Customer evangelism is something big companies and marketing consultants have talked about for years. It is about the job to build customer advocates. Often though, HP customer advocates get most of the attention in this area.
How often, as a customer, do you experience WOW customer service? That is the type that you normally can’t imagine? Average or less customer service seems like the norm in many industries.
In some, it’s so common that when we provide great service, we yield customers who feel like they’ve won the lottery.
Even if only for a moment. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Customer service tips are not rocket science.
We often get questions and comments on customer service tips from clients and people commenting on our blog.
Many relate to customer service actions that are reminders of what we already know. But we occasionally forget them, don’t we?
These are the bid enablers of customer service. They usually won’t create WOW service on their own. However, their absence is noted by customers. This makes excellent customer service just good or less.
Customer Experience Thinking: 11 Ideas That Create Massive Growth
As we work with companies to help them in improving customer service, some things stand out. These are things a lot of small businesses don’t do consistently. If they did, they’d find the quality of their customer service would improve. And their customer loyalty would increase.
People assume small and mid-sized companies can’t create customer evangelists. But they’re wrong. Here are things any company can do for improving customer service they’re providing.
I know many companies already do some or all of these things. And for those that do, it shows. They are the organization’s people rave about. They are the service superstars, and they create customer advocates despite their size.
Here are fourteen actions you can take to create customer evangelists no matter what size your company is.
HP customer advocates … HP talks to their customers
Have real person-to-person conversations with as many customers as you can. If you have a lot of customers relative to your employees, then you’ll need to prioritize. Find ways to have real, meaningful and ongoing conversations with them.
This might mean inviting some to lunch. It might mean hosting get-togethers at your business. It might start with a survey and end with a phone call or a meeting. For others, it might be virtual conversations using email or Web 2.0 tools.
HP customer advocates … empower employees
HP lets employees make decisions in crucial customer moments.
No one turns an unhappy customer into a fan faster than a team member empowered to fix the situation instantly.
Provide training and guidelines. Trust them to make the right decisions. This is the single most important thing a company can do to create great customer service.
Great customer service that will exist over the long haul, in our humble opinion.
HP customer advocates … seek first to understand
When a customer is telling you their issue, HP gives them your complete attention. Customers consistently tell us they hate dealing with employees who don’t listen or pay attention.
When you begin talking with a customer, stop whatever else you are doing and focus on them. Don’t multi-task. Don’t half-listen.
Write down what they are telling you and get specifics from them. Make appropriate eye contact, listen, nod. Show them you are paying attention. Then confirm that you understand.
HP customer advocates … serve their needs
Of course, they’re doing this to make HP better. But everything you do in your customer evangelism effort needs to be useful from your customer’s perspective.
Educate them while you engage them. Always do things in ways that are useful to and respectful of your customers. Keep that as your primary focus.
Always greet customers promptly and with a smile
You may not be the owner, but you should care like you’re the owner. Not all owners or executives make great leaders, but the ones that are should be emulated.
Watch how they take pride in how they deal with customers and employees. Then copy them. Act and care like you are the owner.
When talking with a new customer, give them your full name and get theirs right away. This makes your conversation more personal and enables you to better connect with your customer.
It also tells your customer you’re willing to be accountable for helping them. This is because if you don’t, they know who you are!
Don’t forget to say, “Thank you!” It would be remiss of me not to remind you to show appreciation.
HP customer advocates … remember one thing
HP employees remember one thing about each customer you meet. People do business with people. Make your actions personal. Customers should want to do business with you because of you and your employees.
Make your customers “feel at home.” You may have a great location, cool displays, great signage, etc. That’s all great, but your people must make your customers feel welcome and appreciated.
If not, all of the other doesn’t matter.
HP customer advocates … get them involved
Find multiple ways to get your customers involved. For some people, just a regular phone call or lunch will be enough.
For others, you might get their help finding solutions to challenges you’re facing.
Give using brainstorming or other facilitated meetings a try.
Focus on details
Remember this; little details can often create big experiences. Pay attention to details.
Figure out the details that your customers enjoy. Make them a routine part of doing business with you.
HP customer advocates … think creatively
HP does their best to think creatively when solving customer issues. They see a customer as someone who needs help.
To deliver WOW service, remember your customers are there because they want and need YOUR help. And remember how good it feels to help someone in need! Go the extra mile.
Create communities for your customers to participate in. Forums and blogs are great for this. Software and online companies have done this for years but so can small businesses.
For example, VillageHatShop.com, (a small online and offline store) invited customers to submit pictures of themselves wearing their hats. They posted the pictures on their website. Judging by the number of pictures, it was a big success for them.
HP involves their customers
HP realizes no one knows what your customers want better than your customers.
If you ask them with genuine interest, they will tell you. So ask them and heed their advice.
HP customer advocates … customer-centric language
Use language and actions that demonstrate you think regarding customer-centric. Put customer needs ahead of your own.
Design your processes and policies with your customer in mind.
Here is an example often overlooked. Always remember to update phone messages to be customer-centric.
HP is open with customers
However you engage customers, make sure you do it genuinely and honestly. Be open to what you’re doing and why.
Make the process as transparent as possible. The more open you are with your customers, the more open they will be with you.
Let all of your employees participate. Don’t script them or micro-manage their involvement. Never, ever.
Let them get to know your customers and vice- versa. The more your customers know and like your employees, the more likely they will be evangelists for you.
That is the bottom line in creating loyal customers who promote your business.
Care about customers
Every action your company takes needs to show your customers you are there to serve their needs.
When you do this, you will deliver an experience that your customers can’t get anywhere else. So they’ll come back.
And, more importantly, they’ll bring others with them.
Secret competitive analysis
Personally, mystery shop your own company and your competitors. That is how HP does it.
Find out how easy everyone is to do business with through your own experience.
Sure, you can hire a company to do surveys and mystery shopping, but learning through your own experience can be an eye-opening.
Don’t forget to analyze when things go right.
When a company receives a complaint people usually have discussions to find out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.
Next time you receive a letter of praise, meet to find out what went right and how it can be repeated. Don’t, as the cliché goes, just learn from mistakes.
Focus on the can do’s
Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. Always follow up and follow through.
One of the biggest complaints people have is they never hear back from sales or service employees. Someone promises to do something, and it never happens.
An easy way to thrill your customers is to simply do what you say you will. Whatever you promise, do it promptly, thoroughly and accurately.
Then do a little more. It thrills customers every time!
The bottom line
Be sure and set aside time to look at the big picture, through the HP lens. Things are never constant or ever as they seem. Your big picture analysis is essential in helping you adapt to change.
Always focus on finding a solution.
And, when you do this, customers will come back more often because they know you you’ll do everything you can to help them.
Need some help in building better customer service for your customers? Have you noticed the growing importance of the service you provide? Creative ideas to help enhance your word of mouth marketing?
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your customer service improvement and pay for results.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas for your service to customers.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improving your continuous learning for yourself and your team?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More reading on customer experience from our Library:
Client Satisfaction …10 Secrets to Improve Customer Experience
Customer Orientation … the Worst Customer Experience Mistakes
Customer Experience Optimization … 10 Employee Actions that Lower It
Building a Customer Experience Strategy for Business Success
Random Acts of Kindness for Customer Experience Improvements
10 Ways to Employ Customer Experience for Influence