Always give customers more than they expect to get (The 'WOW' Factor);
 
How do you define your competitive advantage?  What is it?  What's the difference between your company and your competition?.

'A' Player customer service personnel can answer that question distinctly without a second thought. However, many customer service personnel reply : "We're about the same.  We all have about the same products.  Sometimes we have something in stock that the competition doesn't, so that's one difference."
 
Your primary competitive advantage lies in the hands of your customer service employees. You must recognize that and be proactive in leveraging it. If what you are selling is really good but your employees don't focus on service excellence eventually you will lose because the competition that recognizes the role the employees play in customer loyalty and retention will take your business.
 
Nowadays, customer service personnel must be problem solvers able to generate solutions for customers in their time of need. Therefore, they must possess a great deal of knowledge about your customers' business. They must actually define what those needs are because the customer may not know, nor take the time to explain if they do know.

Customers expect you to have the knowledge and intelligence to comprehend and analyze their problems and provide solutions. Customers will listen and buy from the customer service people that understand their "pain" and take it away."

The WOW Factor -- So, what is your WOW factor?
 
Everything has a 'Wow' factor. The "Wow" factor is an intangible set of pleasing and valued features and components that make the selling process itself dynamic.

It gives the customer a feeling of exhilaration and intense interest. This is quite a tall order for our sales people to create a feeling of exhilaration over the purchase of a product.

But........ it can be done.What better way to retain customers than by enhancing customer service channels with a "wow" factor. This means you must begin by bolstering your brand image andy our value propositions.

Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution's "Leadership Strategist", founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don't forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put more profit into your business.