Top 10 most costly customer service slip ups

1. Assuming you understand your customer's needs
It may sound obvious but one of the most common errors made when serving a customer is not understanding the entire picture. As consumers we choose to buy products or services based on several needs, but we may only articulate one or two of those needs. What are you doing to understand all your customer's needs?

2. Poor listening
Are you waiting for your cue to speak or are you attentively listening to your customer's concerns or desires?

3. Not following up in time
Are you making morning after calls or are you doing them when you get around to it? Do customers call you several times before you finally get back to them with the requested information?

4. Bad mouthing the competition
When you speak poorly of the competition, especially if you do not have first hand experience, you are turning off your potential customer. When you focus on the positive attributes of you competition and compare them to your positive attributes, your prospect is thinking positive thoughts about you.

5. Making it all about you and your product or service
My name is John Henry. I am a consultant. I am a trainer. I can do that. I can help you. I know how to fix that. I can do it, me, myself, and I. Hmmm...not so appealing is it?

6. Answering the phone when a customer is standing in front of you
The person in front of you IS your customer. The customer on the phone MAY become your customer. Deal with what you know before you move onto what you do not know.

7. Continually excusing yourself so that you can seek the answers from an expert
There is nothing wrong with needing to get the expertise of a co-worker. However, you can show your customer you value them by inviting the expert to join you, rather than continually leaving the customer waiting while you "go find out".

8. Low value on internal customers
When you put your people to the bottom of the customer service list, you are compromising the network in which you operate. Keep in mind that the tables will turn one day and you will need something from them.

9. Not knowing when and how far to bend the rules

10. Not thanking your customers
Everyone loves to be appreciated. When you thank a customer they revisit their positive experience and are apt to share it with others. Thanking a customer can be as simple as a hand shake or as elaborate as a gift.