Many companies speak of the great customer service that is offered by their employees and virtual assistants advertise services to take care of your customers for you. With all of the talk about customer service, many businesses are still missing the mark when it comes to treating their customers well.
What do your customers want when contacting your business? What are the most important things you can provide for them? What are their needs?
Take care of them. When you listen to what your customers are saying, it will tell you what kind of service they want.
Communication
One of the most often heard complaints is that the person on the other end of the phone isn’t really listening. Customer service is give and take, a conversation between two people. Ask the customer questions that will draw them out and find the real reason they are calling. They should end the conversation happy with what has taken place and willing to give positive feedback about your company and employees. Good customer service is so rare that people generally pass it on when they come across it! This is good for your company as it helps your business grow and brings in more interest in your products and services.
Remember to use a good quality telephone system. Many smaller companies, particularly those that are involved in e-commerce, still use cellphones or VOIP for their company calls. Cutting costs where they can be cut is a good idea, but always invest in a good landline so your customers are not fighting static to get their requests heard.
Empathy
If you were the customer calling in – and we’ve all been there – how would you rank your employees? Would you find yourself satisfied after the call or frustrated that they either didn’t understand or just didn’t care? Make it personal. You want your customers to come back. At the same time, don’t make promises that you can’t keep. Be upfront and honest, tell them what you can do and then do it! This verifies your integrity.
Originality
Good customer service is what will distinguish you from your competitors. Make yourself stand out as special when it comes to customer service by being original – that means not using the standard customer service language to end your calls. e.g. Have I taken care of all of your concerns today? Communication is extremely important and manners count!
Specialness
Make your customers feel special by treating them that way. They should have your full attention at all times and know that they are important to you. If you are an entrepreneur or have a small business and don’t feel you can handle customer calls on your own, hire the outside support you need. This will free up your time to work on expanding your customer base and concentrating on your business growth.
There are virtual teams available that will provide you with the courteous customer service and support that you should be offering. In the long run…or maybe even in the short run!…they will save you money by keeping your customers happy and always coming back for more.
Chris Draper
© 2012 DemGen All Rights Reserved.
image courtesy of kevin dooley
