By focusing on the little things, you can go from an average customer service provider to an excellent one, and see your referrals soar, says Nikki Heald.
By focusing on the little things, you can go from an average customer service provider to an excellent one, and see your referrals soar, says Corptraining founder Nikki Heald.
Often, we’re so intent on making the sale that we have a transactional view of our clients, rather than taking time to build relationships or demonstrate service excellence. We use them (to increase our
profits), abuse them (by giving them inferior service), and then treat them like a one-night stand – attentive today, neglectful tomorrow!
Sound silly? Well, complaints such as “You never call”, “You’re always too busy”, and “Why were you late?’ are legitimate gripes made by disgruntled clients. In today’s competitive market, client service expectations have increased. Clients are savvy, realise they have a multitude of choice, and expect to be treated exceptionally by their brokers.
So what is exceptional service? Exceptional client service is about going beyond what is realistically expected of you. It’s about surprising and often delighting clients, turning them into enthusiastic referral sources that will stick with you, not only because you do great work but also because of the value you bring. Imagine if you could get existing clients to tell others about how wonderful you are?
It would certainly save on all of those marketing and networking costs. Great service is not about just doing your job but about establishing connections on an emotional level. It’s about value-adding and finding ways to be unique. Interestingly, research suggests that emotion influences purchasing decisions six more times than rationale. Think about it – when something makes us feel good, we are more inclined to buy.
Unfortunately, many businesses believe that delivering stand-out service will cost them too much in staff time, training and developing service standards and procedures. These in-focused organisations are only concerned with company profit and cutting costs, and little thought is given to how to make clients happy. Additionally, staff recognition and retention is low, which can impact significantly on growth and profit.
When you think about it realistically, bad service is actually more costly to your brokerage than great service. Bad service influences more than just a negative customer experience – it reduces revenue and drives up costs. It damages public perception, credibility and market reputation. As we all know, a dissatisfied client is more likely to spread the word about a poor service experience than a positive one.
Providing exceptional service is not overly difficult, and it’s important to recognise that little things count with clients. So what are some simple things you can do to ensure your service is exceptional?
RESPOND AS SOON AS YOU CAN
Speed is everything, so try to reply to your clients as soon as you can and keep them in the loop as to your progress. Procrastination doesn’t help anyone, and you’re going to have to respond sooner or later. May as well do it now!
LISTEN TO YOUR CLIENTS
Avoid speaking, and really listen to what they’re saying. It’s important you understand what your clients are communicating to you. That way, you will be able to meet their needs successfully and provide the correct product or cover.
KEEP PROMISES
One of the biggest gripes in business today is that people simply don’t do what they say they’re going to do. If you say you’re going to do something, make sure you do it. It enhances your professionalism and personal brand, and demonstrates that you value your client.
KNOW YOUR STUFF
The perception of your client is that you are the paid expert. That’s why they’ve come to you. So it’s imperative that you keep yourself up to date and top of game within your profession. Be ready to answer client questions; unfortunately, if you convey a lack of knowledge, you risk ruining your credibility.
GIVE A LITTLE
If a client asks you to do something that really won’t cost you a lot in time or money, then treat it as an opportunity to go the extra mile. By doing so, you not only have a contented and indebted client but someone who is more than happy to refer to you.
USE YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Once you’ve built an emotional connection with your client, you would have figured out how they prefer to communicate. Some clients are not detail driven and won’t require excessive information. On the other hand, some prefer to know every step of the process. Learn to gauge your client’s preferences and use this knowledge appropriately in the service experience.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Finally, within the financial services profession brokers really should view their book of clients as their most valuable asset and take good care of them. More than that, they should take the time to develop long-lasting relationships by keeping in touch regularly, both in good times and bad. It’s not sufficient to wait until renewal time to contact them, but rather, go for an ongoing communiqué.
Remember, you’re not just selling a product but providing expert advice that can significantly impact on people’s livelihood. So if you haven’t given much thought to your service levels, then perhaps it’s time to conduct a self-audit. If you don’t make the client feel valued, respected and important, your competitors will!
DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
- Lower cost to manage and service client base - higher profits.
- Increased customer loyalty - raises revenue, lowers marketing fees.
- Increased staff loyalty - better service culture.
DID YOU KNOW?
- 93% of customers indicated that quality customer service was vital to maintaining brand loyalty.
- It's 6-7 times more expensive to gain a new client than it is to retain an existing one.
- It's not safe to work on the premise of 'no news is good news'. Chances are, if your client is not happy they’ll walk, and they won’t even forewarn you of their departure
Nikki Heald is a corporate trainer, presenter, businesswoman, founder of Corptraining, and co-author of “Views On The Way To The Top”.
