Be Recognized As the Best

Your brand is more than just matching shirts and a good logo. At the core of your brand is your dedication to customer service. In the current economy, it’s all about the experience. According to Shep Hyken in Creating a Customer Support-Focused Business Model, “Today, 89% of companies compete primarily on the basis of customer experience – up from just 36% in 2010.”  Let’s face it, the Customer Experience is what it is all about. It’s an extension of the core values and ethics of every company. How to deliver that exceptional service is a key question for every business striving to be successful.


Look at some of these key stats:

1. It costs five times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. (Source: seohosting.com) 

2. 68% of customers who leave brands leave because they are upset with the treatment they’ve received. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration)

3. 48% of customers who had a negative experience told 10 or more others. (Source: Harvard Business Review).

4. 70% of the customers buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. (Source: McKinsey) 

Building good customer service practices comes from the core of the company. Those practices can be integrated throughout the business. Businesses and organizations profit when they think about what will make this buying experience and the customer-business interactions exceptional. Business owners and managers might consider, “If I were the customer, what would I want to see and feel?” It’s not enough just to be nice. You have to give your customer a reason to come back.

Recently, I needed some magnets with key dates for our Local Officials Breakfast. It was last minute, and I knew I might not be able to get them. I called one of our local businesses, and they went out of their way to make sure we had those magnets. They went the extra mile and set-up a delivery outside of normal business hours to ensure we had them in time. As the customer, this built immediate loyalty. Their actions let me know: One, that my business was important to them; Two, that I could count on them; and, Three, that they offer great products. (Thanks Eleven West!)

This is an excellent example of a company going above and beyond, and providing exceptional customer service.

In today’s competitive world we need to leverage every opportunity we can to provide not just good, but GREAT, customer service! This service makes our businesses and organizations much more likely to be successful.

Work hard, be productive, and, above all else, stay positive.

 
Peggy White
Executive Director
Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce
peggywhite@pulaskichamber.info