In my last blog post, I talked about how emotional intelligence serves both doctors and customer service staff well. After all: they are both caregivers!
Below are three simple tips any retail service team can start using tomorrow to improve customer retention, boost sales and set themselves up for a great 2017.
If there is a theme over all of these it is this: You are a caregiver. Make sure you are 100% focused on the customer and their experience.
- Smile, always, even on the telephone (yes, you can hear someone smiling on the phone!) Any person who is a cyclist or cyclist-to-be is your family. They are with you in a huge minority population that rides a bike in their spare time. They are your friend. They are a brother or sister you never knew you had. Treat them like it.
- The customer gets your undivided attention. No phones, no distractions, no conversations with co-workers, no excuses. Introduce yourself, ask their name and, if they don’t want to be bothered right now, tell them where you’ll be and remind them of your name.
- Listen for a way to delight a customer. Ask a lot of questions. And not just questions about their needs, but about the customer personally. Don’t just meet the needs they tell you about; listen for the unspoken needs as well. Delighting a customer by fulfilling these unspoken needs is a key to retaining a customer for life.
Bonus tip: Ask for a positive review. People are far more likely to recall a negative experience vs. a positive experience. Writing often helps solidify events in a person’s mind (like taking notes)…so you win twice. The customer remembers the positive and endorses your business.
Happy New Year to you all!