Customer service is the golden key to any successful business – if you don’t have it, act fast and make it a priority. It doesn’t matter whether you are a product or a service oriented company. It doesn’t matter if you are targeting consumers or businesses. If your customers do not get the service that they desire they will go somewhere else.

You can establish a culture of excellent customer service in your business by planning, developing and sustaining a customer service program. Train your staff to give your customers the highest level of service.

The ability to deliver a consistently excellent customer experience is to craft the service masterpiece and then rehearse it every day in the way you deliver it to your customers. Write up a service procedure that includes these key elements:

Warm welcome:

When entering a business, most customers want to see an employee make a genuine effort to acknowledge and assist them. A customer in a hurry might be just looking for one specific item and may need the assistance of the employee. However, if they are ignored, they will most probably move on to another store. With so many online and physical retail options available now, if that first store doesn’t satisfy their needs, there is always another one that will. That store may very well have sold the product or service they were looking for. However, poor customer service will cost you the sale.

Personalised introduction:

A personal touch is the best way to let your prospects know that they are a priority. Great interactions begin with knowing your customer’s wants and needs. Customers love personalisation. Get to know your customers, and remember their names and previous conversations. If needed, make a note of what was discussed previously so you can refer to it the next time you meet.

Greeting by name:

When you talk to a customer, remember their name and use it throughout the conversation. To show that you’re listening, mention something they said earlier. Your regulars will appreciate this personalisation and will likely rave about your company.

Key questions to ask:

It’s no secret that your customers are a great source of information. They can help you improve your business, gain a better understanding of your market and the competition, and even bring you referrals. If you already talk to your customers, great. That’s smart. Good questions will get you good information. However, for information that will get you an advantage in the marketplace, you need better questions. As you are talking with customers, consider changing the wording of your questions to get better information. Making sure you’ve got the key questions down that you need to ask every single customer or client is vital because this will guarantee you are meeting their needs. 

Add on offer:

Giving an add on offer is one of the most powerful tools any business involved in sales can have. Not only can it increase basket size and sales, but when done right, this allows customers to discover things they actually need and helps them get the most out of their purchases. This, in turn, increases customer satisfaction, enables retailers to build trust, and keeps shoppers coming back.

Farewell by name:

Give them a warm farewell and invite them back again using their name and make sure that they understand that they are more than welcome to come back and you look forward to seeing them again.

Invitation to return:

A “thank you” email after a first time purchase shows the user that you value the purchase and look forward to seeing them again. Personalising your marketing communication is almost a given. Customers would buy more from businesses that personalise the communication that they send out.

Go a step beyond the expected. Include personalised, handwritten (if possible) notes in your packages to provide users with a real surprise and that extra warm feeling in their tummies.

If you can develop a system like that is scripted, but still authentic, I guarantee your customer service will go through the roof in terms of rankings, and you will have rave reviews coming in, people doing repeat business from you and these people referring you to their friends. That is what every single piece of state is on its journey toward sustainable growth.