Customer service is becoming more of an issue as our economy shifts from an industrial nation to a service society. Problems result when companies do not shift into the new age or do not know what customers service is. Customer service is all about leaving a positive impression and solving customer’s problems to their satisfaction. Failure to help your customers or treat them with respect is likely to end in lost sales. The following key points should be addressed when developing a customer service strategy
1.) Positive Image: The company should always be friendly and courteous to customers no matter if they can solve their problems or not. Respect is the key point to any customer’s service issues. Nothing is worse than to have a problem after purchasing a product, and being received in a rude and discourteous manner by the customer service representative. Rude behavior by company representatives gives the impression that the customer is there to serve the company and not visa versus.
2.) Never Say No: Sometime customers make ridiculous requests that cannot feasibly be granted. However, there are two ways to say “no”. To flatly and bluntly say “no” to a customer is both humiliating and belittling for them. Yet if you give this customer an option between two choices they are willfully making an empowered decision and are likely to be satisfied.
3.) Don’t Promise The World: If you can’t deliver something don’t promise it. We are all aware of sensationalism in advertisement that promises something like a magical elixir. However, once the customer buys the product they aren’t likely to be repeat customers. It costs much more to get a new customer than it does to keep an old one. Exceed your customer’s expectations by offering what is reasonable and giving them more. If you promise something sensation, but give them less, they are not going to be satisfied.
4.) Don’t Hassle Your Customer: Don’t make it so difficult for a customer to resolve their issues that they give up or get frustrated with the process. No one likes to buy a product and fight like hell to get a problem fixed. Balance the need to ensure the integrity of the product with the customers needs to have you honor your promises. When customers don’t feel as though they can get problems resolved they will tell others and this leads to bad publicity.
5.) Don’t Automate Everything: Calling in and pressing numbers repeatedly are a great source of annoyance. Even though these systems cut back on costs due to wages that would need to be paid if a live representative was available they are not in the spirit of customer service. Automated systems should be used to direct people to the right place but should never be deeper than two or three levels.
Good customer service isn’t about spending lots of money and bowing down to every whim the customer has. Customer service is about focusing on servicing and pleasing the customer. If it wasn’t for them it is likely that you wouldn’t have a business to begin with. If you continue in poor impression management you won’t have a business later on. Customers expect companies to adhere to the implied contract they have willfully advertised and exceeding their expectations will save you in the long run.
