101 Ways to Build Better Relationships with Your Customers

  • 1h 2m
  • Peter R. Garber
  • Human Resource Development Press
  • 2007

Building better customer relationships is not just something that would be nice to do – it is something you must do if you expect to be successful in business today. This book contains 101 useful suggestions for maintaining and building relationships with your customers – starting with the next contact you make.

The 101 ways in this book are all about people and how they react or respond to others. Most of the ways deal with common courtesies that anyone would appreciate – for example, keep the customer in the communications loop, don’t put customers on hold, be accessible to the customer and do what you say you will. All of the ways boil down to good, common sense.

The 101 ways are organized into six sections:

  • Customer Expectations
  • Problem-solving Together
  • Communicating with Customers
  • Understanding the Customer
  • Supporting Your Customer
  • Achieving Results

Each of the 101 ways comes with a brief exercise designed to help you teach and reinforce the learning points presented.

Use this book to develop training programs to deal with difficult situations, solve problems with your customers, create more effective customer service strategies and help reach your sales and marketing goals.

The suggestions can be applied in any business and in any industry – all you need is the willingness to put forth the extra effort and attention required to meet the many, important requirements of your customers.

In this Book

  • Try as Hard to Keep the Customer’s Business as You Did to Get it in the First Place
  • Keep Your Promises
  • Follow up with the Customer
  • Avoid Selling Tactics
  • Send the Customer Thank-you Letters
  • Don’t Take Credit That’s Not Yours
  • Help Make the Customer Feel Good About the Purchase
  • Think Outside the Box
  • Pay Attention to Details
  • Close Loops
  • Don’t Have Hidden Agendas
  • Keep Internal Problems from the Customer
  • Value Your Relationship with the Customer
  • Don’t Cry “Wolf” to the Customer
  • Give the Customer Reasons to Brag About You
  • Expect Less from the Customer
  • Don’t Expect the Customer to Do Your Homework
  • Be Accessible to the Customer
  • Be Responsive
  • Be Responsible
  • Exercise Flexibility
  • Be Reliable
  • Lose Graciously
  • Don’t Over Commit
  • Do What You Say You Will Do
  • Don’t Oversell
  • Put Things into Perspective for the Customer
  • Reduce Paperwork for the Customer
  • Be a Contingency Thinker
  • Be Creative
  • Don’t Follow the 80/20 Rule with the Customer
  • Be Proactive
  • Prevent Problems Before They Occur
  • Do Things Right the First Time
  • Help Reduce Cycle Time for the Customer
  • Synergize with the Customer
  • Reduce Your Company’s Bureaucracy
  • Bend the Rules for the Customer
  • Be a Problem Solver
  • Refer the Customer to Other Sources
  • Look for Other Possibilities
  • Roll with the Punches
  • Learn the Customer’s Language
  • Keep the Customer in Your Company’s Communications Loop
  • Have the Top Executives in Your Company Meet the Customer
  • Don’t Fill the Customer’s Voice Mail–Box with Messages
  • Don’t Call the Customer on Their First Day Back from Vacation
  • Don’t Put the Customer On Hold
  • Get on the Customer’s Mailing List
  • Keep Confidential Information Confidential
  • Really Listen to the Customer
  • Always Be a Page Away
  • Be Computer Compatible
  • Provide a “Safe Ear” for the Customer
  • Give Feedback to the Customer
  • Don’t Spread Rumors About the Customer
  • Don’t Let the Customer See You Sweat
  • Admit Your Mistakes
  • Don’t Burden the Customer with Your Problems
  • Don’t B.S. the Customer
  • Keep Good Records
  • Don’t Become a Nuisance to the Customer
  • Understand When “No” Means “No”
  • Link Electronically to the Customer
  • Be a “Constant” During Change
  • Read the Customer’s Annual Report
  • Study the Customer’s History
  • Ask the Customer if it is a Good Time to Call
  • Take the Customer to Lunch
  • Keep the Customer’s Priorities in Mind
  • Stay “In Tune” with the Customer’s Business
  • Empathize with the Customer
  • Feel the Customer’s Pain
  • Understand the Customer’s Requirements
  • Consider the Customer’s Perspective
  • Anticipate the Customer’s Needs
  • Give the Customer the Benefit of the Doubt
  • Avoid Conflicts of Interest
  • Keep the Customer’s Logo in Your Computer
  • Talk Nicely About the Customer
  • Join the Customer’s Team
  • Collaborate with the Customer
  • Help the Customer Accept Change
  • Play a Supportive Role for the Customer
  • Treat the Customer Like a Friend
  • Don’t Take Unfair Advantage
  • Become a Resource to the Customer
  • Think Win/Win with the Customer
  • Be a Team Player
  • Think Long-term Relationships
  • Don’t Waste the Customer’s Time
  • Act Like a Business Partner
  • Deliver on Your Deliverables
  • Sell with Class
  • Share Your Awards with the Customer
  • Don’t Depend on the Customer’s Loyalty
  • Help the Customer Reduce Costs
  • Focus on Beating the Customer’s Competition
  • Focus on Getting the Customer Results
  • Look for Ways to Add Value to the Customer
  • Search for Ways to Improve Your Service or Product
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