Innovate your customer service.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 10:01PM 
Innovation is in full flight these days and innovation doesn't end with just products either. It's an absolute must when thinking about your customers. Yes, I did say innovation when referring to customers. There has never been a shortage of expert advice dished out for improving customer service. But that is only the starting point. You need to go way beyond what most think good customer service is all about. Fall short in this area and you will get buried!
In our company we give as much support as humanly possible to customers. We further extend this attitude to prospects as well. We believe that all who contact us, or those that we contact deserve our full attention. In this area we "pay it forward" and never measure. Customers and prospects are the lifeblood of any business. Why even mess around in this area?
So what can you do? Full product lines, expert product knowledge, act friendly--all great attributes but they are only the basics needed to make a difference. The new type of innovation needed calls for connecting with your customers in a way that is sincere. For starters, it helps to be available and knowledgeable about what you're selling.
Here's 4 other ways to be innovative with your customers:
1) Have a list of 20 questions that you can ask which will get the customer thinking. The goal is to have them say, "no one ever asked me that one before"!
2) Listen! You'll get more than enough information about what the core issues are for your customer.
3) Offer solutions, not a lot air about what your product or service does. It's not about how great your stuff really is--they need solutions for their problems
4) Be THE expert in what you do. The more of an expert you are, the less selling you will have to do! Connecting with customers has always been important and innovation builds the loyalty that comes from connecting. If you have never thought about customers and innovation in the same sentence before then now is a great time to make a list of ideas. Your competition is already working on theirs.
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