Customers are the foundation of your business because without them your business would cease to exist. All you need to do is glance at some statistics to see just how important customer service really is. Your goal should be to make sure every customer has the best possible experience with your company. All it takes is one bad review to tarnish your company’s reputation. The way you treat your customers and the service you provide has a profound effect on their experience with you, so you need to do everything you can to improve your customer service and make it the best it can be. Here are a few things you can do to ensure you are providing exceptional customer service.
Communicate Clearly
Your customers look to you to provide insight and answers. Your job is to find out what the customer’s needs are and communicate exactly how you plan to meet those needs. You have to convey to customers exactly what you mean. There is no room for gray area, so you have to make sure you answer their questions thoroughly and completely. Be authentic in your communication and stay positive no matter how the conversation goes and never end your conversation until you can assure your customer is satisfied.
Be Patient
Customers are like snowflakes…every one of them is different. Some customers will be hostile and angry while others might be full of questions or overly chatty. Your job is to know how to handle each and every one of them. You need to be positive, patient, and consistent when dealing with various types of customers. Spend as much time talking to them as they need and make them feel as though they are your number one priority.
Take Care of Your Customer’s Problem
You are going to experience customers who are experiencing problems or who are unhappy with your product or service. Your job is to stay committed to each and every customer and let them know that you genuinely care about their needs and are willing to work to find a solution. Even if you don’t have an answer, take the time to ask someone else and find the answer for them. Customers appreciate a representative who is willing to see their problem through to a resolution.
Make it Personal
Especially in today’s world where everything is run by computers and technological software, people appreciate a more personal experience. Customers don’t want to feel like they are talking to a robot or an email. They want to know they can talk to a real person. Your company needs offer more than just automated responses. Take the time to make personal phone calls, schedule in-person meetings, respond to customers on social media, and post photos on your website to show your customers that real people are working on their behalf.
Make Yourself Available
Customers want to know that you care about them and are willing to make time for them. Make time for your customers when they need you. Be willing to schedule a meeting with your customer to answer their questions. Respond to phone calls and emails in a timely manner. Use Skype or video conferencing to communicate with customers who are far away. Work earlier or later as needed if a customer is in a different time zone. This demonstrated a high level of commitment to your customers and lets them know that you are making time for them.
Humanize the Relationship
Sales reps should be encouraged to find common ground with their customers. Talk about family, sports, hobbies, or any other shared interests. This humanizes the relationship and makes it more endearing to customers. You want your customers to buy from YOU in addition to your company.
Give Customers and Opportunity to Provide Feedback
No matter how engaged you are with your customers, it is impossible to get in front of every customer issue. You need to provide a way for customers to give feedback because it is important to know how your customers felt about their experience. Whether it’s a phone survey, email survey, or comment form provided on your website, you need to hear about your customers’ experiences so you can make improvements where needed.