Drive by The Oxford Hotel in downtown Bend, Oregon, and you may think you are passing by the Ritz-Carlton in New York City. Uniformed bellhops and valets stand ready to make sure your first impression of The Oxford is first-class, and a smiling concierge waits just inside the door.
And, when you leave The Oxford, everyone from the room attendant to the front desk staff do their best to send you off with good memories. Moreover, do you think this “gorgeously designed, full-service luxury Bend, Oregon Hotel” follows up with guests and invites them back for another stay?
You bet they do.
How About Your Business?
Do your “guests” feel special when they interact with your business?
They should.
Here are customer service suggestions, pulled from organizations whose track records speak for themselves. After all, without customers you have no business.
Powerful Tips for Stellar Customer Service
Tip #1: Make it really easy for customers to provide feedback.
The first step to caring is listening. Zipwire specializes in cloud-based customer contact centers. Their aim is to make it simple and easy for businesses, small and large, to respond to customer inquiries. From getting up and running with a world class customer service platform to answering the next question that comes in, Zipwire advocates one thing repeatedly: Speed. Customers on hold are likely to be unhappy customers before long.
Tip #2: Don’t dilly-dally about it.
Treat every customer inquiry as if it is a four-alarm fire. Get excited about helping people.
Chris DeRose, author of “Judgment on the Front Line: How Smart Companies Win By Trusting Their People,” was stunned to hear the CEO of J.Crew invited his wife to call him personally in response to a customer service matter. Writing for Forbes online, DeRose said, “Drexler not only pays attention to what customers are saying but also unabashedly acts on it, never apologizing for getting involved in the minutia of business operations.”
Tip #3: Everyone can be an ambassador of customer service.
From the janitor closet to the boardroom, everyone should get involved in customer service.
You Don’t Need to Please All Customers, Just Your Customers
One thing many businesses fail at, though, is at determining who their real customers are. A Jaguar XK mechanic trying to please a Ford Fiesta driver is going out on a limb. It is a lazy marketing plan that considers “everyone” your customer.
The Oxford Hotel describes its customers as “sophisticated guests.” Does that conjure up an idea of their clientele of choice?
You see, part of the job of your website and advertising copy is as much to turn away those who don’t fit your customer personas as it is to attract those who do. This may sound counter-intuitive, even cruel and ill-advised, but trying to please everyone is a sure way to please no one.
Customer service is a key indicator to success in business. Know how well your business is doing, then take steps to make it even better.
