But after sending the survey to their customers , they discovered that only 8 % of their customers agreed with them . “ Your employees need to understand they are in the customer perception business ,” DiJulius said . “ What customers think is their reality .”
Here ’ s how to improve your business ’ s customer service . 1 . INVEST IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE .
Training . Hiring is critical , but culture and training are even more important because customer service is not common sense . “ A customer experience comes down to one thing and one thing only : your average service aptitude from the CEO to the janitor to the newest employee ,” DiJulius said . “ Service aptitudes are a person ’ s ability to recognize and exceed a client ’ s expectations regardless of the circumstances .” People are not born to serve . Service aptitude comes from three places : previous life experiences , previous work experiences , and current work experiences . “ The only leaders who don ’ t invest in customer experience are the ones who don ’ t realize the financial impact it has .”
2 . AVOID POLICIES . MAKE GUIDELINES INSTEAD .
“ Policy is the worst word you can have or use with your employees ,” DiJulius said . Policies punish the masses because they force your employees into making decisions that are “ black and white with walls ” and stifle your employees ’ creativity , empathy , and innovation . Years ago , DiJulius banished policies after a client called him about a salon policy that charged people if they didn ’ t show up for their appointment . DiJulius discovered a manager who wouldn ’ t refund a client even though the reason the client missed her appointment was because her husband died that morning . DiJulius promptly refunded her money . “ People get afraid to go against policy ,” he said . “ Change the word to guidelines , because policy punishes 98 % of your clients for what 2 % might be trying to get away with . . . I ’ m okay if 2 % take advantage of me or my company because of what I get back from [ the ] 98 % who can ’ t believe how we handle it .”
3 . LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND MAKE IT OBVIOUS .
Get people excited when they hear the passion and the expertise you have for working in your niche with your clients .
6 . BE COMMITTED TO THEIR SUCCESS .
Know what your client ’ s top three goals are for 2024 . “ Whatever their theme or goals are , send them a book on that , an article on that , and introduce them to whomever can help them .”
7 . EDUCATE , THEN SELL .
Don ’ t just sell them something because they ask for it . Educate them instead of sell them what may not be in their best interest . After an Apple employee discovered that DiJulius didn ’ t need the extra functionality in the iPad 2 that DiJulius asked to buy , the employee advised DiJulius not to buy it . “ He educated versus sold . I didn ’ t buy it , but as a result , I ’ ve bought anything he ’ s told me since because I trust him so much .”
8 . DEVELOP A CUSTOMER BILL OF RIGHTS .
One of the easiest things to implement right away is a Customer Bill of Rights . “ World-class brands have non-negotiables , things you would never see an employee do ,” says DiJulius , such as never point , show them ; never say no ; and never do a cold transfer when handing off a client . The Customer Bill of Rights also includes things your employees should always do : Always introduce yourself , deliver at least one compliment , and remember you ’ re on stage . Choose 8 – 10 items for your Customer Bill of Rights , train your employees on them , then roll out your new plan in a soft launch so your employees can practice .
9 . CREATE A DAY-IN-THE-LIFE CUSTOMER VIDEO .
Help employees be more empathetic and compassionate when dealing with clients by creating a video that takes them on an emotional roller coaster to demonstrate what is happening in their customers ’ lives . “ Compassion and empathy — those are the two most powerful things your employees can have ,” DiJulius said . Become a partner your client can ’ t live without . Make your employees realize everyone they come in contact with has an invisible sign above their head that says , “ Make me feel important .” Obsess over and invest in the customer experience just like the leaders of Disney , Zappos , and Nordstrom . When you do , you ’ ll create a customer experience revolution and be known for world-class customer service .
4 . HELP THEM SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS .
Your client should never meet anyone smarter than you at what you do — this goes for anyone your client encounters at your company .
5 . IF YOU ’ VE GOT BAD NEWS , OPEN WITH IT .
John DiJulius , bestselling author of five customer service books , is the Chief Revolution Officer of The DiJulius Group and works with the top brands in the world on customer and employee experience .
“ Don ’ t disguise bad news , hope it doesn ’ t come up , or try to squeeze it in at the end ,” DiJulius said . “ Open with it , then talk about how you can fix it .”
7