Dee Blick is the UK’s number 1 bestselling small business marketing author and the retained Chartered Marketer for K-Seal distributors Kalimex. In the latest instalment of marketing hints and tips for garages she provides some information on customer retention.
This month I turn my attention to the importance of delivering an exceptional standard of service to your customers – all of the time – not just when you (and indeed your team) are in the mood. For me, marketing and customer service are inseparable. What’s the point in driving hot prospects to your door with shoestring marketing only to let them down afterwards because your service – pre quote and delivery – fails to meet the mark?
1. Customer journey
If you really want to deliver fantastic customer service on a consistent basis, you have to map out your customer’s journey from the moment they walk through the door to completing their job and any after-care even if it is to check all’s well. Identify the glitches so you can rectify them swiftly.
2. Survey your customers
Be sure to survey your customers regularly so you know what they really think of you and your service as opposed to what you would like them to think. If you fail to deliver your best at any of your customer’s touch points your customer will initially be bewildered and then irritated… “They were so good before… Why are they so average now?” “They were so amazing and attentive when it came to quoting the cost of servicing/repairing my vehicle but now they are not returning my calls.” You don’t want customers thinking this and conveying it to others.
3. Maintain high service standards
It might seem like a tough call but if you want to thrive and not simply survive with your business you can’t afford to lower your service standards at any stage of your customer’s journey.
4. Quality of communication
Whilst analysing these touch points I would like you to review the quality of your communications; your emails, promotional letters, face to face customer communication and telephone calls. Be critical. Do you project a warm and friendly tone or are your communications clumsy, way too concise and lacking that all-important clarity? Working with a good copywriter to re-launch your communications and, a good trainer who can show your team how to communicate with warmth and passion could be a good and indeed long overdue investment in your business.
Being great at what you do does not automatically bestow these skills upon you or your team so look upon bringing resources into your business as an investment, not an expense; an investment that will pay you back with loyal customers that turn into raving fans.
So walk that extra mile when it comes to delighting your customers. Draw up a list of the many different ways in which you can WOW them at every stage of their journey with you and stick to it.
You will be rewarded.
