10 Customer Service Tips

Customer service is probably the chief reason Grandma Georgina hired you to mow her lawn. Besides the fact that she wants to put a neighborhood kid to work, I imagine she also likes the better customer service that comes from a neighborhood kid as opposed to some faceless, corporate lawn care. I have put together a few tips for you to use when on the job so you can get your customers to start talking about you and to give them a better experience. You might even receive a tip!

1) Smile

Whenever you are interacting with your customers, always make sure to have a warm smile on your face. Nothing false, because those are gross. Grandma Georgina will love that.

2) Listen

Listen to everything your customer says, without interrupting, and respond accordingly. A customer might be offended if you don't let them finish what they want to say. They also might not enjoy having to repeat themselves, either.

3) Be polite

Never EVER be rude to your customers. Ever. Mind your P's and Q's, and treat them with respect. One of the worst things you can do is be rude to a customer. Bad, bad, no-no.

4) Know exactly who your customers are

Make sure you know the connection between a lawn, a name, a voice, and an address. Mixing these up could be disastrous (you go to the wrong house your something). Grandma Georgina will love it if she can just call you up and say, "Little Freddy, please come trim the back hedges Tuesday, they are getting a little long." Know who your customers are.

5) Give your customer the benefit of the doubt

If, God forbid, your customer is spoiling for an argument, do not argue back. You will never win an argument with a customer, and unless you know something as an explicit fact, take your customer's word for it. I mean, unless you are trying to find a messy way to lose a customer. Go here for tips on dealing with an irate customer.

6) Try to be accommodating if your customer wants a little extra

If your customer wants a little more than they asked for initially, do your best to try and do it. I mean, if you just plain don't have time to do it, then you obviously can't-- But do it if you can. You will have a more highly satisfied customer who may feel inclined to tip you.

7) Be reliable

Although this may seem rather obvious, you should NEVER miss a job. Do what you say you will do. This is a pretty down to earth principle that I hope you already know. Be reliable.

8) Be willing to just talk

When Grandma Georgina asks you if you are doing any camps in the summer, don't blow her off. Obviously, if you just have to go, you have to go, but make sure to be polite about it. However if you do have time, make a little extra effort and build your customer-service provider bond. It will really help your business.

9) Be honest

If you forgot to do a section of your customer's yard, and your customer points it out to you, apologize. Make sure that they know it is all your fault, and fix the problem. This is good customer service, and your client will really like you for it.

10) And last of all... Just use your instincts

I'm sure almost everyone has the common sense to know when and how to act in certain situations. If something makes your customer happy, try to do it. Customer service comes from you, and I have the feeling that you can make happy customers. Just make sure to follow the above rules, and remember to use your instincts. Good luck making some happy customers!

Further Reading:
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/customerservice/a/custservtipslt.htm
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/customerservice/a/custservrules.htm
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/a/custserviceas.htm

Labels: business