Is your front line ready to serve customers the BEST of your company this holiday season? Be on alert, this is an amazing time with tremendous potential.
Don’t miss out on the opportunities available to you to create relationships and goodwill that could last for years – and dollars – to come!
Here are three ways your company can leave an impression that lasts.
1. Make Customer Service DELICIOUS
Customers aren’t always pleasant. (Surprise!) They want what they want when they want it. It’s your job to serve up answers and solutions to their issues in the easiest way possible. If your front line is cranky or indifferent, you may not get the feedback you need. Great customer service provides solutions that are ‘tasty’.
- Do you encourage reviews?
- Do you respond to complaints?
- Do you dismiss their irritation as just part of the job?
If you do, you’re missing out on valuable information necessary for your company to grow. Customer service isn’t always about problems or issues, sometimes customer service is important for clarification. That means each time you have an opportunity to communicate with your customer, it’s a GIFT!
What’s the alternative? They could simply choose to get their money back and not return. They could choose to share what they see as a bad experience with others – costing you future business. It all matters. Look at each interaction as a way to show customers they’re valuable, and your intention is to make them overjoyed with your company.
2. Actively Listen to Their Beautiful Noise
The busier we are, the less inclined we are to actively listen. But that, my friends, is exactly what helps you become excellent. Be cautious not to let routine govern the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Have one ear to the wall at all times, and whether you hear that you’re on track, or you hear that a product needs improvement – embrace the information and find a way to use what you’ve learned.
- Ask for responses to your emails.
- Ask customers at the counter to give you feedback on your website, or post a comment.
- Attach a survey to your invoices, and offer something in return for their response.
- Watch for interest in particular items, and make sure you’re talking about them on your blog and social media. On Twitter, use hash tags (#) to grow a conversation surrounding that interest.
(If you don’t have time to do this, I suggest assigning this to someone as part of their job description. Don’t be indifferent to the power of social media!)
3. Dish up Desert FIRST
Do you hold your most valuable offer – your most desired product or item – until anticipation grows around it? We shared 3 FREE Holiday Email Campaigns with our Inside Line subscribers to show you how to aggressively approach your targeted email list. The earlier you start these types of promotions, the better.
Successful shop owners know that last minute shoppers are waiting for a bargain. A strategy that includes email is a smart way to generate interest, and remind people that items won’t last forever!
People use digital information differently during the holidays. They expect hype on social media, and are more likely to trust the product offer in an email than they are on social media. That’s interesting because they’re also reading those emails on their mobile phones, not their desktop this time of year.
Coupons and specials they can access from their phones are smart business, and offer a nice opportunity to salvage a sale from a comparison shopper. If they find your product for less using their phone from your store, a reminder from a salesperson that a coupon is available can save a sale that might walk out the door. Use a code that can be used immediately at the point of sale.
Okay, those are my ideas, what can you add? How do you make customer service ‘tasty’?
