Good customer service can make or break a business. No matter the size of your company, the way you engage with people will determine your ability to retain customers and stay ahead of the competition.
If you’re looking to improve the standard of customer service your business provides, we can help you adopt best practice principles. To ensure your customers are consistently satisfied with your service, consider these tips.
Provide Customer Service Training
No one walks into their first job knowing how to expertly deal with customers. Providing your team with customer service training will give them a chance to gain more confidence. It’s also a great way to help employees develop a brand-consistent approach to engaging with customers.
If you want to make customer service a cornerstone of your career, completing a customer service course will give you an advantage in securing client facing roles. You’ll be able to show potential employers you have the skills required to effectively communicate with people in professional settings, giving you a standout quality among other applicants.
Earn a Certificate III in Customer Engagement with MyPath Education.
Develop Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand what someone else is feeling. This quality is an integral part of customer service, as it helps you see things from the customer’s perspective. Customers won’t always be satisfied with the product or service you’ve provided, and you may be confronted with negative feedback. Having empathy will allow you to take personal biases out of the situation and listen to the customer.
While being empathetic doesn’t mean you have to put up with verbal abuse, it’ll help you take a more balanced and calm approach to dealing with complaints.
Respond Quickly
Nobody likes to be kept waiting, so it’s important to reply to customer queries quickly. Whether the customer is asking for technical support, providing positive feedback, checking stock, or making a complaint, responding to them quickly will leave a good impression.
According to a survey on how long customers expect to be kept waiting by businesses for a reply on social media, 42% of respondents said 60 minutes. To meet expectations, you’ll need to keep a close eye on all of your business’s communication channels.
Make It Personal
Consumers have endless choices these days when it comes to deciding where to spend their money. Making customers feel like they’re not just another number in the system is a great way to build brand loyalty. From reaching out with personalised emails to making recommendations based on past purchasing behaviour, there are many ways to treat customers as individuals.
If you’re worried about being overlooked, making personalisation integral to your customer service approach will help you stand out from the crowd.
Mastering customer service can take time and extensive training, but your efforts will be rewarded for with loyal customers.