Want to Beat the Competition?
Offer the Best Customer Service!

Here is a great exercise for you to do, to see how you fare against your competition in business: Write a few words or paragraph that describes you and your services, your business, your product etc. Now think of your closest competition and cross off the words on your list that also describes them. Did you cross off all of the words?

When you and your competition offer the same product or service, what can you do to rise above the competition? How do you attract more customers than the competition? Offering lower prices is the first thing that many would assume. But don't undersell yourself - if you believe in your product or service. We are in business to make a profit! Even those (like me) that love what they do so much they would do it for free, if they could.

In this age of instant gratification, lightening speed technology and cheap products - customer service seems to be the first thing to go when it comes to big business making a profit. I am always so pleasantly surprised when I encounter a business that excels in great customer service. Especially when it is consistent year after year.

Discount Tire for example. They fix a hole in your tire for free, because they know you will be back to buy tires when you need them. No matter how crazy busy they are, the employees serve you with a genuine smile, even if they are trying to close for the day. They have all of my family's business because year after year, it never changes there. They all seem to enjoy their work!

My brother used to own a water garden nursary. He is an expert in raising Koi, building ponds and water features. There is another store (in another town) that is more established and has full lush gardens to walk in. They were his closest competition because they sold pretty much the same thing. One of his first customers bought something small, under ten dollars. The next time he came in, my brother remembered him and called him by name. The man was amazed and told him that he had spent a couple of thousand dollars at that other store and they never even remember him when he goes back to that store.

John loves his business, really loves his customers and loves helping them with their pond issues. A woman came in with a little table-top fountain that she had purchased on ebay. It wasn't making the "water sounds" that she had hoped. It was quiet, you couldn't hear the water trickle down. That other store had sold her another pump. And it still didn't make any nice gentle water sounds. John cut off a piece of small tubing and stuck it inside the water outlet hole, showing that the water just needed to "geyser" up higher. Instantly she had her water sounds and he didn't charge her a thing. This is why the majority of his business came from referrals - his customers knew that to get excellent service and expert advice they go to Countryside Water Gardens and ask for John.

I was purchasing something at a local retail store recently and had to laugh as I was leaving. The young man that was at the register handed me my change and actually looked away, yawned with one arm stretched above his head as he said in a monotone voice, "Thank you, come again." Am I supposed to believe what he was saying? Nobody cares anymore!

What customer service can you begin doing that you aren't doing now? Love your customers, pay attention to them, offer informative newsletters on your web site, think of them when you run across an article they would be interested in, send hand-written thank you notes! The sky is the limit! Make a list, train your employees and start using them today.

Your customers will love you and come back for more.