Posted by Meredith Estep on Wed, Mar 03, 2010 @ 01:08 PM
Your customers are the backbone of your organization, and it literally pays to treat them right. In fact, if you want to gain an edge over the competition, you need to treat them better than "right" to avoid losing them to the business down the street. Here are six ideas for raising the customer service bar to help your business stand out from the crowd.
Establish a Minimum
Before you can be exceptional, you have to understand what good customer service is. Establish the core basics such as using "please" and "thank you" when addressing customers and being on time for appointments. Once you know where your customer service bar begins, you can work on the task of raising it.
Provide Training
If you want your staff to make customer service a priority, you must also make it your primary goal. This means providing training in customer service because the right skills to delight customers do not come naturally to all employees. Use games and role playing activities to make the training fun and memorable.
Make Way for Exceptional
Employees are often afraid to go the extra mile for customers because doing so might bend policies or procedures. Let your staff know where the real lines are and give them some flexibility in terms of reimbursing fees, providing discounts or working around basic polices. Incorporate this information into your customer service training so your staff understands that the ultimate purpose of bending the rules is to maintain a loyal customer base.
Be an Example
The best way to teach exceptional customer service is to lead by example. If you encounter an irate customer, how do you handle the situation? If your employees see you calmly taking the situation in hand and providing the extra TLC to transform an angry customer into a happy one, they will be more likely to follow suit.
Treat your Staff Right
To ensure your staff treats customers the way they want to be treated, management must handle their employees the same way. Treat everyone on your staff with respect, listen carefully to their issues, and do your best to offer positive solutions. This approach also leads to a harmonious work environment, where employees are motivated to do their best with customers.
Remain Patient
Exceptional customer service does not come naturally to many employees, and even after sufficient training and practice, you are bound to encounter the occasional customer service snafu.
First, resolve the problem on the customer's level. Next, talk to your employee about how the situation could have been handled better. Remain positive throughout the process, and your employee will see the experience as a learning opportunity, rather than a disciplinary measure, which will make them more likely to try harder the next time.
Raising the customer service bar begins at the top, with managers teaching skills to employees and demonstrating the principles through their own actions. When you switch the focus of your business to one of customer service, the entire organization follows suit, and the customers ultimately benefit.
- Meredith Estep