Is Your Customer Service Excellent?
"The last person to buy from you is the most likely to buy again
and soon." This quote is an old one and I do not know the author
but I do know it to be true. After spending fourteen years of my
life owning and running a retail art gallery, I was witness to
this happening over and over again.
A repeat customer does not happen by accident. A repeat customer
is the result of excellent customer service from you.
A man by the name of Harold Stanley Marcus was born on April 20,
1905 in Dallas, Texas. His family started an upper-end retail
store in 1907 and called it Neiman-Marcus. Stanley started at
the bottom in the family business in 1926 as a floorman. He
began to work on the store's image and customer service. Mr.
Marcus has been quoted as saying "Quality is remembered long
after the price is forgotten." His son Richard, who took over
from his father upon retirement, put a different spin on his
father's words of wisdom.
"Care for your customer and they will return... care for your
merchandise and it won't."
Stanley Marcus retired in 1975 as a chairman who had shepherded
the store to international prominence through a combination of
uncompromising quality in merchandise and unwavering commitment
to customer service. In 1984 Neiman- Marcus inaugurated
retailing's first customer loyalty program, InCircle. If you
have a few minutes, take a look at the InCircle program at
http://www.neimanmarcus.com. At the middle of the page on the
left, click on InCircle Rewards. It is a secure page but you can
scroll down to see what they are giving their good customers.
Granted, Neiman-Marcus is an upper-end retailer and it is
inconceivable for you or me to offer anything to compare with
what they are doing for their loyal customers.
The point is... what are you doing to bring your customer back?
Your new customer will receive a thank-you confirmation
electronically which will probably contain other URLs to your
other programs or products. Correct? But what else?
Right now you have the perfect opportunity to send a very
personal email to that new customer. You may be thinking "I
don't have time to send out personal emails after every sale."
Well, you can't afford not to. The next merchant will if you
don't, and that's the merchant who will gain a loyal customer.
Offer your new customer your personal assistance and attention
after the sale. Give them all of your contact information:
email, phone number and address. Also, let them know that you
have a "complimentary gift" for them as a "thank-you" for their
purchase. Try to avoid the word "free." This word seems to have
lost it's power due to its being used in almost every ad on the
Internet.
When you offer to give personal assistance to your customer,
make sure you are available during certain business hours.
Answer your emails as quickly as possible. An immediate response
is impressive and creates trust.
"Once you have your customer's trust, you have won the most
valuable prize in business."
"Care for your customer and they will return..."