Customer Service

Creating an Outrageous Program

Creating a Customer Service Program is absolutely necessary to the success of your business whether you niche is network marketing or party plan.

Remember 80 to 85% of your income will come from consumers. As a Super Star Leader (or soon to be Super Star Leader), you are building a Team of Leaders, but somewhere, product has to move. And Super Star Leaders know that it’s much easier to keep a customer than attract a new one.

Your customers are like gold . . . they are precious.

So where do you start in creating your program?

• Describe your ideal customer.
  • Are they coachable?
  • Are they fun?
  • Do they have discretionary income?
  • Are they consistent product users?
  • Do they make referrals?
• Create a flow chart.
  • What happens once you enroll a new customer? Describe in detail.
  • Do you send them a thank you? Is it physical or by email?
    
    Think about your personality type and your time constraints. This is a task that could be assigned to a teenage child, part-time assistant and even a virtual assistant. I use a company called www.SendOutCards.com/womenwithdreams
  • Have you set up an automated communication system with your customers?
    
    Many people use Constant Contact for period communication (broadcasts), however this system does not allow for automated or DRIP messages.This is critical because it keeps you in front of your customers. Another company is aWebber, however, the company I have used for the past 8 years is Home Office Pro/ResponseMagic. The reason I love this company is they consistently deliver my messages in a timely manner, have a great relationship with ISPs (Internet Service Providers) like Comcast, hotmail, Gmail, etc.
  • How do you follow-up with your customers?One method is not enough! While email is one way, it certainly isn’t the only way. Sending a personalized, hand-written card can convey so much more. Depending on the age of your client, they may prefer text messages. I would be so bold as to say that if you have a good follow-up system in place, your attrition rate will drop significantly.
  • How will you follow-up with multiple customers who may be at different stages of the customer experience?You may be a whiz at multi-tasking, but how about your brand new person . . . they need a way to track who they are talking to and what stage of the follow-up or customer experience they are in.
  • Have you set up a customer newsletter?Start with an electronic one, but think about a physical newsletter . . . it has a longer shelf life AND, you never know whose hand will touch it!
  • Do you have an incentive program in place?This idea is used by thousands of successful businesses . . . WHY NOT YOU! I personally used this tool very effectively.Two to three times a year, I offer incentives to my customers . . . when they placed a $160 order with me directly (not the company), they would get a free product on me! This was effective for a couple of reasons:
    1. My customers loved the FREE product – in fact this strategy also created loyalty. They would not order from my company’s outbound calling program – only from me!
    2. By having the customer place their order directly with me, it allowed me to stack volume where needed when help my Team reach sales goals.
    3. This program gave me good cause to verbally touch my customers 2-3 times a year.
  • Do you have a loyalty program in place? Starbucks, Supercuts, Macy’s . . . these are just a few companies that offer loyalty programs. Customer loyalty programs can cause a customer to go out of their way to purchase from you because of the incentive (most times the cost to you will be less than $20).
  • Do you have a referral program in place? Having an incentive in place for your customers/clients who refer others to your business can be a homerun.
    Depending on your company, you may already have something in place . . . you may want to add to their program to super-incentivize your clients. Otherwise, think of something fun or useful that you can give away. I like to go with my company’s product because it’s BV.
    
    How important is this? In the last company I worked with, there was an outbound call program to create re-orders. My customers are so loyal, they regular refer others to me – at least those who are choosing not to build a business. I reward them with FR.EE product.
  • Do you have a system for remember your customers’ birthdays and/or other important dates?
    
    The best system I’ve found is www.BirthdayAlarm.com It runs me $14 per year and it allows me to send a personalized e-card for their special day.
  • Do you have a way to introduce new products to them? One of the most simple ways is with an email or through your company’s newsletter. If your company doesn’t have a newsletter for consumers, then create one and ask several people to contribute (so you don’t do all the work).Another way is social media. This is now one of the most important ways to connect with customers and potential customers. I recommend you create a Facebook Group for your customers – run contests, give a monthly prize for the customer who refers the most new clients – give coupons for new products – use this group to beta test new marketing. It is the perfect group to give a survey too. And of course, don’t forget to give them a promotional gift. Something that keeps your name in front of them.
    Doing all of these steps, will allow you to create a herd (community) of raving fans!
  • How about the Holidays? What are you doing to put your name in front of them for the Holidays? I will tell you the most expensive piece of advertising I have done BUT also the most effective piece is our family Christmas card – my phone rings off the hook in December and January. If I get it out early enough in December – I get orders before Christmas – if not, it goes into January. I have to employ several people to get them out because I hand write notes to each and every customer – I personalize a letter letting my customers know that I appreciate them (and I do!).
• Do you make it easy for your customers to reach you?
  
  If you do not have an assistant helping you, figure out how accessible you will be to your customers. Will you have a special ‘Customers’ only number like a ringmaster number so when that number rings you know it’s a customer. It is important for Customers to be able to reach you NOW – not 2 days from today – but TODAY – because they can just as easily order from someone else or go to the store – they have hundreds of choices – you have to make it EASY for them – give them a reason to do business with you!
• Create a Tracking Sheet (see our sample and change for your needs).
  
  • The Tracking Sheet will allow you to work with multiple consumer clients at one time.The tracking sheet will also allow your Associates or Business partners to duplicate what you do – this is probably one of the BIGGEST things you can do to ease the way for a new business partner.
  • Show your customers you love them! Express your personality – this can be something fun that shares your brand!
  • Determine what percentage of your time and money will be spent on consumer (customer) attraction, service, and retention.Schedule and budget accordingly.
• Make your customers your biggest cheerleaders and part of your community.