Our arrival was just over twelve hours late. With a wind chill well into double digits below zero and the snow falling so heavily the windshield wipers could barely keep the windshield clear. The driver guided the limo under the heated portico in front of the resort. Learning my lesson many years ago, it is my practice to arrive no less than 24 hours in advance of a speaking engagement, and today that practice paid off handsomely. Although it was close to 1:00 am, there was still time to settle in and relax before my late morning presentation. That is, if my reservation had not been given away, as some hotels have a practice of doing.

The doors opened automatically and an attentive young man graciously offered a warm welcome, took charge of my overnight bag, and led me to the reception desk while inquiring how my day had been thus far. As we approached the desk a clerk tendered a sincere welcome and stated, You must be Mr. Wisner. Since there was only one room available and one reservation that had not arrived, it was a pretty good guess that I belonged to it. The warmth of the building was only exceeded by the warm welcome the staff afforded me. I felt more than welcomed, but I felt like family.

The first step in providing delightful customer service is to Relate to the customer. Both of the resort personnel in the aforementioned story began to build rapport the instant they made eye contact with me. They were building a relationship with me.

Some sales people have a natural ability to relate to others. Many sales people know the importance of relating to their customers and therefore focus on developing the relationship. All too few are exceptionally gifted in relating to their customers. Here are some tips to relate to your customers:

Use their name as often as is comfortable. Dale Carnegie said; The sweetest sound in the world is a persons own name. Dont get carried away with this technique. Overuse of a persons name can be annoying.
Make appropriate eye contact. Whenever talking to a client, look her in the eyes. If you find yourself looking out windows or at other distraction, the customer is likely to feel uncomfortable or that you dont care about them.
Be sure they are comfortable. If your customer is not comfortable, they will not be as apt to give you their full attention.
Get them to say yes. The best way to a positive relationship is to be positive. Ask your buyer questions that will elicit a yes from him.
Treat them like they are important because they are. Customers are a sales persons life. Treat every customer as a valued customer. The reason most buyers stay with a supplier is, because they care.
Smile. Have a great attitude. If you have a positive attitude, your customer is more prone to having an upbeat attitude. Positive attitudes or just like smiles. The more you give it away, the more you get in return.
Focus on what they are saying. The reason most people cant remember the name of a person they just met is because they were not listening to what was being said. They were thinking about what they were going to say in response. There will be more on listening in Part 2 of this series.

The best way to deliver delightful customer service is to relate to your customer. As Sir James Barrie said; Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. When beginning an interchange with a customer, first focus on building the relationship. Dont even think about your needs. Simply focus on how you relate to them. In my years of travel, most of the personnel working the check-in counter are very personable and approachable. They were good enough. Few have displayed the ability, or desire, to relate to me and truly care about how my day was progressing. Being good enough is never enough when it comes to offering delightful customer service.

The people, who welcomed me into this resort at the foot of Pikes Peak, related to me in a way that made me feel comfortable and welcomed. Think about situations wherein you have experienced delightful customer service. Then think about how the sales person related to you. How do you relate to your customers? Do they think you care about them? Would they say you have a great attitude? Would they say you provide delightful customer service?

Terry Wisner, the "Partnering Pro," International Speaker, Consultant, and author, shares his experience and knowledge through energetic, entertaining, and enlghtening presentations and seminars. Do you want to experience improvement in; Customer Service, Teamwork, Leadership Skills, Communication Skills, or simply Self-Improvement? Then, visit Terry at http://www.terrywisner.com or http://www.p2s.us and learn more about Partnering and how it can help you and your organization succeed.