At MeloTel, we love our customers. And although we imagine that most business owners greatly appreciate the support they receive from their customers, MeloTel truly cherishes the many relationships that it has developed with its clients over the years. We do our best to show our appreciation in many ways. Our blog, for example, started a “Client Spotlight” series some time ago. The blogs that are part of this series shine some well-deserved spotlight on our great clients.
If you would like to be featured in a future “Client Spotlight” blog, we’d be only too happy to interview you in order to shine the spotlight your way. Feel free to give us a call at 1-888-MELOTEL to set it up! Of course, there are many other ways we’d like to show our appreciation to our customers. But they mainly lie within the top-notch customer service that we provide on a daily basis.
As you have likely read from previous blogs – our last one, especially – we pride ourselves on offering our customers top-of-the-line customer service. Our company president, John Meloche, in fact, generally likes to greet new MeloTel clients personally. He goes out of his way to develop and maintain relationships with each of our clients. Being genuine, as we pointed out last blog, is a key to customer satisfaction. Here are five more.
1. Earn their trust. Your customers have to be able to trust you. If they feel like they can’t depend on you, chances are they won’t remain your customers for very long. It is often said that one bad experience can supersede dozens of good experiences. So be sure to follow through on all of your promises. If you make a mistake, fess up and apologize for it. Show that you’re willing to go the extra mile to secure their business. Without trust, no relationship can last.
2. Be honest. Speaking of earning trust, it’s important to not make promises that you can’t keep. Customers will appreciate your straight up approach a lot more than they will hearing a forced song-and-dance routine. Most people can detect falsehoods anyway. Don’t over-promise something just to try to be impressive. Especially considering that we are living in a digital age, news of any dishonesty on your part will spread rapidly.
3. Follow through. This point must be reiterated. Remember that you have an obligation to your customers to make good on what your company offers. That includes meeting deadlines, sticking to prices that you’ve quoted and providing the exact product or service that was ordered. Make sure that you are setting realistic goals. You may have no intentions of being dishonest when making your promises, but if you can’t follow through, you’ll appear disingenuous.
4. Accept responsibility. You know the old saying, “the customer is always right”? Well, it may not necessarily be true. But it doesn’t matter. Because what your customer wants is what really matters the most. Be sure to have a customer service policy that speaks to the best interests of your clients. Make good on the points that make them the most happy. Be consistent as well. Don’t play favourites and make sure to always make up for your missteps.
5. Be grateful. There’s nothing like a good old “thank you” to put your customers in a good mood. Being kind and polite works wonders. And it should technically be the easiest part of your job! In some cases, you may want to go the extra mile to say “thank you”. Send personal messages of gratitude either through handwritten notes or emails. Offer up a free gift now and again. Taking the time to show your appreciation will always shine a favourable light on your brand.
Don’t forget to take our Customer Satisfaction Survey. As a further show of our appreciation, you’ll automatically be entered into our monthly draw for $100.00!