During the Sales process we are frequently asked "What makes you different than your competitors?" I know the answer to that question but when I turn it around on the client they occasionaly stumble through their words. Think about how you place yourself and your firm within the industry and what are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Maybe you focus on quality or industry knowledge. I would love to see more companies (in any industry) focus on Customer Service.
I recently switched from a terrible cable service that shall remain anonymous. Their product was very high quality but their service was the absolute pits. I am a patient person, but during my final meltdown I found myself screaming "I just want you to tell me that you're sorry! That's all I want from you!" I threatened many times to cancel my service but never did they care. Their robotic "customer service" individual just replied "let me transfer you." I finally cut all ties with that evil service provider and have never looked back.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I love shopping at Trader Joes. They benchmark friendly. My mood is some how lightened when I leave the store. I once wrote in to their corporate website applauding them on their great people and products and within 24 hours I had a sincerly thankful response in my emial inbox.
Here are my final thoughts: There's nothing more rewarding than building a relationship. Even if that relationship doesn't bring you monetary success at that moment, trust me one day it will. Customer Service is a dying virtue. You can automate every business process but Customer Service still needs that friendly human touch.
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