From “Business Matters”
Published Quarterly by Serbinski Accounting Firms
In a world where service is king, make sure you are making every effort to provide quality service to your existing customers and potential new ones. A few essentials:
- Hand out business cards.
- Provide service beyond the call of duty.
- Always display confidence.
- Provide a top-notch product or service at a reasonable price.
- Never compromise your integrity.
- Maintain enthusiasm about your customers.
- Remember their names.
- Be responsive to your customers' needs.
- Listen to complaints your customer has about your product or service.
- Fix the problem... not the blame.
- Don't promise goods or services that you can't deliver.
- Be respectful when dealing with your customers' employees.
- Attend customers' functions and enjoy them.
- Provide newsletters or other items of interest to them.
- Refer existing customers to other customers.
- Use your customers' products or services.
- Never argue with customers over complaints about goods or services.
- Never send an apprentice to do a job requiring an expert.
- Know your product and service.
- Never turn away an opportunity to quote.
- Ask your employees what the customers want.
- Always return a customer's call.
- Be genuinely interested when customers talk about their businesses.
- When a product or service cannot be delivered on time, contact the customer before the deadline to explain and offer alternative solutions.
- Visit your customers' facilities to gain an understanding of their operations.
- Ask customers to fill out questionnaires concerning service or product aimed at providing better service to your customer.
- Provide feedback to customer questionnaires with follow up information and improved product or service.
- Provide three months lead notice for price increases to allow your customers to adjust their prices.
- Be firm but fair concerning receivables.
- Maintain consistency in your pricing/credit policy regarding customers in the same business to avoid arguments of favouritism in pricing or credit.
- Weed out customers that are continually creating problems for your business in receivables, inventory returns, etc.
- Develop advertising brochures that outline the services and products that your company provides.
- Provide employees with the means to market your product or service including marketing courses, business cards, and brochures.
- Offer incentives to employees for new business... trips, cash, recognition.
- Don't change days of operations or hours of operation without notifying your customers at least two months ahead of time.
- Never quote so low on a job that quality is sacrificed.
- Never offer "special incentives" to purchasing agents.
- Do not send invoices to customers for insignificant amounts.
- Ask your existing customers to help you by referring business to you.
- Always keep your customers in mind when business opportunities arise that they may be interested in.
- Establish a dress code for all employees.
- Show employees, by example, the art of politeness and tact when dealing with customers.
- Discourage voice mail as the first line of contact for existing or potential customers.
- Ensure that when customers are present that personal business and company administration come second.
- Never keep customers waiting without acknowledging their presence.
- Maintain a clean, neat and well-organized shop and/or office.
- Foster respect and tolerance of others' beliefs, religion, gender, and nationality.
- Deal with staff or customer grievances personally.
- Never deal with unethical companies or personnel.
- Always know what the competition is doing.