Business Management
Five easy ways to improve customer service

Feb. 11, 2014 — It's been said that if you make your customers happy,
everything else will take care of itself. However the problem for many
businesses is they don't have the resources to create and implement
effective customer service programs.

Here are five quick and easy ways to improve your customer service with no special training required:

1. Stay
   professional. Whether on the phone or in person, how you present
   yourself will have a huge impact on how people communicate with you. Be
   polite, courteous, attentive and caring.
2. Say thank you. Let
   your clients know you appreciate them with a quick phone call, a hand
   written note or even a small gift to thank them for their business or a
   referral.
3. Be accessible. While no one expects you to be
   available every minute of the day, make it easy for customers to reach
   you or your staff. Email, voicemail, texts and social media are all ways
   you can make yourself available. Most importantly, make sure to respond
   promptly.
4. Ask what, not why. As in "what can we do to make
   things right" instead of "why are you having this problem." Never put a
   customer on the defensive.
5. Follow up. If you suspect that a
   customer is not 100 per cent happy with their experience with you or
   your company, follow up afterwards by phone or email. While it may feel
   awkward, your attentiveness alone may often be enough to make things
   right. And it will always be appreciated.

Marc Gordon is a professional speaker and marketing consultant. Get more marketing tips on his website, www.marcgordon.ca, and on his online show, www.marctv.net.