A book recommendation from Dan Beaulieu:
Win the Customer: 70 Simple Rules for Sensational Customer Service
By Flavio Martins
Copyright 2016 Amacom press
Price $21.95
228 pages with index
What a great handbook for customer service!
This one is a keeper, not only is it chock full of tips, yes 70 of them at list it is also a great primer of what customer service really is and what it means to your business.
Martins talks about how customer service is free and he is absolutely right. Customers will keep coming back to you based on your customer service; based on the way you treat them both in good times and particularly in challenging times.
He has one section for example about loving your angry customers. Think about that for a minute…it might not be fun at the time but relationships with customers are made, or broken during tough times. Customers like things to go smoothly, they do not like problems and they do not like complaining about problems, frankly they consider it a hassle to call up and complain. They also dread it because it could get unpleasant. But if when they call with a problem the person on the other end of the line is helpful, attentive and most of all pleasant and yes of course solves their problem they go from being angry to being delighted and this ladies and gents is what customer service is all about.
I think the world would be a better place if everyone read this book and adhered to the principles that are laid out here.
Some gems from this book:
“The best customer comes from people, not systems.”
“Service is not want you want for the customer it is what the customer wants from you.”
“Customers value good service more than fast service.”
“Customers love personalization and will often pay more for it.”
Yes I could not agree more especially with that last statement. If you deliver a great customer experience customers will not only pay more for your products and services they will not only be extremely loyal to your company but they will also become very loud customer advocates for your company. Don’t believe me? Need examples? How about Apple, Nordstrom’s or L.L. Beans. All three of these leading customer service companies do not always have the best products or the best prices or are always problem free but the way they treat their customers, their overall customer experience the offer creates loyal customers for life.
This book is easy to read, easy to understand and is to appreciate. You will learn from this book and if you keep it around and refer to it periodically it will become your own personal customer service trainer…and it will inspire to provide great customer service to your customers.
Please buy this book and read it and pass it around. The world will be a better place for it.
