As 2013 draws to a close and we welcome another new year filled with endless possibilities many of us will resolve to do things differently in 2014. This year, resolve to deliver truly innovative service to your customers.
I’ve put together 7 resolutions designed to transform ho-hum service into the kind of remarkable service that will have your customers singing your praises and coming back again and again.
Mentor your customers: Help your customers become the world’s smartest buyer by hard-wiring learning into every customer’s encounter and becoming your customers’ key source for valuable market information.
Know your customers: Learn as much about your customers’ hopes and aspirations as you do about their needs and expectations by asking questions that help your customers problem solve, not just report or respond.
Be accessible: Create access to your organization that says you care about customer communication. Make it super easy for your customers to reach you anytime and any way.
Make it easy: Let your customers customize your processes by building your systems and procedures around what works for them, not just what works for you.
Attend to the details: Make every part of your customers’ experience totally consistent with how you want your organization to be remembered. Disney World doesn’t do “partial” magic; they try to make magical everything from the parking lot to the attractions.
Admit mistakes and wow customers: When you make a mistake, acknowledge it quickly, honestly and with a sincere apology. Then, make service recovery something so remarkable your customers tell others about it.
Serve internally: Remember that great service to your customers starts with great service between your associates. Be known for zero silos, awesome hand-offs, seamless systems and colleagues who enjoy serving each other as much as serving customers.
What would you add to this list to ensure you deliver remarkable service in 2014 and beyond?