Do you and your organization have what it takes to provide superior customer service?  Your customers think you do, otherwise they would have moved on to another service provider by now. 

On the other hand, any rumblings of dissatisfaction among your internal or external customers may indicate a need to improve customer service.

There are four primary skills that will help you to identify effective customer service traits among your personnel.  They are: (1) sensitivity, (2) sincerity, (3) attitude, and (4) human relations.  Fortunately, all of these can be learned.

When you go into a department store, grocery store, restaurant, theater, or any other business to spend your hard-earned money, what do you expect from those waiting on you? You expect more than just the product or service offered.  You also want to be treated well!

How Not to Treat Your Customers

You certainly don’t want to be waited on by sales people or clerks with any of the following unappealing characteristics:

• Is depressed or angry
• Has a sour look on his or her face
• Considers the customer a bother or intrusion
• Would rather shuffle papers or straighten up the merchandise than care for your needs
• Would rather work alone or with things than help the customer
• Considers technical work more important than customer satisfaction
• Needs to be the center of attention
• Wants things to go in an orderly or predictable way
• Needs others to know that they are right

How to Treat Your Customers

Isn’t it refreshing to be waited on by sales people, clerks, and service providers who:

• Have a positive attitude
• Have a cheerful outlook
• Have a genuine enjoyment of working with people
• Have the ability to make customers the “center of attention” rather than themselves
• Have a high energy level
• Enjoy a fast pace
• Allow customers to be right

The Two Sides of Customer Service

One side of customer service is the PROCEDURAL dimension.  This is the side that includes the systems and procedures of delivering the products and/or service.

Timing, efficiency, organization, uniformity, and convenience measure procedures.  Although these contribute to quality customer service, there is more.  There is the human side, the personal side, of customer service.

The PERSONAL side includes sensitivity, friendliness, interest in the customer, and tactfulness.  Having both the procedural dimension and personal dimension of customer service tells the customer that “we care and we deliver.”

Four Reasons Why Quality Service Is Important

There are four reasons why quality service is more important today than ever before:

1.    Growth of the service industry, including cleaning services. 
Almost half of all U.S. businesses are service related and employ approximately one-third of the work force.

2.    Increased competition.
With keen competition, business survival depends upon obtaining the competitive edge provided by quality customer service.  Customers who are delivered a superior product or service along with superior customer service will come back again and again.

3.    Greater understanding of consumers.
Consumers who receive quality products and services for a realistic price and who are treated well, will continue to do repeat business.

4.    Quality customer service makes economic sense.
Repeat business is the lifeblood of any company.  Attracting new business is not enough.  Keeping profitable existing business is just as important.  Quality customer service helps make this possible.

The four reasons why quality customer service is important are closely tied to the four steps to quality customer service.

The Four Steps to Quality Customer Service

The first step to quality customer service is sending a positive attitude to your customers. 

You do this with:

• Your personal appearance
• The sound of your voice
• The way you use the telephone, and
• By staying energized

The second step to quality customer service is identifying the needs of your customers. 

You do this by:

• Meeting timing requirements
• Anticipating customer needs
• Being attentive or tuned-in to customer needs
• Understanding basic customer needs
• Using listening skills
• Obtaining feedback

You do this by:

• Understanding the characteristics of your services as they are seen by your customers
• Performing back-up tasks for co-workers who may need your help
• Communicating clearly with your customers
• Saying the right thing--selecting the right words to say and saying them in the right tone of voice
• Satisfying the four basic needs of your customers by: (1) being understood, (2) feeling welcome, (3) feeling important, and (4) being in a comfortable environment
• Effectively selling your organization’s unique products and/or services by: (1) expanding awareness of your available services, (2) explaining the features of your services, and (3) describing the benefits of your services
• Being prepared for unexpected occurrences and having a contingency action plan

You do this by:

• Handling complaints properly
• Learning to get difficult customers on your side
• Going beyond what is expected

If you see room for improvement in your business or organization, contact us immediately for details on how to implement the secrets of superior quality customer service.  Go to our CPI Business Development Course for details on how to start your own Quality Customer Service program.
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Article written by: 
Forrest L. Farmer, President
CPI Business Development Corp.
Division of Clean-Pro Industries, Inc.
Portland, Oregon

Tel:  (503) 289-0063
Fax: (503) 289-0055

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