This week, the MeloTel Blog has been focused on ways that companies can show off their customer service skills. In truth, there are a lot of companies across Canada that could use a little brushing up on said skills. Apparently, not everyone remembers that there is competition out there. Customers have options. You could potentially be offering your client base superior products and services, but do they enjoy interacting with members of your staff?
If not, then you stand to lose out on a lot of business. Being an excellent customer service provider involves you doing things that your competitors do not. What makes it so enjoyable to get in touch with your business? In our last blog, we pointed out a number of ways that you can actually make it fun for customers to contact your company. Today, we take things a step further in order to help you to become a customer service champion!
Here are five ways:
1. Demonstrate your listening skills. For some reason, the act of paying attention is a lot harder than it sounds. Many customer service reps get so caught up in the regular, daily requirements of their jobs, that they take certain things for granted. Don’t assume that you know what a customer wants just because countless others have asked for the same thing. Truly listening will help you to get a better understanding of your customers’ needs.
2. Showcase your ability to understand. There’s no harm in recapping. Make sure that your listening skills are truly top-notch by repeating back to your customer what you believe you have heard. Getting confirmation during your first interaction will help you to save so much time and energy. Providing your customer with incorrect information or the wrong product or service because you “heard wrong” will only serve to damage your brand’s reputation.
3. Highlight what you can do for your customer, not what you can’t do. Sometimes, it’s all in the wording. There are going to be those times when you simply cannot provide what your customer is asking for. In such cases, proper phrasing will help to minimize any potential backlash. For example: “While I can certainly understand that you’d prefer to have the item delivered by the end of the day, what I can do is guarantee that you’ll have it there first thing in the morning.”
4. Provide options. You will also encounter times when you don’t have just one answer to a customer’s question. Instead, you’ll have several. It’s important to be as informative as you can so that you empower your customers with the knowledge necessary to make the right decisions. Describe the alternatives and present scenarios that enable your customers to see the various benefits that come with working with your company.
5. Be honest. Most customers are pretty savvy. They know an over-the-top sales pitch when they hear one. Let your customers know the various pros and cons of the products and services that you have. Believe it or not, you will end up securing a lot more business when you are honest. By pointing out particular aspects of your brand that some may consider negative, you will endear your customers to you for much more important reasons.
For an example of MeloTel’s customer service, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the “Live Chat Support” feature on our website! Be sure to ask us how we can save you money and improve your ability serve customers over the phone with our Commercial Phone Services.
