When is it the right time to go for an extra mile for a customer?

Great interactions begin with knowing what your customers want and need. Customers cherish personalization. Because of this, get to know your customers — memorize their names, as well as prior conversations you’ve had with them. If required, take note of what was discussed earlier so that you can refer to it the next time you meet.

Your customers want to know exactly what to expect, and would like to know that whenever you have an interaction with them, it will be the same positive experience. But, the simplest way to build consistency for your customers is to develop consistency within your organization.

This may be achieved by way of regular training of all your employees. You should communicate your values to people in the company, ensuring that they all understand the impression you intend to portray, along with the high level of customer service expected. Check up on how effectively this is being implemented in the field by monitoring phone calls and going on ride-alongs.

Avoiding responsibility for your mistakes is a sure way of getting a bad reputation. Just like transparency is important in business, customer service is no different. No matter how great you are, there is always room for improvement.

That is why you need to start seeking feedback from customers. There may be a tiny mistake or issue in your company that customers are getting irritated by and you are unaware of. Therefore, always strive for high-quality output as it shows you have high standards. Develop a reputation for reliability; never make a pledge that you cannot maintain.

Follow the example of LegalZoom, a company that helps customers set up a living trust and other legal documents; LegalZoom offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee and a “Peace of Mind Review” to make sure that all the information is correct and accounted for. Customers like to know that if there is a problem, a guarantee can protect them.

All your customers’ needs differ; therefore, you need to make sure you assess each customer individually. For some customers, it may appear that money is no issue, but time is crucial. For other customers, however, it might be the other way around. You can try dealing with both customers the same, but it probably will not be effective. You will set up lots of barriers and upset them. Rather, you may find it best to communicate with them to discover precisely what they want and ways to deliver it. This is best achieved by questioning your customers to find out exactly what they want and need from you in the customer service arena.

If possible, give your customers seasonal promotional gifts. Consider sending them a coffee mug, letter opener, or some other swag with your company information. You can also thank your customers for their business by offering special customer loyalty discounts or promotions.

Going the extra mile will not only result in a happy customer, it can also go a long way in terms of keeping your business on their radar for future opportunities.

Everytime is the right time

Generally speaking, it's always the right time to go the extra mile with a client. However, sometimes as salesperson you encounter a "big fish" that you know will generate more sales in the future, and you don't want to lose this person under any circumstances. A good salesperson would know a "big fish" from asking questions and listening carefully, and when you come across one, you better not lose him/her.

For me it should be applied to all customers. But first, we have to resolve first or give options in order to resolve the issue or query or the reason why they are calling or why they contacted/approached us.

Giving an extra mile by simply just asking if there's any questions they have.

Always is the right time to go for an extra mile. It will be appreciated most of the time. It may not, but you will know that you have done the right thing!

Our work experience will be the main criteria on which we base our decision to go for an extra mile for a customer. After a long business history, based on clear and trustful communication, the special case of the project in hand, the transparency of the customer approach and his reliability along our previous business histoy will guide us to decide about taking this extra mile or not!