Even if you master each and every one of the best Internet
marketing strategies out there -- sales copywriting, search
engine optimization, email marketing, and the rest -- they're not
worth a dime if you forget about customer service.
It's a strategy that every truly successful business knows about
and pays careful attention to... because the one thing ALL
successful businesses have in common is customers. Satisfied
customers.
Today, I want to show you how to make every one of your customers
a satisfied customer -- so happy that they'll return again and
again, AND send new customers your way.
I'll look at several proven ways you can do this, including:
* REDUCING THE RISK FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS to get more sales
* GOING THAT EXTRA MILE to get more repeat business and more
referrals from delighted customers
* PROVIDING GREAT AFTER-SALES SUPPORT to keep customers coming
back
* PERSONALIZING YOUR OFFERS to make your customers remember
you
* LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS to keep them loyal to your
business
So let's take a look at some great examples of customer service
from across the spectrum -- online, offline, retail, service,
hospitality... anywhere the customer is Number One!
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Why good customer service is ESSENTIAL for online success
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There's an old saying in business:
*A happy customer will tell one or two people, an UNHAPPY ONE
WILL TELL 10!*
So it pays to keep your customers happy -- and never more so than
when doing business online.
In the Internet age, a seriously ticked-off customer might not
only tell 10 people, they might also write a lengthy rant on
their blog, post comments on other people's blogs, write a
negative review of your site on a shopping web site, or criticize
you on forums and message boards.
Or all of the above!
In extreme cases, some unhappy customers even start web sites or
blogs devoted to airing their grievances about a particular
company. Microsoft, UPS, and Wal-Mart are all among the -- mostly
corporate -- targets of customers with a grudge.
While small businesses are unlikely to be targeted in such a way,
the viral nature of the Internet means that a negative comment
about your company can spread faster than a fire in a matchbox.
And worse, once something has been written about you online, it's
very difficult to get it removed. This means that any prospective
customer who decides to "Google" your business name could come
across it.
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So, while good customer service might cost some time and money,
BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE COSTS YOU PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS and their
lifetime value.
Think how much losing even just 10 sales would cost you, and
compare it to the extra sales you'll gain from making your
customers happy.
And case study after case study shows that building good customer
service into a business also increases efficiency, as well as
sales.
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The stronger your guarantee, the more sales you'll
generate -- guaranteed!
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The guarantee offered by mail-order retailer Lands' End, simply
says, "Guaranteed. Period." Shoppers can return their items
anytime and for any reason.
It's a customer service strategy that serves them well. In fact,
they market their company on the back of it, calling it, "The
most watertight guarantee in the business."
And just in case you think Lands' End is a big corporation whose
strategies don't apply to you, I should mention this has been one
of the foundations of their business since they were a three-man
operation doing mail order out of their store basement.
Most importantly, Lands' End stands by that guarantee... to the
extent that one of their catalogs featured the story of a man who
returned an antique car he'd purchased... several years after he
bought it!
First of all, the company sells clothes, not cars -- he'd bought
the car through a special promotion. And second, he'd been
driving around in it for a while.
But, by honoring the guarantee in such a way, they turned the
story of a returned car into a marketing vehicle for their
excellent customer service.
And it worked. Here you are reading about it!
You can be sure that the goodwill and word-of-mouth publicity
generated by accepting such an "unusual" return more than offset
the cost of refunding the car buyer.
That's the lesson here: A strong, well-written guarantee -- one
you stand by unconditionally -- is not only good customer
service, but it is proven to actually increase sales by...
* REMOVING ANY RISK on the part of the buyer and giving them
the confidence to buy from you.
* BOOSTING YOUR CREDIBILITY as a trustworthy seller who
believes in your product, and who's willing to back up your
belief in it.
Now, some people worry about being ripped off by unscrupulous
buyers who purchase an item, get everything they want from it,
and then return it to take advantage of the guarantee.
It happens, but not often -- as long as you offer an excellent
product!
At IMC, we've been offering a one-year refund on our "Insider
Secrets" course for years -- and only very rarely does anyone
take us up on the guarantee.
Our tests show that you'll receive fewer returns with a one-year
guarantee than with a six-month guarantee, and a six-month
guarantee will bring in fewer returns than a 30-day guarantee.
Bottom line... the stronger your guarantee, the more sales you'll
generate -- and the fewer returns you'll actually get.
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Keep your customers coming back by providing MORE services than
they expect
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Why not go that extra mile and provide EXTRA services that add
value to your offer?
While they may cost you a little extra up front, the payoff
comes in the form of more referrals and more repeat business.
