Simple “Customer Service” won’t cut it. Answering inquiries when you get around to it, shipping at your convenience, not paying attention to details or communicating as though you didn’t make it out of the sixth grade, will put you in the same league as the majority. You need to be extreme and offer extreme customer service!
To stand out online you need to have
Extreme Customer Service and prove it!
Courtesy, honesty and integrity are key. Now, I’m not going to blow smoke and tell you that by being honest and having integrity that’s all that is required. It isn’t. I can tell you from experience there will always be those customers where honesty or integrity are of no interest in lieu of just doing what you are told simply because you are being paid or offering the lowest price (regardless of quality).
In any business one has to realize that you can’t be everything to everyone. So don’t try! That’s part of offering Extreme Customer Service! Catering to your target market, knowing what they want and giving it to them X10! Over deliver!
Don’t dilute your efforts by trying to cater to the masses. Realize that those who do not value honesty and great customer service in lieu of cheaper prices and/or lack of quality or professionalism are those customers who most likely will not be profitable customers anyway.
Extreme Customer Service means that you answer e-mails within an hour. You have your products in stock and you ship that day if possible. You say what you’ll do and you do what you’ll say — without fail!
If you are e-mailed about an order, you jump on it and clarify any issues or questions. You make sure your customers know they are valued and appreciated by thanking them and using the epitome of professionalism and courtesy in your communications.
You take the extra steps and make the extra efforts to be THE company they want to do business with again in the future.
Online, more times than not, customer service levels are inadequate, sludge slow or plain old non-existent. Use that to your advantage to stick out like a sore thumb!
At your service,
Judith
