The Lion King | 27
Customer Service
Personalization
Is there anything you and your staff can do to ensure
your customers know that you not only pay attention to
their preferences, but remember them and cater to their
uniqueness in every transaction?
For example, a salesperson that sends gifts in pink because
he or she remembers that is a customer’s favourite colour.
This little gesture adds value, and also creates an enor-
mous amount of loyalty.
Consideration
Do you or your staff regularly walk customers to the door
and open it for them as they leave? Do you or your em-
ployees regularly help customers carry their ‘burdens’ to
their car, particularly "women of a certain age" or anyone
who appears frail or a bit unsteady on their feet? If you
have a waiting room and some of your customers are old-
er, do you have chairs that are a bit higher than usual and
have arms on them so they are easier to get in and out of?
Consider that you would want customers to come back to
your business office, what would be that cliché you want
the customer to hold at heart as a result of your service?
Appreciation
What do you do to show your customers that you appre-
ciate them? After all, there are several other businesses
that do what you do. Do you show the customers who
choose to patronize you that you value and appreciate
their business? Feeling appreciated is an experience that is
universally meaningful.
You could invite special customers to a promo-day event,
earlier than the general public or you could have an invi-
tation-only event and give "VIPs" an additional X percent
discount on any product. You could gift-wrap their pack-
ages or periodically give them that thing they often buy for
free. If your product is a service, offer a free check-up.
Always be sure to let them know that you are extending
this extra service to them because they are valued cus-
tomers and you want to show them that you appreciate
them. And one of the easiest and most overlooked ways
to show them appreciation is to send a handwritten note
on lovely stationary.
Delight
Put a smile on their face and in their heart. You can do
something special for their child, their parent, their pet.
Make them laugh, thank them in a showy way for a major
purchase, have a contest or a drawing for something fun
that they could share with family and friends.
Finally, note that meaningful, memorable, fun, unusual
and unexpected experiences influence the way customers
perceive you in general and feel about you in particular.
These little details are so easy to overlook, so tempting to
brush off as unimportant. But add a number of seemingly
minor details together, and you end up with something of
far more value than you would without them.
It is the little details that keep a customer coming back
over and over, it is the little details that cause a customer
to rationalize paying more because she feels she is getting
more, it is the little details that keep people talking about
you and recommending everyone they know to you.
Building
a Loyal
Customer
Base
By Stella Nwankwo
A
n organization may provide a wonderful prod-
uct or service, but if it does not provide good
Customer Service it certainly would struggle to
survive. "Customers are the life blood of any business.”
Understanding the importance and imperatives of good
Customer Service is essential for a healthy business in
creating new customers, keeping loyal customers, and
developing referrals for future customers.
Excellent customer service begins with a greeting,
regardless of the point of contact - in person, on the
phone, or via email. In any situation, good people skills
increase the chances for a positive first impression. For
example, saying hello with a smile to a customer, who
just walked in through your doors, will invite that person
in and make him or her feel welcome.
On the other hand, when an employee does not
acknowledge the client, that customer would immedi-
ately feel slighted. That negative feeling does not get
customers in a buying mood, and it will most likely turn
them away from that particular store or business Office
or organization.
If the employee utilizes good customer service etiquettes
on the phone, the initial greeting will be courteous.
Again, this makes the client feel comfortable. In turn, the
customer will appreciate the pleasant greeting and usu-
ally be more agreeable on the other end of the phone.
This is a much better situation for the client instead of
leaving messages on answering machines, never getting
any returned phone calls, or trying to extract some prod-
uct information from an uncaring employee.
Of course, good customer service goes beyond the
initial contact. When helping customers choose the right
product or service or answer their questions, assisting
them with their needs is a great example of going the
extra mile.
This kind of service establishes goodwill, patronage, loyal
customers and ultimately, referrals. Even if that person
does not purchase anything at that time, the good
treatment will bring the customer back again.
