I have a bone to pick with many of the banks in the U.S. (Who doesn’t, right?!) Although I’m sure there are a few really good banks out there with great customer service, my rant is targeted at those big banks that say customer service is their thing, but come to find out it’s all just lip service.

I’m tired of hearing about banks taking away homes from people who work so hard to pay their mortgage on time. I recently heard about a man who had been paying his mortgage for 20+ years, but because he got laid off and was unable to pay for a couple months, the bank foreclosed on the home. 20+ years of paying on time and the bank has no compassion for this man. Now he has to start all over and his good credit score is ruined.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has shed some light on the unscrupulous actions of the banks, but it’s up to each and every one of us to take some action to demand better service from the financial industry - like refusing to do business with them because of bad service. The only reason why these banks stay in business because people continue to do business with them.

I could sit here and rant all day about how the big banks have done us wrong, but that really will not get us anywhere. It's time for people to take action and send a message by choosing to do business with financial institutions that truly value customer service.

Photo Credit: David Shankbone

Clients form the core of many businesses, making them very important to the success of a company. There are two main components of your business relationship with clients: winning them and retaining them. CRM systems can help you to do both of these things; just remember that gaining the trust and business of new customers can be time-consuming, even with the best systems in the world. However, if you are dealing with a potentially lucrative client, the effort should more than pay off in the end…

Market effectively
If you want to win new clients, they need to know about your services. Are you utilising all the marketing channels that you can? Do you have a coordinated marketing strategy? You might like to consider using CRM software to help manage your marketing activities, so everyone involved can keep up to date with what’s been done and follow up on any leads you generate.

Offer impeccable service
It almost goes without saying, but if you want to win clients, you need to offer them great service. After all, even if you operate in a niche area, they probably have the pick of businesses to choose from. Why should they pick your business over your competitors? Make sure your service can’t be beaten and share great CRM solutions with your colleagues so everyone is briefed on best practice.

Competitive pricing
Price also matters; with price comparison sites becoming increasingly common and clients becoming savvier, you need to keep things competitive. This means knowing your market. This doesn’t just make sense when it comes to winning business, it also shows that you are aware of current pricing trends.

Open up communication
So, once you’ve won your new clients, you need to retain them. One way to help this is to open up communication channels. Make it as easy for your clients to contact you as possible, always answer their queries in good time and communicate with them regularly. A good CRM system will help with this, such as by reminding you to send out newsletters and providing you with communications templates you can make use of.

Work with their needs
Finally, never forget that your clients are people, not just business. Get to understand them and make a note of all your communications with them so you’re always up to date with what’s going on. CRM software can help you record things like this. Encouraging feedback is also a good move: even if some of it is negative, it shows you’re willing to listen, which clients appreciate.