Halloween is just a week away! And people all over North America are gearing up to scare their neighbours and friends with their ghoulish costumes and decorations. Of course, “scaring” others, at this time of year, is all in good fun. But it’s no fun for business owners when their customers are scared away. Unfortunately, for some businesses, poor customer service practices serve to do just that.
So what customer service practices may scare your customers away? Here are five:
1. Showing indifference or disinterest. You don’t necessarily need to be rude to turn your customers off. When your staff members don’t show a genuine interest in helping your customers, a bad impression of your business is given. It’s important that your company’s representatives perform their jobs with liveliness and energy to convey that they are happy to help your customers. Those who seem like they don’t care about their jobs will produce people who don’t care to give you their business.
2. Neglecting to show gratitude. A “thank you” can go a long way. It’s important to show your customers, not only that you care, but that you truly appreciate their support. Small gestures like gift cards and random discounts are excellent ways of expressing your gratitude. But the simple exclamation of “thank you for calling” or “thank you for your purchase” can help to keep a customer loyal.
3. Not appearing knowledgeable. There are few things that scare customers away quicker than company representatives who sound like they don’t know what they’re doing. When customers call up with questions and speak to phone agents who aren’t prepared with answers, they get turned off pretty quickly. It’s of paramount importance that your staff members are well-trained, so that they can appear as experts whenever they’re asked questions about your products and services.
4. Keeping your customers waiting. Does anyone actually like waiting? Whether it’s in line at a checkout or on the phone in a calling queue, waiting is no fun. It’s important that you remember the whole “time is money” adage when providing customer service. Not only does it earn your company more money when they attend to as many customers as possible, but it greatly impresses your company’s supporters when they don’t have to worry about having their time wasting when dealing with you.
5. Not keeping your promises. You miss deadlines that you say you’re going to meet. You don’t call back at times you say that you will. You don’t deliver on offers that you’ve made. These are all ways to lose customers. It’s important that you gain the trust of your customer base. The act of sticking to what you said you would do is huge, no matter what industry you’re a part of. Having customers who feel they can depend on you will only grow your base. Not keeping your promises will diminish it!
At MeloTel, we have long insisted upon making excellent customer service a top priority. We know how important it is for our customers to feel valued and respected. We also know how important it is for them to feel like they are receiving top-of-the-line service. To receive a dose of MeloTel’s commitment to excellent customer service, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the Live Chat feature on our website!
Be sure to ask us about our Commercial Phone Services!
