Good customer service, that is sincere, is really hard to find these days. But when you do find it, don’t you instantly know it? Doesn’t it make you feel good? What are the characteristics of good customer service? Is it really that difficult and expensive to provide good customer service? Why should your business strive to provide excellent customer service every day? I will answer these questions and more in this article. I also want to give “shout outs” to businesses and services that I feel are going that extra mile to provide excellent customer service.

Everybody will most likely have their own list of what defines exceptional customer service. It may also vary by business type and services/products provided. I submit to you however that there are core elements that you will always find in exceptional customer service. This is my top list of those essential core elements.

1. Helpfulness And Sincere Friendliness

If you were to study some of the top companies that provide top notch customer service, (especially in sales), you would likely find that when they hire employees, the number one thing that they look for is attitude and personality. Sure, they want people with skills, but that isn’t typically the #1 thing they look for. Skills can be trained, but personality and attitude…you either have it or you don’t. Most people can tell if the person they are working with is sincerely helpful and friendly, or if it is a front, required by their job or position. We all know for certain if the person is rude, curt, unhelpful and unfriendly.

Tied for the #1 reason that people will never return to a restaurant is bad food quality and rude employees. The food could be the best they have ever had, but if their waiter is rude, at a minimum, it will generate a bad review. How fast will social media spread both good and bad reviews? Faster than you can imagine.

I will take this another step farther. At church this last weekend our pastor spoke on “making connections”. (That is really what we are doing in customer service, right?). He related the story of the flight he had recently taken and was seated next to an individual that was a top hiring executive for a major financial company. They talked about what that person looked for in individuals they were going to hire. He said that the company would NOT hire millennials because, even though they were young and brilliant (top of their classes), they were so used to (and comfortable with) doing all their communications on their cell phones and social media, they couldn’t sit across the table from them and carry on a conversation while looking them in the eye. They couldn’t make a connection. Our pastor went on to talk about how we are all the most “connected” generation ever, but also the most lonely generation ever. (But that’s a longer discussion). The point being that there is way more to “making a connection” than just connecting with someone through e-mail or social media. So it you truly want to connect with someone, you need to make a personal connection that goes beyond just sending an e-mail.

One more comment about helpfulness. One of my customers, a garage door company in Texas, is one of the best companies I have ever had the privilege to work with. They are one of the friendliest and most helpful companies I have ever seen. And don’t think that I am taking ANY credit for this in any manner. They do this all on their own. How do I know? Because I see all their customer comment cards. Their customers love them, and love talking about them. What’s their secret you ask? First of all, they are sincerely friendly and helpful. From their President, to their customer service staff, to their salesmen, to every technician that enters a customer’s house, they are helpful and friendly. Let’s talk about service. Their technicians not only do the requested work (and for a very reasonable price), but they take the time to answer all the customer’s questions, explain their services, and many times even do little extra services that are unbilled. Their customer service reps go out of their way to make sure that emergency service requests are handled the very same day if at all possible. They make sure that their techs are there when promised and on time. I know for a fact that their President has adjusted a spring on a garage door on a Sunday personally. Do you think their customers notice and love this? I can tell you for a fact that they do. I read about it all the time. This company is in a major market that is saturated with competition, yet they thrive, and have been around for many years. Do you see their secret?

2. Give ‘Em The Pickle

I am old school. I was studying management philosophy long before some of you were even born. My major and degree is in psychology, with a minor in business (but my second is in computer technology.). Few of you will remember an old company that is no longer around called Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour. I had the joy of going there when it was around. It’s founder (Bob Farrell, along with Bill Perkins) wrote a book called “Give ‘Em The Pickle”. It’s still in print. In the book, they make the point, asking the question (paraphrased) “How many restaurants will loose customers simply by saying I’m sorry, pickles don’t come with that meal?” He goes on to develop the point that by giving that simple little, inexpensive pickle to the customer, you fulfilled that customer’s wish, making them happy, rather than telling them no, and possibly making an unhappy customer. (Please read the book, there is more to it than this.). The point is this, how can we apply this to our own businesses. What are the costs involved in our decisions? What do those decisions cost us in terms of bad reviews and/or lost business? Remembering that customer referrals should always be your #1 lead source, can you afford to just “Give ‘Em The Pickle”?

