Do you ever wonder how to set yourself apart from the other consultants out there? Here’s how!
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What is it that will keep your customers coming back time and time again to shop from YOU when there are so many other consultants or stores they can shop from? Well, its kind of up to you.
Story Time! A few months ago I got a message from a new customer (let’s call her Mary) out in New York. Since I’m in Northern Nevada, I was excited to help her out. She wanted a bracelet and I happened to have the one she wanted in stock (yay!) I asked her if there was anything else I could help her out with and she paused – almost shocked and it took her a few moments to reply.
When Mary did speak, she told me how she found Paparazzi. Her best friend had JUST had a party online and she fell in love with the bracelet that I had for her. She “bought” it at the online party she was attending along with several other items. After the party, the consultant (let’s call her Suzie) sent her the invoice and when she went to pay she was concerned with the security of the service that Suzie was using. Mary sent a message to Suzie asking if her credit card information would be secure. Now this is where it gets interesting!
Rather than responding to Mary and talking about her concerns or even offering a different method of payment (like taking her card info over the phone or another service that Mary was familiar with), Suzie canceled her order and blocked her on Facebook. But she didn’t stop there! Suzie went on to block Mary’s friend (the hostess of the party) as well. And then 2 days later, Suzie charged the hostess the FULL amount of the jewelry that she had wanted at the party and didn’t give her any credit for being the hostess.
To say the least, Mary was LIVID. I don’t blame her. I would have been too. Now, I am only hearing 1 side of the story and Suzie might have a totally different story to tell. The part that I want you to take note of though is that Mary had a concern. She was concerned about the security of her credit card information. Its a valid concern. Had Suzie addressed that issue and tried to work with Mary, I never would have heard this story!!
I listened to Mary, told her how sorry I was that she had that awful experience and told her I would mail out her bracelet as soon as I could. She bought 3 more items from me and then says, “Ya know, it’s too bad. I wanted to do an online party too…”
Happy dance!!! I was thrilled! I set up her online party and we had a blast!! I have had at least 3 parties AND a girl join my team from this 1 person. And all of that never would have happened had I not listened to her and helped her out.
So how can you stand out from the other consultants that are around both in Paparazzi and with other companies? It comes down to providing excellent customer service. Making them feel special. Talking about their concerns. Helping when they have a problem.
When you put your customers first, you don’t ONLY have customers. You create RAVING fans! And when you have raving fans, they are going to tell everyone they know about how awesome you are!! This means more parties, sales, and possible consultants for YOU!
Here are some statistics that show the importance of customer service:
- According to NewVoiceMedia, an estimated $41 billion is lost by U.S. companies alone each year due to poor customer service.
- 97% of global consumers say that customer service is very important or somewhat important in their choice of and loyalty to a brand.
- 62% of global consumers have stopped doing business with a brand or organization due to a poor customer service experience
- 76% of consumers say they view customer service as the true test of how much a company values them.
Kinda scary right?! It doesn’t have to be! And this is why it will be SO easy to set yourself apart from other consultants if you make Customer Service a priority in your business!
I have another story for you! I met a lady (let’s call her Beth) at an expo. She had bought some Paparazzi from an online party and when she got her items, she didn’t like them at all. They weren’t her style an she was disappointed. 4 items that she bought and had been sitting on her dresser for about a year, tags on an everything. I told her to bring them and trade them for what she wanted.
She was shocked. It took a little convincing but she came by my house a few days later and traded in her items. The look on her face was priceless. Now she is a regular customer! And what did it cost me? Just a little bit of my time.
So how do you provide excellent customer service? Here are a few ways:
- Ship orders quickly
- write thank you notes for hostesses
- THANK each party guest or customer for choosing you
- handle complaints / broken items quickly and with a smile
- SMILE! – it’s contagious
- talk to your customers. Get to know them, their likes and style
When you do just a little something extra to set yourself out from the crowd, your customers will notice! They will appreciate the extra effort and become loyal, raving fans!
Resources:
Stats from: http://www.parature.com/13-customer-service-statistics/
Show Challenge:
1. Decide on 1 thing you can do this week to make your customer service even better! Put your plan into action right away!
2. Write a thank you note to 2 people in your business that you are thankful for. Let them know how much you care!
Show Notes
Create Life Long Customers with GREAT Customer Service – printable show notes