Or you can even use your excellent customer service as part of
your offer and charge a little more, knowing that your customers
will be willing to pay the extra for all the services you
provide. (This is something well worth testing.)
Take the example of a dry cleaner I read about recently who
offers the best customer service possible to keep people coming
back to him... and it turns out that his customers are more than
willing to pay a little more for the many extra services he
offers.
Instead of just taking dirty clothes from customers and returning
them spick-and-span, this dry cleaner decided to offer his
customers much more, including:
* Free pick-up and delivery
* Folding or hanging cleaned clothes according to preference
* Wrapping shirts in plastic with a piece of cardboard to
help maintain their shape
* Providing a sturdy laundry bag (with his logo on it,
of course!)
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This guy understands that his customers are busy, and anything he
can do to make their lives easier will be appreciated -- and be
worth paying more for.
So he not only cleans clothes, he provides convenience and turns
a tedious chore into a pleasant and painless experience.
And does providing great, value-added customer service like this
work in terms of retaining customers and attracting new ones? You
bet... I found this story through a happy customer's blog!
The other interesting thing about this story is that the dry
cleaner advertises some of his extra services, but not others,
meaning that his new customers are often very pleasantly
surprised by the extra services they receive.
And ALL customers love to be surprised with a little extra bonus
they didn't expect!
An example from the online business world is a recent story featured in
IMC Secrets to Their Success Site.
-- David Kern of ApplePoly.com. He sells a nutritional supplement
derived from apple peel, and gives away a free mini-sample of his
product with every order.
Is it worth it?
Definitely, according to David, who says, "Our cost is a few
dollars. One new client is worth hundreds or thousands in
lifetime value. I like the math!"
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Provide killer after-sales support to get more repeat business
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Another way to over-deliver is to provide excellent AFTER-SALES
support.
One mistake many business owners make is that they think their
job is done after that first sale. Nothing could be further from
the truth.
A quick after-sales email or phone call to check that everything
is OK with a purchase can be really appreciated by customers.
It can also relieve any feelings of "buyer's remorse" they might
have, reinforcing the positive feelings about your business they
had when they originally bought from you.
And, by checking in with your customers, you can find out a lot
about how they use your product -- and what they like and dislike
about it -- so you can refine your product and marketing. You can
also head off any problems BEFORE they become complaints.
Or why not just say, "Thank you" to your customers?
Don't try to sell to them. Just send them a letter or email
thanking them for their business and telling them that you
value them as customers.
The fact is, you spend so much time and money promoting your
products to get that first sale that it's worth spending just a
little extra to make sure your new customers come back, and tell
their friends.
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Make it personal: Keep track of your customers' likes and
dislikes and they'll be back
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What's the one word that is guaranteed to turn your head when you
hear it?
Your name.
Think how nice it is when a bank teller greets you by name or a
hotel receptionist remembers you from a previous visit.
The fact is, personalizing your communications with customers
another proven marketing AND customer service strategy.
But personalization doesn't just mean addressing your customers
by name. It also means providing -- or at least appearing to
provide -- personalized service.
Like the garage that makes a note of when your next car service
is due -- and sends you a letter or calls you with a reminder.
Or the corner store owner who remembers that you like a
particular flavor of canned soup and orders more in for you.
Or the coffee shop barista who remembers your favorite drink!
Personalization is one of the oldest customer service strategies
in the book... because it works!
Later on, I'll tell you exactly how you can use this strategy to
build a more personal relationship with your online customers.
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Listen to customer concerns and ACT ON THEM... or else!
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If there are two things that define BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE, it's
these:
1. NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
2. NOT ACTING ON ANY COMPLAINTS OR CONCERNS
Ignoring customers when they complain or raise a concern, and
then not doing anything to remedy the situation is a surefire way
to destroy your reputation.
Most of your customers are reasonable. They know that things go
wrong, that people make mistakes, and that sometimes things
happen that are simply unavoidable.
But, they still like you to acknowledge that you've made a
mistake, and to know that you'll do your best to keep it from
happening.
That's why good restaurants will give you a free bottle of wine
if your meal is late in arriving, or provide a free desert if
they get your order wrong, or replace a poorly prepared dish --
no questions asked.
Because if they DON'T do those things... well, would you go back?
Of course not. And you'd probably tell your friends and
co-workers not to go their either. Whammo. Lost business.
