10 key elements to providing great customer service

Great service can resonate with customers more than the product itself, so customer service is key to any business, according to Teri Yanovitch, former Disney Institute speaker and author of “Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service.” She spoke Thursday at the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference in Orlando, Florida.

guyerwood, Bigstockphoto.com
guyerwood, Bigstockphoto.com

Great service can resonate with customers more than the product itself, so customer service is key to any business, according to Teri Yanovitch, former Disney Institute speaker and author of “Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service.” She spoke Thursday at the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Yanovitch said companies must do three things in order to provide excellent service: look through lens of customer, know that everything speaks in your physical environment, and create a “wow” to add value.

Poor customer service can cause a company to lose 10-30 percent of its customers, she said; up to 68 percent of customers are indifferent, and only 5 percent of your customer base are truly loyal customers. On average, it takes 12 positive interactions to make up for one negative interaction.

Here are 10 keys to providing good customer service, according to Yanovitch:

  1. The customer’s experience is more important than the product.
  2. Make service excellence a part of the organization’s DNA.
  3. Have a short, simple service philosophy.
  4. Identify with emotions that meet the customer’s needs.
  5. Know the customer’s needs and wants.
  6. Remember you’re in the business of building relationships.
  7. Walk through your office, plant, website, etc. with an outsider to get a fresh perspective.
  8. Create a wow factor with little, extra, unexpected things.
  9. Accuracy, availability, partnership and advice create excellent customer service.
  10. Customer service is not an either/or proposition and it’s not an add-on; it’s your job.
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