Customer service is key to operating and owning a business that creates a loyal customer base, satisfied customers and ultimately a much higher success rate.
Customer service problems can be fixed in two different ways.Many peoples immediate response would be to handle the situation, make sure the customer is satisfied and then move on with the day. Yet, why not take it a step further? It’s important to note why the problem happened in the first place. It’s also important to evaluate how similar problems can be prevented in the future. By planning ahead and preventing problems from repeating, you greatly increase your potential to be recognized as a company with great customer service.
Always remember to treat your customers like human beings. This requires you to treat each customer with respect, and be there to help assist them with their needs.
To gain more customer satisfaction, avoid doing just the bare minimum to solve a customer’s problem. If there’s a real problem, and you can do just a little more to make a customer’s day, he or she is going to remember it. When you leave a positive impression with the customer, you automatically get word of mouth advertising and a potential repeat customer.
Take responsibility for your mistakes as soon as you realize it. If you realize that it is your fault, you are better off admitting than pointing fingers. Blaming it on customers, the situation, co-workers, vendors will not help the problem. Making a simple statement of admission and acknowledgment that the mistake will be fixed, goes a very long way. You will gain a lot of respect from you customer if they see that you are honest and quick to solve the problem.
Remember that the customer is not attacking you, personally. This ones easy to forget because the customer is directing their frustration at you. However, the customer is angry about the situation, not angry at you, specifically.
Listening to your customers is crucial. Don’t automatically assume that you understand their problem before really listening to what they have to say. Your customer may have some crucial things to say or explain, so if they are talking to you, listen carefully.
Make sure you are aware of what you are promising your customers. It’s common for businesses to want to provide customers with more than what they can handle. Always know what your limits are, and don’t let customers talk you into something you can’t do.
Make sure your customers sense that they are a main priority. Make sure to stay away from working on other things, and let them know you are 100% focused on helping them. Investing time and attention will let your customer know you care. Customers will see that you are keeping them a priority and will appreciate you for it.
Get to problems right away. Just by handling situations as soon as they happen or occur, the customer will know that their concern is important to you and the company and it gives the customer less time to be frustrated or upset about their situation.
And finally, follow up with your customers. Just by making a simple phone call, you can let the customer know that you truly care about whether or not they were taken care of.
By following the above steps and strategies, you will see a dramatic difference in how your customers respond to you. Also, by putting a system in place to avoid mistakes as much as possible and to handle it the right way when they do occur will make a huge difference in whether or not your customers will return to you. Mistakes will happen no matter what, but they way it is handled is what will separate you from other average businesses.
