Business owners tend to understand the need for good customer service to attract new clients and keep old ones happy. Unfortunately, quite a few businesses could stand to improve their customer service skills. If you’ve ever been frustrated with a long hold time on the phone or felt disrespected by an overly formal support email, you understand the problem. Now you just have to make sure you don’t duplicate that in your own business.
These customer service tips will set you on the path to increased customer satisfaction! #VoiceLink Share on X
Improving Customer Experience
You rely on customers to keep you in business, and the customers rely on you to deliver a quality product or service. Unfortunately, poor customer service can damage the relationship of business to clients and result in your customers looking elsewhere, costing you money and damaging your reputation in the process. Prioritize your customers’ happiness by cultivating an atmosphere of excellent customer service, beginning with these widely appreciated strategies:
- Communicate clearly & personally
- Give customers your full attention
- Quality over quantity
- Employ automatic systems
- Train your team
- Request & listen to feedback
1) Communicate Clearly & Personally
One of the biggest complaints customers have is that a business’s customer care system is either confusing, impersonal, or both. After all, most customers don’t have the same industry-specific vocabulary as a business owner and may get lost trying to read an email using terms they don’t understand. Confusing language is no help to anyone.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, perhaps your customer service system is tailored to their vocabulary but comes across as one-size-fits-all. Don’t treat your customers like a number. Clients will generally much prefer a personal greeting and request to hold from a live operator than a recorded voice simply saying “Your call is important to us.” Make your customers feel like a valuable asset to your company, not a burden.
2) Give Customers Your Full Attention
No matter how trivial or silly a customer’s question might seem, always give them your full attention. Not only does this demonstrate an excellent attitude of professionalism, but it can also help both you and the customer find the problem quicker. If the customer is confused or misinformed, taking the time to listen to their problem ensures that you’ll fix the issue quickly. On the other hand, a more complex problem requires even more attention to work through.
It’s also important to remember that if you notice customers making the same complaint or asking the same question over and over, the problem is likely somewhere on your end. See if your system is confusing people or causing issues that you can fix to stop the complaints.
3) Quality Over Quantity
Obviously, you should leave your customers waiting for as little time as possible. But fast service is no substitute for good service or quality help. Apologize for keeping your customers waiting, but take the time to ensure they get the personalized, quality help they need. Rushing to get them off the phone may count as “fast service”, but if speed isn’t accompanied by real help, no one benefits in the end.
4) Employ Automatic Systems
Despite your best efforts, you probably won’t be able to personally help every customer. Some call with questions that could be easily answered with a quick look at your website. On the other hand, some have to sit on hold while you help other people. This is where an automated system can help. Have a recording direct your customers to a webpage or message with answers to commonly asked questions. Not only will this give customers the tools they need to help themselves, but it can also cut down on unnecessary phone calls you may receive.
5) Train Your Team
Good customer service starts with a team that knows what they’re doing! Train your employees in excellent customer relations and refresh their training periodically as your system or technology changes. The better equipped your team is, the more satisfied your customers will be.
Pro Tip: Make sure your customer support team knows how to provide help on different platforms your customers may use: social media, phone calls, online chats, emails, and more.
6) Request & Listen to Feedback
It’s very common to request customer feedback after you’ve helped a client. What feels less common, at least from the customers’ end, is to see that feedback implemented. How often do you ask your customers to describe their experience and how you can improve? More importantly, how often do you listen to their input? Not every piece of feedback or advice you get will be helpful or relevant, but it’s a valuable way to understand what your customers prefer and want. Take the time to listen to your clients.
Improve Your Customers’ Experience
There will always be the occasional unhappy customer that is never satisfied even with the best customer care in the world. However, the vast majority of your client base will be happy to receive such personalized, well-thought-out attention from you. Try implementing these customer service tips and watch your business expand!
Connect with us for more tips on taking care of your customers for your business’s long-term success.