Not long ago, I was waiting in line to check out at a store. I overheard a cashier grumbling about the long line of customers and that she was leaving shortly, no matter what
I couldn’t help thinking how thankful we are for our customers for without them we would not have a Company, we truly work for customers–they in fact pay our salaries.”
Superior customer service is such a simple concept, but delivering to it can be the challenge.
Customer service is an area to invest continual skill development.
When training I often share one of my favorite quotes:
“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.”
I ask my team if they know where this quote originated. They throw around names of successful entrepreneurs and CEOs of major retail chains. I tell them it’s not Sam Walton, Ray Kroc, Dave Thomas, or Leon L. Bean.
My research shows it was Mohandas Gandhi, the Hindu leader who promoted peace. (I have been challenged on the originator–but it certainly sounds like him and it speaks to me).
Gandhi believed that all people deserve respect. All people DO deserve respect, we need to accord our valued customers/clients the level of respect that Gandhi speaks to.
Customers ARE your business, and whether they walk into your brick-and-mortar business or visit you online, when a customer shows up, you need to do the same.
We are in a culture where business relies on relationships.
If we don’t offer courtesy, respect, and knowledge, there are plenty of other businesses that will.
We can’t afford to lose customers merely because the person answering the phone can’t control a bad mood. There should never be a complaint from a customer regarding service if we are truly doing an exceptional job. Customer issues or problems are another OPPORTUNITY to differentiate yourself from the competition; to use it as an opportunity to shine.
Proactive customer service by taking extra efforts before delivering a product or service will result in a memorable customer experience; the result is a repeat customer and referrals. All good stuff!
At L-Tron, we maintain a “Zero Defects” proposition. It’s not a policy, but a goal.
Every day, our team understands our goal is to exceed our customer’s expectation at every opportunity.
From answering the phone to developing technology solutions, we all understand that our customers are creating opportunities for us. We want each customer to know we appreciate their business, because we know they have other options. There will always be competition.
By treating our customers as the most important visitors, we aim to be the toughest competition out there.
What are your tips to improve customer satisfaction? Share with us on Twitter @LTronCorp.
