Why customer care is essential

IN BUSINESS its either you cultivate or corrode your relations with your customer. Customer care is the core objective of any business.

IN BUSINESS its either you cultivate or corrode your relations with your customer. Customer care is the core objective of any business.

Clients bring revenue into the company and that why it’s said: “The customer is king or is always right.”

If any institution was to succeed, they need competitive customer services.

A few years back in Zimbabwe, when our store shelves had literarily nothing, the person who had the needed goods was sought after, but now the goal posts have changed.

Then it was easy to have people buy from you because they had few alternatives.

People could wake up rich the next day because they had the needed commodity. It’s unfortunate that those people and institutions that held on to that mentality after the dollarisation phase in 2009 are finding it had to survive in current situations. It’s not only about the product, but how one treats their customers to retain them.

As I do business with companies, I look around at how employees react to me. This gives me a picture of customer relations.

Secondly, I look for those organisations where I can be of help in personal coaching and customer service training.

I once worked with a lady who was always grumpy and unkind to clients. She was on the front desk and I can’t imagine what impact that had to the whole institution. She was definitely an “ugly” face for the company.

When hiring, we should be able to engage employees with good people skills and are able to handle different personalities. Let’s explore few things that any organisation should take into account:

Care for customers There is great power for your clients to keep you in mind. How do you do this? Appreciate clients that you have done business with.

Make follow-ups through phone calls, letters, thank you cards and e-mails. This will ensure your clients keep you in mind, and even refer their friends, families and core workers to you. Remember, for 10 people you do great business with, you have 10 more new potential customers. That could be referred to you only by a word on mouth.

SEC David Brownlee, a coach and customer services trainer, has created and acronym called SEC. This stands for smile, eye contact and comment.

A smile is like perfume. Perfume permeates into the air with no effort and everyone around smells its aroma. So is a smile. It is contagious and has a positive impact on people you are dealing with.

Eye contact cannot be underestimated. It’s so frustrating as a customer to talk to someone who seems unconcerned and disinterested.

It like they are saying: “Buy whatever you want and get out of my face!” As a employee, be concerned and be helpful. This is possible through eye contact. Eye contact shows that you are engaging with them.

Comments make communication with a customer two way.

Quality products A product could be cheap. If it’s not quality, your clients won’t forget the company they bought it from. A good brand is extremely important. At first, you will have to make rigorous efforts in making your brand reputation good to the clients and with time your product will do the speaking. Good products will increase customer loyalty and create great referrals.

Exceed customer expectations At times you have to offer more that the product you have. This will prove that you are helpful, concerned and ready to serve them.

Listen to your customer At times customers bring their grievances and their dissatisfaction about your product. I remember some years back I bought a pint of milk from a famous supermarket. Unfortunately, the “fresh” milk had gone bad.

I returned the opened pint and their argument was, since I had opened it they would not refund me. I didn’t try to argue, but I questioned the rationale of that. How would I have known that the milk was bad if I had not opened it?

I lost my few dollars. That seems never to go out of my mind, but I never think much of anything that I bought which was in good order. Poor customer service has a double impact than your efforts of good service.

Parting Point: President Theodore Roosevelt had a famous quote which says: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

A little dose of small things will make a great difference to your earnings!

For more money tips and advices go to www.successlife.co.zw, call 0772 581 918, e-mail: [email protected]

Jonah Nyoni is an author, success coach and motivational speaker.