In this article we have some sound advice on how to give good customer service in your pool, spa or sauna business.
The value of happy customers.
A business that has happy customers is much more likely to be at thriving, profitable and growing business.
It’s also going to be less stressful and more enjoyable to run and manage and even to work in.
Happy customers are more likely to come back and provide repeat business, whether that is buying more chemicals or whether it is upgrading their pool, sauna or spa or indeed adding a spa to their pool-room or a steam shower to sit alongside their sauna.
Happy customers are much more likely to act as ambassadors for your business. They will tell their friends and recommend you to their social circle.
Customers who are happy with the service that your business has provided are much less likely to shop around and look elsewhere – even if they could buy their chemicals a few pence or pounds cheaper on the web.
And of course, happy customers are more enjoyable to do business with.
Moans and complaints, justified or not, are guaranteed to spoil anyone’s working day.
So, what do you need to do to keep your customers happy?
Things that you should do.
The first thing to do is to make sure that everyone in your business knows that customer service is important.
The people who work in your business might assume that profit is the driving force – and so they might overcharge or cut corners.
Your staff might think that speed is of the essence and that can lead to cutting corners too.
Satisfied and happy customers will provide the profit. Time spent doing the job right will mean that no one has to waste time by going back and fixing mistakes.
Customers will be happy if they receive the service that they are promised.
That means, no over-promising. Manage your customer’s expectations.
It is easy and tempting, particularly for sales staff to over-promise in order to get a sale. That is a recipe for a problem at best, a disaster at worst.
Make sure that all your staffs talk to each other and that people know what is realistic and practical.
If the customer wants the job complete by a particular date, then make sure that everyone involved – suppliers, distributors, technical and engineering staff – can deliver to that timeline. If they can’t, it is better to make that clear up front than start making excuses later.
Of course, the opposite of over-promising is over-delivering. And that is good.
Always go the extra mile and try to pleasantly surprise your customers. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, just a little extra service that the customer wasn’t expecting will make you stand out in their day and in their memory.
It will give them a good story to tell their friends. It will make a good reason for them to recommend your business.
When customers do complain, then listen.
Yes, it’s a complaint but it is also but it is also feedback; perhaps they are pointing out a way that you could actually improve your business and the service that you offer.
Things that you shouldn’t do.
Don’t make excuses. If problems occur be upfront and honest about it.
Never complain about one customer to another. They will assume that you’ll do exactly the same about them.
Don’t take long-standing customers for granted. They need pampering too.
Don’t let one member of your staff blame another one for a problem. Your business shares the responsibility for its customers – both the good and the bad.
Don’t forget that another word for customer is ‘person’. Business is all about people and what you want to try an do is to turn that customer into a friend of your business.
We hope that the ideas in this article are useful for you.
If you have a comment to make or there is anything you would like to add to this article, then please use the comment box below.
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