3. Too Much Of A Good Thing

Lets move our focus to the internet for a minute. I love Amazon.com. I buy a lot of stuff from them. As a busy person that really doesn’t have time to go shopping, it facilitates my needs 24/7/365. There is not much I can’t find on there. And if I don’t buy, but just search, their system reminds me in a couple of weeks of my search in hopes that I will then buy.

Another of my favorite new social sites that I recommend to my clients is Alignable.com. It is great for connecting and networking with other local businesses. They have a great marketing process which constantly stays in touch with you and lets you know of new people that signed up “in your neighborhood”.

Another newer site I am fond of is called zappier.com. It facilitates your website connecting more with other applications without “programming”. They do a great job of informing you after you sign up about solutions (zaps) that others have used to solve their business problems.

Do you see a theme developing here? It’s all about connecting.

But when does a good thing become too much of a good thing? I believe there is a fine line between being helpful and training people and simply pestering them by flooding your inbox with e-mails that you don’t have time to read. In your business, you should carefully consider this when designing constant contact programs. How should “constant” be defined with regard to your business, your products and your services?

4. Your Pricing Policies And Menus

Let’s move briefly to a focus on restaurants. One of my favorite new local (Portland Metro area) restaurants is a pizza place called MOD Pizza. Here are just a few things that I love about them. First, their restaurants are very homey with a lot of pictures of real people, portraying a sense of family and community. Next, I love their pricing philosophy. It’s simple. They offer three sizes of pizzas, each at a fixed price. You can start with one of their stock pizzas and then customize it, or start from scratch. You go down the line where all their ingredients are in plain view. You can add more or less of whatever you want, and it’s still all at the same price. They do it all, interactively, right while you watch. You get exactly what you want, and you know it will be correct every time. They pop it in their oven as you watch, and literally, by the time you pay, get your drinks and set down, it’s typically ready. They made me a believer on thin crust pizzas, which I never cared for before. Best of all, they are friendly and helpful. They are personable. I like that a lot. They are thriving in the local area. Their menus are simple and understandable. They are doing it the right way. They understand customer service. Shout out to them!

What does this mean to your business and/or restaurant? There are a lot of lessons here. First, people like simple and understandable pricing. They like their orders being correct every time. They don’t like being up charged for each and every little add-on or change. Above all, they don’t like being told “No, you can’t have [fill in the blank] because it doesn’t come on that item.” They certainly like helpful and friendly attitudes.

5. Working With The Boss

There is a concept that I have been explaining for years to the business owners that I work with. They often wonder why closing sales is so easy for them and yet it seems to be so difficult for their sales force. It’s simple really. When you work with the boss, they have the authority to make concessions, immediately. This makes the customer feel as though they are getting the deal that they really desire. The boss is likely the best expert about the product or service as well.

If your business is working on flat rate pricing, that may not be working in your favor with regard to this issue. Remember, it is all about solving the problems/needs/wants of your customers. Doing it quickly may be key to your situation. If your business provides quotes/estimates, can you do it on the spot, or is it taking you days or weeks to get back to your customer? If so, you may be losing business.

What can you do to solve these issues? It is mostly about training. Train your staff well, and then empower them to seal the deal. Yes, there may be some deals that get sealed that don’t make as much money as you desire, but that is then, again, a training issue. Help them know their limits. Also, review your pricing policies. Are you nickel and dimeing your potential customers? Give them a great value, give them great service, and then move on. It’s more important to have a customer for life that will sing your praises to others than it is to wring every penny out of every deal. Don’t be afraid to give a great deal occasionally. It will pay dividends in the long run. You do still watch your bottom line carefully. You may need to readjust and retrain. That’s all part of business. Treat your customers well, and they will keep coming back.

In full disclosure, I don’t receive any compensation from any of these businesses I have mentioned by name. In fact, I spend my money with them. I vote with my dollars.

I encourage you to examine your businesses, and to look for opportunities to provide world-class customer service to your customers. In most cases, it really won’t cost your company much money. I know a lot of businesses that are doing these things, and many others, very well. It IS making a difference for them in their markets, in tough economies, and they are performing well against their competition.

In closing, I have one more tidbit for you. Marketing and customer service are not something that someone can do for you completely. If you are the owner of a small business, that means that you are the face of the business, are probably the best salesman in your company, and you must always be an active participant with an eye and heart for marketing. You must also always keep your finger on the pulse of customer service. Do these things well, and you should be able to keep your business competitive and successful in any tough business climate.

Allen Beck, Owner

AKOR Services