6 Steps to CRM

Six Steps to Remarkable Service

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By Kevin Stirtz

January 16, 2008

We get a lot of advice about how to deliver great customer service. Many of the
tips are reminders of what we already know (but we occasionally forget). And
these are useful. But sometimes, we need more than a reminder. Sometimes it´s
helpful to have a system or, at least, some steps to follow.

Here is an easy yet valuable road-map I´ve taught in many of my customer
service seminars. It´s easy to understand but it can be effective in keeping us
on track so we consistently deliver what our customers want from us.



1. Connect with your customer



This is critical. This is where you establish rapport and begin a relationship
with your customer. Connecting means you´re building trust that runs both ways.
Do this by engaging your customer. Start by giving them your name and asking
theirs. Be interested in them and what they want. Ask questions. Listen.
Respond appropriately. Have a conversation with them. Be genuine.



People know when you are genuinely interested in helping them or not. If you
are, they are more likely to respond positively to you and to develop trust
with you. If you are really not interested, they´ll sense it and you´ll have a
much harder time developing the trust you need to help them.



2. Discover what they want



If you have a genuine conversation with your customer, you will discover what
they want. They don´t always know what they want. Or they might have trouble
expressing it. Often people know what they want but they´re unsure how to get
it. That´s where you come in.



By asking pertinent questions and paying attention to the answers, you can
discover a lot about your customer. You can help guide them to getting what
they want. That´s the role you fill and that´s how you keep customers coming
back.



3. Know what you can do



We can´t always give the customer everything they want. Sometimes they want
what we can´t do. Other times, it´s something we choose not to do.

Every business has a niche to fill. That means doing what the business is best
at doing for the customers it can serve best. This step is about "picking
your battles". It´s about choosing the customers who best fit what you can
do well by knowing what you do best.



4. Do it



This sounds easy and maybe it should be. But it´s where many businesses fail.
They fail because they don´t manage the process of planning, doing, measuring
and monitoring well.



To execute well you need to be able to measure what´s important. What gets
measured gets done. So, convert your customer´s wants into actions you can
measure. Then setup a system to measure the outcomes and the actions that
produce them.



5. Follow-up



For customers, this is icing on their cake. It´s true for you too because it´s
easy to do yet it pays huge dividends in customer loyalty.



As you plan your execution phase, make sure you plan a follow-up contact.
Follow-up by phone, email, letter, visit, whatever works. The more direct and
personal the better but make it work for your customer and your company. This
thrills customers because very few companies do it consistently.



6. Thank them



This often gets forgotten. Or it gets treated lightly. Too often when I hear a
"thanks for doing business with us" it sounds phony, forced or
robotic. People often say it out of habit but they put no feeling or
authenticity into it.



So, when you thank your customers, be real about it. Make it genuine. Thank
them in multiple ways, not just once. make sure they know you are grateful for
their business.



Follow these six steps with every customer and you´ll find your level of
customer service will increase dramatically. Coach your employees to understand
and work through these steps (every time) and you´ll see your customer loyalty
and customer retention go through the roof.

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