Excerpts from Just one thing
Eva Kaplan-Leiserson, T + D
Successful businesses have one thing in common: They treat their customers well. Great customer service can make a company stand out from its competitors, attracting new business and making customers loyal. In fact, it can be a competitive advantage in a tough economy. When companies are struggling to survive, it seems as if the lesson is elementary (not to mention ancient): Do everything you can to make your customers happy.
Companies that get it:
- Look at the customer as a partner
- Try to make solutions that work for both parties - taking the long-term view of keeping the customer
- Admit to, apologize for, and bend to fix errors
- Treat the customer as a valued, even most important, part of the business
- Will do almost anything to make the customer happy
Companies that don’t:
- Look at the customer as an adversary
- Find solutions that work best for the company in the short-term
- Don't admit to, apologize for, or work to fix errors
- Berate the customer, making her feel dumb or valueless
- Are full of people who say "I'm just doing my job"
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