Customer Service Leads – Everything Else Follows

by Alfio Pasquarelli

I’m a bit of a health fanatic. Years ago I even owned two nutrition stores.  Recently, I was talking to communications consultant, Daniel Torchia, and happened to mention the importance of eating greens, especially the dark leafy greens like Chicory (Italian Dandelion).  Sure enough, when I went to Daniel’s office for a lunch meeting, he managed to track down an Italian restaurant that was able to locate the rare greens and prepare an ‘off the menu’ meal for us that was unbelievable and memorable.

It was a domino effect of intense listening, great service and flawless execution. Daniel listened and tuned into my interests.  He could have just ordered typical sandwiches, but he went out of his way to pick up a meal that would make me feel valued.  Second, although the Italian restaurant did not have Chicory on the menu, the owner, Biagio Vinci, understood the power of ‘yes’ and made it happen – running to the local market to purchase ingredients for this special order.

Customer service is integral to the success of a business. Basic consumption is easily forgotten; relational moments of surprise, joy and emotion have true staying power in the mind. What differentiates one consultant from another is service. Retail may be about location; professional service is about the experience.

Following are four elements of customer service that I try

to live by. Hopefully they will inspire you to take your customer service and business to the next level.

1. Listen– listen to your customers always, and even in the silences and non-verbals.  Every customer is unique so take the time to ask questions and understand your customer’s unique needs.
2. Anticipate opportunities– think about what the customer needs before they actually ask for it. When you make it easy for your customer to do business with you, you build confidence and loyalty.
3. Make customers feel appreciated– every customer is unique so take the time to get to know your customers and understand what would make them feel valued. A small token of appreciation is memorable and being fully present helps to build strong relationships and repeated business.
4. Make it happen– go out of your way to please your customer. Say ‘yes’ and figure out the how later.  Customers will appreciate the extra step, personalized service and the initiative taken.

The value you put into a relationship is what keeps customers coming back and it’s created by great customer service and memorable experiences.