Creating Customer Loyalty: Part 2

In my previous post on customer loyalty, we discussed that it costs 5-10 times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one satisfied. Once you work hard to acquire a valued customer, you want to have a process in place to keep them coming back and becoming a referral source to grow your business.

In any business, there will be times when there are problems. The key to creating customer loyalty is to have a culture that prioritises training team members on how to deal with challenges effectively and professionally and to provide excellent customer service consistently.

Below is a checklist of some customer service best practices. To see how well you are doing, give your company a point for each activity that is already part of your culture. Use the unchecked statements to learn the areas where you can improve.

_____ Our company has a consistent process for training employees on customer service best practices.

_____ We encourage customers to provide us feedback (both positive and where we need to improve).

_____ If we receive negative feedback, there is a process in place to act and follow up.

_____ We listen to customers in order to clearly understand the situation and look for solutions.

_____ We look for opportunities to offer additional products/services that would benefit the customer.

_____ We proactively look for ways to exceed customer expectations.

_____ We generally keep our commitments, but if there is a delay we keep the customer informed.

_____ We encourage employees to take personal responsibility for the satisfaction of customers (not to blame others).

_____ Difficult customers are not treated like a “hot potato” and passed off to someone else.

_____ We have a clear, step-by-step process for dealing with difficult people and difficult situations.

_____ Follow-up with customers is prompt, consistent and thorough.

_____ We empower our team to resolve issues without having to escalate to a manager in most situations.

_____ Our team is encouraged to ask for, and receives, help and support when needed.

_____ We rarely lose a customer due to poor service.

_____ As a team, we brainstorm ideas for improving customer service.

_____ Our customer service policies are regularly reviewed and updated if needed.

_____ We know that first impressions are important. We greet customers with a smile.

_____ We consistently thank our customers and/or have a program that rewards customer loyalty.

____/ 18 TOTAL SCORE

0 – 6 Your customer service/culture needs some work.

7 – 12 You are doing a good job; but there is still room for improvement.

13 – 18 You have a great customer service culture. Congratulations! Keep working to be the best.