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Building
Customer Relationships
While
many aspects of customer service have changed over the years, the
value of a good relationship with the customer has not. It is vital,
however to recognize what a good relationship is and what it will
and will not do for both you and your customer.
A strong customer relationship consists of four key elements. These
four elements are rapport, respect, value, and trust. The foundation
of any strong customer relationship is TRUST.
Trust
and customer relationships are developed through:
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Rapport
- Rapport is not as simple as just "getting along"
with others. Rapport is a mutual understanding and compatibility
between you and your internal customer about each other's key
goals, problems, and needs.
-
Value
- Your customers need to see that building a relationship with
you is valuable to them, both in business and personally. Developing
effective solutions that solve their problems and address their
key needs enhances your value as an internal consultant and
support for them.
-
Respect
- Finally, your internal customers have to respect you in order
to seek your advice as a consultant. It is impossible to build
trust or a relationship if others do not respect you or your
advice. Respect is built by exhibiting competency and consistency
in everything you do with your customer.
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