Customer satisfaction, delighted customers, customer-centered organizations we've heard it all before. Most of us have been to customer service training multiple times throughout our careers. We may even have some of the best-selling books on world-class customer service on our bookshelves. We know that, without happy customers, our businesses will perish. We also see that our clients are changing. Their expectations for great service are growing at a faster rate with each passing year. They demand better quality, faster turnaround and reduced costs. After all, that's what's expected of them. How do we keep pace with increasing customer demands? Have we reviewed and revised our standards of service recently? Do we have a fresh strategy to stay one step ahead, at least for this year?

As we strive to raise the bar one more time, the following strategies will help differentiate our services. By walking in our customers' shoes, finding ways to bring our clients into our businesses, checking for the basics, building collaborative plans and sprinkling some fun and surprises throughout the year, we will set our organizations apart. Let's delve a little deeper into each strategy.

Walk in Your Customers' Shoes

It's all about the customer first. Customer service basics tell us to understand all our customers' expectations, requirements and needs. Go one step further. What are your customers' goals and objectives? What's driving them, and what will it take to make them successful? What are their day-to-day aggravations? Allocate the time required to really get to know your clients so you can truly have their best interest at heart. A simple test for this strategy is to listen to yourself and others in group meetings and quantify the actual time spent discussing the customers' interests versus internal issues.

Find Ways to Bring Your Customers into Your Business

How much do your clients really know about your organization? Develop initiatives and tools to help educate your constituency. Offer tours and open house events. Make key resources available to meet customers. Conduct educational seminars to help customers expand their knowledge. This strategy is not about selling or promoting your services but providing value-added learning for your users.

Build Collaborative Plans

Most groups have business plans that provide a framework for achieving the mission and goals of the organization. Business plans can be enhanced greatly by including your clients in the process. True, your clients probably don't have time to be part of the entire planning process. However, invite key clients into strategic stages of the planning process such as goal development. The results can be powerful. Clients will have a sense of ownership of the plan, and goals will be customer centered. User groups or customer councils are creative ways to collaborate with clients.

Sprinkle Some Fun and Surprises throughout the Year

Everyone likes to have fun. Tap into your team for creative ideas. Simple touches like candy at the counter, notes of appreciation, client recognition, theme months or even rallying around a challenge can build enthusiasm with employees and customers alike. The idea is to change the mix, stay fresh and portray a culture of positive momentum.

It's easy to become complacent, especially if the current approach works most of the time. But why wait until an important client is lost to improve your focus? Cus-tomer service is one of those areas with no end zone. The strategies you employ this year will not be sufficient next year. By capitalizing on the best ideas of today, your organization will surely be poised for success tomorrow.

Check for the Basics

Each year (or maybe even each month) offers an opportunity to check for the customer service basics in your department. If changes aren't made on a regular basis, chances are your group is falling behind. Customer service basics may include: