Gain a competitive edge

Customer service will make or break your business. Yet most business owners are still using the same decades-old cliches of “go the extra mile” and “exceed expectations” to explain their client service philosophy. These are meaningless and won’t take your business to the next level of service, said customer service and marketing expert Geoff Ramm. Exemplary customer service is what drives sales.

What’s your client service gap?

Most small-business owners know there’s a client service gap. Using a 10-point rating system, with 10 being the highest, “most people say they’re 7 or 8 for customer service. The level of service should be infinite,” Ramm said. Your clients should all be treated like your favorite celebrity.

“Every ounce of your service would change if a celebrity showed up,” Ramm said. “And that’s the gap you don’t realize exists within your team and within your business. If you fill that gap, your competition will never touch you.”

Look at all the client touchpoints in your business and pick one or two to focus on to improve. As you master those, move on to another client touchpoint, Ramm recommended.

“Everything can be improved upon,” Ramm said. “Your competition is looking to do something better. So when you think you’ve cracked it, you haven’t.”

Read more in the 2018 November/December issue of Round the Table magazine.

Looking for more ways to excel in client service? Watch “High-quality client care ideas.”