It is known to all business owners that customer service is imperative for a successful operation and growth of a company. No matter the size, client satisfaction, serves as the heart of the business, pumping prosperity when it has been properly nurtured. This practice requires appropriate employee training, the foundation of achievement to all set objectives. What does customer service really mean, and how can you improve it for the sake of your company?
Customer service is the delivery of service to a customer before, during and after a purchase. This idea is directly influenced by the ability of employees to adjust to the personality of the customer. After extensive research intertwined with my experience in the customer service industry, I have compiled five tips that may change your business forever.
5 tips for superior customer service:
Customer Feedback is often overlooked by business owners because they forget to analyze the customer perspective. Delivering an experience to your customer is not possible without understanding their needs and opinion. Implementing a mechanism encouraging clients to share their perspective about your business, may reveal factors that have led them to make decisions towards a purchase.
Products are often reinvented or improved after understanding a customer’s perspective of them. As the only tool to measure customer satisfaction, you will be able to determine if a product does not meet the needs of a customer, or has the potential of fulfilling other aspects you have not yet noted. Companies that are able to link product improvement and customer feedback often build strong competitive advantages and experience superior loyalty from their customers.
Employee Feedback is one of the most important principles for customer satisfaction. Design a way for your employees to easily communicate the problems that are most frequent while interacting with a client. When these issues are corrected, you allow your employees to deliver superior service by bettering the culture of the company. If an employee does not have to struggle to make a customer happy, client satisfaction is reached with little effort. Also, it reduces the amount of time required to finalize a purchase, by providing the necessary tools for your employees to advance quicker and reduce stress.
Anticipating customer behavior is a bit tricky, yet a powerful tool. Once you have spent time understanding the needs of your customer, anticipate to fulfill those requirements before you are asked to. What is powerful about mastering this skill is the immense opportunity you have to impress a customer. Think of it as a magic trick, before they have asked for something specific, you have already placed it on the table. You literally just pulled a bunny out of a hat, vow and listen to them clap. This is where the client’s jaw drops in awe of the excellence your company exhibits.
The customer is not always right, but you have to make it right for the customer. We have all been in situations where our intentions are to attend a customer complaint and aim to satisfy them. We have also experienced customers asking us to do impossible and unreasonable things, seeking shelter by the concept that “the customer is always right”. Train your employees to answer to complaints positively and to keep their composure. These situations may seem frustrating, but inviting your customer to understand why you can’t fulfill a request, can make them empathetic to the situation rather than making them feel excluded. Avoid saying no to the customer; instead offer the best you can do being fair.
Educating your customers may open more doors than simply achieving customer satisfaction. If your business sells technology devices and a customer does not understand them, avoid using terms they won’t understand. Have your employees explain and educate products and services in comprehensive way. This enables the customer to recognize the value and benefits of your product by allowing them to have an insight of your company.
Results of customer satisfaction:
- Increased customer loyalty and retention
- Increased product acquisition per customer
- Increase the frequency of purchases made by a customer
- Generate a positive image engaging in a word-to-mouth marketing concept
- Decreases the fear of a customer at the time of obtaining a product
With the intense competition businesses experience today, customer experiences are what make them stand out among others. Surveys sponsored by Zen Desk and conducted by Dimensional Research, suggest customer service defines the behavior among customers. The results of a poorly handled customer complaint, often results in the customer finding alternatives and bad mouthing of your practices, this will affect your business in the future by repealing potential clients to purchase from you. Allow those to be your competition’s problem and maintain a well trained staff and happy customers, resulting in the indisputable choice that your company, may just be the best.
This article was originally posted by: David Buritica
