Customer Service is your Best Marketing Tactic (Part 2)

Continuing the discussion from Part 1.

Ok, so, you’re a small business.  Your resources are very limited and you have to make the most of every marketing dollar spent.  You've decided to integrate excellent customer service as a key part of your marketing tactics.

So, how do you get started?

Man with a plan - do you have one?

I think the place you have to begin is by identifying your ideal customer and build your customer service process around them.  You've done this, in your marketing plan, right?  If not, contact me and let's get to work on that.

Next, you must understand that ideal customer.  What are their expectations and needs? Build a process and a culture (even if it’s just you, it’s still a culture) that meets or exceed those expectations and needs every time that customer comes in contact with you in any way.

Don't make the mistake of assuming they need and want what you need and want.  Do your research and find out what they say - either directly (by asking) or indirectly (by tracking purchasing behavior) or ideally, both.

The details of how to deliver this - and thus, what excellent customer service looks like - vary from company to company and industry to industry.  Consider not only the standard in your own industry, but also the standards of those industries that are recognized as tops in customer service.  This would usually be personal services (like spas as mentioned in part 1) but also think about high end hotels, casinos, and any business you frequent yourself that you think does an excellent job in delivering customer service.

Here's a few tips I think are generally universal:

• Smile when you are talking on the phone
• If you make a commitment, follow through on that promise
• Use honesty and own the situation when things go wrong

There's one tip you can integrate immediately into your daily process, and it’s been around for a long time (and you don’t have to be religious at all to agree with the sentiment):

Philippians 2:3-4

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

3 Do nothing [a]from [b]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A3-4&version=NASB

 It sounds simple, but takes practice, process, and work.  I can help you with that.