Rapid growth can be the kiss of death for any company when it comes to keeping up with customer service requests. When SPLT was founded two years ago, we started growing very quickly — moving from pilots to full-scale launches with Fortune 500 companies — and realized early on we needed a process for customer service to combat the chaos that comes with rapid growth.
But as most small businesses know, there is no sweeping “recipe for success” when it comes to customer service. Each customer is different and faces different problems; how could a single solution be applied to any unhappy customer in any business at any time? By choosing to focus on our customer service process from the beginning at SPLT — a process that ended up putting us ahead of our competition — we found some key takeaways for any small business owner. All you need to do is keep your customers H-A-P-P-Y.
H- Hear your customer.
Seemingly simple, but often overlooked. Pay attention! Hear your customers and understand their needs. They may be angry, disappointed, or confused with your product. It is your job to be patient and hear everything they have to say. After the customer has aired out the issues, then you can move forward to fix the problem.
A- Ask for feedback.
Always stay up-to-date on your customers’ needs. Relevancy is key when it comes to customer satisfaction. This tactic proved especially useful for us during our first pilots. We made it a point to check in with our customers multiple times a week. Not only did we gain amazing insights into how our customers felt about our product, but we also fostered relationships with customers who realized we truly cared about providing the best service possible. Many of our very first customers volunteered to be our “SPLT Champions,” promoting our brand everywhere they went. Every business owner knows how powerful word-of-mouth is; customer service is a perfect way to tap into that opportunity.
P- Praise your customers.
They keep you in business, so be sure to show your gratitude. Follow-up and follow-through. The truth is 80% of CEOs believe they deliver a superior customer experience, but only 8% of customers actually agree. That’s why at SPLT we don’t stop at respecting our customers; we go so far as to praise them, thank them, and never forget they’re the reason we’re here.
P- Protect the values and the mission of your company.
Employees new and old should know the company credo and take pride in it. The credo, itself, ought to place the responsibility of keeping customers happy onto every employee (As they say: teamwork makes the dream work!). Company culture is integral to your success, so immerse your employees in a culture that cherishes company values. Ultimately, customers will feel a difference with your company that they’ll never experience with a company that does not own its values and mission.
Y- “Yay!”
This is the reaction we want from a disgruntled customer after we’ve helped. We don’t just want our customers to be satisfied; we want them to be happy. By the end of a call or meeting, your customer should always hang up or leave feeling great about the refreshing experience he or she just had.
By keeping this strategy top of mind, every customer will be a H-A-P-P-Y one.
This article was first published on Desk.com.