Training a Team Dedicated to Delighting Customers

by Lynn Chorn from fairmarketing

One of the reasons we have been so successful at Fair Marketing  is because we have built a reputation for exceptional customer service. But how do you make sure your customer service is ALWAYS the best it can be?

You train your team to give service that leaves customers overwhelmed with delight. We follow these guidelines:

1)      We choose talented, dedicated, and creative team players. However, people like this can be extremely hard to find. That’s why we don’t just look for talent when we need it. We are constantly scouting for talent. You never know when you are going to meet someone who might be perfect for your team. Even if the time isn’t right for them yet, by planting the seed now, you might get an excellent addition to your team later.

2)      We put a lot of time, thought and effort into training our new team members using structured learning, coaching and mentoring. There is a lengthy training period, including an evaluation period after the training to see if they are ready to take on clients BEFORE we ever introduce them to a client. We want them to feel good about what they do because it will come through in client interactions.

3)      We have structures in place for the on-going development of our entire team:

  1. Regular team meetings where we report on our successes, brainstorm on challenges, and keep the conversation alive on best ways to serve clients. We give prizes for the best ideas!
  2. On-going seminars that we watch or attend, then bring back our ideas to the group for discussion.
  3. Book clubs – reading and discussing books that are on the cutting edge of customer loyalty and delight.

4)      Most of all, we make sure we all follow an overall mantra, or theme. Nothing cliché, like the customer is always right. More of an attitude: Respect clients, Delight clients, and LISTEN to clients. Clients want to know where they stand. We use specific measurable results to report on our progress, and we give these reports out on a regular basis, and then go over them with our clients.

5)      Transparency is key. If ever there is a problem or issue, we go to the client to tell them what it is, and what we are doing about it. That builds trust and partnership. After all, we are here to help our clients’ businesses grow, not just to help their web marketing campaigns!

6)      Our customer loyalty program is extremely generous. We reward our clients for their loyalty, and for paying on time. How many companies do that?!

Whatever your business is, exceptional customer service is a key to your success. But that takes dedicated people and a company willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen. As we all grow as individuals, and our companies grow as well, so must our customer service practices.

Fair Marketing