Customer issues often repeat themselves, and carry the same characteristics time over time. Knowing this, does your company address the deeper problem of why issues are repetitive and reoccurring, or do you just try and fix the current issue without a deep dive? Imagine what your business would look like if you took aim at never having the same problem happen a second time? Maybe it’s time to set up issue resolution protocols that fix the deeper problems causing customer dissatisfaction?

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Expectations are a grossly overlooked aspect of modern business. Some companies never address expectations for customers, while many companies set few expectations. As a result, these types of businesses can easily go about servicing customers when, and how it is convenient for the business. However, best-in-class companies actually publish expectations, and then take aim at providing service that exceeds those stated expectations. This mindset will surprise customers, satisfy them, and pave the road ahead for healthy repeat and referral transaction rates. Maybe it’s time to start aiming at this classic best-on-class service mindset?

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Search is the optimal word. Customers will very rarely tell you that they are leaving, and why they are leaving. You have to go find the information, filter it, investigate, and then fix it. The cost to reinvent a lost customer is far too expensive to do on a routine basis. The road to customer loyalty is paved by not making the same mistake twice. Your future is an four R (RRRR) proposition. Retain. Repeat. Refer. Reap.

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It sounds like a funny question right? The truth is, many companies try to pass self-inflicted repair costs onto customers. This video highlights one of the many times I’ve seen it play out in real life with customers. If you want to win customers to your cause, and grow your repeat and referral business, then we suggest you pay the bill for repairing mistakes you have made. Charging the customers, and hiding the repair cost in some other line item, will only lose you positive reviews, and cripple the health of your future business.

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It feels like this concept has taken a backseat over the past few decades. However, standard operating procedures are a great way to regiment your business so that you can train new associates, deliver better customer satisfaction, and create profitable guard rails for your business. If you have never sat down and mapped out the standardization of your procedures, we would highly recommend you doing so. It can be a fun project, and can really cut down on margin erosion, while creating better customer service.

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If you’re groping as to how to begin and end an email, or phone conversation, following the CPA method will take the anxiety out of the process. Simply inject an opening salvo of courtesy, then outline the reason you are corresponding with the customer, and then conclude by stating the action you are asking the customer to complete. It’s simple, quick, fail safe, and admired by readers. If you stick to this simple CPA method, your business correspondence style will stand out as best-in-class.

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Verbally cutting to the chase has become an acceptable business norm. However, in doing so, we often bypass opportunities to ask our customers about their lives. If we know they’ve battled illness, or tragedy, or have been on cool vacations, or have taken time off, wouldn’t it be nice just to ask them how they’re doing with any of those subject matters? Don’t you think they would appreciate that? Next time you default to start cutting to the chase, pause, and strongly consider asking a couple human interest questions to demonstrate your interest in their world.

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My son-in-law is a DJ, so he constantly needs to have fresh content to use as transition segues. As a result, he processes everyday life situations as possible opportunities for content, and he is really good at it. If we follow that same mindset, we can bump into life experiences that are actually transferrable to our businesses in the form of continuous improvement. All we have to do is pay attention, listen, filter, and then creatively transfer these observances to our own businesses.

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