The document outlines 10 commandments for providing excellent customer service: 1) Know that customers are the boss; 2) Be a good listener and understand customer needs; 3) Identify and anticipate customer needs; 4) Make customers feel important and appreciated; 5) Help customers understand systems and processes; 6) Say "yes" whenever reasonable requests are made; 7) Know how to properly apologize when mistakes are made; 8) Exceed customer expectations; 9) Get regular feedback to improve service; 10) Treat colleagues well to foster good customer service.

1. Customer Service The TEN Commandments

2. 1 st Commandment Thou Shall Know Who is the Boss You are in business to service customer needs, & you can only do that if you know what it is your customers want. When you truly listen to your customers, they let you know what they want & how you can provide them excellent service. Never forget that the customer pays our salary and makes our jobs possible.

3. 2 nd Commandment Thou Shall Be a Good Listener. Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions. Concentrate on what the customer is really saying. Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, & most importantly, how they feel. Beware of making assumptions - thinking you intuitively know what the customer wants. Do you know what three things are most important to your customer? Effective listening Undivided attention Resolution

4. 3 rd Commandment Thou Shall Identify AND Anticipate Needs. Customers don't buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical. The more you know your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs. Communicate regularly so that you are aware of problems or upcoming needs.

5. 4 th Commandment Thou Shall Make Customers Feel Important AND Appreciated . Treat people as individuals, use their name & find ways to compliment them, but be sincere. People value sincerity. It creates good feelings & trust. Think about ways to generate good feelings. Customers are very sensitive & know whether or not you really care about them. Thank them every time you get a chance. Be sure that your body language conveys sincerity. Your words and actions must be congruent.

6. 5 th Commandment Thou Shall Help Customers Understand Your Systems. Organizations may have the world's best systems AND if customers don't understand them, they get confused, impatient & angry. Take the time to explain how your systems work & how they simplify workflow. Be careful that your systems don't reduce the human element of your organization.

7. 6 th Commandment Thou Shall Appreciate the Power of "Yes". Look for ways to help. When there is a request (as long as it is reasonable) tell them that you CAN DO it. Look for ways to make doing business easy. Always DO what you SAY you are going to do.

8. 7 th Commandment Thou Shall Know How to Apologize . When something goes wrong, apologize. It's easy and people like it. People may not always be right, but they must always be taken care of. Every encounter is Significant. Deal with problems immediately & let them know what you have done. Make it simple for people to complain. Value their complaints. Do not take it personally. As much as we dislike it, it gives us an opportunity to improve. Even if people are having a bad day, go out of your way to make them feel comfortable.

9. 8 th Commandment Thou Shall Give More Than Expected. The future of all companies lie in keeping people happy. Think of ways to elevate yourself. Consider the following: What can you give people? What can you do to follow-up & thank people? What can you give people that is totally unexpected?

10. 9 th Commandment Thou Shall Get Regular Feedback . Encourage & welcome suggestions. There are several ways we can find out what customers think & feel. Listen carefully to what they say. Check back regularly to see how things are going. Provide a method that invites constructive criticism, comments and suggestions.

11. 10 th Commandment Thou Shall Treat Each Other Well. WE, employees, are internal customers & need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank each other & find ways to let others know how important they are. Treat your colleagues with respect & chances are they will have a higher regard for customers. Appreciation stems from ALL. Treating customers & colleagues well is equally important.