Services sell unseen products, they sell relationships. For example, a broadcast company sells an unseen product which you cannot carry along but still you have a relationship with the service, the success or failure of the business depends on how that relationship is managed.
Service businesses includes banks, insurance firms, courier services, hair salons, dry cleaning services, shoe repair, business centers etc. For a service business man or woman to succeed, you must know that the manner in which the customer is treated determines if the customer will continue to patronize them.
The strategies to make your service business successfully are:
· The number one thing to understand and have at the back of your mind is the fact that service businesses come in contact with the customer and the manner he or she is treated will go a long way to establishing if the customer will be a regular customer or not.
· Since service businesses are about relationships, you must enlighten and educate your employees on the need to be professional and courteous on their dealing with the customers.
· Your service must be of high standard in a way that it exceeds the imagination of the customer. For example, you own a dry cleaning outfit and you employ the high standard strategy, thereby making sure whatever job given to your company is done with professionalism and high standard. A customer coming to your organization may say, well, let me brace up for any delay, but to their surprise, their clothes is delivered on time and not only is the delivery timely but the laundering is done excellently. Believe me, the customer will surely come back, not alone, but also informing others about your company.
· Another strategy that must be adopted is evolving an image of hygiene and cleanliness because the environment of a service sells the business; if your environment and surrounding is regarded as untidy and shabby, it doesn’t do well on the image of your company. That is why you shouldn’t say because your services are of high quality, the surrounding doesn’t count. It does! You may discover that despite some businesses offering high quality services, yet they have less result because the business environment is regarded as untidy and shabby. Many small businesses are guilty of this, I employ you to imbibe the habit of cleanliness. MacDonalds success is build on timely delivery and cleanliness.
· You must evolve a mechanism where people who have complaints can register their complaints. It is not a crime to have complaint or criticism. In fact it shows that your customers care about you and want you to remain in business. Research has shown that the great products and services we know today came into being as a result of complaints and criticism. It is said that man shouldn’t avoid criticism and complaints instead it should be a learning process to perfection. Any complaint brought forward by customers about your services, critically look at the complaint and work towards rectifying the problem. If you don’t have a feedback or suggestion box, I advice you get one right now.
· Offer extra benefits to your customers. Freebies can motivating customers into patronizing your business now matter how small it is. It shows that you not only concern about collecting their monies but you care about them. Nothing is more appealing to a customer than a sign of appreciation and respect for him.
Use the above strategies and you will be differentiated from others in the same line of business with you. Success is yours, PERSIST!
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