All successful companies have good customer service. Your customers are bound to run into problems/questions when using something new such as your service or product. Without good customer service, the reputation of your company, and also the response of customers will reflect poorly on the business. Check out what makes good customer service below:
How well does your company follow the general guidelines for good customer service?
- You understand that the customer is most important. You are in business to service the customer, not yourself. Therefore, their needs come first. The customers are the people paying to keep your company alive.
- You are a good listener. Let the customer explain their problem/question in detail if they choose. Do not assume that customer A’s problem is the same as customer B’s. Ask questions and be attentive to their tone. Are they upset? Can their problem be fixed easily? Each customer deserves your undivided attention.
- You make customers feel as though they are unique and important. Nothing is worse than sitting on the phone listening to elevator music for 15 minutes. This is how you lose customers, so make sure each person is appreciated.
- You apologize. Second worst to listening to elevator music is speaking to a customer service representative and having them accuse the customer of being in the wrong. Even if the issue is not with your service/product, apologize for the fact that they had a bad experience.
- You don’t make promises that you cannot keep. Don”t promise a brand new product if you are not willing to send them a brand new product. Do not promise to call back and then forget to the next day. Reliability is a must.
- You go the extra mile. While you cannot always promise a brand new product, try to offer some kind of opportunity for the customer if they’ve had a bad experience. Maybe a discounted price on their next subscription, or a free, one-time service.
Customer service is all about HELPING. If you fail to follow the appropriate steps, your business will most likely suffer. Take a closer look at your customer service team and see how you can improve!
