History has shown that many companies think of customer service as a reactionary response to a customer problem or problem. In the past and still today, Customer Service focuses on how to deal with customer complaints / issues after the customer is no longer satisfied with a problem. It’s like closing the barn door after the horses have left.

Anyone in customer service knows that dealing with dissatisfied customers all day makes for a very long day. If this happens day after day, the problems for the company grow exponentially. A customer who has had service issues multiple times becomes a very unhappy customer who may turn to your competitor … costing your business revenue and damaging your reputation. Plus, it quickly depletes customer service staff. Customer service positions are known for their high turnover rates. If your company has a reactionary customer service approach, it creates a negative environment that substantially accelerates churn rates. This, in turn, results in a significant loss of revenue due to constant staff replacement costs and the time and resources required to train new staff. Keeping customer service staff turnover low is a challenge for all businesses. Many companies simply see it as a headache that they have to accept and even consider as a cost of doing business.

But what if you could reduce customer complaints, reduce staff turnover, increase revenue (not decrease), and save company resources … simply by developing a Proactive Service Approach?

In this age there is so much competition that it is very difficult to differentiate yourself from your competitors. A recent article in USA Today indicated that a survey of CEOs found that because many companies offer the same products and services at similar prices, that customer service is the best way to differentiate themselves from the competition. A good way to differentiate your business is to create a customer service program that is proactively focused.

Here are some examples of proactive approaches you can take:

1) Anticipate the problems and / or needs of your customers:

Have your staff compile a list of possible and / or probable questions, concerns, and problems your clients may have. Rather than finding solutions for when customers call, have your team meet regularly to try to identify new problems that may arise and how to solve them before the customer sees them.

2) Constant / consistent communication:

Have your staff call your client regularly to show a sincere interest in caring for them while at the same time spotting potential problems before they have been magnified in the client’s eyes. Good communication can catch problems before they cause more damage.

3) Apologize immediately:

Whenever a customer says or shows that they are unhappy with a problem … apologize immediately. This does not mean taking full responsibility before you know that it is your company’s fault. It could be another vendor or customer error. This means acknowledging your frustration by saying, “I’m sorry this problem caused you frustration and we will do everything we can to fix it.” Even if it is your fault or that of another provider, just because you are immediately trying to recognize how it is affecting them will make them feel like you really are a partner and care about their satisfaction. It’s truly amazing how many companies haven’t taught their staff the golden rule of apologizing right away. Apologizing immediately goes a long way in spreading the powder keg that is a dissatisfied customer.

4) Sometimes you have to say “No”:

Some projects or clients are too big. There are not too many salespeople or owners who want to say no to any job. But if the job is too big, you won’t be able to serve them well and reduce resources for other clients. It is very tempting to take on additional work that can generate more income, especially when it comes to a young and / or struggling company. But if you take a job you can’t handle, it will do more harm than good in the long run.

5) Reward staff for great service:

Reward them quickly and before they ask for recognition. Customer service is a very stressful job at times. Long-term exposure to dissatisfied customers can be very debilitating for an employee. Therefore, managers must proactively reward staff who go the extra mile. Managers should also keep a close eye on employees who begin to show signs of stress. Proactively plan plenty of breaks throughout the day. Also have upbeat distractions that can make them feel removed from the stress of dealing with disgruntled customers.

6) Train your staff:

Give staff the authority to make decisions even before dealing with customers. Give them the power to make judgments the first time they hear about a customer problem. Try to ensure that staff do not have to delay the resolution of complaints, as much as possible, avoiding going to superiors to obtain authorization to solve customer problems. Pass-offs add fuel to irate customers. The best customer service stories come from companies like Nordstrom’s, which give their employees complete autonomy to make the customer happy.

7) Compensate your staff based on the level of service:

Staff should know that the level of service they provide to their clients would directly affect their compensation. Give them an incentive to provide the best service they can. Rather, they must understand that poor service can affect not only their compensation, but their job as well.

8) Hire the right people and instill the right message:

It all starts with the right people! If you hire someone who doesn’t get along well with others and lacks interpersonal skills, you’ve already created a recipe for failure. If necessary, administer personality assessments to better understand your true ability and willingness to serve others. Also, when you hire someone who will have regular contact with customers, you need to understand how important it is for them to be customer-focused. “The customer comes first” should be the culture of the company.

9) Be prepared:

If it’s too late to be proactive and a customer is already dissatisfied, make sure you have as much information as possible about that customer before talking to them. Obviously, you want to resolve your issue as quickly as possible, but make sure your staff has all the files and customer history before addressing your issue. Once you have all the information you can about the customer and their problem … hit fast and hard. End the pain at once.

10) Proactive surveys:

Periodically send surveys to your customers to assess their general opinion of the service. Constantly and proactively monitor how they see the relationship with your company.

I once worked with a technology company and we implemented a Proactive Customer Service Policy. In a year and a half we reduced customer complaints by 70%; reduced incoming calls from customers by 66%; and reduction of staff man-hours from an average of 50 to 55 hours per week to an average of 40 hours per week. The company became an industry leader because we consciously went to customers instead of waiting for them to come to us.

If a company implements a proactive approach, it does not guarantee satisfied customers, but it can significantly reduce customer problems and show them that you are customer-focused. When customers see that you are focused on their satisfaction, they will have a much more positive view of your relationship or “partnership” with your organization. In turn, they may also be more loyal to you than to your competitor and may be more apt to give a positive opinion of your company. That can also lead to giving your business the benefit of the doubt when a problem arises. A positive past is the best way to build a positive future!

Remember, proactive customer service can be the turning point your business needs to move to the next level.