Want to Stand Out in Building Materials? Improve Your Customer Service

Sometimes, the best way to improve what you’re doing isn’t to look at what your competition is up to – it’s looking at what people in other industries are doing. 

I realized that when I ordered some merchandise for myself.

I wanted to put in a small order of ball caps with my logo on them. A quick Google search brought me to a company called 4 Imprint. 

Working with them was incredibly easy. Here’s how it went down:

• I uploaded my artwork in the evening and a proof of it was sent for my approval the next morning.
• I requested a color change and the new proof was sent and approved within a few hours, even though it was a Saturday.
• After I placed the order, I got a series of emails from their customer service, including one that gave my expected shipping date and asked me to reach out if I needed my order sooner.
• The manager of their customer service department sent an email encouraging me to contact her directly if my customer service rep couldn’t meet my needs.
• A day after the order arrived, I got an email asking me how they did and how I liked the product.
• Two weeks later, I received a package with a cloth bag with their logo, a catalog, and some special offers.

That’s more than I expected. But it shouldn’t be. Building materials companies should be providing this level of customer service to everyone who buys from them.

Here are the lessons I took away from my experience with 4 Imprint:

• Be quick and responsive. Making a customer wait makes it seem like you don’t take them or their needs seriously.
• Give them the information they want. Confirmations, shipping dates and all the usual stuff.
• Be flexible. Being told I could negotiate a better shipping date or speak to someone else made it clear that they were willing to give me the help I needed. 
• Get feedback. Asking your customer what you could’ve done better isn’t just a way to make them feel heard, it’s also research into how you can give current and future customers what they want.
• Mail something. This one’s a little controversial, I know. Physical catalogs and promo cards are supposed to be a thing of the past. But when you get something in the mail, you pay more attention to it. You open the package, you look at the things that come in it, you even run your fingers on it to check the quality of the paper it was printed on. When the same information shows up in an email, you’re much more likely to delete it without opening it.

Customer service isn’t just a necessity. If you do it right, it can also be a competitive advantage. So, take steps to make yours stand out.