- Customers will often remember the beginning and ending of an interaction. To ensure customers will return, employees should eagerly greet customers and, after assisting them, send them off with a kind word, says Bryan K. Williams, an organizational consultant. Doing so sends the message that the company is glad to have the customer's business--and looks forward to seeing that customer again. Having ideal standards, such as answering the telephone in three rings or less, Williams says, puts daily customer service principles foremost in the minds of employees.
- Lyndsay Swinton, a personal development and coaching expert, states that selling to current, satisfied customers is always cheaper than marketing to new customers. Great customer service helps employees manage current customer relationships and suggest products and services to expand those relationships. This ensures customer satisfaction, which can equal referrals of new business. Adhering to this principle is less expensive, by far, then costly marketing and advertising schemes, thus improving profitability.
- Swinton suggests that listening closely to customers is key to providing strong customer service. Tools like feedback surveys and mystery shopping analysis can show breakdowns in customer service or reveal flaws in system designs or employee training. Customers may want you to add a service or product, switch shipping providers, or decrease wait times. Listening and responding is an important job of customer service representatives who interact the most with your customers.
- Customer service expert John Tschohl believes that companies must create a culture of service. This requires hiring and retaining employees that buy in to the customer service philosophy, as well as a commitment to ongoing training by the company. Tschohl recommends comprehensive, organization-wide customer service training every four to six months. Customer service requires an organizational plan, Tschohl says.
- It is not enough to simply have dedicated, customer service-oriented employees, according to Swinton; your firm must also understand how to consistently improve products and services. The best customer service reps in the world cannot sell a faulty product, for instance. Examining processes and measuring results is crucial, says Tschohl, and companies should regularly include employee feedback when analyzing customer service satisfaction.
