Taking Client Service to the Next Level

Just about every business intends to provide world-class client service. Though many claim their client service is exceptional, very few can back up that assertion. After all, once a company has established a baseline level of success in interacting with clients, it’s not easy to get to that next level of truly great service. But fear not, there are ways to elevate your game and ultimately strengthen your bottom line.

Start at the top

As is the case for many things in business, success starts at the top. Encourage your fellow owners (if any) and management team to regularly serve clients. Doing so cements client relationships and communicates to employees that serving others is important and rewarding. Your involvement shows that client service is the source of your company’s ultimate triumph.

Cultivate client-service heroes. Publish articles about your client service achievements in your company’s newsletter or post them on your website. Champion these heroes in meetings. Public praise turns ordinary employees into stars and encourages future service excellence.

Make sure to empower all employees to make client-service decisions. Don’t talk of catering to clients unless your staff can really take the initiative to meet your clients’ needs.

Create a system

Like everyone in today’s data-driven world, clients want information. So strive to provide immediate feedback to clients with a highly visible response system. This will let clients know that their input matters and you’ll reward them for speaking up.

The size and shape of this system will depend on the size, shape and specialty of the company itself. But it should likely encompass the right combination of instant, electronic responses to client inquires along with phone calls and, where appropriate, face-to-face interactions that reinforce how much you value their business.
© 2017