When you work for a corporation you usually have annual performance evaluations. To pass, stay in good graces and perhaps earn a reasonable raise in salary one must just ‘meet expectations’. However if you are someone who excels then you may earn a ranking where you ’exceed expectations’.
This is usually gained by someone who really tries to go that extra mile. They make it clear they are not just there taking up a chair for 8-hours a day. They may volunteer to take on extra duties and they may, if there are numeric benchmarks for example do more than what is required without being asked to.This person usually receives a larger raise and/or bonus.
So this should be a model for you in your own home business. The ‘reward’ for extra effort is hopefully increased sales volume; and to be considered as having excellent customer service. Customer service would include both your service to customers as well as to members if you have your own program.
You might take a few minutes right now and try to envision the times where you felt valued by the way a customer service agent treated you – either in transacting a sale, in making an inquiry, or resolving a problem. You might list those things that impressed you about the interaction as well as what might have turned you off.
In the future try to remember what felt good and apply it to your transactions as a rule of thumb. It can honestly be as insignificant sounding as saying ‘have a nice day’ after you thank them for the sale, or just for contacting you about something. However what is just as important as being friendly, is being accurate and efficient.
Nobody likes to sit on the phone and listen to the phone bot over and over again or to wait days for a response to an email inquiry that shouldn’t take longer than 24-hours. This is very important as you do not want to have people who dread contacting your company for any reason because they remember how inconvenient (or downright unpleasant) it was last time.
Don’t get the idea that whatever you are selling will rise above any mere manners or professionalism. They are all part of your ‘package’. Remember no matter how obnoxious (impatient, rude and/or entitled) the customer is, that you wouldn’t have a business without them. Sometimes you will need to ‘byte’ your tongue to get through it, but just think about the bottom line which is making the sale or satisfying the customer.
