Shhh... I Have a Secret!

Customer service is a hot topic and can make or break your business. Especially in the floral industry where customers have little patience for poor customer services or products and will happily cut and run if they feel they are experiencing either of those things. I've previously spoken about how important it is to make sure that you're focusing just as much on retaining current clients as you are attracting new ones in another blog post.  

So today I want to share my top secrets to providing great customer service because if you provide your customers with a simple, efficient, pleasant experience they will revisit your business over and over. More importantly, they will become a champion of your business and recommend it to everyone they know!

Knowing exactly what YOU want.

You are the captain of your ship and the visionary of your business, so you need to have a clearly defined plan for your business, which includes customer service. There are three main goals you need to consider:

1. It must be easy for your customers to do business with you. Is your website clear and easy to navigate? If you have an online shop is that easy to use and purchase from you? Are you letting clients know about discounts and offers through social media and email marketing? You can't sell an offer that no one knows about!
2. It is imperative that your customer feels appreciated and every transaction is a welcoming and pleasant experience. Your staff must be knowledgeable, approachable, kind and patient. Your customers need to feel like they are getting good value for their time and money. Perceived value goes far beyond the price of the products and extends to their overall shopping experience. Especially important here is to make sure that your product lives up to any images! People are often hiring florists and creatives within the floral industry because of a special occasion or event. There is a lot of emotion and personal attachment at times to the outcome and so we must live up to the visuals that we promise otherwise it can potentially taint people's memories of an important time.
3. Change your mindset by asking yourself “How can I NOT afford to do these things?” This shouldn’t be a question of your business expenses, but making and keeping customers happy.

If excellent customer service is at the top of your mind then remember to:

•    Share your customer service vision with the rest of your staff so that the standards you put into place are delivered across the board;
•    Connect your incentive programs and bonuses directly to customer service;
•    Monitor the level of customer service your staff is providing to your customers;
•    Know when you can disregard the desires of your customers (we want excellent customer service but at the same time we cannot let them run the show 100% and it's OK to say no to them at times);
•    Continuously focus on your goals.

I hope that this blog has given you a good foundation to start thinking about your goals for your business and how to build it to create a positive customer service experience. If you need support around developing ideas on how to deliver great customer service then click here to book your free 1-1 call with me and let's see how I can help.