3 Tips for Exceptional Customer Service

I once had a law firm reach out to me, asking if I could speak to their team about customer service. I happened to notice that this request came after some particularly harsh reviews of their firm had surfaced online.

If you’ve been following along for some time now, you may know that I got my start in the hospitality industry at Four Seasons. And if you’ve really been paying attention, you already know that the biggest takeaway from my experience during my time at Four Seasons was this: the importance of exceptional customer service.

This strong foundation I received at the Four Seasons Resort is not only my filter for thought, but it guides everything that I do today. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a law firm, business owner, wedding planner, or eventpreneur—exceptional customer service should *always* be your guiding light too.

So how exactly do you provide exceptional customer service? The kind of service that will get you glowing reviews? The kind of service that will have your clients returning again and again?

There are three ways to achieve this:

Setting expectations
Timely communication
Always following though

What do I mean exactly? Take the scenario of the law firm.

One of the biggest complaints from customers of this particular law firm was that the firm didn’t win their case. So, let’s dive into that a little deeper.

No matter the type of law, most people are generally aware that not all cases are won in the court system. I know this. You know this. On a normal day, most people acknowledge this and it all makes logical sense. But when a person is emotionally invested in their own case, it’s hard to come to terms with the fact that their case might not end with a positive result.

So what is the law firm to do? Shut down their business entirely and forget about all future cases?

Of course not.

The law firm just needs to do a better job of setting expectations. Their clients need to be made explicitly aware of all possible outcomes. While the law firm will, of course, do everything in their power to fight for their case, clients need to know what percentage of cases like theirs are won. By setting expectations, clients will not only have a clear understanding of any potential outcomes, but they will feel like you’ve gone above and beyond if it’s a positive one.

The second way to provide exceptional customer service is to have timely communication.

There are times when it feels like a law firm is doing nothing from an outsider’s perspective. But in reality, they’re likely quietly working away at things on the back end for the case. When lawyers regularly update their clients, they are more likely to have satisfied customers.

The same goes for wedding planners, business owners, eventpreneurs, and the like. As a wedding professional myself, I KNOW that you’re working hard behind the scenes to make sure everything is perfect for your client, BUT your client doesn’t always know that. You need to tell them. Schedule regular check-ins with them, whether it’s once a week or twice a month or once a month. Let them know that you’re diligently working away on a list of to-dos for them, even though they might not hear from you every day.

My last tip for providing exceptional customer service is to always follow through. If you tell your client that you are going to call them every 2 weeks with an update, make sure you stick to your word and call them every two weeks. If you tell them you are going to find out the pricing for 3 vendors for them, make sure you find out the pricing for those 3 vendors for them. It’s as simple as that.

Now, what do all three of these customer service tips have in common?

Trust.

By providing all three, you are building trust with your clients. Increased trust not only equals happy clients, but it also translates to happy clients that keep coming back for more.

Remember: hiccups in your business happen, but they are also how you grow and recover. If you’ve struggled with any of the above and need assistance getting back on track to exceptional customer service, I’m here.

Set up a free consultation call with me today and let’s talk customer service.