In our last blog, we revisited the ever-important topic of providing excellent customer service and listed a number of practices that always serve to make good impressions. The impression that members of the buying public have about your brand counts for a lot. Keep in mind that word spreads quickly these days. With the growing popularity of social media, consumers are apt to share their experiences – both positive and negative – with brands of all kinds.
To ensure that the impressions of your brand are always top-notch, there are some customer service practices that you should regularly adhere to. Don’t forget that most customers cherish their experiences with companies over the products and services they buy. Are you focused on the way that you and your staff members treat your customers? What are you doing to ensure that you always make good impressions?
Here are five more ways to ensure your customer service is highly regarded:
1. Treat every complaint as a growing opportunity. It’s really important that you don’t take anything personally. Every so often, you’ll bump into a customer who is really upset about something you or one of your staff members may have done. Remember that it’s not a reflection of you as a person. It simply means that your business has some opportunities for growth. Take each irate customer as a lesson that you can always improve. Every complaint should make your business better.
2. Be respectful of customers’ time. People hate waiting. For this reason, it’s important that telephone customer service representatives practice courteous hold policies. If you’re unable to perform a task immediately, be sure to bear in mind that your customer will not enjoy waiting for very long. Be sure to ask the customer if he/she doesn’t mind holding and give a specific time frame. If the work is not completed within that frame, come back to the line to provide a new one.
3. Keep the information you provide concise and understandable. Employees tend to get carried away with jargon that is exclusive to the businesses they work for. Remember that your customers may not exactly understand the lingo that you use in the office on a regular basis. Stick to the basics when it comes to explaining your products and services, as well as the actions you’ve taken.
4. Be forthright with information. Customers don’t like to be kept in the dark. They don’t like being lied to. And they don’t like getting the wrong information – even by accident. The bottom line is this – be honest! Let your customers know exactly what you can and what you can’t do for them. Stress that it is your priority to satisfy them, but never make promises you can’t keep. Generally speaking, being frank is absolutely necessary.
5. Go over and above the call of duty. You likely won’t be able to do this on each and every call with each and every customer. However, when you have the ability to give your customers a little more, take the opportunities to do so. The “little things” you do can have big impacts. Customers don’t soon forget discounts that you gave them out of the blue. Nor do they forget the freebies they received just because they are valued customers.
At MeloTel, we strive to provide the type of customer service that is regarded more highly than that of any of our competitors. To experience it for yourself, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the Live Chat feature on our website! Be sure to ask us about our Website Maintenance Services and Bloggers & Creative Writers For Hire!
