Treat Your Customers As Royalty - Nierenberg Consulting Group

"Treat them as Royalty – What May Occur is Loyalty"

Even when someone is not buying our product or service and with the current economy, we could be slower then usual, I say- ramp up your client service techniques.

Now for some of us who say–"I don’t have clients". Look at it this way–we ALL do. Some just may be ‘internal client’s and are disguised as co workers and colleagues

Here are 10 tips to keep in mind:

1. Understand how your clients’ expectations rise and change over time.What may have been good enough before no longer applies. Ask them and understand how to better serve them to help them with their business and needs.

2. Differentiate yourself from the competition.

Provide personalized and responsive service and go ‘beyond the call of duty’. Treat them in a way that they will appreciate and remember.

3. Raise the bar for yourself. You’ve heard of ‘dazzling the client’–now find ways to do it. Be more flexible, faster and more efficient.

4. Never be content. Find ways to stay ahead of the pack. I find everyday there is so much to learn and new ways to implement. Make it your goal to learn and apply something new everyday.

5.Manage expectations. Build a firm foundation of trust and deliver what you promise. Then if something comes up, you will find the client more understanding and forgiving. A great line I heard once was to "under promise and over deliver".

6. Take personal responsibility. Your want your name to be golden to them and make sure you live up to that standard. Make it easy for them to do business with you and let them ‘sleep at night’.

7. Bounce back with effective service recovery. Things happen that are often out of our control. When it does, go into major ‘repair mode’ and do whatever it takes to restore great customer goodwill.

8. Appreciate when your clients complain-they can be your best allies because they will tell you what you really need to know. Listen with your ears totally tuned up and then fix the problem. And thank them!

9. See the world from the customers’ point of view. Take off any blinders and take the time to step into their shoes. Actually become a customer for your competition. See what the actual client sees and the way they might feel and then work to make it better then ever.

10. Service is the currency that keeps our economy moving. Customer service is always in fashion!! Strive to improve each and every day.

Go through your client base today–both internal and external and think of one thing you can do differently.

Remember your clients become your biggest advocates because they praise and brag about you-which builds your brand and that leads to a stronger and bigger network.