101 Customer Service Secrets

Is your customer service up to scratch?

With these rapid-fire customer service secrets, you’ll make some massive improvements.

Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. If you’re offering crappy customer service, they’re going to look elsewhere.

You need to make yourself stand out from the crowd. You need to offer a service that blows customers away and makes them fall in love with you.

Strap yourself in because we’re about to hit you with 101 customer service secrets that’ll help you do just that.

1. Customer loyalty isn’t what it used to be and you’re competing against more companies than ever before.
2. Service businesses put too much emphasis on getting new leads instead of serving existing customers.
3. Consistent exceeding of customer expectations is key to great customer service.
4. Learn your customers’ names to show how much you value their business.
5. Don’t make things up. Customers will find out and dishonesty can destroy your reputation.
6. You need to know what your customers want before you can define a customer service strategy.
7. Over 50% of Americans have backed out of a transaction due to getting bad service.
8. Your customer service is always one degree worse than you think it is.
9. Your “great” customer service may just be the bare minimum your customers expect.
10. Consistency creates trust, which leads to happier customers.
11. Listen to the concerns that customers share and bring them up in future conversations.
12. Follow the Golden Rule – treat people how you’d like them to treat you.
13. Happy employees provide a much better service to your customers.
14. Your entire team can offer insight; not just those who face customers.
15. A third of people think about switching to a competitor after one instance of bad service.
16. Think about how you serve your customers right now. You need to do 1000% more.
17. Stand out by offering to grab coffee for your customer while you’re on the way.
18. You need consistency in every single step of the customer journey.
19. Great customer service is not a one size fits all thing.
20. Show an interest in the person that you’re working with.
21. Empower your customer service reps and they’ll do great things.
22. More options leads to happier customers.
23. The average American tells 15 people when they get bad service. They only tell 11 when they get good service.
24. You’re close to the service that creates loyalty when you think you’re doing “too much”.
25. Wowing your customers locks your name in their minds.
26. Personality is as important as your expertise.
27. Learn about customers’ individual needs to get creative with your service.
28. Empathy goes a long way to helping you to resolve tricky situations.
29. Perception is the same thing as reality when it comes to your service.
30. Bad customer service costs American businesses over $62 billion per year.
31. Your customer service really starts with your marketing.
32. A Customer Resolution System (CRS) helps you to work with unhappy customers.
33. A rep who knows the answers may still anger a customer if they’re not friendly.
34. Calming an angry customer brings you closer to find a resolution.
35. You can’t fake caring about your customers.
36. Simply showing appreciation goes a long way to keeping your customers happy.
37. Customer service is as much about building relationships as it is about taking action.
38. 70% of people say they’ll spend more if a business offers great service.
39. Detail is the key to building a customer service strategy that wows people.
40. Unhappy customers offer an opportunity to improve your business.
41. It’s okay to not have all of the answers as long as you deliver later.
42. Always thank customers for bringing issues to your attention.
43. Listen to customer complaints without letting the negative energy affect your response.
44. A little personal effort goes a long way when dealing with customers.
45. It’s up to 25 times more expensive to find new customers than it is to keep existing ones.
46. Leave nothing to chance when detailing how you deal with customers.
47. Unhappy customers can highlight gaps and shortfalls in your business.
48. Making mistakes is okay…as long as you own up to them.
49. Educate your staff so they understand why their performance affects customers.
50. Remember that a “bad” customer may just have had a bad day.
51. Your social media pages highlight the key questions and issues that your customers have.
52. Customer service is not a strategy that you can just set and forget.
53. Great service isn’t a business cost. It’s a sales opportunity.
54. Calling a customer 15 minutes before you arrive allows you to create a rapport.
55. You should feel happy whenever an unhappy customer contacts you because it’s an opportunity to get better.
56. Apologies don’t count for much if they’re not sincere.
57. Your competition will take care of your customers if you don’t.
58. Don’t take customer complaints about your service as personal attacks.
59. Never forget how your customers might interpret your actions.
60. It’s often the case that a simple misunderstanding leads to a customer complaint.
61. Two-thirds of people want the companies they do business with to value their time.
62. Customers teach you how to improve when they share their stories.
63. Learning as much as you can early can prevent customer service issues later on.
64. A great Customer Resolution System can earn your business millions of dollars.
65. A lack of acknowledgment leads to you creating a problem customer.
66. A simple smile may be all that you need to break the ice.
67. Your customers will always appreciate a speedy resolution.
68. Remember the old saying – Customers remember the service first and the price second.
69. Broad questions can help you get to the root of a customer’s problem.
70. Everyone in your business needs to understand your customer service strategy.
71. Laying out clear steps ensures your customer trusts your solution.
72. Make sure the phones get answered. No-one likes speaking to a machine.
73. Use handwritten notes to demonstrate that you appreciate your customers’ business.
74. Always leave the door open for feedback from your customers.
75. A lack of appreciation is the main reason why customers move to your competitors.
76. It’s not about solving a one-time problem for a one-time customer.
77. Check your history of complaints every month to see if you can spot patterns.
78. Providing a service is not the same thing as completing a transaction.
79. Never make a promise to a customer that you know you can’t keep.
80. Include your customers in your company wins to boost engagement.
81. A little friendly chat can help you boost a customer’s mood and take control of the conversation.
82. 77% of people say that a positive experience with your business will encourage them to refer you to a friend.
83. Your competitors are the only people who’ll love you if you give bad service.
84. Be respectful of your customer’s home and their rules.
85. Ditch the sales pitch and present customers with options instead.
86. A birthday gift shows your past customers that you still care.
87. Be assertive without being discourteous whenever you answer a customer’s question.
88. Never forget that your customers are always part of the solution.
89. There is no substitute for personal service from an expert.
90. Stop viewing customer service as something that makes your jobs less profitable.
91. Robert Staubach once said: “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile”.
92. Get rid of the technical babble and be as transparent as possible.
93. Use your website to spread the word from your most delighted customers.
94. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to ensure you understand your customer’s problem.
95. Keep your service simple to keep your customers happy.
96. The average person has to wait nine hours for a brand to respond to their social media question.
97. More and more people are using social media as a way to reach out to companies.
98. Over 50% of your customers expect more from your customer service than they did in 2017.
99. Most customers whose problems you resolve will come back to you with new business.
100. Online review sites offer insight into customer issues that you may not find out about on your social media pages.
101. The average customer expects you to respond to an email within one hour.

The Takeaway

There’s a lot to absorb in that list.

You’ve got tips, stats, and a few things that we’ve learned from helping service businesses improve.

The key now is that you pull all of these secrets together. It’s not about providing “great” customer service. Everyone’s doing that.

It’s about creating a service that wows your customer. It’s about going so far beyond their expectations that you leave them speechless.

CEO Warrior can help you to build the customer service strategy that your business needs.

Has success been elusive and you feel stuck?

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