The customer is the real boss
If you want your business to grow and succeed, you must always remember that the customer is king and is always right. A customer can hire and fire you at will because in the real sense, if there is no customer, your business ceases to exist. Truly successful companies continue to learn that the reason they are in business is to make their customers happy. So they put things in place to make that happen. In many companies, an employee can be summarily dismissed if found arguing with a customer, even when the employee is right. This is because these companies understand that, the customer is king and is never wrong. As a business owner or employee, you might be wearing the most expensive suit in the world, but you must always bear in mind that the real boss is that man or woman who comes to your shop.
Have repeat patronage
Having repeat and loyal customers is absolutely important for your business. A business will quickly die if the people it serves have no reason to return to buy again and again. Quick returns and growth will certainly come if you resolve from the very beginning that you will give every customer that walks through your door a royal treatment. Give a big warm welcome to everyone and go out of your way to meet their needs and delight them.
Even when you are unable to meet their needs, assist them in finding a solution. As they leave, thank them for choosing you. Any customer who is treated in this special and royal way will not only return, but will become your ambassador telling the whole world about your excellent and professional services. It was Edwards Deming who said that “profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your projects and services, and that bring friends with them.”
Try building a personal relationship
Apart from giving your customers utmost personal respect and courtesy, try cultivating the habit of building personal relationships with them. This may appear out of place but customers are often delighted when you remember their birthdays and anniversaries.
What this means is that you have to design a system that enables you to know first, then remember important dates in the lives of your customers. If you get the first step right of showing courtesy and respect, they will be further delighted when they receive a call from you on their special days. You can even go a step further to order and deliver to them a birthday or anniversary cake or present. Expensive? Yes but these are proven ways of warming yourself into the hearts of the people who matter the most to your business.
You can be absolutely certain that your business will grow in leaps and bounds if you can deliberately infuse delivering legendary customer service in your business culture and ensure that everyone who works with you imbibes it. When we say the customer is king, it is not just a cliché, but it means that how you treat your customers ultimately determines the success or failure of your business. You can spend all the money you like doing adverts. If your customers see no value in your products and services, you are simply wasting your money. People are more likely to believe the recommendation of a friend than a radio jingle. There should never be any ambiguity about who is the king in your business because customer experience is the next competitive battleground.
Customer Experience is the next competitive battleground. By Danladi Usman
