Do you remember when your primary job was performing custom applications or selling chemicals? These aspects of your job are still important, but in day-to-day operations, they are less important than your primary reason for being — to serve customers and solve their problems.

Jeff Bezos, CEO of book-selling giant Amazon.com, says, “The right frame of mind is that your customers are loyal to you, right up until the moment somebody else offers them better service.”

Customers have more options than ever before, have more information at their fingertips and feel less loyal to any one company, unless your service shines like a star in the night, brighter than all the rest.

Good customer service isn't enough. It has to be extraordinary, with a little magic dust thrown in for good measure. Anything you do to add value to your service builds on the WOW of the customer service experience.

You may measure your customers' satisfaction in decreases in customer complaints or increases in referrals and compliments. But whatever your criteria for successful customer service, you must continue to measure and evaluate it.

Customer service may become an issue only when a customer complains, and then everyone springs into action to try to make unhappy Mr. Jones happy once again. A better strategy is to anticipate the customer's needs and be proactive when it comes to customer service. Don't wait for a conflict to occur to resurrect everything you've ever heard about dealing with difficult customers.

Each time you encounter a company, whether retail or service, you come to it with certain expectations. Your customers, too, anticipate your arrival with a set of expectations. Let's take a look at what they expect.

Customers expect you to be on time for custom applications or to call if you'll be later than expected. With today's technology, rapid service is taken for granted and slow service is not tolerated.

Customers expect options. They don't want to hear that there's only one way to solve their problem.

Customers want to be able to trust the information they receive from you. Your knowledge has a direct and significant impact on their satisfaction.

Customers expect someone to care. Treat your customers the way you would like to be treated.

When a business decides to truly partner with its customers, it becomes involved in their lives. “Just treating the customer well isn't enough. Customer delight is a dead-end street,” says Chip Bell, author of the book Customers as Partners.

He goes on to say that “customers as partners” implies a long-term relationship from which thousands of dollars in business can come. A partnership also implies a consultative relationship, where each party confers with the other about ways to improve. And for a relationship to last, both parties must benefit from it.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of Customer Service Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless, says, “It's all in the first few words the customer hears you say. Try this: …Before you answer [a] request or question [from a customer], say things like ‘Great!’ or ‘No problem!’ or ‘We can solve this.’ Or ‘I'm sure there's a way’ or ‘I think I can help!’ or ‘Yes!’ or ‘Consider it done!’”

Think of the last time you encountered a service person who “threw in a little extra” or went beyond what you expected. Think about the way it made you feel. This is the secret to exceptional customer service.

Be aware that everything you do reflects on your company and on your reputation as a professional. So put the customer first in whatever you do, and you'll soon be a customer service superstar!

June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, writes and speaks about customer service and marketing. If you have a marketing, sales or customer service story or a technique that works and you'd be willing to share it, call her at 800/779-0067 or visit her Web site, www.compelcom.com.

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© 2007 Penton Media, Inc.