In May, I wrote about how poor customer service at a Bicycle Rental Shop ruined a vacation for me and my husband.

I’ve heard lots of similar stories this year – about absolutely abysmal customer service at restaurants, department stores, dry cleaners, movie theaters, and more.

So now I’ve begun to wonder if the economic downturn will continue to mostly affect Customer Service in a negative way, or if it’s possible that Customer Service can be affected in a more positive way…

After all, if one person is now expected to do the work of 3 or 4 people, should consumers still expect quality, dignity and/or respect from an overworked employee?

But, if a business is competing for less and less customers overall, shouldn’t that business be concerned with providing exceptional Customer Service?

Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. – Wikipedia

I don’t know about you, but I prefer to give my money to people who provide a high level of Customer Service.

So if you are really interested in standing out from the crowd – why not start with first things FIRST.

Here are 5 Customer Service Tips to help keep you ahead of your competition:

1. Know What You Are Talking About -- And Smile At People.

Being friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable will go a long way in a world where many salespersons and customer service reps act as if you are an annoyance and/or intrusion, or ignore you altogether.

Consumers do have choices after all, and if word gets around that your salespeople are morons and act as if they couldn’t care less about your customers – your customers will eventually begin examining those other choices, and start choosing to take their business elsewhere.

2. Be Willing To Go The Extra Mile.

I’m going to wager (I live in Las Vegas, after all) that your business, no matter what you offer – is NOT the only game in town. Chances are quite good that there is another business just like yours, just around the corner – or at least a click or a phone call away.

Offering discounts, maintenance tips, or maybe a toll-free support line will mean a lot to people who have so many other things on their mind already.

Show people how grateful you are for their Business by offering something a bit extra.

Believe me, if the gesture is genuine, your customers will remember you for it – and reward you by referring you to family, friends, and associates.

3. Keep Your Promises.

This one is easy because you have the power to monitor what you say to people.

You can think before you say words, and you can think about how you say them.

So promising someone a service at a specific time and not delivering it, or saying that you’ll special order a product that you already know is no longer available from the manufacturer is just stupid.

If you are going to go to the trouble of making promises to your customers, then don’t you think you should bother to keep them?

And if you don’t keep your promises – can you see that this will negatively impact your Business?

Mean what you say when you say it, and your customers will value you.

4. Handle Complaints And Problems Quickly (and Apologetically).

No business owner likes to hear complaints about their products or services.

But one day, something will go wrong – and then you’ll have to figure out how you will respond.

It seems logical to me that you would want to respond in a manner that would ensure your customers RETURN.

In the case of the bike shop, once it became clear that they had rented us a defective bicycle, the best move would have been to offer us a refund or voucher for a return visit.

Instead, they charged us for renting a broken bike, and they didn’t even bother to cough up an apology.

So now, being a return customer is out of the question. And what’s more, I am telling lots more people about my unpleasant experience.

In the World of Wide Web, how could this possibly be beneficial to them?

5. Answer Your Phone.

You and I both know you are carrying around a fancy, expensive cell phone that is almost always on. So when your phone rings – answer it!

I do.

Unless you are speaking to a customer already, there is nothing more important than a chance to engage with a new customer, or to answer the concerns of an existing customer.

Answer your phone (professionally) or hire someone to answer it for you.

Stop depending on computerized call attendants, email and autoresponders to do what the human voice is so good at:  being HUMAN!

For more thoughts, check out this video about Customer Service.

It doesn’t matter what you say in your brochures and websites, or how clever your TV and Radio ads are.

You can slash prices and give away free beer and biscuits until the cows come home.

But ultimately, it is the level of service you provide to your customers that will determine if your business lives or dies.

Surely every business on every block knows this much.

Or…maybe not.

I was recently in San Francisco celebrating a milestone occasion, and thought it might be fun to rent a bicycle on my last day – and glide across the Golden Gate Bridge.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with San Francisco (or the Golden Gate), let me tell you what an exhilarating experience I’m talking about:

1.7 level miles on the Golden Gate. Crisp air with breath-taking views. And at the end – a steep, downhill tour into the picturesque waterfront community of Sausalito.

Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco

It could’ve been fun. It should’ve been fun.

But mostly it wasn’t.

When my husband and I arrived at the Bridge, the gear assembly of my bike promptly snapped off  (taking the bike chain with it) – as soon as my feet struck the pedals.

We walked our bikes across the Golden Gate, and when we got to the other side, yes – I was grinning on the long coast down into Sausalito.

But with no way to pedal it, I was soon walking the bike again…

And so what could’ve, should’ve, would’ve been a pleasurable biking experience in the San Francisco Bay area – was certainly far less than that.

But okay, bicycles break.

One would think that upon a call to the Bike Rental Shop, and hearing about the broken bike, their “Customer Is Always Right” mode would have been shifted into high gear immediately. (Sorry).

One would think that we would receive at least an apology and perhaps be offered some sort of discount or voucher for a return visit – for another set of bikes, on another day. (Nope.)

One would think that a credit might be offered to us for the time we spent walking their crappy bike, instead of being charged for the rental of it.

One would think.

“Being good and doing the right thing – means you at least have a chance to do well”.

But this is a company that hasn’t studied Customer Service in awhile.

This is a company with a management team arrogant enough to believe that Customer Service doesn’t really matter.

And does it?

I believe it does.

I believe that Customer Service is the Lifeblood of every business. Yours, mine, theirs.

Great customer service is about sending people away pleased.

I know that if you are pleased enough with my work and the level of customer service you receive from me, you just may send some positive words about me to someone else you know.

This person (or people) may feel confident enough to try my services for themselves, based on the feedback you give to them.

And these people, in turn, may become my customers too – and possibly even repeat customers.

And so it goes, on and on.

Positive word-of-mouth.

It’s what can happen when you treat people well.

Do you treat your customers well?

Do you care about what your customers are saying about you and your Business?

Yes? No? Maybe tomorrow?

Let me put it to you this way: what do you think will be my response when someone asks:

“Hey, do you know of a good place to rent bicycles in San Francisco”?

Customer Service matters.

Today more than ever.

Show customers you care about them, and they may care enough about you to refer you to others.

Show customers you don’t care about them, and watch what happens.

(Planning a bike tour in San Francisco?) Email Me.