Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Getting a handle on customer service -- Section 1: Understanding your customers -- # 1 Always put yourself in your customers' shoes -- # 2 What do your customers expect from you? -- # 3 Hire a mystery shopper to evaluate your business -- # 4 Observe your business objectively -- # 5 Take the time to talk to your customers -- # 6 Encourage your customers to give you their opinions -- # 7 If you ask for opinions, be prepared to listen to them -- # 8 Start a customer satisfaction survey immediately -- Section 2: Your working environment -- # 9 Is it easy for people to visit your business -- # 10 Is the entrance to your business inviting? -- # 11 Does the layout work? -- # 12 Instil confidence in you and your products -- # 13 Are there ways to speed up your customer service? -- # 14 Is the background music too loud? -- # 15 Cleanliness is essential -- # 16 Appearances deteriorate over time -- Section 3: Your staff -- # 17 The meet and greet-first impressions last -- # 18 Treat your customers with respect -- # 19 Appearances count -- # 20 Take care with personal hygiene -- # 21 Communicate confidently with customers -- # 22 Ensure that your staff are knowledgeable about the products they are selling -- # 23 Smile! -- # 24 The basics are no longer basic-start at the beginning -- # 25 Take your staff to your competitors' businesses -- # 26 Take your staff yo a business that you admire -- # 27 Have regular brainstorming sessions -- # 28 Debrief staff after good and bad experiences -- # 29 Encourage your customers to tell you if your staff give outstanding service -- # 30 Reward staff for outstanding customer service -- # 31 Ask a customer to come in and talk to your staff -- # 32 Give your staff experience in other areas of your business -- # 33 Teach your staff how to sell.

Section 4: Making it easy for your customers to buy from you -- # 34 Offer the right products -- # 35 Make sure that your pricing is correct -- # 36 Make it easy for customers to pay you -- # 37 Eliminate all obstacles to making a purchase -- # 38 Are your trading hours customer-friendly? -- # 39 If necessary, go to them -- Section 5: The personal touch -- # 40 The sweetest sound is your own name -- # 41 Reward customers for coming back -- # 42 Be one step ahead of your customers -- # 43 Show that you are proud of your business -- # 44 Remember important dates -- # 45 Make a visit to your business memorable -- # 46 Start a VIP club -- # 47 Be patient and courteous with your customers -- Section 6: Face-toface customer service -- # 48 Be welcoming -- #49 Be organised -- # 50 Be prepared to make a recommendation -- # 51 Talk to the customer, not through the customer -- # 52 Do something unexpected -- # 53 Remember to say 'thank you' -- Section 7: Telephone customer service -- # 54 Ensure your automated answering service is user-friendly -- # 55 Answer the phone with a positive attitude -- # 56 Speak clearly, ask questions and give useful answers -- # 57 Change recorded messages frequently -- # 58 Keep background noise to a minimum -- # 59 Ensure that messages are passed on -- # 60 Eliminate the need for callers to have to repeat themselves -- # 61 Keep a pen and paper by every phone -- Section 8: Promotional material -- # 62 Plan your promotional material from the customers' point of view -- # 63 Answer the most commonly asked questions -- # 64 Avoid using technical jargon -- # 65 Make it professional-inspire confidence -- # 66 Make your contact details easy to find and easy to read -- # 67 Keep text to a minimum-stick to the facts -- Section 9: Customer service and the Internet -- # 68 Make your website user-friendly.

# 69 Use your website to answer questions -- # 70 Respond to emails quickly -- # 71 Don't 'shout' or use abbreviations -- # 72 Use photos of real people -- # 73 Make automated responses simple and professional -- # 74 Keep text on websites to a minimum -- # 75 Ask your customers to review and rate your website -- # 76 Update your website regularly -- # 77 Beware od spam -- Section 10: Following up on a sale is good customer service -- # 78 Discuss the sale on the spot -- # 79 Make a follow-up call -- # 80 Explain what to do if there are any problems -- # 81 Contact customers that you may have lost -- Section 11: Internal customer service -- # 82 Work closely with other departments -- # 83 Don't let the customer suffer because of internal bickering -- # 84 Follow up on calls from people within your organisation -- # 85 Give your customers a contact number for outside normal hours -- # 86 Don't keep your customers waiting on hold-offer to call them back -- Section 12: Maintaining a personal commitment to customer service -- # 87 Write a mission statement for customer service -- # 88 Be consistent in all you do -- # 89 Read books and magazines to look for ideas -- # 90 Look at other successful businesses for ideas -- # 91 Don't discuss politics -- # 92 Know when to take a break -- Section 13: When things go wrong -- # 93 Have a clear and concise policy, but be flexible -- # 94 Dealing with telephone complaints -- # 95 Dealing with written complaints -- # 96 Dealing with a third party compaint -- # 97 Always have a solution -- # 98 You just can't please some people -- # 99 The importance of following up a complaint -- # 100 Get it right the first time -- # 101 make one person responsible for monitoring customer service -- Bonus section-20 more customer service tips -- # 102 Be aware of cultural differences -- # 103 Always think about your customers.

# 104 Visit your customers' businesses -- # 105 Embrace new technologies -- # 106 Invite good customers to special, exclusive events -- # 107 Keep databases accurate -- # 108 Package so as to be remembered -- # 109 The little things make the difference -- # 110 If you go to the customer's home, clean up after yourself -- # 111 Run an outrageous promotion -- # 112 100 per cent satisfaction-guaranteed -- # 113 Avoid being overly familiar with customers -- # 114 Avoid the biggest mistake-not delivering on time -- # 115 Go shopping at the competition -- # 116 Set up a customer hotline -- # 117 Simplify your paperwork -- # 118 Using reply paid mail -- # 119 Start a local campaign encouraging customer service -- # 120 Introduce a free service -- # 121 Don't let customer service stop when you are busy -- Appendix: Blank forms that may come in handy -- Your mission to customer service -- What do your customers expect from you? -- Competitor analysis form -- Customer satisfaction survey -- Customer service and the telephone -- Customer service audit checklist -- Ten common customer service mistakes -- Ten secrets of customer service success -- The little things (what can you do above and beyond the call of duty?) -- Your customer complaint procedures -- A final note from the author -- Recommended reading -- About the author.