Developing Customers for Life — Best Practices Checklist

January 5, 2016

Developing Customers for Life — Best Practices Checklist

Service Delivery

Offer exceptional products and services
Deliver everything in a professional manner
Deliver exactly what you promised — as a minimum
Communicate well with all parties (client, foreman, designer, ops manager, sales, AR, etc.)
Follow-up immediately on completion to ensure satisfaction and ongoing relationship
Communicate before, during and after a project or sale with your customer
Be on time, on budget and to correct scope and quality of product
Do the job right the first time

Company Image

Be creative to ensure you set yourself apart
Communicate consistently and in a timely way with customers, all through the season
Confirm customers are pleased with their experience, then ask for referrals
Advise long-term customers of new products which they might appreciate or want
Keep customer info up-to-date and have standards for communicating with them
Create and implement a solutions-based service ethic
Be consistent with every contact that customers have with your staff, either in person, on the phone, or via correspondence
Consider a customer loyalty program or referral incentive program
Consider a newsletter-type contact to regularly show your ongoing interest in doing business with them
Be consistent and clear with your warranty definition
Treat long-term customers with the utmost respect — make them feel special
Word of Mouth is EVERYTHING. It will quickly build your business with ‘right fit’ customers

Problem Resolution

Honour warranties and workmanship
Over-fix any problems perceived by customers
No matter how small a service or product issue may seem, deal with it promptly and with courtesy
Use diplomacy when resolving a disagreement
Listen carefully and say back what you hear to ensure customers know they have your attention
Make sure you both agree on the solution — and that it’s not a minimum effort on your part