Every business that has clients, whether those clients are corporate businesses or members of the general public, should aspire to provide great customer service. Sad to say, not every business achieves this target.
That said, if you believe that your organisation’s customer care needs a boost, it is advisable for your staff to complete a customer service course. Act now. Every point of customer contact is a chance to promote your brand.
To guide you in your endeavor, here are five top tips that can help any organisation to improve the quality of the customer service they offer.
Tip #1 – The human touch
Great customer service is all about communication. Whether it is a sales enquiry, an accounts enquiry or an after sales call, the person handling the enquiry should be friendly but professional and should open the exchange accordingly. For this purpose, you can use an answering service, which allow you to access expert services 24/7.
Giving your name and using the customer’s name is a common courtesy that should be observed, followed by thanking the customer for getting in touch. When a customer is put at ease in this way, it paves the way for a clear understanding of the customer’s needs, and indicates their concerns will be listened to.
Tip #2 – Learning to listen
It’s important to listen to a customer’s needs before wading in asking questions. Wait for the customer to explain his or her needs (or invite them to do so) even if you are already familiar with the type of problem and have a set answer.
By listening to the customer you are giving him or her the satisfaction of knowing that they are being heard. Every concern needs to be addressed, so any new points of view or different circumstances can be taken into consideration and learned from. This is a proactive way of improving how your business responds, and if necessary, modifies their approach in the future.
Tip #3 – Only use positive language
Negative language has a way of getting a customer’s back up. Negative or doubtful language can indicate to a customer that their query is not going to be resolved to their satisfaction from the beginning, making on-going communication and the prospect of a successful resolution more difficult.
Tip #4 – Provide a clear, concise response
It’s important to provide customers with a clear and concise response. Woolly answers will leave the customer confused and can be misinterpreted all too easily. Avoid using jargon. Keep your language simple to aid understanding. Being concise avoids time wasting – both yours and the customer’s.
At the end of the conversation, take the time to ensure you have been clearly understood and see if there are any other queries you can help with.
Tip #5 – Be proactive
Always be proactive. Opening a customer’s order file so you have all the details in front of you not only helps you, but shows the customer that you are taking an active interest. If the customer has some sort of tracking query, having an answer on hand shows that you care and will increase the customer’s confidence in your company’s abilities.