If you've been in the web hosting business for any length of time,
you will already realize that keeping your servers humming along
smoothly is only half of the equation. The other half is customer
service. No matter how well your technology works, there will always
be customer support issues. How you handle them is crucial to your
success.
In this article, I will offer 5 essentials for
success. These are not all that is involved, but id you master
these five fundamentals, you'll be well on your way to success.
1. Like Your Customers and Help Them To Like You
Before anything
else, you really have to like people. If you are strictly a tech
head, and hate dealing with people, you have a real problem on your
hands. You may assume that you can fake it, but your dislike for
people will eventually show through. If you don't like people,
consider hiring someone who does.
One of the secrets of
business is that people don't usually do business with the best
person for the job - people do business with people they like.
With that in mind, remember to be a likeable person as well. Be
polite, be upbeat, be positive. Take an interest in your customers.
Ask how their day is going.
2. Listen
Always take a little
time to listen to what your customer is telling you. Let them finish
speaking before you jump in with a solution. If they need to vent
their frustration, lend a willing ear. Ask a probing question or
two.
If your customer is telling you how to improve your
business, take it to heart. Big companies pay a lot of money for
market research. A disgruntled customer on the other end of the
phone will provide that for free.
Under the pressure of
trying to solve everyone's problems, it's tempting to rush through a
support call. Resist this at all costs. Your customer will realize
that you are giving them the short shrift and fell less than valued.
Remember - if you don't value your customer, someone else will
readily do so. You have over ten thousand competitors out there.
3. Empathize
Please note that I didn't say sympathize. Sympathy
is to feel pity for someone else. Empathy is to identify with
someone, placing yourself in their shoes.
Ask yourself - If I
were in the customer's place, what would I want my web host to do
for me?
This is nothing short of the Golden Rule. Give your
customer the same quality and depth of support that you would
expect.
4. Respect Your Customer
By respect, I'm not
simply referring to the way in which you speak. Politeness is
crucial, but it's even more essential to show respect by your
actions.
If your client leaves a message for you, call them back
promptly. If they send you an email, answer it quickly. Take the
time to learn your customer's needs, and address them. One important
point about this - respect each client whether they are a $5 client
or a $5000 client.
I have a webhosting customer who is
difficult to work with. He doesn't understand much about computers,
and he doesn't speak very good English. It's been a real struggle to
give him good customer service. Sometimes, I've asked whether or not
it was worth the ten dollars a month I make from him.
Recently, I
learned that this gentleman is the spiritual leader of a moderate
sized sect in India. Even more surprising, I learned that several of
my more important clients signed up with us because of his recommendation.
Showing a little respect to a ten dollar client
has made me several thousand dollars this year.
5. Thank Your
Customer
Everyone wants to be appreciated and valued. Who could
possibly be more worthy of your gratitude than the people who place
food upon your table and shoes on your children's feet?
Look
for every opportunity to thank your customer or to show your
appreciation. If they know you value them, they'll naturally value
you.
