Excellence in Customer Service
Excellence in customer service is one of the areas where no business can afford to miss. Let’s face it, customer service can make or break a business.
Don’t you believe me? Let’s check something to realize how important can this be!
When was the last time you visited a place where you were treated badly? I am pretty sure you swear to yourself you will never visit that place again. How many people do you believe have said the same about that place? If they don’t improve they will keep losing customers, and will be out of business.
If you are a business owner, you need to improve all aspects of your business. However, customer service must be always on high priority. This can be a pretty daunting task. If you have ever feel worried and confused about how you can improve, you can be sure you are not the only one.
Excellence in customer service is not something you will be able to achieve reading this lines. But there is so many information around, that having a good start is critical for achieving great results. This is what I am aiming for in this article, and I hope you can get a an advantage after reading this.
Excellence in customer service: The only option available.
Let’s make something clear from the beginning. Your business exists thanks to your customers. If you don’t live to improve your business day after day, the day will come when your business will start suffering.
In an interesting reading from eMarketer you can discover an interesting fact. Customers are moving towards small businesses because customer support is better. They can often receive a custom experience and that can make a big difference.
Big corporations have gigantic customer bases. This prevents for having direct interaction with their customers. Results? when their clients need to contact them, they must face automatic responders. After some time having to deal with the common “Press one to… press two to…. press three to…” Customers give up and they lower their expectations from you.
At this point, if they are offered something better, they will go. Why? Because they are disappointed with what you have offered them.
Why has the customer experience reduced its quality?
The answer is pretty clear and simple! It is because business owners have embraced a different mentality. They have shifted the focus. Previously, everything was about the customer. The customer is always right. This was a mantra every business owner lived by. These days… it is not about the client anymore.
What can be done to improve customer service excellence?
The answer is so clear and simple. If you are a business owner, what you need to do is step down from your shrine… and put your customers there. That is their place to be, not yours.
If you want to stick out like a sore thumb in business, start focusing on service experience. This will make wonders for your service.
Treat your customers like people… treat them how you would like to be treated. You would not like to be treated like an object… do you?
Excellent customer service: Treat your customers as people.
This is the key, they are people, with feelings and emotions. They might forget everything about you. But they will never forget how you made them feel.
This 4 points might sound so obvious to you. But they are really pivotal for changing your customer service experience for better. I repeat, these might sound so obvious, but you will be surprised on the results if you start applying them.
1. Say Please
There is nothing worse for a customer than an order. If they fell you are bossy, why would they want to deal with you. Having to pay for a bad treatment is something really crazy… right?
So start telling them please. Nurture them with kind words, and they will respond you back.
2. Say thank you
When I tell to be thankful for them… you might be thinking that is obvious. But you can be surprised in how you can say: thank you.
If you say thank you… your customers will feel appreciated. what about saying thank you with details? Give them something valuable, that does not cost you too much, and you will have them hooked.
If you are dealing with women? Why not give them a little gift. You could also give your customers discount coupons. Do you like discounts? Guess what… your customers like them too.
When you do this… you are not only saying “Thank you”, you are also saying: I care about you, you are important.
3. Make things easy for them
Do you have children? When they fail at math, you do everything so they can learn. You hire a teacher, you sprend time with them trying to explain and so many things more.
If you are going to value your customers, you will have to make things easier for them . Be approacheable, if they need something for you, be eager to listen, and if you can help do it. This will make a really impression on them.
4. Understand them
Try to be empathic. There will be times when they will ask for things that might be out of place, try to understand and be helpful. Most of the time, they have a valid point but they just don’t know how to explain it. Make it easy for them and try to dive in the problem. It might be harsh at the begining, but eventually they will realize you are beign understanding… and they will love it!
Excellence in customer service is what your business need!
If you are wondering why clients are not increasing, it is time to check if there is something that might be happening in this area. Hopefully this advices will help you.
We will keep expanding this section with more strategies in the near future. If you have some success stories in customer service, feel free to share them in the comments section below and we will publish it (giving your credit of course)
Always remember… excellence has many faces!