There’s an issue I’ve been noticing for a long time and so I decided to write an article about it. It’s customer service. I’m not sure what is going on, but there definitely seems to be a lack of great service. Granted, I have high expectations, but still. It seems like a lot of people are missing the boat. Today I outline how you can check-in on the level of service you provide for your clients and five suggestions on how to provide even better service.
First and foremost, what type of service do you want to provide? Do you want to be known as a person that gets back to people promptly? That you take your clients and customers seriously, and value their business? Decide what your standards are and communicate them to your clients. This serves two purposes. The first is that you will be clear with your clients on what they can expect from you. This prevents any misunderstandings later. The second, is it enables you to set boundaries with your clients. They know up front they can’t expect anymore then what you’re telling them you can offer. After all you do have more then one customer you need to provide great service for. Under promise and over deliver. Not the other way around 🙂
Second, what I’ve come to realize is that your level of customer service directly reflects who you are and what you stand for in your business. Think about it. If you don’t call someone back what does this say about you and your business? It’s my opinion that it doesn’t matter what type of call it is. If it’s a situation where you don’t want to say no to someone. Get over it. You never know who knows who and you should be treating everyone you come in contact with like a prospect.
Third, manage your expectations. Is what you expect of others the same as the service you provide for your own clients? Make sure you are realistic with your expectations of others, i.e. if someone isn’t getting back to you, are you doing the same to someone else?
Fourth, it’s important to communicate your criteria to everyone on your team. Customer service works both ways and doesn’t just apply to how you interact with your own clients. For expamle, if you work with a VA (Virtual Assistant), make sure she/he is aware of the top three criteria that are the most important to you. My top 3 are great customer service and representing my company in professional manner, communicating/completing projects within pre-determined timelines and acting with integrity.
Fifth, another important distinction to make is value versus service. Make sure you treat all of your clients with the same level of service regardless of how big or small of a client they are to you. All of your clients deserve to be treated like they are important and that they deserve your best. Now, a smaller client may not receive as much value because they simply aren’t paying for it (i.e. they will get what their package includes only), but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t receive the same level of service as your higher paying clients.
I hope this article helps you provide the best service for your clients and prospects 🙂 You are sending out a powerful message to the universe by doing so.