How Excellent Customer Service Can Create Lifetime Customers
March 2019 – I recently presented at the Montesano Chamber about customer service. Several attendees followed up to tell me about how the presentation was a good reminder for them. I wanted to share with Greater Grays Harbor readers about how great customer service can lead to customer retention and often lifetime loyal customers.
About a decade ago, I was calling my local salon in Los Angeles where I lived for a haircut. I was a semi-regular with one of the stylists and I was calling to check to see if she was in. The front desk lady confirmed and so I drove to the salon. It was crowded. After waiting, I noted that people were being served before me. I had been waiting quite a while and was a bit upset. One of the stylists, Cecilia, saw that I was upset and stepped away from her client for a moment to speak to me. She told me that people can call ahead 30 minutes and reserve their spot in line. I had called and no one told me I could reserve a spot, I said. My impatience grew when I learned that the front desk person failed in her communication. Cecilia apologized for the front desk person. Even though she was busy, Cecilia listened and did her best to address the misunderstanding. By listening, Cecilia helped keep the situation from getting worse. I was able to express my frustration and see a path for a remedy.
For the next 9 years, Cecilia the stylist became the only person to cut and style my hair. In the following years, we often laughed about how we got acquainted.
Cecilia turned me into a lifetime customer with her customer service. She had the essential customer service skills that help retain clients. These skills include:
● Delivering a quality product or service-Cecilia was great at cutting hair and I always loved my haircut.
● Timely service-Cecilia had no control over how busy the salon would be since it was a national chain. I do not like waiting so I learned to show up during slow hours. Cecilia would even spend more time on my hair when it was slow and I loved this.
● Competitive cost (but likely higher)-The salon set pricing but I definitely paid more through tip because her service and quality were equivalent to something worth double for me. I was willing to pay more because I loved her services.
● Anticipate and address customer needs- Cecilia was able to notice 10 years ago that I was upset by the service. She was attentive and followed up immediately. She remained calm and patient despite the challenge which helped defuse the situation.
I am more than Cecilia’s lifetime customer. I am also her promoter. I recommend her continually to friends and family. I share on FB and Instagram about how I love her services. I recently moved to Aberdeen and actually miss her quite a lot.
When we offer quality customer services, we gain loyal customers. Hence, those happy customers will naturally share with their friends and contacts what we do.
How can we excel at customer service? Greet customers immediately when they walk through the door. Train your employees to do the same. McDonald’s and Subway are often models for this because they have employee handbooks that spell out how to greet customers. If customers need to wait, acknowledge the wait to them and let them know you will be right with them. Create an email list where you can touch bases with your customers monthly. Share something exciting about your business or tell them about a customer success story. Keeping in touch with customers is a way of maintaining those valuable relationships.
When you create those strong customer relationships, it is one of the most fulfilling ways to enable and grow a business, because, at the core, is being of service to others.
Mia Johnstone is the Business Advisor with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The SBDC offers free of cost business advising and aids businesses with loan acquirement, tax questions, cash flow analysis, marketing, human resources and much more. Her office is in Aberdeen and she can be reached at 530-538-2530 mia.johnstone@wsbdc.org.