.
• Follow-up after talking to them. Build relationships, not one-hit wonders.

I'm not sure there's ever been a time as a consumer where companies have the opportunity to be leaders in marketing and business. Best of all, it's not rocket science - just common sense. As a small business owner you've got more power than you've ever had before!

​Looking for help on how more ways to make your brand stand out and become known for great service? Shep Hyken is a NY Times best selling author, speaker and a friend. ​

Customer service is the experience we deliver to our customer. It's the promise we keep to the customer.
It's how we follow through for the customer.
It's how we make them feel when they do business with us.
Shep Hyken

Shep's website is jam-packed with great content. Everything he shares is about building a reputation for outstanding customer service...and it's all just a click away.