For the last two months, I’ve been working in support at an Austin software company. My background for the previous ten years has been with credit unions and consumer lending. Being exposed to the other side of upgrades, installs, downed servers and even the occasional bug has been exhausting. The big surprise though has been the overall weak customer relationships. Thankfully, that is a higher priority for my new job, but I have been exposed to an industry that I don’t think grasps the concept as a whole.

Pick up the phone!

Seriously, it’s going to take an extra three minutes, five at the most, to pick up the phone and call that customer instead of emailing them. Take that time to invest in a relationship that will compound into buzz for your company and forgiveness for occasional whoopsies.

Customers will be content with your knowledge and strong product. Customers will be committed if they see you take time with them on each issue and feel they are a priority.

If you must email, write like you’re being graded

We all get in a hurry when hammering out those quick emails, but this is another place where extra effort and time can make a difference with your customers. It can be difficult – especially with those impatient clients – but a simple spell check and proof-read will help to keep your emails clear. Think back to high school. It sounds ridiculous, but you remember all of the book reports. You had to use proper paragraphs, no run-on sentences and you had to be descriptive.

The simplest things – poor punctuation, spelling, sentence structure – will be noticed. You know the phrases and spellings that look questionable when proof-reading. When in doubt, grab your dictionary or use a different word or phrase that sounds more natural to you.

If you find yourself questioning the quality of your writing, read a book or newspaper. It sounds elementary because it is. Better readers become better writers.

Did you say the magic word?

Please and thank you are obvious ingredients for emails or phone conversations, but take it a step further. Toss in a good joke (keep it professional, obviously). Ask about the weather or the kids. Find something to make the conversation, and thus the relationship, slightly more lighthearted.

Restate the customer’s concerns and close the call with a commitment of time or other expectation you will meet and make them feel like you have taken ownership of their problem. Make sure your commitment is always to make their problem your own personal problem.

You just did something you yourself expect from others

In summary, go beyond just providing service. Build relationships. Make your company one of the rarities. Your customers will thank you.