Who Pays Your Salary? 3 Ways to Get You Back in Touch With Your Customers

When people receive their paychecks, they rarely look at the signature line and are even less concerned about where the money comes from as long as they get paid. When you think about it, the CEO or President of your company has less influence on your pay than the customers you serve.

Customers are necessary for companies to stay in business, however, people who deal with them on a daily basis forget this basic fact. Without customers, you and the rest of your business associates would not be working.

It is no secret that clients can be pushy, unreasonable and demanding. Why not, they paid good money for your product and expect value for their purchase. Your job is to give them what they want within reason. If you are not committed to this idea, your time will be limited within the company you work for. It is understandable that some people just do not want to deal with the demands of the client and there are certain skills that are needed to keep them happy without driving your company out of business.

Not every customer should get what they ask for but these three traits should help you get back in touch with them:

1. Intent Listener - Customers want to tell you their issues and get your understanding about their situation. This is a natural process they go through with the hope you will be able to assist them in resolving their problem. Within 30 seconds of listening to their story, you can gain instant credibility and rapport if you respond with a sympathetic ear, even if you cannot solve their problem right away.

2. Understanding and Follow Through - Having the ability to speak articulately and really understand the issues and potential solutions speak volumes above the Yes Sir type of person. Nobody wants empty promises, they want a resolution to their issue and without intent listening, understanding and ability to follow through on a solution, you are wasting their time and causing more harm than good.

3. Sincere Desire to Help - Helping a client is not about doing it all yourself. It is about determining the issue, finding the right person to resolve it. It requires you to have the fundamental desire to assist others even if they are frustrated and venting. After you understand their issues, your desire to resolve them and satisfy the customer is critical to making them happy.