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A service professional’s main goal should be to anticipate a client’s needs and to provide the very best service possible. Below are several examples of how you can go the extra mile and provide excellent service.

Scenario 1
If you have an important message to relay to a client, give them a call. Don’t send an e-mail. The client may not have their e-mail account open and therefore, may not see your message until it’s too late. Messages of urgency should be delivered via phone if possible.

Scenario 2
If a client asks you to do something for them, take every measure to complete the request. For example, if he or she asks you to change an airline seat and you go online and see that there are no seats available or that you can’t make changes to a seat until check in, don’t stop there. You should also try and call the airline to try and make the change.

Scenario 3
A client asks you to make a reservation at a particular restaurant for a certain number of people for a specific time. You contact the restaurant only to find out that they can’t accommodate that many people and don’t have the time available that the client wants. The simple thing to do is to let the client know this, but you can also do some research for similar restaurants and check with them to see if they can handle the client’s request. You may just find a restaurant that can handle the client’s requests and the client will love you for taking the initiative to find another restaurant.

Scenario 4
If a client sends you her newsletter or blog posting, proofread it. Your client will appreciate you for it.

Your business is only as good as the service that you provide. If you give your clients great service they will not only appreciate you for it, but they will tell their friends and their colleagues who will in turn become clients as well. Always ask yourself if you’ve done everything possible to handle a request for a client. If the answer is no, take the extra time to think of alternatives to the solution.