Business is acquired through quality customer service and sales, which builds a memorable customer experience. And, this business is kept through having a great product/service that is supported by both of these. How do your skills measure up? How do those of others within your company align with them?

Want to know the biggest secret about great Customer Service? When it comes to delivering the best customer service experience, there are many books you can read, many training courses you can take, and many companies who have opinions on how to do this correctly, and all of these are really good resources. However, I want to focus on the most important resource...you. It has to be all about you, to work the best. 

All too often we witness employees that do just enough in their customer service efforts, but this is not enough when you're trying to win loyal customers. For example, there are popular rules of "delivering good customer service" that nearly every company attempts to implement, but their employees do the minimum in their execution and upholding of these rules. Which rules am I referring to? Just keep reading to learn them, and let's make a pact that we don't let ourselves or our employees/coworkers fall into the category of doing "just enough."  Instead, let's follow these rules correctly (as they are intended).

When dealing with customers, you can clearly convey "no" without ever having to say the word. For example, iInstead of "no, we don't have that," try saying, "I certainly see how that would be useful and helpful, but I'm afraid we don't have that at this time," or "While we don't currently have what you are looking for, we appreciate knowing what you want so that we can continue to improve our service." Positive language, delivered correctly keeps the door open for future customer interactions, and the customer will not feel as though it was a waste of their time. 

 
From the very first second that you meet a prospective customer, you must have your A-game turned on. Then, every single interaction thereafter should reflect that same level of attention to the service you are giving with the impression that you are making. So how do you get there? It certainly starts with your employees; those who are on your front line and are the faces of your business. Are they happy employees? Well, they need to be. We have effective tips to help get them there if they are not. The quality that your business delivers is what will keep customers knocking on your door and telling others about you. Make your goal to be iconic, like Gucci has been, in your service, delivery, and quality. Read on for some great, quick articles to help you get there.

(Originally posted on 11/5/13. Refreshed and enhanced in order to further capitalize on the popularity of the info.)

A key ingredient to creating a "wow" customer service experience is your ability to be attentive and to actively engage through the use of strong listening skills.  We have to be attentive during every interaction with the customer, otherwise there will be a disconnect between what the customer is saying, both verbally and nonverbally, and what you are doing.  We must give our customers our complete attention so we can truly understand what is being said; simply listening to and hearing what customers say is not enough.  The words being spoken are just the beginning.  You must pay attention to all of the extra, little things.