Customer Service - it begins at the sale
When do you start thinking about how you deliver to your customers?
For most businesses it’s when the product arrives. Or when the service starts being delivered.
But it should be much earlier than that.
Service starts at the sale.
How you handle your customer during the sales process is the blueprint for how they expect to be serviced going forward.
And that’s why it can go wrong.
If you have highly experienced, very customer centric people delivering sales they are often very quick to respond. They tend to have a certain communication style and can have built a friendly, natural rapport with the customer.
That sets the expectation in the customer’s mind that service is going to continue to be like that - super responsive, friendly, chatty and so on.
But that doesn’t mean your sales team should adopt a formal style, or not be responsive. Far from it.
So, how do you get past that problem?
You set out how it is going to work going forward. You ensure the customer is clear about what to expect, how and when.
You tell them verbally and then you confirm it in writing.
Ideally, this is all part of a more rounded onboarding process - that’s something we talk about a lot.
It should certainly start with a “thank you”.
For bigger ticket items - that’s relative to what else you offer in your business, not the client’s wallet - you should be making a bit more effort. A hand written thank you note is unusual in the electronic communication world we live in, but stands out. So too does a small gift.
Sharing who is responsible for what, and how to communicate with them, helps the customer feel more in control. There is nothing worse than hearing nothing and not knowing who to speak to.
Communication is everything.
Keeping the customer informed is probably the most crucial element of good customer service. We all know things don’t always go according to plan. But telling the customer is so much better than hiding and hoping they don’t notice!
Check in regularly
For any service that takes time - legal services, website projects, engineering projects - you get the idea - you need to reach out to the customer on a regular basis. Keep them updated with what is going on. Tell them if there is no news - you just want to make sure they are OK.
This regular reassurance helps them to know they haven’t been forgotten. When you are not in the thick of it, it is tough to realise how long some projects can take, and just what is involved along the way. Be honest and open - customers want that. It’s not about speed - it’s about quality and accuracy.
Obviously customer service is a huge topic and one we talk about regularly.
But right now go back and look at how you’re ensuring customer service is top notch from the beginning - and involve your salespeople.
