Best Practices in Customer Service (in observance of the CSR Week)

What is CUSTOMER SERVICE??

Good customer service typically means providing timely, attentive, upbeat service to a customer, and making sure their needs are met in a manner that reflects positively on the company or business.

The key to providing good customer service is easily and quickly building a good relationship with your customers. Understanding the customer, providing them with a positive experience, and thanking them for their custom. A customer that is happy is far more likely to return and will likely spend more.

We’re going to provide the easiest way possible to achieve this. With insight, tips, tricks, some structured approach, and some advice.

1. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER.

If you don’t know what kind of customer you’re trying to attract, then it’s going to be harder to provide them with a service that understands their needs and meets them. Make it easy for yourself, and learn about your customers.

2. BE GENUINE.

When a customer calls with a complaint or a concern, make the time to treat them like an individual. While calling a customer ma'am or sir is respectful. Replying, "Yes sir, I understand," is polite. And being polite is good! But adding the customer’s name, as in "Yes Mr. Deiparine, I understand," is so much better!

3. BE ACCOUNTABLE

Never refer a customer to someone else simply because you don’t know how to handle his problem. Instead, take the time to help him fix the problem, if possible. Or at the least, if you must refer a customer, find someone who can resolve their issue.

4. Collect as much data as you can — and use it.

Gather important data by asking the right questions and ensuring the information is input correctly into a customer relationship management (CRM) platform.

5. Be Empathetic: Listen, Acknowledge, Validate & Apologize. Remember THANK YOU and SORRY

Listen to your customers. Learn to acknowledge the customer’s issue. It helps your customer to know that someone understands their concerns. Let them know you understand the way they are feeling and apologize even if you don’t feel you need to. A sincere apology works wonders in creating happy, loyal customers, and confirms your willingness to take responsibility for the customer’s problem.

And also you should always thank a customer for calling you. They took their valuable time out to make the call. You should thank them for any feedback, for bringing something to your attention, for understanding your systems and procedures.

All of the elements above combine to produce great customer service. It’s great customer service that keeps your customers loyal to you and your business.

Customers want to be treated like people, not a number in a ticket queue. Humanize them, and humanize yourself, for customer service-driven growth.