Customer Service Nailed

As I continue through my reading of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, it amazes me how many of the immutable business truths he properly outlined and expressed in a book that was first published nearly 50 years ago. Each one of the business books that I have read espouses one of the principles outlined in this book.

I read this quote today:

The conduct, or the spirit in which you deliver service, is a strong determining factor in connection with both the price you receive and the duration of employment.

This is probably the most succinct explanation of the value of customer service I have ever read. Customer service, the spirit in which you provide to your customer is directly tied to how long that customer remains with you and how loyal that customer feels towards your business. Regardless of how fast you accomplished something, how cheap the service was, it will boil down to the spirit in which you serve - in which you give to your customer.

Surely, speed, price, execution are all important parts of the puzzle; but they are expected from all competitors. Speed, price, executional excellence are no longer differentiators between you and your competitor. This world demands speed, price and execution in everything. These are no longer hallmarks of great business; these are merely tickets to the show. Anyone not delivering on speed, price and execution are dead on arrival.

The spirit in which you deliver that execution is what begets the loyalty you need to thrive and succeed. That spirit is what makes you remarkable, and remarkable service is what wins you business over and over again. Think back to the last time you were really pleased with a business experience. It was probably due to someone who took the extra time to explain something to you, who showed you a bit of personalized attention. It is that spirit - the human spirit? - that compels business forward.

When delivering your services don't make the mistake of resting on speed, price or execution; put your money on your customer service and the spirit in which you deliver it. That is where your money is.