Every once in a while we are given the privilege of being served by what I like to call a customer service superstar. They are the people who consistently offer an excellent experience for their customers. We will never know when we will be given the honor of being served by one of these rare gems. It doesn’t matter where we may be as they are dispersed throughout the marketplace. We will also know that we have been served by them as we walk away being pleasantly surprised by the great experience.

What is the secret that makes these customer service superstars win us over? What is their key in consistently giving each customer an outstanding service experience? One of the first and foremost secrets in their winning ways is that these superstars make their customers feel valued. These people simply treat each customer as if he or she was the most important person on the planet. Customers walk away feeling as if they were the owner of the organization.

We soon recognize that these superstars live a life that tends to focus on the needs of others. We get the impression that they genuinely enjoyed assisting us. We also feel that the service performed had nothing to do with a person simply following a job description in order to get a paycheck. The service becomes a pleasant memory that is soon told to others.

The reason that they exceed at serving others is because these superstars are sensitive to the needs of the customer. They have an innate ability to know how the customer feels and what his or her inward needs are. Their gift of making customers feel comfortable allows the whole experience to be enjoyable. The superstars also find new ways to give the customer a positive memory of the service received. Let’s now turn our attention to five simple secrets that will uncover these superstars of service:

1. Superstars have a positive frame of mind

The secret in offering great service is to stay away from an uninviting attitude. Having a positive attitude is a major key in providing each customer with a great service experience. These will always go together. Customers will want to return simply because of the attraction that a positive attitude creates. These customers will also want to return and tell others because of the positive memory of the service being offered. By being positive, these superstars make their customers feel welcomed and accepted.

Remember that the perception in the customer’s mind is what really matters. If a customer feels that their service experience was below average, then it was below average. In reality we are in the customer perception business. This is why it is paramount that we periodically take an attitude check and maintain a positive atmosphere for our customers.

2. The superstars show enthusiasm

In many cases poor service is a result of a person who had displayed a lack of enthusiasm. As customers we feel that the product or service being offered was average or below average simply because of the unenthused person helping us. This is the power of not being enthused. On the other hand, being enthusiastic has a way of making the perception of the service experience exceptional. Remember that the final goal in serving the customer is to make the overall experience memorable. One simple way to achieve this is to be enthusiastic when serving. The key is to show your customers that you are enthused about assisting them. This little secret will totally change the perception of the service being provided.

3. The superstars respect the customer’s time

Because we live in a fast-paced society, our customers expect to be given quick and efficient service. Without this efficiency, the customer will more than likely walk away and remember the service as average. The goal should be to show that we respect our customers by simply respecting their time. The perception of the service will then automatically improve as a result of being quick and efficient during each transaction. Customers will then walk away not only feeling respected, but will more than likely rate us higher because of the efficiency of the service provided.

We will always appreciate service where we feel that the person serving us respected our time. The best memories of five-star service will consistently convey efficiency during the transaction. The service representative gave the impression that our time was valuable and swiftly took great care to quickly meet our needs. Remember this little gem and your customers will walk away and remember the service as being outstanding!

4. The superstars serve with excellence

Another feature of customer service superstars is their ability to excel in their chosen profession. They desire to be their best on the job by giving their customers outstanding service. Their work ethic stands out because of the motivation to perform at a higher level. These superstars do not need to be motivated from the outside. Their inspiration is driven from within.

I am always impressed when I watch a customer service superstar on stage performing for his or her customers. The one feature that is consistently projected by these superstars is their ability to give 100% to each customer.

5. The superstars show attention

Comparable to responding quickly, being attentive conveys to our customers that we care about meeting their needs. If we reflect on the memorable moments of receiving excellent service, we will find that the person serving us was most attentive. They made us feel that we were the most important person in the world simply because they paid attention to meeting our needs. Remember that vast majority of customers enjoy playing the role of a customer simply because of the anticipated attention they are hoping to receive.

Teach these five excellent traits into your training and begin to see your service improve instantly. Your team will begin to outshine the competition and your customers will also become your best advertisers simply because of the exceptional service received.