So, if and when a customer complains, here's what you need to do
to avoid potentially losing not only their future business, but
that of anyone else they tell about the situation:
* Don't hide -- make it easy for someone to contact you with
a concern
* Remember, the customer IS always right
* Be quick to acknowledge and apologize for any mistakes
* Tell customers what you have done to remedy the situation
and to make sure it won't happen again
* Don't offer empty apologies -- use your judgment to decide
whether you should offer a refund or other compensation
The blog software provider Six Apart famously offered their
Typepad blog customers up to 45 days worth of free blog hosting
as compensation for a period of serious disruption to their
service.
They did lose customers, but they also retained many who
appreciated the gesture.
Sometimes, just acknowledging your mistake and apologizing IS
enough. On the flip side, the cost of NOT listening to your
customers can be severe.
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Making your customers happy makes your job easier -- and more
profitable!
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Now that you've seen how important customer service is to your
business, it's time for you to put your own customer service
strategy into action:
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Step #1: Automate your sales process to keep customers in the
loop.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Use autoresponders to thank your customers for their order,
welcome them to your opt-in email list, and send them order
confirmations and other transactional emails like, "Your item has
shipped" notices.
Customers have come to expect these courtesies, but not everyone
online bothers.
And you can even add a surprise element to these customer service
emails by including a coupon for money off their next purchase,
or some extra information they'll find relevant to the product
they've bought.
Autoresponders also let you send follow-up after a customer has
bought from you to ask if everything is all right and if there's
anything further you can do.
Even though you can create these autoresponders in no time, they
make customers feel that you're paying attention to them.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Step #2: Create a comprehensive FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
An FAQ answers most of the questions people might have about your
products or services.
You should PUT IT ON A PAGE ON YOUR WEB SITE, and CREATE AN FAQ
AUTORESPONDER (an automatic email sent to any customer who emails
a particular email address, such as info@[mysite].com).
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To make your FAQ most effective, don't just make up the questions
and answers -- keep track of the questions that customers or site
visitors actually ask, and answer them.
With those common questions taken care of, you'll be freed up to
spend time giving personal attention to the 10% or so that
require it.
The people who find what they need in the FAQ are satisfied
IMMEDIATELY, and those who need something extra get it without
having to wait a long time for you to get around to them.
The more quickly you handle their concerns the more impressed
they'll be.
And you'll also stand out in the crowd -- a recent Pelorus Group
study found that a shocking 42% of retail web sites take five
days or longer to respond to customers!
It's often the times when you respond to a customer's concerns
promptly and personally that generate a huge amount of goodwill
for your business... and more referrals.
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Step #3: Make it easy for people to contact you
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There will always be times when a customer needs to talk to or
email someone directly, so DON'T HIDE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS away
in a dark corner of your web site, and always provide contact
information on every message or newsletter you send out.
It's also a good idea to put your phone number at the end of your
FAQ so people can contact you with any questions not covered in
your FAQ.
You can even create a Customer Service page on your site that
includes your FAQ, the names and email addresses/phone numbers of
people who can help, and other relevant information.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Step #4: Personalize and segment your email messages
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I can't say this often enough: Use your customers' names in your
email subject lines and in your messages.
Only 4% of marketers personalize their messages, according to
Jupiter Research, and yet personalized messages have almost TWICE
the click-through rate of non-personalized messages.
As an online business owner, you can personalize your
communications with customers in many ways, including:
* Personalizing emails with names and other pieces of
information you collect
* Sending customers personalized birthday offers
* Sending customers details of new products you know they'll
be interested in. (In its Consumer Email Study,
DoubleClick reported that 43% of the respondents would
respond to "purchasing recommendations based on past
purchase behavior.")
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Step #5: Ask your customers how you can serve them better
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
People love doing short surveys, and it's been shown that
customer satisfaction is higher among people who have been asked
what they want, even if their answers haven't been acted upon.
Just asking what your customers want and how you can make your
service better makes them feel listened to.
Actually acting on their suggestions and improving your service
is gravy!
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Final thoughts
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Good customer service doesn't cost much. You don't have to spend
a fortune giving away free products or large discounts.
Even a small gesture like thanking customers for their business
can help maintain a positive vibe around your business.
Because, no matter the cost of going the extra mile for your
customers, it's worth it to avoid them spreading negativity about
your service... or just never coming back to buy from you again.
Good customer service forms an impenetrable force field around
your company, protecting you from the crippling damage poor
customer service can cause.
And automating your everyday customer service tasks frees you up
to respond to REAL concerns and complaints -- making your overall
customer service even faster and better.
Remember, if you treat customer service as one of the best
Internet marketing strategies available to you, and really work
at it, your customers will pay you back by returning again and
again... and by telling their friends about you.
This sp
