60 customer service tips for entrepreneurs

Our Amazing customer service resource for this week is a post at the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur called: “60 Customer Service Tips for Entrepreneurs”. It was written by TPE’s Mike Michalowicz but actually consists of tips from dozens of bright people.

Here are a few of my favorites:

4. Be You, Not a Script – Get off the script—LISTEN and respond to what’s really going on.
-Shel Horowitz

7. Don’t Make ‘Em Wait – Never keep a customer on hold for more than 30 seconds. If you are going to need to leave them on hold for more than that amount of time offer to call them back.
-Laurie Brown

21. It’s More Than OK To Apologize, It’s Mandatory - When mistakes happen – and they frequently do – empower your employees to apologize sincerely to the customer and give a little something (free shipping, a discount coupon, etc.) to make amends.
-Lauren Bloom, Elegant Solutions Consulting

30. People First - Serve your customer not your business systems…never let your business systems dictate how you do business!
-Davis M. Woodruff, PE, *CMC

33. The Higher Road – Always answer and angry e-mail with kindness and diplomacy.
-Andrea Donsky, Naturally Savvy

39. We’re All Humans Here - Listen from the customer’s perspective – not from your procedures. “Proceduritis” is one of the top three killers of customer service.
-Kate Nasser, CAS Inc.

40. Make It Personal - When someone emails you with an inquiry or request, always respond by using their name in the e-mail and thanking them first and foremost for their interest/business. Always include your email signature which has your direct e-mail address and a phone number.
-Danielle Hughes, Baby Fish Mouth

58. Be Sorry, And Then Fix It - Apologize when something goes wrong and then fix it immediately. This is a very important customer service issue. Your customers can be very forgiving if you can fix the problem quickly. If the problem cannot be solved immediately, make sure to keep the customer informed as to your progress. This can be in the form of phone calls or e-mails.
-Julie Voorhees, Specialist Small Business Prescriptions

Take a moment and look at all 60 tips. Many are refreshers and reminders. But all are useful.

What customer service resources do you find helpful?

Other articles you might like:

• Top 10 things you should NEVER say to a customer
• 5 Steps to turn complaints into loyal customers
• T-Mobile vs. the customer: Round four (getting stood-up)
• 88 Ways to Make The Naughty List
• How to Handle Customer Complaints