1. |
Maintain a Customer Profile database
Collect customer contact information. Use it to keep track of your customers and to stay in touch with them. |
2. |
Treat different customers differently
Know (learn) who your best customers are. Start by treating them differently....specially. |
3. |
Interact with your customers
Find innovative ways to have dialogues with your customers. Teach them about you. Ask them about their needs and preferences. Never talk TO customers, talk WITH customers. Use meetings, telephone, fax, mail, newsletters, email, lunches, letters, invitations, thank-yous, updates, product announcements, new service announcements, and helpful hints as reasons to interact. Host customer meetings. Share your expertise with your customers. Put some fun in your business. |
4. |
Find ways to add value for your customers
Ask your customers what they would like, and what they would prefer, and how they would like it delivered, billed, guaranteed, serviced, and upgraded. Also ask your employees for ideas. |
5. |
Personalize everything you do for your customers
Use their name. Show their account. Give them information the way they want it. Celebrate their businesses and anniversaries. Take and use their pictures. Give them credit. Publicize their use of your company. |
6. |
Say thank you
You can't say it too often, especially when you thank them for their business and their referrals. Offer incentives for referrals. "Thank you" is to customer loyalty as "I love you" is to a marriage. |
7. |
Do unexpected things at unexpected times for your customers
To say thank you. To show you care. To show you value their business. To make them feel special. To add the "WOW" factor to your business. |
8. |
Inject your company with regular, systematic collections
of customer feedback
Every month, every quarter.....Ask customers.... "How are we doing?" "What can we do better?" Share their answers with your employees. |
9. |
Welcome customer complaints
Make it easy to complain (and to praise). Act on their suggestions. Apologize, and give a little bit extra. Let everyone know about what you are changing because of the suggestions. |
10. |
Sweat the "small stuff"
Customers judge you on everything. Try to make 100 things 1% better. Identify and improve all your "Moments of Truth" (the ways your customers come in contact with your company). |
11. |
Hire the right employees, and train them in using
customer service skills
Hire for attitude, train for skill. Provide the "tools" to fill customer needs and to handle customer complaints. |
12. |
Form a Customer Advisory Council of your best customers
Meet quarterly to say thank you and to gather ideas on things you're doing, considering, or worried about. |
13. |
Create partnerships with related companies that can add value
to your customers
Use these partnerships to offer special "deals" to your customers. |
14. |
Reward your employees, who reward your customers, who
reward your company by doing business with you.
Employees are your most important and best customers. Treat them that way.
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