1) Customer Service

We all want it when we buy a product, but few sites actually give it. It doesn't cost anything but a little time and can pay off in a big way.

Here's an email I just got from a customer I've been corresponding with...

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You're a man of your word... and a class act (for not eliminating customer service out of the Internet marketing equation, like so many others out there who want to put everything on autopilot.)

Again, thank you...

Sincerely, Robert Conti

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Your customers ARE your business and if you don't treat them well then they WILL leave you. I try to give my customers as much help as I can and answer as many questions as I can.

There have been times when I've bought a product online and tried to contact the site I bought it from and just got an autoresponder message that didn't help me at all. Even though I use autoresponders a lot I don't use them to respond to customers or potential customers.

Become the company that cares about it's customers and you will stand out instantly over the sites that are just trying to make a buck. You should be in business for the long haul and if you don't take care of your customers you won't be around very long.

It's so much easier to sell to the people who are already used to doing business with you than to tick them off and always have to look for new people to sell to.

Here's another example: One of my customers(Jeffrey) ordered from me on a Saturday and had a problem accessing my site through no fault of his own I might add. For some reason I thought I was a programmer a few minutes earlier and made a few little "improvements" to the CGI script I use to automate access to my site.

Needless to say the darn thing quit working completely. Oops. After I fixed the error and emailed Jeffrey the link to the fixed script here's the email he sent...

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Thank you very much for getting back to me so quickly!!!!I was hoping that I wouldn't have to wait until next week.I can see now that this is going to be a pleasure doing business with you.

Jeffrey Hamm

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Customer loyalty is something most of your competitors don't have and exactly what you need. Believe me, your business will suffer... a lot... if you don't get back to your customers fast or at least faster than the competition. ;-)

Do You Stand Behind What You Sell?

2) Guarantees

How strong is yours?

Does your guarantee say...

"I Know My Product Does Exactly What I Say and I Dare You To Prove Me Wrong!"

or

"I'm only giving you 30 days because it's the minimum required by law"?

No matter how good you or other people think your products are they will not be for everyone. I get refunds... not many, but I do get them. One thing I've learned is that just because someone requests a refund for one of your products doesn't mean that they won't buy and KEEP other products you sell.

That's why I don't "burn the bridge" so to speak when I give a refund. Here's an email I got from a recent x-customer...

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Hi, Anthony,

Thanks once more for your prompt reply, it's most impressive and very refreshing. Even though I was not able to use your product at this time I will recommend you to friends in need of traffic for their business.

Take care, David Alston

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I may have lost a sale, but I didn't go overboard and get upset. People who ask for refunds are NOT your enemy. Whenever I get a refund request I give them with a smile and just use that as an incentive to make my products better.

I've seen some marketers cut-off all contact with a person just because of a refund without ever realizing that for every single person you treat badly at least 10 other people will know about it. Your customers and x-customers have friends and if you don't think they'll talk about how you treated them then you're kidding yourself.

Treat the people you come in contact with while running your business like you want the people YOU buy from to treat you. It doesn't get any more complicated than that.

I was just reading a post on a message board where someone was asking for information on a good host for their website. The reason was because the host this person was with was always down... meaning no one could access his site.

Well, the owner of a fairly new hosting company offers a guarantee where he will refund your hosting payment for the month if your site goes down. Now there's a guarantee with teeth. I've never seen a hosting company offer a guarantee like that, but that kind of belief in what you sell is necessary to stand out in a sea of competitors.

If you're only offering a 30 day guarantee then you have to honestly ask yourself why. Don't you believe in what you sell enough to offer a stronger guarantee than that.

Here's one of mine...

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I personally guarantee that you'll be happy with the "Magical Formula" or I'll give you back every single penny you paid for it. If you don't profit from this information within the next 90 days and you want your money back just send me an email and your refund will be on the way as fast as I can send it.

A lot of companies on the net are terrified of refunds simply because they don't believe in what they sell, but I know for a fact that once you see for yourself just how easily you can put this information to use that the last thing you'll be worried about is getting your money back.

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I'm practically asking people to prove that my product doesn't do what I say in 90 days no less. All of the risk is on me. I have to deliver or lose money. Guarantees like that sell. Place all the risk on YOU right where it should be.

Of course there will always be people waiting to take advantage of your offer, but they would find a way to rip you off even if you offered a 1-day guarantee. Don't spend your time worrying about someone who has nothing better to do than steal your products.

Take care of the people that matter... Your potential customers and your customers. Give a strong guarantee and honor itwhen you need to.

As simple as it sounds... Customer Service and Strong Guarantees will help you make more money because most of your competitors don't believe in what they sell enough to offer either.