There are millions of ways to overcome your customer service duty to can make a great impression. You must try to do this every day with your customers. Here's a recent form I went above the call of duty to delight a client.
The Experience of My Customer Service Duty
One of our largest clients called me on a Saturday morning to ask if I could do them a huge favour. I don't usually take or get business calls on a Saturday, but of course, I like to take care of my clients in any way possible.
They had an important meeting with a multi-million dollar prospect on Monday, and they needed some editing work to be done on a project we completed for them some time ago and 50 copies of the DVD.
Now, easy calculations in my head made me aware that the only way this was going to happen was if I drove into the office and did what was necessary to deliver, so I did. The client was grateful and asked me to charge them whatever was essential for the rush order, and I did.
So, the project was completed with an hour to spare and delivered to the client's office. After I had returned to my studio, the client called and said that one of their executives wanted the DVDs in a jewel case, not a paper sleeve as I had been asked to do. So, I took 50 points back to the client's office so they could swap out the discs.
After walking to the area where my client works, I noticed that everyone was running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It took about 5 seconds for me to realize that EVERYONE had a job they had to complete in the next few minutes so that the company would have what they need for the presentation. After all, I've decided to continue my customer service duty.
So, I found where they had stacked the DVDs I delivered earlier that day and proceeded to take every DVD out of the paper sleeve and insert them into the jewel cases.
After I was 90% or so finished, the client walked by and noticed what I was doing. She was so grateful and absolutely amazed that the CEO of their production company vendor would actually take the time to roll up his sleeves to help in their time of need.
It was only a few minutes of my time, but the impact was huge. They have already called me on several projects since then, and I'm sure they'll stay loyal to me for quite some time.
What little things can you do to please the clients that will endear them to you forever? A called it customer service duty.
Some Ideas How to Implement Your Customer Service Duty in a Right Way
Don't Charge your Customers For Everything
If they ask you to convert a file for your customers, that will take less time for you to do than actually prepare the invoice, don't charge them for it. Tell them that they can repay you by bringing you more business or referring you to their colleagues, friends, etc.
The same goes for small duplication orders. I rarely charge clients for making one or two copies of something. If it takes me less than half an hour to do, I don't bother with invoicing it.
The future jobs we get from these clients can amount to thousands of thousands of dollars. Giving away less than $50 in services in exchange for some goodwill is worth it every time. (Unless, of course, this is all you are doing. Then it can be bad!)
Make a Good First Impression
First impressions are always one of the most important things when it comes to customer service and so you want to impress from the off. Wearing uniforms can be a great one to unite your team and make it clear who works with you. It’s also an easy way to make everyone feel like a team and present themselves in a positive way to the client. By looking like you have made an effort, it makes you look more committed and dedicated to the job at hand.
Customer Service Duty is About Making Your Client's Life Easier
If a client is having issues with their computer, ask them if you can help them. Oftentimes, their issues are minor, and someone like you who uses computers in advanced ways every day can easily help them. The impact is even greater if you actually have to go out of your way to visit their office.
Become the one with the Golden Rolodex. When you hear of a need unrelated to your services, give your clients some names of vendors that may be a good fit.
If you don't have any names to recommend, take a few minutes to open the phone book or Google it. Then, email or call your client with what you find. You are in the business of making your client's life easier. Who said you could only do it with a video?
Be creative with your customer service duty. Doing small things like what is mentioned above is a great form of marketing for your video production business, and it's cheap. Good Luck!