Good Customer Service Made Simple
Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want. But unless you can get some of those customers to return, your business won't be profitable for long. Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. If you're a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. But it is your approach to customer service that determines whether or not you'll ever be able to sell them anything else.
The essence of good customer service is based on trust. How do you go about forming such a relationship? By remembering the one true secret of good customer service and act accordingly; "You will be judged by what you do, not what you say." If you truly want to have good service, all you have to do is ensure that your business consistently does these things:
1.) Answer your phone live. Get call forwarding or an answering service if you need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when a potential customer calls your business.
2.) Don't make promises you can't keep. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and customer service is no exception. Think before you give any promises because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one. It can also be a credibility wrecker.
3.) Listen to your customers. It is exasperating to describe a problem to someone only to discover that they haven't been listening and now you have to explain it all over again. Show your customer you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as asking the right questions and suggesting how to solve the problem.
4.) Deal with complaints immediately. Enough said!
5.) Be helpful even if there's no immediate profit in it. People will remember you and your business in a positive light.
6.) Train your staff to always be helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Talk to them about good service and what it is (and isn't) regularly.
7.) Take the extra step. Whatever the extra step may be. If you want to provide good customer service, just do it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when someone makes an extra effort and will tell others.
8.) Throw in something extra. Whether it's a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get that little extra something.
If you apply these eight simple rules consistently, your business will become known for its great customer service. And the best part? The irony of good customer service is that, over time, it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did!
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director of Operations, Midwest and Western States, 800-722-7230.
