“Your competitive edge in today’s business environment is all about the power of loyalty”-Ken Blanchard. This quote is from the dust jacket of Ken Blanchard’s book, “The Simple Truths of Service.” No truer words have been spoken in regard to how a service-based business can thrive in today’s business environment.
Service-based businesses do not have a physical product that they sell. A service-based business specializes in selling the intangible: customer experience. Succeeding in today’s economy is more than simply price. There are any number of companies out there that can beat pricing. What is needed is to turn customers into raving fans. Exceptional service is how to transform customers into raving fans by creating an amazing customer experience. I believe exceptional service is a combination of five components.
What are the five components of exceptional service?
- Attitude. Attitude is everything and comes from the heart. Greet a customer with a smile and a handshake. Have a positive outlook on the service you are providing. Treat the customer as the most important guest at a party. Simple acts of courtesy such as active listening, saying “please” and “thank you”. Having a “can-do” spirit. A positive attitude is contagious and can win over the grumpiest customer.
- Aptitude. Have the skills and training needed to perform the job with confidence and competence. Nothing makes a customer more nervous and unsure of their choice in a service company than a service technician who is fumbling with the task at hand. Get the needed training and be a craftsman.
- Quality. Deliver what you promised in a manner that exceeds customer expectations.
Keep your work area tidy. Respect the surroundings. Make sure everything that needs to
be tight is tight. Make sure everything functions the way it is supposed to function. Check and double-check your work to ensure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed. WOW your customers with the quality of your work.
- Go the Extra Mile. Be attentive to your customer’s needs. Pay attention to the unspoken cues as well as those that are spoken. Give your customer that little something extra. They will notice and the word will spread.
- Cultivate Relationships. Get to know your customer. They are more than a business opportunity. Your customer is also a person. What do they do for fun? Do they have children? What ages? Did they just come back from or are planning to take a vacation? Get to know your client base on a human-to-human level. Develop genuine care for them as individuals.
Five simple things that anyone can do. Five simple things when applied from the heart will provide a customer experience that will transform your clients into raving fans.
—David Plekkenpol