Below are nine ways you can learn more about your customer and be able to create a pattern of excellent customer service for your small business.
1. Know Your Product or Service
Before you can even start thinking about providing quality customer service, you will need to know more about what you are selling, inside and out.
Ensure that you and your staff have a firm grasp of the product and how it works. You should know some of the common questions that customers usually ask, and the type of answers you will give them to ensure they are fully satisfied.
2. Be friendly
As it has been said many times, good customer service usually starts with a smile. The first thing you should do is greet your customer when in a face-to-face situation, especially when they need your help.
Even if you are handling the requests of a customer through the phone, a smile can come through in your voice, so make sure you are friendly before you call or receive a call.
3. Say Thank You
People remember gratitude, and this can remind the customer the reason why they shop in or hire your company. A thank you after the transaction is done is the easiest thing to do in your quest to provide excellent customer service.
4. Train Yourself
You need to ensure that all employees and not just the customer services representatives know how to talk, interact with, and help customers solve any problems they might be having.
You need to have employee training in place so it can equip your employees with tools they need to deliver good customer service. Here are some more wise customer service tips from DST.
5. Show Respect
There are times when customer service will involve a little bit of emotion. You should make sure that the person handling the customer service is respectful and courteous.
You should never allow emotions to take over your desire to help your customer. Always ensure that when they have finished their interaction with you that they feel as happy as possible.
6. Listen
The simplest secret of customer service is listening. Listening will mean hearing the things the customer is saying out loud as well as what they are trying to say non-verbally. Check for signs of displeasure on their side, at the same time hearing what they are saying verbally.
7. Be Responsive
Non-responsiveness is one of the worse things, especially when the customer is trying to get help, find more about a product, or resolving an issue.
You should make sure there is a quick response to all inquiries, even if it means telling them you are looking into the issue and you will get back to them. Any response is better than nothing because you don’t want the customer to feel ignored.
8. Ask for Feedback
You might end up getting surprised about the information you get when you ask your customers what they think about the business, product, or services. There are a number of ways to do this.
You can use feedback forms, customer surveys, and questionnaires, but you should try making a habit of asking the customer for their feedback first hand when they are completing their orders.
9. Use Feedback You Receive
You need to work on the feedback you receive from the customers and use it to improve the customer service process. Regularly review feedback, see areas that can be developed, and make specific changes to the business.
Excellent customer service entails consistently checking in with the customers and ensuring they are happy with the products and services you are offering. They should also be satisfied with the process of ordering, purchasing, and working with you. If you can do this, then you will be in a good position to provide excellent customer service.
Leave a Reply