Effective Customer Service | BE GENEROUS WITH CUSTOMERS
Find a way of showing your generosity to the next customer you meet.
In 2003 Happy Computers won the Management Today award for providing the best customer service in the UK. An intrinsic part of its philosophy is to be generous with customers. Generosity is a key principle for Henry Stewart, chief executive, and the whole team.
It is called the 110% rule. For every 100% you take from others, give 110% back. That’s only reasonable. The world would be a better place if we all practiced this rule—and customer service would be consistently outstanding across the globe.
We are born to be selfish and we have to struggle to be selfless. In an increasingly competitive world it can be everyone for themselves. Only the fittest survive. Given a chance, many will profiteer at the expense of others, exploiting them for a quick buck.
Instead, perform little acts of generosity for your customers. Every day. Unless your own bosses are generous themselves, don’t ask permission—too many managers will be negative and stick to the rules, pleading cost-cutting rationales. They will even forbid you from giving a candy to a customer.
Just do it—be generous. Don’t do it with other people’s money— because that’s not being generous—but do it with your own. This means being generous with your own time, with your own thoughts, and, if you have any left, with your own money too. If you buy a customer a little gift (it has to be little to avoid accusations of bribery and corruption), then buy it out of your own money.
If your company is sensible enough to budget for such gifts, then treat that budget as if it were your own money. Then you will spend the company’s money wisely.
GENEROSITY
If portion controls dictate one scoop of ice cream with apple tart, give an extra large scoop if you think the customer would appreciate it.
If your productivity target is 12 calls an hour, break the rules if need be and give ten minutes to a customer who warrants it.
Buy the customer a complimentary cappuccino.
Keep a bag of mints under the counter to offer customers and ensure that you get through a bag a day (but don’t eat them all yourself).
When a customer asks for a couple of samples for the kids, give them eight (in case they plan to have more children).
When entertaining business people for lunch, always be the first to offer to pay the bill.
Don’t grieve when people take advantage of you. You will have learnt a lesson in generosity.
Never hesitate to give people something—preferably before they ask for it.
When a customer asks for a discount if she buys three instead of one, give it.
Give money to charity. Give time to charity. Collect money for charity.
There is more motivation and more buzz in giving to a customer than in taking from one. You can’t be world-class if you are mean-minded. The companies that are world-class are those that give things away to customers. They are generous and love to give something back—and the same applies to their people on an individual basis.
EXCELLENCE CUSTOMER SERVICE PRACTICE
Put your hand in your pocket and spend something on a customer today. That will create a real buzz.
EXCELLENCE CUSTOMER SERVICE QUOTE
Generosity is all about giving something from our heart. When we are generous we give a little of ourselves away.
