Imagine this: you walk into a restaurant and order a hot cup of coffee with sugar and a sandwich with roast beef and swiss cheese. When the waiter hands you your coffee and sandwich, you find that your coffee is cold and the sandwich doesn’t have any cheese.
You bring the items up to the counter and let the cashier know about the issue. He not only apologizes for the kitchen’s error but also replaces your meal and lets you know that the next time you want to come in for a meal, it’s on the house. You walk out feeling satisfied and eager to return, even though there was a hiccup along the way.
If you have ever had an experience like this, you have experienced the power of amazing customer service. Even when a team does its best to make every aspect of your experience perfect, mistakes can still sometimes happen.
It is often not the error that matters, though, so much as how the organization handles it. Standout customer service can go a long way for prospects, so don’t neglect to remember why “the customer is always right.”
Fostering Customer Loyalty
Would you return to a store if the employees didn’t acknowledge you when you walked in, or worse, ignored you when you brought up a concern about their products? Probably not.
On the other hand, would you return to a store if the employees greeted you with a warm welcome when you walked in the doors and asked you as you walked around the sales floor if you needed any assistance?m You likely would, and you might even recommend the location or service to your friends.
Customers remember excellent service and will reward your efforts with their loyalty and repeated business.
Knowing What Customers Need
When you listen to what your customers have to say, both when they are happy with what you have to offer and when they are not, you can get a better understanding of what they want and need.
Having good customer service means having an open line of communication with customers and consistently asking for their feedback, both in the form of direct interactions with employees and indirect interactions through surveys, emails, and other resources.
When you open your ear to what your customers have to say, you can improve their experience even further, turning your establishment or company into one that they will remember when they need it.
Creating Discussion About Your Business
Customers don’t tend to forget about meaningful customer service interactions. Excellent customer service can lead to word-of-mouth referrals, bringing new faces through your doors just by bolstering relationships with existing customers.
The most memorable experiences might even earn you a post on your customers’ social media pages or an exemplary Yelp review, which can be amazing for sales and publicity.
