•You will hear five different business people talking about business success secrets related to good customer service. •For each

M: One of customer service secrets is to build business to  customer loyalty.  This is my number one customer service secret, and is by far the most important one. ! was taught about business to customer loyalty many, many years ago, before I started my own business, when I still worked as a hotel detective in a ritzy down town Calgary hotel.  The hotel insisted that every one of us who had contact with their customers know the customer by his full name and, when possible, other personal or business information about him. When you can show concern about what matters to your customer, and you can bet on it, you’ve just acquired a customer for life.
F: We should provide true customer service. In today’s  market  environment,  service  has become a cliche and it seems like "everyone’s doing it". So, if everyone is doing it, why not jump ahead of the wolf pack by providing even more creative,  personalized service to your customers than your competitors can? Nor is one type of customer service suitable for all your customers.  Let’s say your advertised featured customer service is Home Delivery. The first customer may welcome this Home Delivery because it’s difficult for him to get out and shop in person.  But your second customer may enjoy "window shopping" and carrying his purchases around with him as he goes from shop to shop.
M: We’d better be honest with your customers. If your customer  even  suspects  that  you  are trying to pull something over on him, you can kiss that customer goodbye - permanently! Were you fortunate enough to purchase an item from a wholesaler at a discount price? Instead of being tempted to richly improve my bottom line, I usually pass that saving on to my customer. This will ingrain confidence in my customer so that, in the future, my customers will know where to come for real savings. In the long run, my bottom line will thank myself for having made this choice.
F: We should educate our staff to be equally as concerned about our customers as we are. Some years ago I went into a hardware store and asked the young summer student clerk for some  rubber  cement.  "You  mean,  a  tire patching kit?" "No, ’ I repeated. ’I want a bottle of rubber cement. "The kid obviously didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. However, rather than finding out what rubber cement is, he gave me a strange look, then turned his back and went on to serve another customer. Needless to say, after that incident I took all my hardware business elsewhere.
M: We should remember "The customer is always right." If a customer comes to you about a complaint, be very serious about how you handle it. Is the customer upset and angry? First, I calm him with words and action and show that I am serious about doing something to correct the problem. Even if it is obvious that he’s wrong, sometimes it’s better for repeat business to take the loss and compensate the customer. Then, when my customer is satisfied that his complaint has been properly addressed, thank him for bringing the problem to my attention.  Remember, no amount of advertising can repair the damage done by failing  to  properly  address  a  customer’s concern.