A few years ago I was the Director of Operations for a software training firm. Part of my job was to train our trainers to be the best that they could be. Another part of my job was to come up with new subjects to train outside of just software use. The one subject that I was most happy with was a four hour course on better customer service.
I wish I still had a copy of the training manual because not much has changed over the years when it comes to customer service. The customer is not always right contrary to the old saying. The customer is always the customer though. Sometimes you have to go the extra mile to turn your customer into a repeat customer.
Here are a few tips that can help convert them into long time customers:
1. Be prompt in all replies whether it be in email or phone. Nothing says you car like replying to an email within minutes or hours of the initial contact. Worst case scenario don't let more than 24 hours go by.
2. Be polite NO MATTER the customer's attitude. Some people wait until they have stewed for hours or days before contacting you. They may not be very nice in their email or phone call. It is your job to remain calm and polite.
3. Listen to what they have to say. Sometimes there isn't really anything you can do but listen to their problem. Listening to them will let you know what their problems actually are. This goes for reading the entire email a couple of times before hitting reply.
4. Always respond in the positive. You want to do your best to not add to the negativity. You want to always try and put a positive spin on everything.
5. Offer solutions that work for all parties involved. The solution may very well be a full refund. It might also mean a redesign of a product. If you need time to process and respond, don't be afraid to let your customer know that you need time to figure it out. Just do not let time get away from you.
I hope that will help you a little. Let me know what your experiences are with your customers. Leave a comment or send me an email to MarketMyShop@gmail.com
For me, the most essential virtues in providing customer service are timeliness and respect for every customer. No matter what technology are we going to use to connect with them, those values can impress even the most irate person. For example, whenever a complaint occurs, customer service personnel should act on-time and remain polite to the complainant in order to focus on the main issue better.
ReplyDeleteWell, for me, listening and paying attention to your customer really matters in good customer service. By this, you’ll show that you really value your customers and you’re very much willing to accommodate all their concerns. You also get the satisfaction out of your job knowing that you helped someone. ;)
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