Customer Satisfaction...

Your marketing program exposes your product or service to potential customers. Hopefully the program will also bring these customers to your door. Once at the door, the trick is to keep them. It's really simple to do this ... keep your customers satisfied. The old adage is true, "Your best advertisement is a satisfied customer." A customer satisfaction program is a must for your business. Also remember that it is less expensive to retain an existing customer than to find a few one.

Put yourself in the place of the customer when assessing your performance. It is frequently the little things that make a difference. This checklist highlights a few tried and true elements of a customer satisfaction program. Please take note that some of these suggestions apply only to certain types of businesses.

	Make sure that ALL your employees understand that the customers are #1.
	Never, never argue with a customer.
	Treat EVERYONE as a potential customer.
	Don't use a telephone answering machine or a voice mail system unless absolutely necessary. Customers like to talk to real people, not machines. Think how irritating it is for you to wade through the typical voice-mail "menu." But, choose a machine over an answering service. With a machine you know what will be said to the caller.
	Answer the telephone by the second ring.
	Say "Thank you" frequently ... be courteous.
	Provide something free (coffee, bagels, pens).
	ALWAYS return telephone calls promptly.
	Answer your own telephone.
	Handle all complaints quickly and personally if required.
	Install a complaint "hot line" for customers to use.
	Make your product/service easy to purchase.
	Arrange for purchase by credit card.
	Have an "open house" periodically.
	Provide free samples.
	Sponsor a free lecture.
	Don't oversell (don't be a pest but be there when needed).
	Call your own office from time to time just to see how you're treated.
	Don't ever blame anything on a "computer problem."
	Have a sale just for "preferred" customers.
	If you deal in an expensive product or service with few customers, follow up each sale with a telephone call or written communication.
	Use customer satisfaction surveys. You will always learn something that is surprising.
	Stay visible within your community (volunteer your time, join toastmasters).