Five rules for customer service

This piece was originally published in 2004.

Many of my clients frequently worry about losing business to the “big outfits,” who, with their outsized advertising budgets, have an easier time establishing market presence. While this is understandable, it’s important to remember truly satisfied customers have no reason to look elsewhere. Leverage what you do have to offer – superior customer service – and watch the threat of big outfits shrink. This month let’s take some time to freshen up on the basic rules of customer service.

Rule #1. Don’t make excuses. How do you feel when an employee feeds you excuse after excuse for not making it to work on time. Now consider your client’s perspective when your company fails to meet expectations. Clients don’t care why their job didn’t get done; they just know that it wasn’t. When my company has not delivered what we promised – no matter the reason – I am the first to say, “We made a mistake and we’re sorry. We’re prepared to do whatever we can to correct our error and get this job headed in the right direction.” In my experience, most clients are more than ready to cooperate with you, so long as you keep them informed. Don’t make excuses; make amends.

Rule #2. Always exceed expectations. Look around on the jobsite where you are working. Are there tasks that would take your team just a few minutes to accomplish but that would easily catch your client’s eye? Could you air-sweep all hard surfaces, not just the ones you soiled? Add seasonal color? Plant some new bulbs? On a slow day, could you send your crew over to your best clients’ houses or office buildings and have them perform mini clean-ups? How about stopping by to see your clients personally? In these days of cell phones and email, many of us have lost the personal touch. Remember: People sell work; technology doesn’t.

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Rule #3. Know your mission. I am amazed by the number of companies that make all kinds of bold proclamations to their clients without ever sharing with their employees what these are. If you have a customer service promise, make certain your team knows what it is and how they can contribute directly to it. If you don’t have one, get one. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.

Rule #4. Treat your employees the way you want them to treat your clients. In our industry, the front-line people – the crews who work on clients’ properties – usually spend more time with clients than the owner or salespeople ever do. Recognize too that you must treat your team the way you want them to treat your clients. Surprise your team with acts of kindness. Take an interest in others and they’ll take an interest in you. Hand-deliver cold drinks to the jobsite on a hot day. Hire a local caterer to make omelets in your shop one morning before your team sets out for the day. Invest in your employees and watch your returns grow.

Rule #5 Celebrate success. When things go well, let everyone know. Celebrate a victory and show your team what their hard work has achieved. Hand out cash bonuses, implement a profit-sharing plan or throw a party. Give them incentives to excel. Do this and next spring when it’s raining and your team is a week behind and stress is setting in, your employees will still be able to see the goal in the distance and recognize the value in meeting it.