Dan’s comment: This post continues on from 50 of the world’s best entrepreneurs weigh in on how to make customers happy. Here are the previous installments

• Customer happiness tips 1-10
• Customer happiness tips 11-20
• Customer happiness tips 21-30
• Customer happiness tips 31-40 (see below)
• Customer happiness tips 41-50

31. Speak their language

Philipp Steinweber – http://metamonkuages.com

We work primarily with coaches, life coaches, motivational trainers and the like. Those people  (like us) talk in astrological signs, chakras, and all kinds of “maps” for talking about personalities. We have learned to speak their language.

By doing that, and not approaching them like a random brick and mortar website agency, makes a huge difference and builds a tremendous amount of trust. Once they get to know us, there’s not really an alternative for them instead of working with us.

Tweet: Speak their language. Philipp Steinweber on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

32. Treat customers like gold

Eric Dubs – http://www.bedphones.com

Like all businesses, if it weren’t for our customers, Bedphones wouldn’t be here. That’s why we treat our customers like gold.

Aside from responding to  all requests within 24 hours, our biggest tactic is that we don’t require our online customers to ship Bedphones back to us if there is a warranty issue (as long as they e-mail us proof of purchase).

This saves our customers all the hassle of boxing up, printing a shipping label, and taking Bedphones to the post office – a time-consuming and frustrating procedure that no one wants to deal with.

Tweet: Treat customers like gold. Eric Dubs on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

 33.  Understand their problems, wants and needs

Edmund – FlagTheory.com

The most important way to make customers happy is to deliver a product or service that solves their problem.

As an entrepreneur, this means to listen to their goals and be understanding of their problems, wants and needs.

Tweet: Understand their problems, wants and needs. Edmund on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

34. Honesty is the best policy

Piers Ede – http://www.weareallconnected.co.uk

To our minds there is no secret spice mix which ensures happy customers. Once quality, however, forms a cornerstone of our interactions with those we work with and that is honesty.

Honesty means telling some hard truths sometimes, and being prepared to be harsh. It means not placating the client with short term promises because you think it will earn you a couple more months retainer, when actually you know things aren’t working.

Honesty means adopting an entirely transparent approach with regard to working practices; it means being prepared to lose a client if they’re not prepared to follow our advice.

Honesty means being prepared to admit to a customer if they’ve asked something to which we don’t have an answer: in those cases we say, ‘You know what, I’m going to have to find that out!’

As part of the digital marketing industry – still something of a wild west with it’s plethora of short lived firms and get-rich-quick manifestos, honesty is one way we continue to separate ourselves from the crowd.

It’s even lost us the occasional customer, though its gained us many more!

Tweet: Honesty is the best policy. Piers Ede on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

35. Meet their unique needs

Andy Fossett – http://gmb.io

In any customer interaction, I always try to ask myself “what does this person *really* want?”

I’ve often had customers ask for specifically customized products that would be time consuming to create and ultimately very expensive for them.

In almost every case, what they really want is assurance that we can meet their unique needs – and if we can do that with an existing product, it’s much more efficient for everyone.

If you know your products and customers well enough, it’s usually pretty simple to understand their concerns and let them know straight-up if your existing solutions are appropriate. If we can’t help, we point them to a colleague or competitor.

Tweet: Meet their unique needs. Andy Fossett on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

36. Always over-deliver

David Hehenberger – http://fatcatapps.com/

Going the extra mile.

One of the biggest things we’ve done to make our customers happy is to over-deliver.

For example, when a customer asks for a feature that currently isn’t supported we oftentimes end up customizing our product (using CSS) to their exact specs.

Tweet: Always over-deliver. David Hehenberger on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

37. Ask them weekly if all is well

Justin Hays – www.superhumanpursuits.com

Be proactive. Instead of waiting for inbound requests from my clients, I proactively seek out issues by simply asking them on a weekly basis if all is well.

Attacking issues before it escalates to a point where they need to reach out to you has tremendous value.

The client is in a far better state of mind and resolutions come easier. Moreover, it shows you really give a damn.

Tweet: Ask them weekly if all is well. Justin Hays on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

38. Constantly make the clients say “Oh. Wow. That’s cool!”

Jacob Puhl – http://www.firegang.com

Good news emails! We have created a process around uncovering ‘good news’ for the client – whether it be unexpected results, great things we’re changing for them, positive news items in our industry pertaining to them, or random acts of kindness ie buying someone in their company lunch.

Our goals is to constantly make the clients say “Oh. Wow. That’s cool!”

Tweet: Constantly make the clients say “Oh.Wow.That’s cool!” Jacob Puhl on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

39. Let them know that you appreciate their work

Christopher Gimmer – http://bootstrapbay.com

Whenever a theme author uploads a beautiful theme to our marketplace, we always make it a point to personally thank them and let them know that we appreciate their work and look forward to seeing more of it.

Adding this level of human touch has been really well received by our theme authors.

Tweet: Let them know that you appreciate their work. Christopher Gimmer on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS

40. Don’t just listen

Clint Maher – http://oracledigital.com.au

Don’t just listen to your clients, find out what motivates them, and what drives them.

So many people are just out there to extract money from them so when you come along and not only find out what they want and then deliver on it, you will have a very, very happy client who will tell everyone they know about you.”

Tweet: Don’t just listen. Clint Maher on customer happiness via @helloify CLICK TO TWEET THIS