Negative buying experiences are almost always linked to poor customer service. Good customer service is essential for all businesses and giving it shouldn't be seen as an extra. It isn't difficult to provide if you follow a few basic rules:

1. Commit to quality customer service.

Everyone in your company needs to be devoted to creating a positive and memorable experience to your customers. Always aim to exceed customers' expectations...may be even under-promise and over-deliver. Think what impression that would leave on your customers.

2. Always (and I mean ALWAYS) provide what you promise.

Fail to do this and you'll lose creditability straight away...and possiblty the customer as well. If you promise

to provide an estimate within 48 hours, get the quote out within 48 hours! I have lost count of the people and businesses that don't keep their promises and I am sure you can relate to these types of annoying experiences. If you can't keep your promise, at least have the courtesy to let your customer know before-hand. They will appreciate this.

Recently our swimming pool's salt chlorinator packed up just before our relatives arrived from the UK. Our regular pool service provider promised to fix it before the Christmas (and our summer holiday) break. Days went by and no sight of any repair. After 4 telephone messages later, I gave up and left them an "assertive" message advising them I will no longer deal with them.

3. Listen to your customers

Be a sponge...your business may depend on it. Try to learn as much as you can about your customers so you can tailor your service approach to their needs (not yours!) and their buying habits. Listen attentively to their concerns and complaints...they will be doing you a favour if you can correct the problem before you run out of customers!

We regularly send our post job surveys to establish how we could improve our service. You could do the same by offering a small incentive for your customers to return the survey.

4. Know your products

Conveying knowledge about your products and services will help you win your customers' trust and confidence. Try to anticipate the types of questions your customers will ask.

5. Focus on making customers, not sales

Salespeople often, especially those being paid commission, focus on volume instead of the quality of the sale.

Remember, that keeping a customer is often more important than closing the sale. Research clearly shows that it costs much more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing one.

6. Don't leave customers waiting

Repairs, call backs and emails need to be handled with a sense of urgency. Most customers want immediate resolution and if you give it them, you'll probably win their repeat business. Research shows that 95% of dissatisfied customers will do business with a company again if their complaint is resolved on the spot.

We have a policy that insists that customer emails and calls are responded to within 4 hours.