4 tips for outstanding customer service

But new research shows that businesses are failing to put their money where their mouth is, says inc. Follow these four tips to up your customer service game and keep your clients coming back to you.

Put a Surprise Inside

Everyone remembers the simple joy of opening up a box of your favourite cereal to find a prize or maybe even opening an happy meal to find out which toy you were going to get. You may not be delighted by a rub-on tattoo or a small plastic toy now, but how would you feel if the dealer you just bought a new car from took the trouble to program the radio by copying the stations you had programmed in your trade-in, or hooked up all to the bluetooth? It only takes a minute, but the effect is huge.

Cut Waiting Times

No one wants to wait for service, or be bounced endlessly around voicemail systems and awful waiting music. Everyone is busy, and if your company can’t provide the highest levels of service your customers won’t hesitate to find someone who can. Customer wait time needs to be eliminated or managed. Bureaucracy needs to be replaced with customer-friendly processes. Be easy to do business with, and your customers will reward you over and over again. With social media, customers have other ways to contact businesses and you can’t afford to to not have a plan. You may not be able to fix the problem on the spot but make sure your on hand to acknowledge your customers and let them know your on the case.

Turn an “Oops!” Into an Opportunity

Customers don’t expect you to be perfect, but they do expect you to care, especially in the face of a poor service experience. Research shows that customers who have their problem resolved quickly and effectively often end up being more loyal to your business than customers who never had a problem. A great recovery often does more than simply salvage a situation: it can build business.

Happy Birthday To Them

For many of us, the one day a year when we feel truly special is our birthday. People make a big deal about us, they give us presents, send us cards, bake (or buy) us a cake. Your customers want to feel special too, but not just one day a year. If you treat your customers like every day is their birthday you will find creative ways to consistently amaze and delight them. And if you do that, why would they ever go anyplace else?