Customer Service or Helping People Purchase

Submitted By: Peter Irvine
Customer service is all about helping people to buy or use the services we offer. We are solving people’s problems!

We can spend so much money on marketing to attract customers, yet ignore those right on our doorstep!

Our current enquirers – those who call, visit the website or store as well as those who use our products or services regularly are our “hot” customers. Don’t spend money on attracting more until you can look after these people well – give them a reason to come back again and again or recommend you to their friends.

I want to cover some basic keys that are often ignored when helping customers to buy.

Vision:

What does vision have to do with customer service? – If your ‘vision’ is just a statement on the wall that everyone ignores, then nothing!

Have a vision your staff can believe in

A vision they can be passionate about and live out when helping people. People respond positively when they hear real conviction – the staff believe in your product, they know all about it and are confident to advise, even suggest other worthwhile purchases.

Keep the vision alive

Don’t forget to remind the team, keep training and encouraging them with how it is progressing.

Develop a 'YES' face:

Customers are quick to pick up on negative ‘vibes’. Most people tend to gravitate that way – it's why the media is full of bad news – bad news sells! However bad news doesn’t build your sales – if you show a negative or disinterested ‘face’ to your customers and staff it will turn them off buying anything.

What you listen to, watch and read will affect your attitude

Think for a minute - when the alarm goes off in the morning for many of us the first thing we listen to is death, destruction and the bad economy! No wonder we are miserable at the breakfast table, it’s no surprise we are cranky when we get to work with staff and customers! What we listen to comes out in the ‘face’ we present.

Learn to listen to things that will build you up, positive messages and practical advice – develop a 'yes' face.

A 'Yes' face wants to help and attracts people

Yes – I can do that! Yes – I can help!

Challenge yourself to see how many customers and staff you can get to smile today!

Don’t we all want to buy from the people who cheer us up? – purchase is as much about relationship as it is product or price. If I feel good about the person I speak to, I’m much more likely to come back again or share my experience with others.

Start solving Someone's problems today - help them buy.

Part 2:

"If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a new horse" - Henry Ford

With customer service, we need to think outside the square - lead change - be the change. Good customer service is going beyond what would normally be accepted.

A sign out the front of a door saying 'We provide great customer service' is not going to cut it today, in fact it could backfire on you because people’s expectation is that they will be serviced when they go in to look or buy.

To stand out and be memorable start thinking of innovative ways to go the extra mile with customer service in your business.

Some more areas that will affect customer service.

Passion:

If you or your staff are just there to get by and pay bills by earning a few dollars until the weekend, then you will reflect that attitude at work. We’ve all worked with people who count down the hours till knock-off time, they’re not ‘there’ to help people, they totally miss sales opportunities, don’t want to do anything extra and affect everyone else’s attitude as well. The COO of the Ritz Carlton hotel group says he is staggered by age 27, how many people have effectively retired. They hate their job and have no passion for what they do.

Hire on Attitude, train in skills

Look for people that are passionate, because when they have enthusiasm, they provide outstanding customer service and have a great "Yes" face as they deal with people.

Build Your Team:

Ray Croc who founded McDonalds, said "None of us is as good as all of us".

When you operate together as a united team, you can build a strong business and provide outstanding customer service.

Look at how each area of your business performs - eg. If you have a really good sales team, but delivery, or follow-up service doesn’t measure up, you will lose repeat sales. If your product is great, displays good and delivery prompt but the receptionist is slow to answer, doesn’t ring back and has no enthusiasm, you’re going nowhere!

1. Get the right people into the right places
2. Include everyone in team progress meetings
3. Keep lifting up the vision - bring the team on the journey
4. Look for ways to recognise and reward great customer service

Keep Learning:

We learn till the day we die. If you are not learning, you are not growing.

Learn how to become outstanding - not only will you be sought out as providing good customer service, but you'll be more valuable as an employee - both the business and your job will bring greater $ returns.

Get hold of good training material on customer service, CDs or books, talk to others who do it well - learn what works for them. In the US 3% of people have a library card and 6% believe that Elvis is still alive. So you can see the priority isn’t learning! Don’t you be one of those statistics.

Be innovative, every business is different and there will be ways you can give customers outstanding, even unique service that no one else offers.

Make your business (your department or job role) memorable in the way you help customers buy.