Customer Service Etiquette Training
A customer who is satisfied with her experience with a company--including encountering polite assistance--is likely to come back, so it is important to train employees in proper customer service etiquette. Teach employees how to make the experience a welcoming one for customers to ensure that they will recommend your business to others. Implementing a customer service etiquette training program will help to increase the profitability and endurance of your company.
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Employee Manners
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Because a customer will feel more valuable if he is welcomed properly and feels respected, training in manners is a vital part of a customer service etiquette program. Associates should always make eye contact and smile when they are speaking to customers. Train employees to call each customer “ma’am” or “sir” and to thank each customer for his business.
Employee Behavior
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Staff members should not engage overly in personal conversation with other staff members while in the presence of customers, and should not criticize other associates or management, especially to customers. Employees should not enter into personal dialogue with customers. Instead, instruct employees to inquire about the customer in a general way such as "How are you, today?" and discuss the items purchased.
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Customer Arrival
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When a customer arrives in a store, a friendly associate should greet her briefly; however, the associate should not lurk near the customer. Instead, he should work elsewhere but make himself available if the customer needs assistance. Not only does a greeting make the customer feel valuable, but it may also decrease theft. A customer who intends to steal is less likely to do so if she receives attention immediately upon entering the establishment.
Assisting Customers
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Associates are employed to provide assistance to customers and must remember that. To properly assist customers, an employee must know his responsibilities within his department. For instance, in a clothing store, the employee may be required to work the cash register, register customers for credit cards, clean out fitting rooms and assist customers as they try on clothes.
Along with this training, the employee should know which tasks always take priority, such as ringing customers up prior to completing fitting room duties.
If an employee cannot immediately assist a customer, he should politely delegate the responsibility to another associate.
Customers in the store generally take priority over those on the phone. If an employee is on an important call he should assign another associate to the in-store customer.
In addition, each employee should be trained on the layout of the store in case a customer needs directions and should also be educated on the services the company offers.
Dealing With Angry Customers
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Because irate customers will surface from time to time, it is imperative that employees know how to handle the situation. Remind employees that any remarks an upset customer makes are not personal and that they should not react in anger. Telling a customer what cannot be done can escalate the problem--instead, train employees to say what can be done to remedy the situation. Determine a solution for the problem and voice it to the customer. When she is pleased with the outcome, thank her for her patience and business. Use her name if you know it.
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References
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