Stylish suggestions for customer service (Saturated Market)

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Stylish suggestions for customer service

Customer Service It's been a busy week, what can I say! Between travel, appointments, project management, presentations and conferences, I haven't had time to blog; I have, however, found time in that busy schedule to learn from an expert in customer relations: my barber.

Keep 'em coming back

I really shouldn't be surprised. I've been going to the same shop since 1989. I don't always have the same barber, but I do try. I should also mention that I haven't really lived in the town where it is located since 2002. But if I have reason to be there, I find it's worth it to wait that extra week or so to get my hair cut. And barbers love it when they have dedicated clientele. If they're good, they'll get people waiting for them; that makes them look good to their boss, and gets them more tips. So it's very important for them, just like salespeople. Here, for your benefit, are a few things I picked up from my experiences, and from talking with them.

Know the style

Every time I get a return barber (even when I'm testing out a new place closer to where I live), they always remember exactly what they did, and can do it again. This is especially good since I often have no idea what it was. It may have been over a month, and they have other people to cut, but I always seem to get remembered. And that's good. It saves me time explaining, and means I'll get that great cut I got last time. Always remember your customers preferences and nuances. A little bit goes a long way. This is the power of CRM.

Keep in mind - Don't try to fake it. You may have a lot of customers to try to remember, but they only have to remember one good or bad representative. If they've never dealt with you before, don't try to convince them they have. They'll see right through it, and it'll turn them off.

A little extra goes a long way

On my first trip to a small shop here in the city, I once had a haircut I really did not enjoy. The look was meh, the process was kinda painful, and I remember thinking, "never again". But at the end, on a men's cut, the barber straightens out the back and sides with a precise razor. This particular barber used hot foam and a straight-edge. And that really made me sit up and take notice (not to mention sit very still). My back-home barber shop has raised their prices almost double from when I first started going. However, somewhere along the line they started washing hair for everyone at the end, which kinda justified that high cost a little for me. Sometimes you can really make a difference by doing something special for your customers, and maybe smooth out some rough experiences.

Keep in mind - If you start doing a little something extra on a regular basis and then start neglecting it, you can really create a negative impression. If it becomes part of the overall experience, you can't change your mind on a whim and just stop. The sudden change will not be well received.

Do what you're told

If you went to a barber and told them exactly what you wanted, but walked out with something totally different, you wouldn't be happy, would you? Same goes for business. When you do something for a customer, make sure you address their needs, not your own. Do what they want, not what you think they want. A bad hair cut, they have to live with. A lost customer is YOUR problem.

Get your own!

On a more inter-business note, don't try to compete with your own kind for their clientele. Regular customers will often prefer to deal with the same person, and if you try to hijack it, you might scare them off, kill a great relationship, and you will certainly annoy the person you took them from.

Learn the territory

If you find yourself in a new region or company, remember that you need to work within their boundaries, not those of your old one. My barber was talking about a coworker who had come from a discount cutter, and so did things far too fast, had little regard for existing relationships, and would cut corners and forget crucial steps (you can see where much of this post comes from now, right?). If you find yourself making a switch, you need to learn that sometimes you have to work within new rules.

Keep in mind - Don't let this scare you off from using your personal style; that's what differentiates you from your peers.

Make the cut

Everything we know about customer service doesn't come from business school; it comes from being tested in the field, and knowing what makes people happy. Treat people well, and they will keep coming back and being satisfied. Hair may change, but good customer service will never go out of style.

Until next time,