[gravata]With good service, the customer returns and recommends the company to others.[/gravata]

Since 2001 Silvio Igor has worked as a tire repairman in Campinas (SP), always delighting customers with his differentiated service. That’s what led him to start a new successful career: as a speaker in companies and events, where he talks about what he considers fundamental to win over and keep customers.

HOW DID YOU BEGIN LECTURING? Some customers consulted me and exchanged ideas with me about customer service, recognizing that I had something to say. One day I was watching an interview with David Portes on TV. He was a street vendor and became a very successful lecturer. I thought, “it’s a life story like mine. Can I do that too?”. After that, opportunities were emerging. I began improving myself because repetition is the foundation for learning. Today, I give lectures to many publics, without problems. HOW DID YOUR VOCATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ARISE? Since childhood I’ve always been a good salesperson. My first experience in sales was with fruits that grew in my backyard, at 6 or 7 years old. I sold a dozen to a lady, who later returned, complaining that some weren’t good. Without knowing anything about marketing, I exchanged the fruits for others, within a principle that I use to this day: satisfaction guaranteed or the client won’t come back. HOW DID YOU APLLY THIS PRINCIPLE IN TIRE REPAIR? Tire repair is a profession that doesn’t need much study or technical knowledge. Therefore, we must look for differentials. The secret is to be meticulous, to do it well, and the customer notices this. COULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE MORE? My tire repair shop is the same as the others in terms of technology and equipment. The difference is in the people who are responsible for the service and the relationship. The focus is on meeting the customer’s needs. HOW DID YOU REALIZE THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENTIAL? Treating people well and looking to please them are part of my training, the education I had. I realized that this characteristic was well received by customers and I took advantage of it for my business strategy. HOW DO YOU WIN OVER THE CUSTOMER? You don’t need to do anything extraordinary. Small gestures, simple attitudes, correct behavior are enough. It’s necessary to always remember that, without customers, there is no company. So, you must always think about the mission and not commission. Thinking about the money won’t help me get it, but thinking about the customer will. DOES THIS MEAN HAVING A SINGLE SERVICE STANDARD? The important thing is to serve well. People are different and want to be attended differently. We have to adapt ourselves to the customer’s need and think about his satisfaction. It’s no use winning the sale and losing the customer. What I want is to attract, win over, maintain, and make him become a promoter of my work. The customer is my most important salesperson. WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE TO ENCHANT THE CUSTOMER? I take care of some aspects that are valued by everyone and that caused many women – who usually don’t like to go to the tire repair shop – become my clients. For starters, I keep the space clean and organized. Also I take care of my appearance, to inspire confidence. As well, I always show concern about serving the customer and not him serving me. They’re all simple strategies that don’t require any investment.  

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