After reading Tony Hsieh's book on delivering WOW customer service I became hooked on making it my life mission to provide the best of what I can offer not only to my customers, but to my friends and family as well. What exactly is 'WOW' Customer Service though?

WOW Customer Service Defined

It is simply making the customer extra happy, beyond their expectations. There are actually many actions that a person can take and will undoubtedly contribute to the best kind of customer experience a user can receive, but at the end of the day, it is basically trying to bend over backwards to resolve that customer's innate need. Having said that, some people can go the easy route and offer discounts and gift vouchers but in the long run, are you really offering anything of value to your customers? Will your customers still be satisfied when you stop giving monetary incentives?

Key Benefits of WOW Customer Service

There's a huge difference between customer service and 'WOW' customer service - by being unique and offering a service that no one else really can. Think about it - anyone can offer a discount, and what does it really do to your brand? It cheapens it - your product offering or service is instantly devalued.

If you do customer service the right way, your customers will be delighted and the 3-letter word they use will say it all. When your customers are extra happy, they'll come back to you again. Even better, they'll tell their friends and family about you, and that's the ripple effect you're after.

So how should I go about providing my customers with WOW customer services, and not offer ANY discounts? For starters, try out these 10 rules and see the difference in your ROI.

Rule #1: Always Answer the Question

I know this sounds simple and straightforward, but I've met countless service people who would always try to avoid my question at hand. For example:

• Me: "So the covers for this sofa are made of cotton or polyester?"
• Service Rep: "Umm.. yeah well the cover is made of synthetic fabrics, definitely not cotton because cotton is used for making clothes."

Polyester is a type of synthetic fabric, so not only did this representative not answer my question - he also somehow made himself less credible in his field of work, which brings me to the next point.

Rule #2: Be Knowledgeable

The last thing anyone wants to hear when dealing with a sales rep is "I don't know", which is fairly frustrating really. There's a reason you're there, and that's to be the one stop information resource that the customer can depend on, so always make sure you're updated with all the necessary information available and if not, find a way to access this.

Rule #3: Be Clear

Communication is key in customer service and you can be the smartest person ever, but if you're unable to convey things in a way your customer can understand you're going to have a hard time dealing with him or her - and he/she is going to end up thinking you're retarded. With this, try to keep words as simple as possible and limit jargon - explain things as you would to a 10 year old child.

Rule #4: Empathize and Listen

Always remember that you'll be engaging in a conversation with the customer, meaning there'll be 2 parts - talking as well as listening. It's very important to find out exactly what they're saying and figure out what's the best way to resolve their issue. Be flexible and understand that the customer can be upset, so reassure them that you're competent enough to help them.

Rule #5: Know When to Apologise

Most of the time, an angry customer will always stay angry until they have their problem fixed immediately. Even if you might not have done anything wrong, an apology will always help lighten their stress as you're taking up some responsibility off their shoulder. If it's your fault however, do remember to apologize profusely enough and make sure their issue is thoroughly resolved.

Rule #6: Seek to Resolve, Not to Profit

Sometimes, there'll be people who go to you and realize you don't actually have a product they need. That doesn't mean you can't direct them to a place or offer alternatives where they can get their issue resolved. You may not profit from this, but your customer will remember you for doing this and somewhere down the road - he/she might even become your customer.

Rule #7: Be Patient

If you're in customer service long enough, you'll realize that your customers are somehow going to piss you off - and that's okay. We're all human beings and we have emotions, but you can't let it affect you because that isn't going to resolve the problem in question. Keep calm and think of alternative solutions for the customer, they'll appreciate it and you won't make an enemy unnecessarily.

Rule #8: Be Positive

If you start the day feeling happy about yourself, this will vibe off in the way you communicate towards your customers. Smiling on the phone does make the difference, and customers are noticeably happier if you are too.

Rule #9: Underpromise and Overdeliver

Managing your customers' expectations is crucial in customer service, and many companies have unwittingly done the opposite ever so often. Never feel that you're disappointing your customer if you really can't deliver to their deadline - it's better to tell them upfront than to waste their time and resource at the end when you can't help them at all.

Rule #10: Go Above and Beyond

Customer service isn't just about turning unhappy customers into happy ones - it's also about making happy ones even happier. When you're able to go the extra mile to upgrade a customer's shipping for free, they'll definitely be ecstatic. And this is exactly what customer service is about.

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

-Bill Gates

Take Home Thought

At the end of the day, a happy customer is what you're after through WOW customer service. And if your customers aren't happy, your service probably just isn't WOW enough.